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Vanilla ice cream and sauteed spinach: two things I love that no one would say go well together - kind of like soccer and snow. It wasn’t what I was hoping for. You just knew it would be a defensive, ball control game, with little to talk about on the field, so let’s pull back. Besides a saddening day against Canada, the team has looked strong, albeit against lesser opponents. It makes we wish (in a what-the-hell-am-I-thinking kind of way) that we would play Mexico on a neutral site before the tournament. I can’t think of a better game to see where we are at. No other game would mean as much or feel as intense. Obviously a loss would be demoralizing to the losing team, and this is why it will never happen. I guess I’ll have to settle for playing Germany in a few weeks.

Think I am looking past Poland, the first real team we’ve seen since the Tricolors? Add the fact that the game was in Germany, and I was much more interested than I have been in months. Of course this is comparing excitement to extreme excitement.

I knew the game would be tense and unorganized, because of the atmosphere. And by atmosphere, I mean snow. Cold described the weather and the game. Warm-up meant something more immediate than preparation for the finals. I counted two maybes on the starting roster. There were only two guys who may not be on the team come this summer. Zavagnin and Twellman may or may not be on the roster, but the rest of the players will be, the only question being much they will play. Will Eddie Johnson start as he did tonight (will he be healthy)? Berhalter or Bacanegro? Lewis at left back? This just hints at how both the back and front lines are still a bit of a mess (except for 210 pounds of pure muscle – Gooch the Manhandler). There are still guys like Reyna and Pope who weren’t at the game, but while we are still far from a final squad, this game was the closest yet.

GOAL!!!!!!

Ok, you caught me, I’m writing this during the game – and what with the past tense at my disposal, I figured you’d be none the wiser. Tonight, spell-check is a good friend.

An ugly goal, but tactically, it was beautiful. Twellman giving up his body, catching a deflection off a keeper’s punch. Dempsey crashing the boards like a good rebounder. That’s the kind of goal we will need this summer. Right place, right time, positioning, filling holes, and hard work. These are what separates the best teams from the great teams. Eh, Ronaldhino doesn’t hurt either. Chelsea lost! Chelsea lost! God love it, Chelsea lost! Sorry, I had to say that. I’m no Barca fan, but as the bumper sticker cliché propositions, my two favorite teams are Arsenal and whoever is playing Chelsea.

In a way, this game was a lot like recent games thanks to Dempsey and Twellman. No other players have played as hard or been as opportunistic. While I have to think Dempsey is in, the battle for forwards isn’t as clear-cut. Twellman, all 5-feet-11-inches of him, may still be on the outside of the bubble. His play in box has been stellar – no one tries harder – but I’m not convinced his on-the-ball skills are better than our other choices. I think whether or not he makes the team and plays will be an indicator of our strategy. If we want skillful experience, maybe we go in another direction, but if we want athletic play, always something we are applauded and derided for, than Taylor is here to stay.

My one random game note, besides the absolute joy of having Onyewu back on the field, is the presence of Tim Howard. He has seen precious little time on the field – Keller has co-opted much of it – and deserves more of a look, for the US MNT and his club team. Somebody must see something I don’t, although I confess youth is not always on a keeper’s side as it is outside the penalty box.

So one day closer – to the summer and to the final roster. Uniforms, check; destroying lesser teams, check; beating a qualified team, check; able to advance? Win it all? Like Jason Lee in his new sitcom, we’ll need some mystical help to check off the whole list, but, like Earl, we can get happier with every one we can scratch off.

Up next:rolling around in cow pies