The 2013 year in sports provided a bit
of everything for the Michigan-based professional and collegiate
sports fan. There was surprising team success (UM basketball, MSU
football), some not so surprising team success (Tigers), classic
failure (Lions), and a teams looking to regain their prominence (UM
football, Pistons). My fandom also brought me to watching one of the
United States' best years in soccer on the world stage, attending the
Gold Cup final and watching the World Cup Draw in eager anticipation
– but more on that later. I'll write this year in sports review by
giving a brief synopsis of the league as a whole, then focusing in on
Michigan-based teams. We'll begin with collegiate sports, starting
off with NCAA basketball and March Madness.
NOTE: I will write about the 2013-14
NFL season in this season in review. The review will be updated once
the season has been completed. Same for NCAA football.
NCAA men's basketball
National Champion: Louisville defeats
Michigan, 82-76
Player of the Year: Trey Burke,
Michigan
Key Storylines:
- 15th seeded Florida Gulf
Coast, “Dunk City,” impresses the nation with a fast-paced
offense and high-flying alley-oops while upsetting second-seeded
Georgetown and seventh-seeded San Diego State.
- Ninth-seeded Wichita State makes a
run to the Final Four, defeating top-seeded Gonzaga and second-seeded
Ohio State before falling to eventual champion Louisville.
- Louisville's Kevin Ware breaks his
leg in a game against Duke. The Cardinals were able to overcome the
shock of the injury to defeat the Blue Devils, and later the
Wolverines, for their third National Championship.
University of Michigan
For the
University of Michigan, the 2012-13 season promised to be a good one
with key returning players Tim Hardaway, Jr., Trey Burke, and Jordan
Morgan as well as a talented crop of freshman in Mitch McGary, Glenn
Robinson III, Nik Stauskas, Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht.
The team was led
by the point guard Burke, who quickly solidified himself as one of
the top players in the country, leading the young Wolverines to a
16-0 start and the #2 ranking in the country before dropping their
first contest to rival Ohio State. The team, despite its youth,
played well through the Big Ten season, splitting their season series
with Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State while dropping two
games each to Wisconsin, one in the Big Ten Tournament, and Indiana.
Michigan finished fourth in the conference, and in the NCAA
Tournament, earned a four seed.
The
Maize and Blue coasted through their first pair of games in the
Tournament, topping the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State as well as
the Rams of VCU.
Burke then provided fireworks in the
Wolverines' Sweet Sixteen matchup. Burke, who would later be named
the Naismith National Player of the Year, hit a deep three with time
expiring as Michigan recovered from a 14-point deficit to tie the
game at the end of regulation. The Wolverines then took the game in
overtime, winning 87-85.
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| Michigan's Trey Burke celebrates his game-tying three against Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen. |
Michigan continued their run by
dominating Florida 79-59 in the Elite Eight to face perennial power
Syracuse in the Final Four. Key to the Wolverines run was the
freshman McGary, who exploded in the tournament, giving the team a
strong, low-post presence. A 10 point, 12 rebound performance from
McGary against Syracuse aided the Wolverines to a five-point victory
as Michigan advanced to the National Championship game for the first
time in twenty years.
In the championship, Burke experienced
some early foul trouble, and if not for 17 surprise points from Spike
Albrecht, the Wolverines would have been out of the game early, but
Michigan took a 38-37 point lead into the halftime break. In the
second half, Louisville's shooting came to life, and led by bench
player Luke Hancock, took the lead and held of a late rally by
Michigan, led by Burke, to defeat the Wolverines for the National
Championship. Michigan finished the season 31-8. Burke and Hardaway,
Jr. both declared for the NBA draft at the end of the year while
McGary and Robinson, despite strong freshman campaigns, decided to
return for their sophomore seasons.
So far in the 2013-14 season, the
Wolverines are 8-4, losing early season match-ups against Iowa State
and Charlotte as well as ranked teams Duke and Arizona. Michigan has
obviously struggled with the loss of Burke, and freshman Derrick
Walton has not been as proficient a point guard as Wolverine fans had
hoped. The season will only get tougher, though, as McGary, who
suffered early with back issues, elected to have surgery, likely
ending his season. The loss of McGary leaves Stauskas and Robinson
III with the majority of the load on the offensive end. With the
conference season beginning January 2 at Minnesota, it will be
interesting to see how the Wolverines match up against a very strong
Big Ten. Michigan's road back to the tournament could prove difficult
given the difficulty of its conference schedule, and as mentioned
earlier, this team will rely heavily on young players in Stauskas and
Robinson III to lead them.
