U.S. Finally Uses the Old Bean
Finally, the U.S. soccer team is heading in the right direction.
After three shutout losses in a row had called into question the Americans’ chance of success in this summer’s World Cup, two excellent goals, both off headers, boosted spirits considerably.
The goals earned the United States a 2-2 tie with Paraguay in front of 15,253 at Qualcomm Stadium in an intriguing and entertaining game Saturday.
The first, by Chad Deering, was a superb piece of finishing.
The second, by Marcelo Balboa, has goal-of-the-year written all over it.
The score was tied, 1-1, five minutes into the second half and the U.S. was on the attack. Central defenders Alexi Lalas and Balboa had moved up to support the offense and Lalas looped a pass from the left flank into the center.
Balboa threw himself head-first at the ball, sliding across the grass on his stomach. His head was only inches above the turf when he made contact, but the improbable happened. The ball flew into the upper left corner of the net, stunning Paraguayan goalkeeper Ruben Ruiz Diaz and giving the U.S. a 2-1 lead.
Preki’s goal at the Los Angeles Coliseum against Brazil in the Gold Cup last month might have had more importance, but Balboa’s was the most spectacular the U.S. has scored in years. The last time Balboa netted one as dramatic was in 1991 when he scored on a bicycle kick against Trinidad and Tobago at the Rose Bowl.
“I was just getting tired of the bicycle kick, it was going wide or somebody would save the damn thing,” Balboa said, tongue in cheek, “so I figured I’d just go with the low header.”
Enjoying the moment fully, he added that he and Lalas are “trying to play as twin strikers, so we figured today we’d show him [Coach Steve Sampson] what we’ve got.”
The game was doubly significant for the former San Diego State player from Cerritos. It was his 126th for the national team, moving him ahead of former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to the No. 3 spot among all-time appearance leaders.
In the history of soccer, only two other players have represented their country more often. Majed Abdullah played 147 games for Saudi Arabia and Thomas Ravelli played 143 for Sweden.
Balboa’s mind was more on the goal than the record, however. It was only his 13th since he first donned a U.S. jersey in 1988.
“It was just one of those things,” he said. “I think I overran the ball, Alexi kind of played it behind me, and I didn’t think I could plant my feet and hit the volley left-footed. So with the momentum, I just kept on going and dived to see if I could put it on target somewhere. I never thought I’d put it up there, though.”
Deering’s goal was also well-taken.
Paraguay had taken the lead in the 15th minute when Miguel Benitez dribbled past a nervous Gregg Vanney, the Galaxy defender making only his third national team appearance. Benitez cut the ball back to Denis Caniza, whose shot from close range gave U.S. goalkeeper Juergen Sommer no chance.
But the Americans fought back and earned a corner kick six minutes later. Eric Wynalda sent an outswinger into the goal area, Balboa ran to head it, drawing two defenders with him, and Deering was well placed to power a header into the back of the net.
Deering plays alongside fellow U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna for Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and the club did not want to release him for the U.S.-Paraguay game.
“But it was important for me to come,” Deering said. “I came and I’m glad I came. It was a goal I’ve needed. I’ve had some bad luck and it felt good to finally score again.”
The U.S. felt the same way. It was the first goal the Americans had scored in 316 minutes.
The final goal belonged to Paraguay, however.
Julio Yegros made a run into the penalty area, knocking the ball ahead with his upper arm at one point, a foul not spotted by Mexican referee Leon Padro Borja. Sommer came out to challenge and was ruled to have fouled Yegros.
Francisco Arce netted the resulting penalty kick to make it 2-2 in the 75th minute.
Overall, though, Sommer, the U.S. No. 3 keeper behind Kasey Keller and brad Friedel, played well, even in the absence of goalkeeping coach Milutin “Sole” Sockic, whose wife, Mirjana, died Friday morning after a lengthy a battle with cancer. The U.S. players Saturday wore black armbands in respect.
