This is not the first time as a US Soccer fan that I’ve been at a loss for words, drained emotionally, heart palpitating, and ready to defecate myself, but as a US Soccer fan, when these things happen, they happen because of something tragic, not because of something joyous. After the draw against the Netherlands in the Olympics, I had nothing; a few days later after the Orozco Red Card that launched this website, I was also speechless. The first game in the Confederations Cup against Brazil last summer – speechless out of despair, as we were thoroughly manhandled. The second Brazil game – utterly disappointed to blow a 2-goal lead in the second half and couldn’t say a word. In ’06 – my first year in Gainesville, FL in which I convinced by new soccer neophyte friends Jon Levy and Jen Haas to watch the World Cup with me – speechless and embarrassed that I had convinced these people to watch soccer with me because of the horrid American performance against the Czechs. Still, even after that, I managed to conjure up some element of hope going into the Ghana game, but again, things did not work out, and I couldn’t say a word. In 1998, dead last in a tournament after a surprising run in ’94; and I couldn’t defend our team or US Soccer. In ’94, the questionable call against Germany that sent our lads packing – and I couldn’t say a thing. In this very World Cup – just or unjust – the Mo Edu goal that didn’t stand left me thinking the same old thing again: as a USMNT fan, you’re going to have to live with the fact that our soccer team will always find a new, interesting, and never before seen way of screwing up and not advancing in a major tournament. It will be tragic; it will be heartbreaking; we were so close yet again, but as always, we fail, and petulant assholes like Jim Rome and Colin Cowherd are given another bucket of fodder to satisfy their insatiable hunger to bash all things “non-American” for another half decade. And, as a soccer fan, you have to endure it yet again……

That’s what was going through my head as the clock rolled through the 90 minute mark this morning. And then, magically, unlike any US Soccer team I can remember, we found a way not to lose, but to win a game. With our backs against the wall, waves and waves of American attacks came forward and finally, when all seemed lost, we were able to do it! I know we’ve had success in the World Cup before – particularly in ’02 – but never like this. I know we beat Spain last summer, but not like this. Never a stoppage-time goal, in a heart stopping thriller, track meet of a game where you just hoped beyond hope that a breakthrough would come, and you weren’t let down. Usually we’re on the other side of things like this; usually, it would be Algeria scoring in stoppage time against us to end our day. But not today…

This is how the history books will remember this game – a heroic effort after another controversial disallowed goal. This could be the moment that serves as a springboard to legitimize American Soccer worldwide. I want to take nothing away from that, because I am in complete and utter glee right now, but I want to ask (briefly) the unpopular question like I did with my “Different Take on the Call” article – what if Landon doesn’t score? Like I asked after Egypt last summer, what if we didn’t get blown out? What then?

My guess is that like Jon Harkes, who like a whiny adolescent was caught up on “The Call Version 2.0” (The Dempsey Offside) for over an hour, that as a nation, we continue to blame the referees. We ignore the Algerian strike in the 6th minute that bounced off the crossbar like we ignore the Clint Dempsey non-call in the Slovenia game. We ignore the fact that DeMerit was beaten several times. We ignore the fact that there were acres of space between our midfield and our back line. We ignore the fact that we missed 2 open nets and for 90 minutes our attackers couldn’t finish. Instead, like inmates serving 25-years to life use the excuse, “The Lawyer Fucked Me,” as American Soccer fans, we use the excuse “The Ref Doesn’t Like our Politics.” We need to stop doing this, and today serves as reason why. In the end, if the effort level is sound, the talent is on the pitch, and the team plays as one, you can find a way to not be denied.

That’s ultimately the point I’m trying to make here, the point I was making the other day, and the larger point that I tried to make after the Egypt/Spain string of games last summer. Speaking to the Egypt/Spain string of games, my point last summer was always “….but Egypt looked like an impossible series of events and even then we needed enormous amounts of help to be given the opportunity to face Spain. What if that didn’t happen? Don’t be so quick to blame ‘freak occurrences’ when the happen against us but so quick to jump on the bandwagon when the work out….” In soccer, the referee can influence the outcome of a game somewhat, and in soccer sometimes you are the beneficiary of bad calls and sometimes they help you. Sometimes you hit the woodwork, and sometimes your opponent does. Sometimes you have a wide-open shot and you kick it directly at the keeper (as Algeria did several times today) and other times, you find the corner of the net. Brutal? Yes. Hearbreaking sometimes? Yes. But also, sometimes, when it works out for you, breathtaking. As a US Soccer fan, I know we’ve had more than our fair share of things that went the other way against us, but finally today, on the biggest stage, we got to see it go the other way. I think we all hoped it would happen eventually, but after being disappointed several times, I think we also thought that maybe today, like so many others wasn’t the day. In the end, “The Call” and “The Call Version 2.0” worked out because we won The Group. In the end, we played 5 out of 6 halves of marvelous football. In the end, Bob Bradley deserves praise for the way he has managed this team. Bob Bradley – that sonofabitch – went from “fired tomorrow” to “let’s re-up him for another 4 years” in the blink of an eye in stoppage time today.

