Perez and the Bills

Speaking of kicking Brian... wow! How about the USA soccer team! Only weeks after the embarrassment in Costa Rica, soon after getting thrashed by Brazil and Italy, to be in a spot like this is absolutely incredible.

Shows how much I let my wife control the remote - my first reaction to the title was wondering why we were talking about Perez Hilton's medical bills from getting "roughed up."

I've thought the US MNT has been improving incrementally, year to year, with MFs like Bradley and Dempsey, and perhaps in the not too distant future, Feilhaber and Clark, getting to Landon Donovan's level.

At some point, we were going to beat a world class team in a game that mattered. I felt that it was possible today would be that day, so I took the day off to watch. I am SOOOOOO glad I did!

The difference between today's team and teams of a few years ago, it seems to me, is that we not only defended with intensity, crucial against Spain, but we also had the ability to score. We were more dangerous than in most previous years -- the exception being the 2002 World Cup team with McBride at his peak and Josh Wolff still uninjured and speedy. Altidore is only 19, and unpolished, but even today he is a force to be reckoned with. We do need to find a second dangerous forward; perhaps Davies can develop into that player.

It seems to me this is the most important victory in the US MNT's history. The 1-0 win in 1950 against England was by a makeshift team on a terrible field and was before soccer reached the heights of today. The 3-2 win against Portugal in the 2002 WC was almost as big, but Portugal isn't quite Spain, with its 35 game unbeaten streak, and we got an own goal. The win against Columbia was at home, with a much poorer US team, and needed an own goal. The win against Brazil in the Gold Cup was in a relatively local tourney against a Brazil team trying several younger players out.

Today's win, in contrast, was on the world stage, against a full Spanish squad. There was no own goal, with both our goals well deserved -- Dempsey being so quick to anticipate the defender would trap the ball, and knocking it into goal almost as the ball was being trapped. Altidore held his defender perfectly, and took a hard and accurate shot. As noted, our defense was almost airtight, unbelievable against a team with Spain's strengths.

So I'll just say it -- this is the most important victory in the history of the US WMT -- it was against a top foe, without the home field advantage, without an own goal in our favor, featuring excellent defending and midfield play, with well taken goals. It is this game, and no other, which proclaims that the US, on a given day, can beat almost any team in the world.

That said, we will not be favored against Brazil in the final, and with good reason. But no team can now assume that they will beat the US MNT any more, even if heavily favored.

May the Force be with the US MNT on Sunday again.

For a brief second I thought Luke's post was going to be about coin collecting. US MNT =/= US MINT. Damn my eyes. It was a great win for the US M(i)NT. But now no team is going to underestimate the US team in international play.

Good luck to Aaron Perez, although punting in Buffalo in December is going to be hell(or the exact opposite of it), I'm sure he'll be happy to be getting a paycheck.

Go Bruins!