By Bagga Wilks
The United States is the sole superpower in the world but it is not yet a super-power in the world of football. Nonetheless, in the 2010 World Cup, the United States demonstrated that they can compete on the world stage. Before 78,000 soccer fans at the Meadowlands, for the first half, the United States were bedazzled by the Argentinians led by Lionel Messi who is recognized as the best offensive player in the world.
The first half revealed the limitations of the United States coaching staff and raised the question, can the United States team rise to the level of finesse that the Brazilians and Argentinians are capable of displaying?
Down 1-0 at the end of the first half, the U.S. in the second half made a technical change and resorted to a more attacking formation by bringing in 18 year old Agudelo as a second striker. The results were telling as it made the U.S. not just absorbing the relentless Argentinian movement off the ball but it placed them in a position to threaten in their last third. It is one of those threatening forays that Donovan played a free kick outside of the box that ended with Agudelo equalizing against the Argentinian giants and bringing them down to a manageable size. Triumphantly for the United States, the game ended in a draw.
