US Soccer: Is It All Downhill for the US Team Following the 2011 Gold Cup?

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The Gold Cup Final May be as Good as it Gets for a While for U.S. Soccer

U.S. soccer was flying high about 30 minutes into their Gold Cup finals match with rival Mexico. They had uncharacteristically found a burst of offense as they enjoyed a 2-0 lead. They just had to have their stifling defense take over.

Then things began to fall apart. Or maybe it was more just a case of reality setting in. It wasn't so much that any individual began to play poorly or Bob Bradley began to coach bad. And that is the real problem for U.S. soccer. They were just clearly outclassed by Mexico.

MUST READ: U.S. vs. Mexico Final, Live Blog and Postgame Reactions

That in itself is not a horribly bad thing. Mexico is a very good team. They are a young and talented team that is really beginning to hit it's stride. They will surely soon find themselves in the top 20 world rankings.

And those facts only further illuminate what is wrong with the U.S. team. America is slow and unimaginative compared to Mexico. They are also comparatively old. It is pretty clear that the U.S.'s best players have been and remain Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey. All three of those guys are aging past their prime and not into it.

There is little in the way of young talent to get excited about. Freddy Adu had a decent run when he got some playing time, and he is only 22 years old, but he certainly doesn't look like the star he was once supposed to be. Jozy Altidore has shown some promise, but he has also been a source of frustration.

There is little to get excited about right now when it comes to the future of U.S. soccer. They lack athleticism and talent, and most disturbingly they lack the promise of finding it.

Check back for more on Soccer as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Soccer Page to get your fill of soccer.

—Richard Langford

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