I Don’t Even Want To Talk About It But…

Putting the blood and guts performance of the undermanned US aside, Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the final stage of group play at the Olympics — and last game of the tourney for the US — was notable for the fact that two people completely lost their minds on the same day: US coach Peter Nowak and defender Michael Orozco. We’ll deal with Orozco’s meltdown first since it’s more easily explainable.

The left back, who, up until this incredibly important match had been steady as a Mormon designated driver, was simply trying to let the creative and star-studded Nigerians know that this game was going to be a streetfight. Since Orozco plays for San Luis in La Lige de Futbol Mexicana, where just about every team has a handful of skilled attacking players and the defenders are usually nowhere near as talented, the game-opening elbow from defender to attacker occurs with such regularity that’s it the equivalent of a hard foul in hoops. All Orozco did was apply that same treatment to Nigeria’s Solomon Okoronkwo. In the FMF that ain’t a red card three, or even thirty minutes into an important match so there’s no reason to think it would be a red at the international level in a major tournament. Yet, somehow it was.

Nowak’s bout of insanity was worse since it’s completely unexplainable if not for the fact that he had already indicated that the way for the US to win was to go against conventional soccer wisdom.

Nowak’s determination to defy logic was evident immediately, as his starting XI once again had the ineffective Robbie Rogers playing wide on the left midfield. Following Orozco’s ejection, Rogers went from ineffective to shell-shocked, as he was forced into more of a defensive role. Nigeria spent the entire first half steamrolling down the left side directly at Rogers. Nigeria eventually scored to take a 1-0 halftime lead, as Rogers lost Isaac Promise in the box, and Promise knocked in a feed from Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi.

Starting the second half, conventional wisdom says yank Rogers, and put in a Patrick Ianni to play left back, or move Danny Szetela over and bring in Benny Feilhaber. Nowak did indeed bring in Feilhaber, but he subbed him in for, of all people, Jozy Altidore. WTF!?!?!!?! Needing a goal. Needing to maintain possession in Nigeria’s half. And the player Nowak subs out is the one most capable of doing both those things. Nice.

Nowak’s next tactical move was equally befuddling. Instead of subbing out Rogers for the gritty midfielder Dax McCarty, Nowak sent McCarty in for Danny Szetela, who was having a brilliant second half.

While the US came close, losing 2-1, this was yet another international tournament where ovely-punitive officiating, combined with tactical mistakes by the coach, led to another early exit.

Maybe it’s but a bump in the road on the way to 2010 but Wednesday’s loss was yet another piece of evidence that our talent still isn’t equalling results.

Playing The Odds: Beijing 2008 Preliminary Final Matches

This past Saturday, we bet three MLS games, going 2-1 on games, and a miserable 0-3 on the over/under. Not just because of Saturday, I’ve always thought the over/under bet in soccer, or in any sport for that matter, was the toughest. There are too many variables that you can’t control for to make it worth throwing good money at.

There are eight Olympic soccer matches tomorrow. I want to win big so I’m going with two parlays (odds are from Betus.Com).

Parlay number one consists of the four 5:00 AM EST matches:

Netherlands are heavily favored (-260) over Japan but were taking them anyway since we’re going to try to make the money with our other picks.

It’s not a terrible rule for a pro gambler, but I never bet against my teams so I’m taking the USA, slight underdogs at +210, in a match where a draw is the favored result, over Nigeria.

Can’t stand the Italians, especially since American traitor Guiseppe Rossi is scoring goals for the Azzurri, but Cameroon hasn’t been good enough to beat Italy so I’m taking the Guidos at +125.

Honduras has probably been the worst team in the tournament thus far, but at +365, I’ve got to take them over South Korea.

Parlay number two consists of the 7:45 AM EST matches and I’ll post it tomorrow morning.

Test Numero Uno On The Road To South Africa 2010

Tomorrow’s Olympic Soccer preliminary round clash between the US and Nigeria isn’t really about the Beijing Olympics 2008. It’s about the 2010 World Cup and seeing which of the constellation of young stars and potential stars for the US have the type of fortitude that is required to win matches when facing the world’s top teams. As good as this current croup of American youngsters have been, last time they faced a win or go home situation during the 2007 U20 World Cup, they lost 2-1 to Austria and were sent packing from a tourney they had a legitimate shot at winning.

So too, after two games played, does this group look to have a reasonable shot at claiming Olympic Gold. But first, they have to get a result against a highly-skilled and very dangerous Nigeria side. That they have to do without Freddy Adu, who was the best player on the pitch in the US’s heart-rending 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Sunday, doesn’t bode well. Throw in the fact that US mainstay Michael Bradley is out as well, and Peter Nowak’s side will be going into their biggest match yet without their most skilled and creative player and his steady midfield mate. Not exactly the way you want to go into this match, thats for sure.

Looking to 2010 though, the absence of Adu and Bradley is good news though.

If Ives is correct, and he usually is, then tomorrow’s game gives two guys that got lost in Europe last season — Danny Szetela and Benny Feilhaber — the chance to cowboy up and contribute to a US win in a huge international match.

Depth has always been lacking for the US at the highest levels of international soccer. Even now, we are completely dependent on Landon Donovan to provide any semblance of an attack and rely on the same three guys — Gooch, Steve Cherundulo, and Carlos Bocanegra — to anchor a backline that has a revolving door at left back because Bob Bradley has yet to find someone to do the job well on a consistent basis.

Now Szetela and Feilhaber have their chance to show that someone other than Landon and Freddy is capable of sparking the attack. And they also have a chance to make their European clubs sit up and take notice.

Kickoff is 5AM EST. I’ll be awake.