SANTA CLARA. The USA won its first of several finals in the quest to put the sport on the map forever.
And it was at the expense of a Bosnian dream.
– Sad, says Dennis Hadzikadunic with a heavy sigh.
There wasn’t exactly a shortage of Americans waiting and lining up outside Levis Stadium for what would undoubtedly be the arena’s crown jewel of a match and major highlight so far.
After a draw that didn’t bring the biggest crowds to events (with all due respect to the teams that actually played here during the group stage), at least they had Team USA at home in an elimination match.
A final – to use Mauricio Pochettino’s words at the press conference ahead.
“Every game is a final” must be a rather tired coaching logic.
But for “soccer” in the USA, there is actually extremely much at stake with every match.
There is World Cup fever
Without knowing exactly how it was in 1994, but based solely on the fact that it doesn’t seem to have brought any direct change, the feeling is that this World Cup is actually doing something serious for football in this country, where it is football (the American one that is), baseball, basketball and ice hockey that have all the hype and all the interest.
After all, there are many people I have spoken to during these weeks here who have discovered the sport, talk about it and are amazed at the influx of spectators and public celebration that it still brings with it. Scots taking over Fenway Park, Norwegians rowing in Times Square and Japanese trying food in Texas. Mexicans, Colombians and brasses in groups – generally. All this in different ways builds up a hype around the sport here in a way that WC94, with hindsight, never did. Because after all, the feeling is that everything and everyone is talking about the World Cup right now – even here in the USA. Regardless of how much you actually know about the sport from before.
But for it to be sustainable for longer than one summer, the home team also needs to deliver.
In as many knockout matches as possible.
Was class difference
This match never turned into any major drama. Bosnia, the self-confessed underdog, had its game plan and did everything to shut down and limit the American attacks.
The red card gave some hope.
But the fact is that it was class difference in the end (despite Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj insisting that it was all about small details and coincidences in the mixed zone after the match)
But it was the United States that got to cheer. The USA that can continue to dream for a while longer.
It is still too early if they deliver at a level that will actually provide a football boom that will make the sport grow sustainably and seriously in this sprawling country.
But every victory actually brings them closer to that.
Only one who stayed in the mixed zone
Bosnia is already a football-saved country like no other. Having said that, six months ago, no one dared to believe, hope or hardly dream that they would actually make it all the way to a USA World Cup with this young, relatively inexperienced squad.
But they did it – and also to a first knockout match in the country’s history.
With other margins on their side, they might have been able to make further history. Lower the American soccer dream before it really starts flying towards the levels I just mentioned.
But no.
– Sad, says Dennis Hadzikadunic, the only Bosnian who stays in the mixed zone, with a long sigh when I ask him to put his feelings into words.
Is there still any kind of pride in what you have accomplished?
– In that way, yes. But right now it’s just sad that we left. I believe that the feeling will subside and that you will be able to feel the pride that we have written history for our country.
What was missing for you today?
– You look at the result, 2-0. We weren’t good enough today.
The beginning of the end
Incidentally, as I write these lines, I’ve had one of the messier rides home from an arena I’ve been to yet (no, not Mexico City level, but the ride home did include absolute bad decisions, hiking, and overpriced uber).
This with just the right timing to take a morning flight again tomorrow.
And the fact is that this is the beginning of the end of my WC stay and WC trip. But I will finish maxat.
In a little less than 14 hours Spain kicks off for Austria a 1.5 hour flight south.
Let’s see how much sleep you can get until then.
Because that’s where I intend to be, of course.
