June 24, 2009
Yanks Abroad - Donovan: We have nothing to lose
The Kartik Reports Pregame links
I wish I was in South Africa and had the chance to score free tickets to today's game.
And while the anti-Bob Bradley squad will be getting ready to blast away as they expect the US to get blown out today against Spain, I'm hopeful.
First off, Grant Wahl is saying that the game could be played at below freezing temps today. I would expect that it would be in the US's favor as they hosted Mexico at Columbus in February to get at least a mental edge against their main rivals. So, one can hope that less than ideal weather might be able to give the US an edge.
Second, perhaps Spain will look at the Brazil and Italy results and overlook the US today. Add in questions about how seriously some of the teams are taking the tournament and perhaps we can see a result similair to this one.
Third, they are playing the #1 rated team in the world. I think people need to temper their expectations.
I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst today. At a minimum, I hope the US doesn't pick up a red card and can stay close for 90 minutes........
I'll be back later today with more, including my idea for the ideal American Soccer Stadium layout
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
