Chances & 2nd Chances……. By Ray Alley

After dropping the opening game of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, and seeing internal personality conflicts reported in the media, no one saw a 12-game winning streak comng for the United States Men’s National Team.

There were many who favored bringing the “Klismann Experiment” to an end. Others questioned the players. Some questioned everyone.

In time, it all sorted itself out.

Following a 4-2 road loss to Belgium, the streak began with a 4-3 win over Germany at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, on June 2. The 12 wins came quickly.

First there were three Hexagonal victories and the friendly against Guatemala that preceded the Gold Cup. Then six straight wins to capture the 2013 Gold Cup.

Win #12 came in Sarajavo when the U.S. fell behind 2-0 in the first half against #16 ranked Bosnia-Herzegovina, and rallied for a 4-3 victory behind Jozy Altidore’s three goals and an assist, all in the second half.

All the questions….well, at least most of them…..have been washed away with the euphoria surrounding this team as they prepare to play the final four games of the Hexagonal. They[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] need only one more win to assure qualification for World Cup 2014 in Brazil. A sweep of those four games would strengthen the claim that the U.S. team has regained bragging rights as the top team in the region.

While danger lurks in and around all four, the key to a sweep in a meeting with Mexico on September 6 in Columbus, Ohio. The U.S. can secure qualification with a win three days earlier on Sept. 3 in Costa Rica.

For what it is worth, given how suspect the FIFA World Rankings are, the U.S. has moved back into the Top 20 in the last poll to #19.

It is interesting how this team has come together. For the Gold Cup, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann left off most of the top European-based players. In the past, rosters that did not include the top personality players, often struggled, whether that be in Gold Cup or Copa America competitions.

This roster included the USA’s all-time leading scorer, Landon Donovan, who was trying to earn his way back into Klinsmann’s good graces and back on the field with the national team after an extended break following the 2012 MLS season.

It included Stuart Holden, who was trying to complete a return after two-years away from the field recovering from two severe knee surgeries.

It also included players playing for a chance to make next year’s World Cup roster. As it turned out, the chemistry was tremendous, and the team played to win.

Individual talent showed, and it was apparant that the players were having fun. And they were fun to watch. One-by-one the wins piled up, and the confidence grew.

With the Gold Cup behind them, a different group of players, many European-based and most expected to be on the final roster, road that collective confidence, shook off a poor first half against Bosnia-Herzergovina and roared to four unanswered second half goals, winning on European soil for the first time ever after falling behind 2-0 at halftime.

But streaks do not last forever, even losing ones. And confidence can vanish as quickly as a brief summer breeze. There is much work to do to finish the final four games of World Cup qualifing, and to repeat an old sports saying, “you must play them one game at a time.”

However, for the moment it would appear that Klinsmann’s team has taken a big step forward. Perhaps two or three. Time will tell.

But the Gold Cup is not a World Cup, and the U.S. did not play Mexico in the Gold Cup final, as expected. El Tri lost in the semifinals to Panama, which lost 1-0 to the U.S. for the regional title.

Victory #12 was the most important of the “Dandy Dozen”, because the opponent was of the level the U.S. would play in a World Cup group.

Yes, it was a friendly, and yes, both teams made numerous substitutions.

But the U.S. is scoring goals. Altidore, who couldn’t kick one in the ocean for the national team for over a year, is scoring like he did last year for his Dutch pro team.

Goals in five straight national team games. NO ONE has ever done that for the USA. Not in 100 years.

Costa Rica on the road will be a challenge. The U.S. defeated them in the Colorado “Snow Bowl” back in March. The Ticos had hoped to gain revenge for that with a Gold Cup victory, but it did not happen.

This time Costa Rica is playing at home. Against Mexico, the U.S. has the home advantage, but El Tri is a wounded soccer team, with only one win in six Hexagonal games.

Klinsmann’s team had best not be over-confident in going into these two games. He has preached the need to play “hungry.” A good philosophy to continue building confidence.

The competition to make the World Cup roster is stiffer today than it was back in January. The player pool is deeper than it has ever been. That’s a good thing, and fun to watch.