Bob Bradley and the US National team deserve credit for their performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, advancing out of the group phases as the winner of their group for the first time in history.
Craig Farrell of the Bleacher Report writes how where some fans might not think that the US team had reached their World Cup expectations, they should all still be proud of what was accomplished.
The US soccer team may not have reached the expectations that were set for them prior to the World Cup, but the team still made progressive steps, and their country should be proud of their performance.
If you take a quick look at America’s performance in this year’s World Cup in comparison to that of 2006, it is easy to see a great step forward.
In 2006, America failed to reach the second stage of the World Cup in Germany. They accomplished that goal in South Africa, so that alone is a step forward.
When you take a closer look at the team’s performance, it is easy to see just how well the team performed.
Look no further than America’s opening game of the tournament. The US men’s soccer team fell behind very early to England, but they showed great resolve and character to claw something from the game. Some would argue that the circumstances in which Clint Dempsey scored lowered the standard of the victory, but at the end of the day all that matters is the result.
Whether England had a good, bad, or indifferent tournament doesn't matter—the fact still remains that America, a nation where soccer is still in it’s infancy, managed to hold their own against a nation that boasts one of the greatest domestic football leagues in football, and who entered the tournament as third favorites to go all the way.
That is a great accomplishment.
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