2010 FIFA World Cup: Final Four Give U.S. Recipe for Success

By Ben Triana
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 14, 2010

At first glance, it might seem like a U.S. that didn't get out of the second round has little in common with South Africa's finalists.

As far as direct parallels are concerned, there aren't, but like a novice writer stealing from an award-winning novelist, the American National team can learn much if not overtly steal from 2010's final four.

Considering this tournament's winner is a Spanish side with not only a starting eleven that could play for any team in the world, but a bench that could as well , what follows is not the formula to become the new Spain, but to get to the semifinals--a hard enough task in itself.

Once a team gets to the semifinals, then anything can happen. Thankfully, these teams have laid out a blueprint for other to follow. What follows is a list of traits the U.S. can take from the teams that made it to the final weekend of the 2010 World Cup.

Uruguay

Of the four teams, playing like this nation of 3.2 million people is the easiest to incorporate into any team's style of play.

This often over-matched team (on paper at least), challenged the best in the world through its tenacious defense. In fact, the teams most likely to have success played with a similar intensity.

The U.S. played a defensive style rife with intensity and perseverance, but there's a slight distinction in the defensive schemes.

North Korea, Switzerland, even Brazil, played defensively. They sat back, put players in front of the goal and played the odds that a team couldn't score before they did. Only Brazil made it past the group-stage, and keep in mind, their coach was fired for his style of play and the team's inability to reach expectations.

Uruguay, Spain, and to a lesser extent, Japan, succeeded through the opposite approach: pressure .

Organized, relentless hounding of the ball handlers bred more turnovers and more success than sitting back and...

Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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