“(The U.S.) left with just four shots on goal over three games — the lowest total of any nation at this World Cup. And two of those hit the post, including a diving header by Brian McBride in the 66th minute as the Americans desperately tried to score.”

Read the above. That means that we only could have, had every shot gone in, scored TWO goals in three games. Only TWO balls were directed towards an opposing goal.

Every game was painful.

The first goes without saying: a 0-3 loss to a team we might beat on a different day. Losing 0-3 is like like losing by 30 points in football, there’s nothing good to say about it.

Italy 1-1

True pain here. We were the better team yet managed a tie only by an own-goal from an Italian. This is what I mean – when we’re the better team we still can’t get decent shots on goal. Does this mean we’re the best midfield players in the world? I mean Landon Donovan, golden boy, hasn’t scored in EIGHTEEN straight international games!

And look, I played soccer for 10 years in my youth. So what. But I can’t figure out why these pros at the highest level MISS the freakin’ goal SO badly all the time. I mean how many times do they shoot some rocket that misses the posts by 20 yards???? That’s RIDICULOUS. It’s like throwing a wild pitch every third time. It’s like missing the rim on a free throw every other time. In play vs. Italy we had ONE shot “on goal.” We were the better team, but had ONE shot on goal. That’s absurd. That’s pathetic.

Ghana 1-2

Ugh. We actually would have gone to the next round had we won this game but you can’t make a case we deserved to. We scored our first and ONLY legit goal during this game. It was indeed beautiful, but back to the US SOCCER IS PAIN theme, US fans only got a WHOPPING TWO MINUTES to celebrate before the refs handed Ghana a go ahead goal.

Watching US SOCCER is like getting kicked in the balls for 90 minutes. Bruce Arena needs to go. We need some freakin’ offense.

Ghana’s first goal: A ridiculous mistake by REYNA. I’m sorry he got injured, but he never should have even let the Ghana player get close to him where he was in front of the box. He let a player challenge him with nothing but the goal behind him. It is blunder that COST US THE GAME. Unforgiveable.

Our Goal: Really great, pretty, fun. Didn’t last. Pain.

Ghana’s second goal: A penalty kick awarded because of a Ghana flop. Replay showed the US player did not attempt to illegally gain an advantage and it was a legit attempt for a header (which he made). I agree with Arena’s complaint on this one.

Which brings me to my final point: Red cards and Yellow cards are ruining the game. In no other sport do I know does a penalty not only call for the expulsion of players but the team actually LOSES the spot for the rest of the game. This gives the other team a RIDICULOUS advantage and one that encourages the faking of injuries to an extreme.

How many times did we see Ghana players supposedly writhing on the ground in pain? This is giving the sport a bad name. You can’t blame a player for pretending that they just got their leg broken – if the ref buys it the expulsion of the other player could mean they are given an advantage so great it changes the game. The US actually lost TWO players in the Italy match. No team has EVER scored with nine players (11-2=9) in a World Cup game. That means the refs basically destroyed the US chances to win that game.

FLOP FLOP FLOP FLOP. DITCH the RED card. Kick ‘em out of the game but that is probably the greatest IN-GAME penalty in any sport and in SOCCER it’s COMMON.

But the bottom line is that the US scored ONE goal in three games. We were supposedly ranked FIFTH in the world. Thatis unacceptable and heads should roll!

US SOCCER = PAIN.