US soccer team out of olympics as international struggles continue

While the US Men’s Basketball team was busy proving their superiority to the rest of the world, the US Men’s soccer team was doing just the opposite. They’re now out of the Olympics following a 2-1 loss to Nigeria in which the US team played most of the game with only 10 men after a boneheaded penalty by Michael Orozco led to an ejection.

The loss sent Nigeria to the quarterfinals and sent the Americans packing following a dismal 1-1-1 Olympic performance. That includes a 1-0 victory over a Japanese team they should have dominated, a 2-2 draw against a Dutch team they should have shut out and a Nigerian team that they should have at least kept all 11 men on the field against.

While the United States will almost certainly earn a berth in the 2010 World Cup, primarily due to the weakness of their CONCACAF divisional opponents, they’re unlikely to do much once they get there. Despite the ever surging popularity of soccer at the youth, high school and collegiate level in the United States the country’s performance in International competition has ranged from mediocre to pitiful. While the US Women have been able to compete on the world stage, the fact that the US men continue to lag behind is at best an embarrassment and at worst sheer absurdity.

The US Women, meanwhile, have continued their excellent play at the International level. In the short history of women’s soccer in the Olympics, the US Women have one gold and one silver medal in two appearances. They’re a threat to win the gold again this year, and are through to the quarterfinals after a 4-0 thrashing of New Zealand.