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Freddy Adu should have been on the bench, for no other reason than to gain world cup exposure. (i.e. Ronaldo was apart of the 94′ Brazil championship team at age 17 and did not play one minute). Michael Owen played in his first world cup game @ 18.

The U.S. needs to build for the future! We do not have what it takes (presently) to make a serious run at the international level, so why do we continue to send our best (experienced) players, instead of mixing up-and-coming talent w/experienced players. Did any U.S. fan really believe the U.S. had a chance to win the World Cup. The answer should be NO. That’s not to say we didn’t expect them to advance and have a good showing, but since we knew that they weren’t going to bring home the trophy in 06′, we should’ve sent a team’ that could realistically compete in 2010 and 2014, etc… Johnson again is only 22 years old. Had he been able to start all 3 games, that would’ve provided invaluable experience to him(and could of possibly changed the result in game 3). If Adu was on the bench, instead of a (decent for MLS) Brian Ching, then the U.S. would have made a huge stride in their goal of World Football domination!!

why don’t you create your own World Cup in US? Like “Baseball World Series”? With Virgin Islands, Guantanamo and Bahamas in the qualification group, Canada in quarter final and you as the bright winner of the Cup with 2:1 against Costa Rica?

The fans of real football all over the world want to see more real football nations like Nigeria, Cameroon or Uruguay at the World Cup, including the big stars we know from the great European Clubs and their wonderful fans, less arrogant and ignorant We-are-No.4-in-FIFA-ranking- and Give-us-privileges-so-that-we-have-a-chance-supporters.

Japan, Croatia and Czech showed that they are able to hurt eg. Germany or Brazil, the US is a not-so-funny roadkill.

Point well made. And at the risk of sounding like US sour grapes, something needs to be done in terms of the seeding for the World Cup. Regardless of which region a team is qualifying from, the team that wins its group deserves to be seeded when the draw is made. The US won CONCACAF yet Mexico was the seeded team. I’m guessing the US would have killed just as much to have been placed with Iran and Angola, let alone a Portugal they stunned in 2002.

However, the US WOULD KILL to have been in the Aussies group.

Japan? Croatia? Or Ghana, Czech Republic?

Hmmmm, let me think about it.

‘ … theory: Maybe the US should recruit players who come from working class backgrounds, who are used to working and fighting hard in the face of adversity. All these middle-class kids with their soccer mommies don’t seem tough enough to fight back when the chips are down.’

The 2006 U.S.-team was doing ‘track and field’ with a ball; they were not powerful enough to – really! – shot on the goal with the force needed.

.. I’d really be interested to see how you define ‘not as good’ with regard to that comment. I’m not going to pretend to have any real idea about U.S. form leading into this cup but based upon form IN it both Australia and Mexico strike me as easily better teams. If we were given the choice between having to play U.S.A. to go through rather than Croatia, I’m sure we would have taken it. Given the same choice with Mexico, however, I’m not so sure.

As to “But officiating hurt us and helped the Aussies (Kewell was offside for their 2nd equalizer against Croatia, but it wasn’t whistled).”

…. Well, if you think officiating has been helping us you can’t possibly have seen the Australia v. Japan or Australia v. Brazil match. And while I’m man enough to admit the possibility of Kewell being offside for the equaliser (though I’d really have to go back and look this being about the last thing on my mind at that particular point in time), well, given the two blatant penalties we should have been given along with the whole ‘three yellows not out’ thing – I call that justice.

Arenas has done well overall for the US soccer program (anybody is better than Sampson..) but it is time for a change of coaches…We Americans have to realize that soccer is not our #1 sport like it is in South America and Europe..The NFL reigns supreme followed and we don’t have a club feeder program like England. Most of our players come from the college ranks…hmmm…high school soccer and college soccer is played in the FALL….what other sports is played in the FALL?? Why do we have millions of kids play soccer between ages 5-10 and yet when they get to middle and high school the numbers dwindle quite rapidly. As long as our society is a multi-sport society, we will have a hard time trying to compete at the highest level in soccer…

Australia isn’t as good as the USA, neither is Mexico. But congrats to both of them for advancing. Australia showed guts and determination, something the Team USA sorely lacked in the non-Italy games. But officiating hurt us and helped the Aussies (Kewell was offside for their 2nd equalizer against Croatia, but it wasn’t whistled).

I think Bruce will step down, and I think he should, although up until now I’ve been a strong Arena apologist.

As long as he won, I was willing to overlook his often-boneheaded tactics, puzzling subs (or non-subs), favorite players (namely Ben Olsen, and prior to that, Richie Williams aka ABMOD). He’s been good for US soccer. In some ways, I’ll miss him.