Deja vu all over a-Ghana

Ghana 2-1 USA (a.e.t.)

What, really, can you say? The US were burned by everything that plagued them in this tournament: tendency to give up the early goal; inability to finish good chances; shaky back line; tendency to allow the other team to control midfield possession. Ghana - in spite of their shameful diving and time-wasting in the second half of extra time, as if they lacked confidence in their ability to see the game out honestly - outhustled, outmuscled, and outplayed the US, barring about a 15-minute stretch between halftime and Donovan's penalty equalizer.

So who or what is to blame?

1) The letdown

After John Isner won his marathon three-day match by taking the fifth set 70-68, he promptly exited the tournament, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the next round. This wasn't surprising, of course. Similarly, it's not totally surprising that the US couldn't pull this one out - first of all, there are only so many times you can go down and be forced to chase the game relentlessly, but the team were also coming off what must have been an exhausting (both emotionally and physically) game with Algeria just to make the knockouts. Ghana only had two days' rest too, but they barely showed up for their game with Germany, knowing that they didn't have to play their hardest to advance. For all the talk of how the Americans would benefit from their superior fitness, they simply looked spent by the middle of extra time. At some point you just can't chase a game any more. I don't know that I would have liked them from the spot even had they avoided conceding Gyan's goal; they had nothing behind their kicks in the second extra session.

2) The lineup

Facing a lineup that worked - Altidore and Dempsey up high, Feilhaber and Edu in the middle with Donovan and Bradley - coach Bob Bradley rather oddly decided to start Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley in spite of the fact that neither had done anything in the tournament so far. Clark's error contributed to Ghana's opening goal, and after picking up a yellow card as well he was subbed off after 30 minutes for Edu. Findley had one good shot at goal and delivered a ball straight into the keeper's lap, then was gone for Feilhaber at halftime. Dempsey moved back up top and subsequently drew the tying penalty shot. Credit to Bradley for knowing when he was wrong... but why did he choose to go that way in the first place? My assumption is that he figured Clark and Findley would be fresh legs and someone had to be fresh after the Algeria game. But Clark and Findley couldn't pull their weight earlier in the tournament. Suddenly throwing them back into a must-win game never made sense.

3) The back line

While he did make some good plays, Jay DeMerit struggled once more on both of Ghana's goals. I have no idea what his health status is, but you can tell the team really missed Oguchi Onyewu, whose big, physical presence might have been better equipped to go shoulder to shoulder with Asamoah Gyan, who simply outmuscled Carlos Bocanegra for the extra time winner.

4) The midfield

Ghana mostly seemed to do what they wanted, when they wanted. As I noted above, they were the better team for all but about 15 minutes, and this started in the midfield, where the Ghanaians closed fast on the US and didn't allow much space. The US, by comparison, gave Ghana loads of room to run, as if scared to get passed in a foot race. The American inability to pass crisply also came back to haunt them. Michael Bradley alone had at least three soft giveaways, and he actually played fairly well. Ghana were also much better at keeping their shape as a side; there was always someone out wide for Ghana, sometimes coming into surprise view of the camera at the near side because the US had themselves been so packed into the middle.

5) The lack of a killer offensive threat

Donovan and Dempsey are both very good players, but neither is really a striker by trade. Altidore had a decent Cup, I thought, but you have to say: he should probably be scoring goals. Right? Findley's inability to finish was embarrassing and as far as I'm concerned he should never play for this team again, at least until he's more seasoned in international play - I mean, the guy doesn't even have ten caps. Brian Ching isn't exactly Carlos Tevez and I know he's older, but why wasn't he on the squad? Bottom line, the US need to figure out a way to manufacture a great striker. Maybe a fully fit Altidore matures into that role, but he wasn't ready for it yet. Maybe when Charlie Davies returns, he's that guy. You have to say he was probably missed given the general struggles of the US to put the ball in the back of net from the striker position.

All in all, a devastating disappointment for American soccer after Wednesday's high. Where do we go from here? CONCACAF qualifying doesn't even start until 2012, and the key matches likely won't be played until 2013. There's another Gold Cup next year, but the US didn't even take the last one seriously, sending a third-string team to get obliterated by Mexico in the final. (Although I guess you'd have to be fair and note that the US A-team had been in the Confederations Cup just a few weeks earlier and clearly wasn't going to play both.) The MLS might get a little boost out of this. I don't know.

What I do know is we've got a long way to go. And in the next four years, it's time to find some better defenders, it's time to work on not conceding early, and it's time to show the rest of the world that we have the talent to compete with its best. American soccer seems to surge forward by the year; it's time to really take that next step. The country has shown it will be ready to respond.