(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
The FIFA Confederations Cup was meant to be a warm-up for next summer’s World Cup.
The competition, the venue, and the team that was sent was all put together to allow for select nations to get an idea of where they stand and what they need to do in order to be successful in South Africa one year from now.
The United States learned quite a bit over the past few weeks. Here is a look at some of the things that the Americans can take out of the Confederations Cup.
The U.S. can compete with the world’s best
Some of the team’s games have not been pretty. However, this Confederations Cup really forced them to step up to the competition and step up they did, eventually.
They beat Spain, the No. 1 ranked team in the world, 2-0 to reach the finals and then they pushed Brazil to the limits, even though they lost 3-2.
These outings were quite impressive and proved that the U.S. can stand toe-to-toe with any soccer power in the world.
It is imperative though that the team came out with a sense of urgency and with a chip on their shoulder. Without those things, they cannot compete.
In recent outings against Costa Rica and the first match against Brazil, the Americans were undisciplined, lagging, uninspired, and complacent, and they got pounded because of it.
When they play with heart, when they fight, when they scrap for loose balls, when they show that they want to be out on the field and they want to win—come hell or high water—they pull out some great performances.
That’s a team that the whole country can get behind.
Tim Howard is one of the world’s best goalkeepers
Howard proved that he is in the elite class of keepers in the world.
Sure, some of the scores were a bit high; 3-1 loss to Italy, 3-0 and 3-2 losses against Brazil, and in the shutout against Egypt backup Brad Guzan was in net. However, watching the games you would see how valuable Howard is.
Howard has incredibly quick reflexes, great poise, and good decision making skills. These traits, combined with his athleticism, allow him to make marvelous saves.
Had Tim Howard not been in net for the Americans, especially in the match against Spain and the final against Brazil, you can bet the scores would have been very lopsided and the country would be nowhere near as proud of this team as they are today.
You can thank Tim Howard for that.
The team is still young and immature
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