Random Rants: World Cup Blog

Adversity has brought U.S. team, fans closer together.

From left to right, Gary Legrand, Brian Tucker, Tommy Legrand and Tim Tucker of Ofallon, Mo. Brian and Tommy play for the 2005 Missouri State champion St Dominick’s, with Tommy's father, Gary, the team’s goalkeeping coach. -- Photo by Chris Courtney --

By Chris Courtney
SoccerTimes

KAISERSLAUTERN (Saturday, June 17, 2006) -- The United States men kept their World Cup hopes alive tonight with an exciting 1-1 draw tonight with well-regarded Italy.

The Americans' bumpy road to World Cup advancement has served two purposes -- the team has drawn closer together and relationship between the fans and players has been cemented even further. These two developments are just what the U.S. needs going into its match against Ghana Thursday when a victory is needed to have a chance of moving forward into the second round.

"We are more of a team tonight -- I can feel it in the locker-room" said U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo after the game. "It's a nice result. We fought hard with nine men. If we had 10, we could have won it. We came in with the right attitude and we're happy to have the point."

Fellow defender Gregg Berhalter, a 2002 Cup veteran who is yet to play in this tournament, added: "It was a total team effort and we have a lot to be proud of. I never seen such a great U.S. crowd before. It was incredible."

Indeed, the American contingent on hand in Fritz Walter Stadion made up roughly half of the crowd and matched the Italian fans shout for shout, song for song. When the U.S. went behind, the fans stayed vocal. As the cards began to fly and the U.S. found itself down to nine men, it seemed both the team and the fans helped each other find the next higher gear.

"The fans were simply fantastic," U.S. manager Bruce Arena commented. "Both teams were well supported, but the U.S. fans really helped carry our team."

Since the team's letdown in losing 3-0 to the Czech Republic, American fans have been clamoring for a brave and committed 90-minute performance in which the team was willing to give its last drop of blood. Tonight, they got just that.

"We didn't have that drive on Monday night to fight for the ball and make the extra effort. We had it tonight," midfielder Landon Donovan said. Tonight, "I never felt uncomfortable out there and never felt like we would lose our composure."

Veteran defender Eddie Pope had high praise for the team and the fans: "A lot of people wrote us off but we were able to dig in and fight for 90 minutes tonight. It was a total team effort," he said. "The fans were simply incredible. We know we have a chance, the guys are pumped and we'll roll this into the next game."

"The U.S, fan support was unbelievable" said visibly pumped up reserve goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. "Staying on the base (Ramstein Air Base in Kaiserslautern) was great since we felt like we were at home and the atmosphere with fans was, well, as good as it gets."

Hahnemann also remarked on the renewed sense of team togetherness: "On the bench everybody cheers for everybody, until our lungs are sore."

Playing in a 10-versus-nine match meant both teams had more space to work with, which meant much more movement off the ball, and more effort to defend space. Both teams were running on fumes late, but it was apparent that Arena's grueling tune-up camp at Cary, N.C. paid huge dividends tonight. In fact, after the game, an impressed European press corps lined up to interview the US fitness coach Pierre Barrieu to see what his secret was.

The team's renewed sense of pride and confidence in each other was summed up by defender Jimmy Conrad: "After Monday's game, we had a hard time looking each other in the eye," he said. "Now, there are lots of smiles in the locker room and we can look each other in the eye."

Meanwhile, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu had high praise for Conrad, whose stout substitute appearance was crucial to keeping the potent Italian attack from scoring a second goal. "Jimmy did well and we didn't miss a beat," Onyewu said. "That's the kind of team we have. If someone comes off the bench, you know he can get the job done."

"The fan support was great. "They were behind us 200 percent," Onyewu said. "They gave us the extra push when we were a man down. We don't even get this kind of support when we play in the U.S. It was just incredible."

Chris Courtney is SoccerTimes European correspondent and lives in Brussels. He is in Germany covering the World Cup.