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Friendly games mean nothing. Latvia played as if they used the game as an excuse to have an American vacation, while the US side (with a mix of potential starters and reserves) didn’t put forth an effort that will prevail over the likes of Ghana, much less the Czechs or Italy. But like I said, friendly games mean nothing. After dozens of these games, which are no less fun to watch, but certainly leave me a bit deflated, and especially after Arena admitted he didn’t even know the names of the players of the last three opponents, I’ve decided from here on out, I’m not going to pay them any mind.

and away we go

I’m not going to comment on a game where positives and negatives amount to little more than a coaches will and oppositions need. When backs aren’t against the wall, when coaches make decisions with an “eh, lets see what happens if I do this,” it’s hard to pull together the truth from the veil of practice or the hope of confusing future opponents. I’d love to say Cherundalo played well, as did all our wingers (even Damarcus played a bit better than he has shown recently), but when you realized the amount of space they received from a Latvian defense willing to give up the flanks, it didn’t seem right lauding praise on something any one of us could do (albeit some of the crosses were perfectly targeted to a waiting EJ and McBride).

More than anything, the game showed our weaknesses: attacking the goal with the ball at our feet instead of banking on crosses and headers. Only Landon ever shows this ability, and did so on Sunday with the speed, form, and control that has been missing in recent weeks (who knows, but I want to blame it on a MLS off-season). I think the presence of John O’Brien helped this cause. Added to our weaknesses should be the lack of any threat in direct restarts – again we rely on crosses.

and away we go

My real opinions of the game hit me after soaking in my return to the place where my journey began almost a year ago. Sitting before the game behind the goal, my feet stretched out onto the same glorious lawn that I had to touch to believe it the last time I was here, watching the color guard preparing for the anthems, I glanced up to the scoreboard. USA 0 Latvia 0. It was in that moment that I found what was the only meaningful thought for the day. Memorial Day. Given the present state of the American global political scene and the opinions many of world’s nations hold against us, it is nice to see USA on a scoreboard, facing another country with pride and skill on the line instead of teenagers. Sunday was a friendly, and while June 12 won’t be, the warlike atmosphere won’t hold lives in the balance (give a horrible exception to Colombia in 1994).

I’m not making a case for international sport as the savior for political relations – indeed, it is more likely to create tension than to relieve it – only that is a rare treat for me these days to be proud of my country, support it, and root for it.

and away we go