WORLD CUP USA ‘94: ROUND OF 16 : Brazil Blows Out U.S. Candles : Soccer: Americans have grit but no offense. They hold favorites scoreless until the 74th minute when Bebeto beats Meola.
They don’t want to think about it now. The players on the U.S. national team won’t accept the rationalizations and incisive analysis that is the inevitable aftermath of a loss. It is too soon and it hurts too much and this is still the time to be alone with their pain.
No one wanted to hear Monday that losing 1-0 to Brazil is some kind of achievement, that getting beyond the first round of the World Cup for the first time in 64 years is something to take out and display as a treasure. No, the measure of their growth as a soccer team is that the U.S. players are disappointed and truly believed themselves capable of beating the team that looks destined to win the World Cup.
Losing well is no longer acceptable to the U.S. team, and that is as sure a sign of their ambition as any.
“We played with a huge heart today,” U.S. assistant coach Timo Liekoski said. “We did everything we could. We played with the discipline we wanted. In the end, the team with the experience at this level won.”
Determination and strength of will is no match for technical skill. And even as Brazil played a man short for half the game, the United Sates launched short-lived attacks that were foiled again and again as Brazil controlled the midfield and the ball.
Playing in front of 84,147 enthusiastic fans at Stanford Stadium, the U.S. team came into the game with its usual positive approach, the kind of we-can-do-it enthusiasm that had caused many skeptics to scoff at them. Again and again, U.S. players had insisted they had reached a point that they could play with and beat any team in the world.
Confidence is one thing, performance is another. Almost from the beginning of the game, frustrations mounted for the United States. Already without John Harkes because of a one-game suspension, the team lost Tab Ramos in the 44th minute with a slight skull fracture. Ramos had tangled with Brazil’s Leonardo and received a yellow card for a hard foul, but Leonardo was red-carded on the play after he cracked Ramos’ head with an elbow.
The red card on Leonardo gave the United States a one-man advantage for most of the second half, but it couldn’t take advantage.
Ramos was taken from the field and later found to have a broken bone over his left ear. He was admitted to Stanford Medical Center for overnight observation.
The loss of Ramos presented U.S. Coach Bora Milutinovic a second tactical decision. The first had been to start Hugo Perez for the first time in the World Cup as a withdrawn forward in place of Eric Wynalda. In Harkes’ place on the left side of the midfield, Milutinovic started Cobi Jones.
The inclusion of Perez was meant to increase the U.S. ability to hold the ball in the midfield. Milutinovic said that after the loss to Romania in the first round, he knew Perez had to play.
Jones offered speed--enough pace to be a danger on the attack and sufficient quickness to get back and help on defense.
The game plan was to drop back on defense--at times there were eight or nine players back--win the ball, and then counterattack. It was a controversial approach, as many U.S. players believe the team is best at attacking and using its speed to pressure the opponent. There was little pressure from the United States on Monday.
In a sport in which statistics are seldom revealing, there was this: Brazil had 16 shots and the United States four, only one from inside the penalty area.
“The Americans knew exactly how to stop the Brazilian team,” Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel said. “It was very tough marking one-on-one. They knew the only way to stop the Brazilian team was to close our offense. Besides, it was very hard to play against a team that instead of playing, wanted to destroy our game.”
Destroy? The United States wanted to take away Brazil’s ability to create, to eliminate space and try anything to shut down the potent tandem of Bebeto and Romario. Nothing worked. The pair dribbled and passed and swerved through the midfield and, frequently, slashed behind the U.S. defense on dangerous runs. Only the United States’ successful use of the offside trap kept Brazil from scoring more.
Still, a handful of Brazilian shots bounced off the post, and a clear scoring chance was averted when Thomas Dooley cleared the ball off the line after Romario’s shot beat Tony Meola early in the second half.
The United States felt it had accomplished something after a scoreless first half, but the Brazilian pressure mounted. Its goal, in the 74th minute, seemed to deliver the final blow to the U.S. team. Alexi Lalas, who along with Marcelo Balboa, played an exceptional game on defense, missed a sliding tackle on Bebeto after a pass from Romario and the Brazilian’s shot beat Meola to the far post.
The Brazilian bench erupted after the goal and the team’s comfort level rose.
Brazil is through to the quarterfinals, where it will play the Netherlands in Dallas on Saturday. U.S. players will disperse to their families and homes and reflect on what might have been.
After the game, U.S. players walked misty-eyed to the locker room and trickled out later. Milutinovic walked around speaking softly to his players, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets.
Forward Ernie Stewart, eyes red-rimmed, was asked what Milutinovic said to the team after the game.
“He told us we should be proud of ourselves,” Stewart said quietly. “But right now his words don’t mean too much because we are still disappointed over our loss. Maybe tomorrow, or in a few weeks, we’ll be able to appreciate his words more.”
* DUTCH WIN: Netherlands takes advantage of Ireland’s two first-half defensive lapses in a 2-0 victory. C7
* STILL A GAME: Irish fans take their loss seriously, but they stress that it’s not a matter of life and death. C7
