By edging Algeria 1-0 with a dramatic extra-time goal at the World Cup, the U.S. soccer team delivered one of those signature sports moments fans never forget.
The boys of Weezer (see related video) aren't the only ones jacked up about the victory.
Here is how some of our favorite sports pundits saw it:
David Hirshey, ESPN.com: “It was never in doubt. Except for the first 90 minutes. But did anyone really believe the U.S. couldn't beat a team that started two guys with platinum blond hair? Or that it was going to let another hallucinating referee steal a second victory, especially with The Comeback Kid himself, Bill Clinton, watching from the stands? Or that Landon Donovan, who was as quiet as a golf announcer in the second half, wouldn't finally break through and send one screaming into the back of the net? And this time there was no reason for the Americans to look over at the linesman to see whether his flag was raised because had it been, it's a safe bet that Clint Dempsey, bloody lip and all, would have shoved that flag down his throat. Make no mistake, June 23, 2010, will go down as one of the defining dates in American soccer. People in the rest of the world can deride the standard of the U.S. game all they want, but now they do so at their own peril. More importantly, the 1-0 victory over Algeria plants the sport's flag even deeper in the consciousness of U.S. fans (as opposed to soccer fans) who were ready to go back to work had the Americans lost and not advanced.”
Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports: “The whole thing went surreal Wednesday for U.S. Soccer. These cardiac kids, these injury-time heroes, these never-quit stars had done the impossible by continuing to do the impossible. America, for the moment at least, loves its men’s national soccer team. The USA has gone deeper in World Cups before. They’ve featured bigger stars before. They’ve garnered huge media attention before. They’ve never done it this big, though, thanks in part to a flair for these dramatic, near buzzer-beating, Cup-saving goals. What’s not to love about a team that holds a lead for just two total minutes over three games and wins its World Cup group anyway?”
Grant Wahl, SI.com: “It was all over, wasn't it? The scoreboard at Loftus Versfeld stadium read USA 0, ALGERIA 0. The fourth official raised his board indicating just four minutes of stoppage time. The Americans had wasted their chances all day, hitting the woodwork once, and yet another FIFA officiating crew had waved off a legitimate U.S. goal. It had to be over. The U.S. had blown its chance, falling short in the easiest World Cup group of its history, and now the response would be merciless back home. You couldn't advance ahead of Slovenia? You couldn't beat Algeria? All those millions of mainstream sports fans who'd tuned in over the past two weeks would go back to their other interests. It would be a long four years until the next World Cup in Brazil.”
Ray Ratto, CBSSports.com: “Landon Donovan has a parade coming to him. He won't get it, of course, because that is reserved for quarterbacks, and besides, any parade would only last a few blocks in keeping with the way the Americans tackled the group stage at the World Cup and the enormousness of the task now ahead of them. But when he converted his extra-time tap-in to push the Americans past Algeria and to the top of Group C on Wednesday, he bought a lot of people a few extra days of competition and saved them four years of rich and well-deserved recriminations. After all, remember all the pre-tournament analysis that proclaimed that this was supposed to be the easiest group the Americans have ever been placed in, and how they needed Donovan's 91st-minute goal to win their only game in that group. Had not Donovan finished Jozy Altidore's charge, and had not goalkeeper Tim Howard sprung them all forward, they surely would have failed, and miserably so.”
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering if we’ll ever see Nick Stavinoha hitting clean-up again:
Now that the Marlins have made Fredi Gonzalez the scapegoat for their low payroll and poor management, will the Braves hire him as the heir apparent to Bobby Cox?
Now that France has bowed out of the World Cup rather ingloriously, what do those fans have to look forward to?
Who knew that Algerian players were such poor losers?
Has Ron Artest suddenly become the most likable lunatic in professional sports?
Will Blue Jays fans ever get over the Roy Halladay trade?
BREAKING UP THE BLACKHAWKS
Heading into the playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks knew this might be their best opportunity to win a Stanley Cup as a group.
Salary cap issues awaited the franchise after the season. Keeping the band together would be impossible.
And sure enough, the Blackhawks off-loaded playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien -- along with grinder Ben Eager, offensive defenseman Brent Sopel and prospect Akim Aliu – in a cap management deal with Atlanta. Chicago got back first- and second-round picks, along with former Blues center Marty Reasoner.
(Yes, Reasoner is still in the NHL. Seriously.)
This was an excellent trade for the Blackhawks, who moved some salary in exchange for premium draft picks. Chicago GM Stan Bowman traded high on Byfuglien, swapping him when he had peak value.
Here is how the Chicago Tribune’s Steve Rosenbloom saw the deal: “Some Hawks fans will hate this deal because Byfuglien was a favorite. You couldn’t miss him. You couldn’t miss his contributions. You couldn’t miss his dig-me moves after scoring. But understand that something had to happen. Someone who lifted the Cup would be forced to lift some suitcases. Such is life with a salary cap.”
As for Atlanta, the Thrashers are betting that Byfuglien can become a breakout power forward. He’ll be a handy player in the Eastern Conference, for sure, but it’ll be interesting to see what he can accomplish on a lesser skilled team.
Will Byfuglien learn to work hard every shift, as the top power forwards do, or will he revert to his old inconsistent self?
It'll be fun to see how it plays out.
THE LONDON MARATHON
Here is something you never see: A Wimbledon matche between 23rd-seeded John Isner of Tampa and qualifier Nicolas Mahut of France extended to a third day. During the first two days of their battle, they played for 10 hours -- including 7 hours, 6 minutes in the fifth set alone.
Before these two resumed play Thursday, they had already played the longest professional tennis match in history.
There is no tiebreaker at Wimbledon. The fifth set went on and on and on. With the score knotted at 59-59, the match was suspended by darkness for a second consecutive night.
“Nothing like this will ever happen again. Ever,” Isner said in a courtside TV interview.
“He's just a champ. We're just fighting like we never did before,” Mahut said. “Someone has to win, so we'll come back tomorrow and see who is going to win the match.”
Roger Federer felt their pain.
“I have almost no words anymore watching this. It's beyond anything I've ever seen and could imagine. I don't know how their bodies must feel the next day, the next week, the next month. This is incredible tennis,” Federer told reporters. “For them to serve the aces they served and stay there mentally is a heroic effort. As we know, we have no draws in tennis, so there will be a loser. But I guess in this match, both will be winners because this is just absolutely amazing.”
MEGAPHONE
“We all want him back. He knows that. I've stressed that to him over and over. The personality of our team is made up of his composure, his thought process of his philosophy. It changes things drastically but I don't even want to think about that right now. It's killing my buzz.”
Kobe Bryant, on the prospect of coach Phil Jackson retiring.
ELSEWHERE ON STLTODAY
By re-signing Oshiomogho Atogwe, the Rams have one less thing to worry about this summer.
