Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Clint Dempsey, working with the ball Friday night, scored the game's only goal in a World Cup qualifying match in Commerce City, Colo.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The temperatures were freezing. The winds were battering. The snow was coming down sideways.
Jurgen Klinsmann certainly didn't care. At the end of a difficult week and with a daunting trip to Mexico City looming on Tuesday, Klinsmann — who lives in sunny California — would have surely stood outside for much more than 90 minutes, so long as the United States beat Costa Rica in a critical World Cup qualifying match.
All week Klinsmann said this game was a "must-win" for the United States and, despite farcical — though unforgettable — conditions, the American players responded, delivering a 1-0 victory to their bundled-up coach.
Clint Dempsey scored for the United States — or at least it was believed that he did, as it was difficult for many of the 19,374 fans to see all of the field through the snow — and the United States moved into second place in the so-called hexagonal, the six-team regional qualifying tournament. The United States will play its third game of the 10-game schedule on Tuesday against Mexico, with the top three teams at the end of the tournament earning spots in next summer's World Cup.
One can imagine that the conditions in Mexico will be slightly different. Games at the Azteca Stadium generally come with concerns about how the American players will adapt to the high altitude and smoggy air of Mexico City; after Friday night, when pneumonia seemed like a genuine concern, those conditions might not seem so challenging.
Earlier Friday, another World Cup qualifier between Northern Ireland and Russia in Belfast was postponed because of snow, and there were legitimate questions about whether this match should have been played, too.
Snow began falling during the afternoon and accelerated as the game went on. Several American bench players lightheartedly tossed snowballs as they came on to the field, although conditions quickly deteriorated to near-dangerous levels. Snow plows were used, Zamboni-style, on the field until just before kickoff, but the boundary lines were covered again in minutes, forcing stadium workers to sporadically run out with shovels.
The players tried gamely to play with a semblance of strategy, but passes sporadically skipped and skidded on the slick snow when they didn't stop dead in the places where mini-drifts had formed. Herculez Gomez cleared a patch of green for himself as he prepared to take the first free kick of the game early on, beginning a trend that players on both teams emulated before each set piece. It was a futile endeavor.
Not surprisingly, the United States' goal came from a sloppy sequence in the 16th minute. Jozy Altidore ripped a shot from near the top of the penalty area, and the ball deflected off Costa Rican defender Roy Miller, bouncing sideways right into Dempsey's path. Dempsey, who was named captain for the match with Carlos Bocanegra dropped from the roster, hammered the ball into the back of the net.
There were few other serious chances as much of the game featured hopeful long balls from both sides, most of which bounced out of bounds. Costa Rica had a goal ruled out for offside in the 70th minute. The United States likely felt unlucky, too, as it looked to have a penalty kick when Dempsey seemed to be tripped just before halftime. The referee, Joel Aguilar, did not call the foul.
Aguilar's role in this match will surely be the subject of much discussion, as he appeared set to postpone the match 10 minutes after halftime, only to seemingly reverse course. Aguilar, an El Salvadoran official, initially picked up the ball and motioned the players off the field but, after a few minutes of conversation with players and coaches — including an angry Klinsmann, who clearly wanted the game to continue with the United States ahead — Aguilar returned to the field and action resumed.
It was a strange set of circumstances that fit with an odd week. The Americans had seven regulars out with injuries and Klinsmann used a makeshift defense, starting DaMarcus Beasley at left back for the first time since 2009. Behind him was goalkeeper Brad Guzan, making just his sixth World Cup qualifying appearance in place of the injured Tim Howard. Klinsmann also had to deal with fallout from an article in the Sporting News that quoted several anonymous players criticizing his tactics and management style. That led to pointed questions about Klinsmann's status, raising the pressure even more.
Late Friday, though, Klinsmann and his players jogged off the field with snow on their heads and smiles on their faces. On a night more fit for shoveling than soccer, they had managed to get exactly what they needed.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
United States 1, Costa Rica 0: Wintry Weather and U.S. Soccer Team Throw Blanket Over Costa Rica
Dengan url
https://dunialuasekali.blogspot.com/2013/03/united-states-1-costa-rica-0-wintry.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
United States 1, Costa Rica 0: Wintry Weather and U.S. Soccer Team Throw Blanket Over Costa Rica
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
United States 1, Costa Rica 0: Wintry Weather and U.S. Soccer Team Throw Blanket Over Costa Rica
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar