What might have been

By the way, the wire report on the Mexico-Guadeloupe match that I linked to below reminds us that technically, the Guadeloupien team could have included Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, and William Gallas as well as Jocelyn Angloma. If you got in your time machine and played around with a few variables (making Guadeloupe a full FIFA member and electing Jean Marie Le Pen premier of France would probably do it), you'd have had a killer team in 1998 or so. It would have certainly made it out of the CONCACAF qualifying group that year.

USA-Canada

Pretend, for a moment, that the USA is located on the continent of Europe, and that we get to play in the European Championships. If we had just won 2-1 in the semi final of Euro 2008, no matter how fortunately, then I'd be over the moon. How we got there wouldn't have mattered much to me.

So why does our 2-1 victory over Canada in the semifinals of our own continental championship feel so dispiriting? I guess it's ultimately because the Gold Cup really means nothing to us; it's just a series of glorified friendlies. I'm not even sure you can blame CONCACAF or Jack Warner or anyone else for it; it's just a logical consequence of dominating the region along with Mexico. Maybe my free shirt has been chemically treated to make me care more the next time the tournament rolls around.

Anyway the game itself was fairly poorly played by the US. Frankie Hejduk, god bless him, scored a terrific goal but it seemed like an aberration in a game where the US just plan didn't generate very much. They spent a lot of time in the Canadian half, but couldn't generate a lot of chances, and didn't do well finishing the ones they had. Part of the problem is the poor service from the wings--Hejduk's crossing was particularly bad in this regard--but also another weirdly passive performance from Eddie Johnson.

One thing I would try if I were Bob Bradley is switch Dempsey and Donovan's positions. I think Donovan works better as a second striker than in the right of that box midfield, where he has to make a choice between isolating himself from the game or sacrficing natural width. Striker is not Dempsey's best position, although that being said, it says a lot about our performance that he's been the best of our strikers this tournament.

Comic highlight: Donovan falling over after beating the keeper... simply magic. A not distant second: Bradley fils' red card tackle. Darkest moment: Bocanegra's tackle on De Guzman.

We'll see if the US can lift their game against brave minnows Mexico, who valiantly slew mighty football power Guadeloupe 1-0 in the other semi, and who in general have had a similarly anemic tournament to that of the US. But in a way, I'm more looking forward to Copa America, where the US will have an experimental squad, against more dangerous opponents. In that difficult crucible, we might find some importnat ingredients for the start of qualifying next year: especially at striker and attacking midfield.

Gold Cup semis

In about three hours, the first of the Gold Cup semifinals kicks off as USA plays Canada. I'll be pulling for the country of birth of course, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Canada wins this tonight. I think that if the US has the same lackadaisical finishing and general languidness they've had throughout the tournament, Canada will go through, maybe on penalties. Having an evening kickoff might help, as will having Feilhaber back. However Ives Galarcep says that Feilhaber won't be there, and that Bradley will prefer the more defensive Bradley-fils. Maybe. But Bradley also said that the US was more comfortable in 4-4-2, and if you have Mastroeni, do you really need another holding midfielder? I suspect Mastroeni and Feilhaber are central, with Dempsey and Twellman up top.

As for the other game, surely Guadeloupe can't beat Mexico as well? God, that would be awesome. I assume that 4-0 Mexico would be a more realistic prediction

Vive les Guadeloupiens!

Bonsoir from Montreal! It's Real Madrid who have captured the world's headlines of course, but while you're out at your local tapas restaurant in your number 23 shirt, raise a glass of sangria for Guadeloupe, who improbably swatted down Honduras, guaranteeing a semi-final date against Mexico. The article raises the too funny possibility that if Guadeloupe win the Gold Cup, they won't actually be able to play in the Confederations Cup, since they aren't actually FIFA members. Apparently, this will cause the FIFA-9000 super computer to suffer a critical systems error, which will precipitate a massive implosion that will level Paris and render the Earth uninhabitable. Either that or they'll just award the Confed Cup spot to the runners up.