Right after the United States team’s winless 1998 World Cup, U.S. soccer brass created Project 2010 to have them ready to contend for the tourney title this year. The world chortled. Last year, as the U.S. team beat Spain and nearly beat Brazil in the Confederations Cup final, Charlie Davies, the forward whose injury in a car crash kept him off the South African pitch, vowed America could win the World Cup. The world chuckled.
But going into today’s Round of 16 game against Ghana (2:30 p.m., ABC), few are laughing. After their thrilling 91st-minute win over Algeria, after topping their group for the first time in eighty years, from coach Bob Bradley to stars Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore they’re talking about winning the whole thing.
“You certainly have moments where you think, ‘We’re capable [of winning].’ If we continue to build on the successes so far, we can go to the end. That’s what it’s all about,” Bradley said. “Now we get to the knockout phase. It’s an opportunity to see how far you can take it.”
Americans love drama and respond to those who overcome adversity. And with President Obama calling in congratulations after the Algeria win and former President Clinton having a beer with the players after that game, the public has embraced this team like never before.
“We’re all honored that we’d receive a call from President Obama. We’ve received incredible support from all our fans at home, and from the many U.S. fans that’ve made the trip to South Africa,” Bradley said. “You want to have a team people care about, follow, root for, can feel a part of, that people believe in and are proud of. We’re excited there’s that type of feeling.”
From injuries to incorrectly disallowed goals against Slovenia and Algeria, from second-half rallies and Donovan’s injury-time winner, they’ve done the near impossible — forced the planet’s biggest sport into the mainstream back home.
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With America bringing more fans to South Africa than any other nation, a favorable bracket and record TV ratings — the Algeria game’s 4.6 rating was an ESPN record for soccer or any weekday AM radio show — they have a chance to change the perception of American soccer abroad and domestically, and plan on taking it.
“Now the tournament really starts for us. We wanted to get out of the group and then make statement. We have the opportunity to do that,” Altidore told Yahoo! Sports. “Now it’s a one-off game. Anything can happen. We’re playing to play in the final.”
It won’t be easy. They U.S. team lost to Ghana 2-1 in the group finale in the last World Cup, ruing tough goals from a penalty kick on Onyewu and Claudio Reyna’s injury/giveaway.
“I’ve already put that behind me. This is a chance to do something very special,” Donovan said. “We have a really good group that believe that they can pull off anything, and these three games have boosted that even more.”
The U.S. team — whose odds of winning have dropped from 125-1 to 46-1 — will be buoyed by a bracket in which its No. 14 FIFA ranking is the best. While England must face Germany and possibly the Argentina-Mexico victor, the U.S. gets Ghana and perhaps the Uruguay-South Korea winner for the semifinals.