Post-Game Reaction: USA 1, Belgium 2

All Hail Tim Howard

Tim Howard, Tim Howard, Tim Howard, Tim Howard. Did I mention Tim Howard? Holy cow, can a goalie get some help from his field players? There was no offense or defense in the majority of this game for Team USA, there was only Tim Howard and his imitation of a brick wall in the Round of 16 against Belgium. 16 unbelievable saves to single-handedly keep the United States in this game for 120 minutes. The offense could not keep possession of the ball and the defense did the bare minimum in trying to stop the Belgian attack. That left Howard holding his ground as the last resistance to a relentless Belgian team that for most of the game could not crack the code that is getting the ball passed Howard.

Post-Game Reaction: USA 2, Ghana 1

Right Out the Gates

If you turned away to settle into your chair, you might have missed it. It was the start the United States needed against a Ghana team built to counter attack. Half a minute into the start of the game midfielder Jermaine Jones played a great ball to a cutting Clint Dempsey who maneuvered around his defender and struck a left footed shot just far enough away from the outstretched foot of the Ghanaian goalkeeper to hit the back post and then the back of the net. Just like that, the United States were on top and could allow themselves to play it a little safer in order to stop a fast moving Ghana team from countering. For a United States team playing by far its easiest match it will face as a member of the Group of Death, the often offensively inept American squad was injected with a much needed boost of confidence by captain Clint Dempsey, who now has more career World Cup goals (3) than Argentina’s Lionel Messi (2) and England’s Wayne Rooney (0) combined.