I got up at exactly 4:30 this morning, Saturday morning. Today, after all, is Bob Bradley's debut as U.S. coach, the first U.S. game since last June and my first chance since last January to watch the US in person.
But I didn't exactly get up in eager anticipation. My 15-month-old woke up screaming, like she usually does every morning between 4 and 6, and crawled into bed alongside me. She was able to go back to sleep until 5:55 but not I.
As I lay there, trying to squeeze out every last minute of sleep from her tiny body, I thought about the game and imagined the scene and kept thinking of last year. But it will be a huge difference from a year ago.
To refresh your memory, the U.S. beat Norway 5-0 at Home Depot Center on Jan. 29, 2006. Bruce Arena was the coach. Taylor Twellman was the hat-trick hero. Todd Dunivant was the big revelation. Twellman, Eddie Pope and Chris Klein accounted for the offense.
So what came from that game? Fast forward a few months and neither Twellman nor Dunivant nor Klein were anywhere near Germany. Arena and Pope were present for the United States' forgettable performances and that 5-0 win seemed as meaningless as ever.
Today, of course, will be a different game. Last year, Arena was trying to find that one player who could have made a difference. I still contend that that person would have been Dunivant had he not gotten hurt. Nevertheless, the game did not produce that. But today, Bob Bradley will start his five-month job audition. Players like Kenny Cooper and Jonathan Bornstein will try to show their international worth while others like Eddie Johnson will try to show that they still have it.
I normally don't get too excited about friendlies. As evidenced by last year's 5-0 U.S. rout, they typically mean little. But today's will carry extra weight and should be an enjoyable match.
I just hope my early-morning wake-up call doesn't make me fall asleep at halftime.
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