If you were not watching the United States World Cup match against Algeria, you missed one of the most thrilling moments in the history of American soccer.
The U.S. was in desperate need of a victory in order to advance to the round of 16. A scoreless tie seemed inevitable after countless attempts on goal were nearly missed by the U.S. team. Then, in dramatic fashion, Landon Donovan scored on a rebound in the 91st minute to lead the Americans to a 1-0 win over the African nation.
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The U.S. team looked shaky again in the beginning moments of the match as they had their previous two outings against England and Slovenia, allowing a shot to pound the crossbar in just the 6th minute. From that point on, however, the Americans dominated play.
The U.S. seemed to take the lead in the 20th minute when Herculez Gomez’ cross-shot was knocked in by Clint Dempsey, only to have the goal disallowed by an offside call. After review, it looked as though Dempsey was not offside and the goal should have counted. Unfortunately, the ongoing problems with the referees had continued for the United States following the previous game in which a goal was wrongfully denied due to another incorrect call.
More chances mounted for the U.S. in the 35th minute when Dempsey’s shot was refused by the Algerian goalkeeper and a second wide-open chance by Jozy Altidore was struck high over the goal. With England leading 1-0 over Slovenia going into halftime, the Americans knew they had to score and win.
Shot after shot by the American squad were denied and each attempt came with more and more intensity. Tension was at its peak in the late minutes of the game when the U.S. nearly scored on two free-kicks from just outside the box.
KnightNews.com got this YouReport video, submitted via our South Africa Bureau, from the Germany vs Ghana game:
In the 90th minute, a header by Algerian striker, Rafik Saifi, was stopped by goalie, Tim Howard and turned into a breakaway for the Americans. Donovan passed to Altidore, who then passed to Dempsey right in front of the Algerian keeper. The ball bounced off the goalkeeper’s chest and came right to Landon Donovan, who powered it into the net for the goal.
“GOAL, GOAL! USA! It’s incredible! You could not write a script like this,” exclaimed ESPN announcer, Ian Darke.
In that moment, Donovan proved to the entire world why he is the captain of the United States team. He carried the entire nation’s hopes and dreams on his shoulders and knocked home a game-winning goal in stoppage time that will be remembered forever.
Landon Donovan has been the face of American soccer for all three of his World Cup appearances. His face is recognized throughout the country and he is the star of every soccer commercial on American television. For Donovan, the objective was not just to make it past the group stage, but to prove that soccer is not an irrelevant sport in the U.S.
Donovan was born in California and began playing soccer at the age of six. He became a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer residency program and was involved with the national U-17 team that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championships. He began playing for the U.S. national team in the 2000 Summer Olympics and almost won a medal. Since then, the 28-year-old midfielder has been heralded as the leader of the American soccer team and his leadership shined in this match.
This was not his first demonstration of poise and character in this World Cup, however. Donovan scored a goal early in the second half against Slovenia after being down 2-0 to start the comeback that eventually led to a draw. He knew that his team needed to score quickly and he did what a true leader does by scoring when his team needed him to score.
The same scenario took place in this game with the world anxiously watching. He started the rush and finished it himself with a goal that is his fourth in World Cup play. He is now tied with Bert Patenaude (1930) for the most goals by a U.S. player in the World Cup. His ability and leadership are above all and credit should be given to a guy who has made USA soccer relevant again on a world stage.
You may be thinking that making it past the group stage doesn’t mean much in the scope of things. Wrong. Not only has the U.S. team advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, but they have won their group for the first time since 1930! That’s incredible in terms of exposure and national attention for the sport. Not to mention the 1930 World Cup was the same that saw the U.S. team finish 3rd overall, their best result in team history.
Not enough people respect Donovan for his passion for success. He truly wants to win and show the world that American soccer is just as good as the rest. He was even in tears after the game was over after realizing what the United States team had just accomplished. “People that know me closest know I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” Donovan told ESPN after the game-winning goal. “It’s unbelievable. I know people back home will be watching – we’re not finished yet guys.”
And they’re not. Once you reach the round of 16, anything can happen. One play can change the outcome of a match. Win or go home. This is what World Cup soccer is all about.
The United States will now take on Ghana in a second round match on Saturday to determine who will move on to the Quarter-finals. Interestingly enough, Ghana was the last team the U.S. played before being ousted in the 2006 World Cup, with the Americans losing 2-1. Nobody knows what will happen between them this time around but Landon Donovan is certain to be involved in the drama somehow.