With that – as the longest intro to a game analysis that I’ve ever written, I want to talk about a few things that caught my eye particularly during the game today. First, Bob Bradley. I was awoken this morning shortly before 9am because my phone was buzzing as Neil was texting me. The message let me know that Jon Freakin Bornstein was starting. I thought about it for a minute, but based on Bradley’s last two in-game tactical choices, instead of bashing him internally, I thought about it some more. Late last night, I was watching that awesome World Cup preview show with Andy Gray and others on FSC, and Gray brought up the idea that Bradley might start a more attacking-minded defense and Edu. In other words, Edu would drop and almost act as a third center-back while Boca and DeMerit could be split wide a little more. This would open up the flanks for Cherundolo and the “new left back” (Gray didn’t know who Bornstein was I don’t think). Because the strength of Algeria is from their defenders pressing up, it allows the outside defenders to play almost like wingbacks when we have the ball, and when we don’t have the ball, it gives them help from either DeMerit or Boca on breakaways down our flanks. After I thought about this, my next reaction was “…..but we’ve never played that way before, and Castillo would have been perfect in that role. Maybe Bornstein can do it…..I mean, he’s screwed up everything else, but maybe this is something he’ll be good at…..” Bornstein responded and played the best game of his career. This also makes me think that either Bob watches FSC a lot and got the idea of doing this from Gray or they were on the same page. Either way, I’m impressed.

Secondly, Bob’s in-game tactical decisions were excellent yet again. Benny Feilhaber should be given man of the match. When our roster was announced, I wrote an article about the importance of Feilhaber with this squad (obviously if you read this, you know I was skeptical). Today, I saw the Benny Feilhaber that allowed for the exclusion of my boy, Kljestan. Feilhaber dominated the pitch today from the moment he set foot onto it. One of my largest criticisms of US Soccer tactics is that sometimes we’re so focused on running the attack down the wings that we lose sight of the idea that building a possession through midfield is a possibility. When this degrades, it leads to a lot of long-ball and low-percentage passes that almost never work. In this game, Feilhaber became the link between MB90, the wingers, and the strikers that has been missed so desperately during much of qualifying. While MB90 played a marvelous game by his own right, in the first half, he was limited in distributing down the wings and not so much through the center of our formation. The introduction of Feilhaber changed all that and made us look lethal.

Third, as I just alluded to, Michael Bradley. In this tournament, Michael has finally figured out how to be an effective distributor. In the first half, he effectively worked the ball up the field through our wings and in the second half, it was a combination of him and Feilhaber. His motor, which has never been a question, was superb, and his recovery as we were pressing and committing more and more bodies forward was unparalleled. I don’t recall a time (I’ll rewatch the game, and I could be wrong, so if I am, forgive me) where he failed to get back after leading an all-out onslaught of the Algerian 18-yard area. I’m convinced; I’ve flipped on this guy. I don’t know what went off inside his head in the past few weeks, but he’s good. Really good.

Fourth, Jay DeMerit. I know he was beaten a few times, but man I love this guy. He’s all heart; perfect guy to be captain of a Championship side called ‘Watford.’ The thing with DeMerit is that he personifies everything that I like about this team. He’s heart, grit, determination, and hard work all rolled into a human body. Yes, he’s going to get beaten sometimes. That said, he’s also going to make 4 or 5 blocks a game that only he can make. He’s going to put his body on the line and leave everything on the field. I know some would argue that “the reason he had to make the blocks to begin with is that he was out of position.” That’s fine if you want to think that, but I don’t care. I’ll live with a defensive breakdown or two if you’re going to put forth that effort. Jay DeMerit – you get the Brian Ching award for this game.

Fifth, Landon Donovan. I know he scored the game winner, but he did disappear for long stretches of time during this match. At one point, Puck looked at me and said, “Has Landon Donovan had a touch yet this half?” He was right, Landon was missing. I know Algeria’s strength is their flank defense, and I attribute a lot of his disappearance on the Algerian play. Still, in the next round (writing this at 3:00 pm so I don’t know who we play yet), he needs to be more present.

I know I haven’t mentioned Buddle, Cherundolo, Dempsey, Boca, Howard, Altidore, Edu, or Gomez. They all played great matches too, I’m taking nothing away from any of them, and I know Neil will cover their performance in his player ratings.

Today is a good day for American Soccer. We played great, but as Bob Bradley said after the game, sometimes you play great and you just can’t finish. For awhile it looked as if we wouldn’t be able to, but somehow we did. Somehow we overcame adversity and got it done when it mattered most. “The Call,” “The Call Version 2.0” and all other things can now be forgotten. We have advanced to the round of 16. We won a group. At a World Cup. And England was in it. Holy Fuck!  America – FUCK YEAH!

Raf Crowley is a senior writer for The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at raf@yanksarecoming.com.