On the heels of a phenomenal run of results that saw the United States impress in a friendly against Germany before vaulting to the top of the table in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, it was perhaps not all too surprising or unexpected to see the Americans hoist CONCACAF's top prize in Chicago last Sunday afternoon. After all, Mexico was sending what could kindly be described as a B squad into the competition, and the USA's group draw was certainly kind thanks to the presence of both Belize and Cuba. The fact that the United States, despite not being completely at full-strength, still had the luxury of featuring such prominent figures as Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Eddie Johnson, did little to hurt their chances of wrestling the trophy away from Mexico for the first time since 2007.
Yes, detractors could point to some of these things that worked in the USA's favor in this Gold Cup in an attempt to downplay the recent triumph under Jürgen Klinsmann's tutelage, but to do so would be a bit rash and alarmingly unfair. Admittedly the road to the Gold Cup victory may not have been as difficult as in years past, but as any manager would tell you, a team can only play against the teams put in front of them.
The United States did just that, leaving very little in doubt during their unblemished Gold Cup run. In doing so, Klinsmann and company did everything to give American fans plenty to analyze and ultimately feel very confident about as next summer's World Cup draws ever closer.
Landon Donovan is indeed back and maybe better than ever.
In the buildup to this year's Gold Cup, there was perhaps no bigger talking point surrounding Klinsmann's squad than the long awaited re-introduction of Landon Donovan to the United States setup.
The reasons for Donovan's time away from first the United States and then the game itself have been well documented and, in all brutal honesty, overly scrutinized by many with no true proximity to Donovan himself. Succinctly put, Donovan needed his time away from the game to collect his thoughts, find himself, and figure out just what was important in his life.
Many scoffed and criticized his fortitude, but at risk of being brazen, who is laughing now? There is no doubt that a now rejuvenated 31 year old Donovan looks to have almost literally rolled the clock back a few years while being as dangerous, if not more so, than he has ever been in his career.
Such an assessment is saying something indeed, but on this strength of his Gold Cup performances, one can say that while also avoiding hyperbole. Donovan scored five goals, set up numerous other goals in playing provider, never seemed short of energy and pace, and was unquestionably the very fulcrum of the USA's success.
The Donovan/Klinsmann marriage has been rocky since it began, but all indications are that it may very well be smooth sailing from here on out.
Klinsmann will have a few selection headaches to deal with now.
Before the Gold Cup, we could feel pretty confident about knowing exactly what the American starting eleven would look like on any given day with the exception of a couple of positions.
It had been said by quite a few pundits that this Gold Cup would present a fantastic opportunity for some players to prove their worth in an international tournament and parlay that into further inclusion in this fall's string of World Cup qualifiers and perhaps beyond. Indeed, a select few did just that.
Mix Diskerud has been elevated to almost mythic proportions by some US Soccer fans online over the years, but his participation with the US has been rather stop-start in nature dating back to 2010. However, the more extended look at Diskerud afforded to us during this Gold Cup proved to be quite eye-opening indeed.
Diskerud did everything one would expect from a central midfielder: he never shied away from tackles, hardly misplaced a pass, showed some creativity, and even got a goal against El Salvador in the quarterfinals to top it all off. Though Michael Bradley's place in the heart of the US team is never question, Diskerud could find himself in the running to be his compatriot there.
Joe Corona, who has performed so well for Tijuana in Liga MX for the last couple of years, made us of his extended run in the Gold Cup with aplomb. Even if he wasn't at his best in the final against Panama, he showed enough flair in the preceding games to show that he is indeed capable of adding some flair to the US side. His two goals, against Cuba and El Salvador respectively, were as well taken as you could ever hope for.
Alejandro Bedoya has definitely had his time with the US over the years, but his caps predominantly came during the Bob Bradley era. In being thrown a lifeline by Jürgen Klinsmann, Bedoya made use of his minutes to remind us that he brings a good bit of speed into the team while also showing that his crossing, as especially demonstrated against Honduras, has improved markedly.
Yes, Klinsmann now has some interesting decisions to make between now and September for the next round of qualifiers, but such selection problems are the envy of any manager.
It's all beginning to take shape under Jürgen Klinsmann.
Let's have a show of hands: who remembers the US team that was theoretically in turmoil following the loss at Honduras in February and the Brian Straus article that seemed to show a mutiny was burgeoning behind closed doors? It seems like ages ago, doesn't it?
This Gold Cup squad, while missing many first choice players, only continued to show and indeed build upon the confident and often flowing play that had been exhibited throughout June. It's been a bumpy road for Klinsmann since he took the US job, but now, finally, what American fans had in mind upon his appointment looks to be approaching reality.
The players have had to adjust to the shift from Bob Bradley's more pragmatic style, and accordingly Klinsmann has had to adjust to what is at his disposal as well. Another trophy in the United States' trophy is perhaps all the proof we need to see that all parties involved have met in the middle, much to everyone's benefit.
This game is one that is played on a razor's edge over ninety minutes, and it is only fitting that ninety minutes can also serve as something of a microcosm for the fortunes of national team looking forward to next summer's World Cup. A lot can happen between now and then, whether players losing form or injuries, but as of this very moment, one can understand why American fans are as confident about their prospects as they have been for quite some time.
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