The USA dream for the 2010 World Cup is over. Ghana played a good game, and they won. Congratulations, Ghana (sniff, sniff my beer is getting well watered).
RUSTENBURG, South Africa — Turns out that it doesn’t take long for magic to wear off.
The cheeky gleam in the eyes of the U.S. soccer players that you saw after their three group-stage matches, games when the whole world was watching and a whole country was floored by their efforts, disappeared here on Saturday night. In its place were stunned glares, downcast stares and, in not a few cases, tears.
The Americans knew they had a chance to create even more history at this World Cup, with a bracket full of teams that sounded beatable — Ghana instead of Germany, Uruguay instead of Argentina. And on Saturday, though they said all the right things about how every team in a World Cup is good and every match tough, they seemed to have trouble wrapping their minds around the fact that it was over. Poof. Gone. . .
Magic doesn’t last. But memories to smile over, and honor? Those things do.
Like I said elsewhere, maybe in four years (you know, kinda like a U.S. Presidential election). U.S. has nothing to be ashamed of. Ghana just played a better game.
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