WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : U.S. Stays Cool After Victory : Group A: Milutinovic lets his starters relax, but he makes sure they are concentrating on Sunday’s game.
The U.S. World Cup team didn’t allow itself to luxuriate in the afterglow of Wednesday’s remarkable upset of Colombia, but returned instead to its more familiar blue-collar habits.
How did the team celebrate one of the biggest victories in U.S. soccer history? The non-starters were put through an intensive workout and the 13 who played in the 2-1 victory stayed around the team hotel. Ernie Stewart, who scored the winning goal, did his laundry.
Clearly, despite the media mob that descended Thursday, the team has not gone Hollywood. Low key were the watchwords, as no doubt Coach Bora Milutinovic and his staff have cautioned the players to redirect their attention to the next game, Sunday at the Rose Bowl against Romania.
The players did allow themselves to marvel over Marcelo Balboa’s balletic bicycle kick that almost went in for a score and then consider the prospect of advancing to the second round for the first time since 1930, but that was about it.
The U.S. and Switzerland are tied for first place in Group A with four points, Romania is second with three, and Colombia, the team Pele picked to win the World Cup, is winless and will almost certainly go home.
“We have a realistic chance to win the group (title),” goalkeeper Tony Meola said. “Things have to happen for us to win the group, but it’s not unrealistic. We could put ourselves in a great spot to go to the quarterfinals, with a little bit of luck.”
Goals would help the team more than luck, as Switzerland has a two-goal edge on goal differential.
In the simple version of things, the United States can advance by beating or tying Romania. If Switzerland beats Colombia and the United States ties, the Swiss will win the group title and stay in L.A. and the United States would finish second and play the second-place team from Group C at Washington.
If the U.S. loses to Romania and finishes third, it would have a chance to advance but would be pitted against the winner of Group B or C.
Few players were willing to get that far ahead in their thinking.
“Bora’s got a way of getting them back down to earth,” assistant coach Steve Sampson said. “For example, today’s practice was supposed to be a fun scrimmage and turned into business. (The coaches) played and thank God I was on Bora’s team. We won, 2-1.”
The U.S. success Wednesday night was born of hard work, tight defense and a renewed linking of the midfield and forwards. Colombia players helped by fighting among themselves and remaining in a tactical rut.
“They wanted to try to play the ball down the middle of the field,” Sampson said. “We were amazed they didn’t try to play the ball on the flanks and exploit that. We were amazed that they made the substitutions they did. Amazed.”
World-class forwards Faustino Asprilla and Anthony de Avila were taken out in the second half and although team captain Carlos Valderrama remained in the game, he was ineffective.
The United States wanted the Colombians to try crossing the ball in from the wings because the Americans believe that with Alexi Lalas, Thomas Dooley and Marcelo Balboa in the middle, they can win the ball in the air.
Colombia, though, chose to cling to its system of moving the ball through the middle and rarely deviated, even in the face of a total shutdown. Sampson said it was pride that kept the Colombians from adjusting because that would have been an admission that the U.S. team had figured them out.
Frustrations grew apparent as the Colombians took to blaming one another.
“We’re a bunch of guys rooting for each other, no matter what,” Eric Wynalda said. “We’re not bickering--that was the Colombians. I’ve never heard so many swear words.”
The U.S. players said that once they heard the bickering, they knew the Colombians were unraveling.
“There was a lot of talking amongst the Colombians,” Roy Wegerle said. “I don’t know what they were saying, but from their expressions, you could tell they were not happy with each other.”
In contrast, the U.S. team is apparently a happy fraternity, busy making history and doing its laundry. Destiny must wait.
“The team has become very tight in the last 10 days,” Sampson said. “The event and the moment has brought this group together.”
