So often the score doesn't tell the story. It'd be easy to see a 3-1 final and think the U.S. men were beaten badly at Italy's hands Monday in the Confederations Cup.
The reality: This was a far better effort, particularly in the first half, than the U.S. men have given in most World Cup qualifiers. Until dropping to 10 men and even most of the way afterward, they attacked and played a positive game. Leading Italy 1-0 at the half despite a man disadvantage is an accomplishment.
The unjustified dismissal of
Ricardo Clark for a foul against
Gennaro Gattuso, who spends most of his career on the giving end of hard fouls (though perhaps less obviously), was only part of the bad luck the U.S. encountered in this game.
Daniele De Rossi scored Italy's second goal on a dipping long-range shot that skipped just past the foot of
Oguchi Onyewu and clearly fooled
Tim Howard.
The USA still had chances to tie.
Landon Donovan was bundled over in the box by an Italian defender who hilariously grabbed his own chest in alleged pain afterward.
Charlie Davies got his head to a late set piece but couldn't get it on frame.
Then
Giuseppe Rossi scored a third goal in stoppage time against a tired, dispirited U.S. defense in stoppage time as if to rub it in.
Rossi was the leader in the "of all people ..." category for the Italian team. Of all people, the two-goal scorer had to be Rossi, who grew up in New Jersey and could've been wearing white instead of blue today. Of all people, De Rossi, the guy who turned
Brian McBride's face bloody in World Cup 2006, got a fortunate goal. And of all people, midfield pit bull Gattuso drew the crucial red card that left a giant gap in the U.S. midfield.
All that said, the U.S. midfield should've done a better job closing down Rossi and De Rossi on those shots. Howard, who looked shakier than usual in the first half, had to come up big to prevent the third goal as the defense and defensive midfield wore out late in the game.
The biggest lesson for the USA here -- against a team like Italy, you have to convert your chances. Donovan set up two terrific opportunities in the first half, but
Michael Bradley put a weak shot on goal and
Jozy Altidore, who did well otherwise and drew the penalty kick, scuffed a 1-on-1 with the keeper.
The midfield still needs sorting out. Depending on your point of view, the USA played either a 4-5-1 with three defensive midfielders behind Donovan and
Clint Dempsey or a 4-3-3 with Donovan and Dempsey forward. But even before Clark's dismissal, the trio of Clark, Bradley and
Benny Feilhaber didn't produce enough pressure or playmaking.
Good games in general from Donovan, Onyewu and right back
Jonathan Spector, while center back
Jay DeMerit held up well in place of injured captain
Carlos Bocanegra.
And for U.S. fans, it's better to have the bad luck in South Africa than in North America. This team still plans to go back to South Africa next year with the lessons of this summer taken to heart.