Finish What You Started

Even the most impartial of observers would have to say that United States deserved better than a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in their second Olympic soccer match. Dominant for much of the game, especially the second half when the heavily-favored Dutch were forced to defend in their own half of the field by an American attack that was creative and dangerous, the US just couldn’t close this one out.

Stuart Holden, Sacha Klejstan, and Jozy Altidore had a jailbreak counter-attack at about the 85th minute when the US was leading 2-1. Holden ended up shooting the ball wide instead of crossing to a wide open Klejstan, and the Dutch made the US pay for that missed chance, scoring in added time on a free kick.

The lesson learned for the young’uns on the US side is that, at this level against a dangerous opponent, you can’t waste scoring chances. They come too rarely to be missed and, more often than not, they will come back to haunt you.

Fate is cruel, particularly when it comes to international soccer competitions, but it’s often fair as well. The US may not have deserved to beat Japan, but they did. They deserved better than a draw against the Netherlands, but that’s exactly what they got. Now they go into Wednesday’s match against a very talented Nigeria side needing to take fate in their own hands and win decisively.