Michigan State University
Michigan State entered the 2012-13
season ranked 14th in the country. The Spartans lost their
first contest of the season against UConn but then beat a top ten
team in Kansas. A loss against Miami then set the Spartans up with an
11-2 record heading into conference play. Michigan State opened up
league play with a loss against Minnesota before winning six
straight. The Spartans then dropped a game to Indiana before winning
five straight to give Michigan State an 11-2 conference record, tied
atop the conference. But, three straight losses, to Indiana, Ohio
State, and Michigan, set Michigan State back, and after righting the
ship, the Spartans ended up losing in the semi-finals of the Big Ten
Tournament to Ohio State.
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| Gary Harris had an impressive freshman campaign for the Spartans in 2012-13. His play, and his health, will be key for a deep Spartans run into the 2014 NCAA tournament. |
The Spartans earned a three seed in the
NCAA Tournament and easily topped Valparaiso and Memphis in the first
and second rounds. Michigan State then faced Duke in the Sweet
Sixteen, and an impressive game from the Blue Devils' Seth Curry, who
scored 29 points, spelled defeat for the Spartans and the end of
their season.
Returning a large portion of their
roster, the Spartans entered 2013-14 as one of the top teams in the
country, led by senior Adreian Payne and sophomore Gary Harris.
Michigan State, given the #2 ranking, was given an early season test
against #1 Kentucky, defeating the young Wildcats 78-74. The Spartans
then held the top ranking for a couple weeks before falling to North
Carolina, Michigan State's only loss of the season thus far. At 12-1
and ranked #5 in the country, the Spartans face a tough conference
matchup against Ohio State on January 7. Look for Michigan State to
continue to be one of the top teams in the country, and led by head
coach Tom Izzo, this Spartan squad could make another deep run in the
NCAA Tournament.
NCAA football
National Champion: TBD, Auburn vs
Florida State
Heisman Trophy Winner: Jameis Winston,
Florida State
Key Storylines:
- Auburn wins a pair of amazing
comebacks within three weeks. First, a tipped Hail Mary gives the
Tigers a 43-38 win over Georgia, and in the Iron Bowl, a field-goal
is returned over 100 yards as time expires as Auburn ruins Alabama's
“three-peat” title hopes while boosting their own in 34-28
victory.
- Ohio State wins 24 straight games
before falling to Michigan State in Big Ten title game. Spartans head
to Rose Bowl for first time since 1988 while the Buckeyes' title
hopes are dashed.
University of Michigan
The rise of quarterback Devin Gardner
at the end of the 2012 football season gave Michigan football fans a
lot of hope heading into 2013. The nation also noticed, and the
Wolverines entered as the 17th ranked team in the country
and Gardner was recognized on a number of preseason Heisman watch
lists. Michigan opened the season with a big 59-9 win over Central
Michigan and then defeated Notre Dame 41-30. Gardner, wearing no. 98
to honor Michigan great Tom Harmon, had a great game with five total
touchdowns, but made some questionable decisions, including an
ill-advised throw in the end zone which landed in the hands of a
Fighting Irish defender. Still, Michigan came out of the contest with
a win.
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| Devin Gardner and the Michigan Wolverines had a tough 2013 season, finishing at 7-6. Gardner, with one season left, will likely return in 2014 as the starting quarterback. |
The Wolverines then stumbled in weeks
three and four, barely pulling out wins against Akron, stopping the
Zips on the one yard line to preserve the win, and Connecticut.
Michigan seemed to right the ship in week five with a 42-13 victory
over Minnesota, but a four-overtime loss against Penn State, one in
which the Wolverines had two field goal opportunities to win, hinted
that Michigan was as flawed as their close victories over Akron and
Connecticut had suggested.
After a 63-47 win over Indiana (yes,
this was a football score, not basketball), the Wolverines suffered a
humiliating defeat at the hands of their in-state rivals, Michigan
State, 29-6.
The loss to the Spartans began a 1-4
skid for the Wolverines, one in which their only win was a 27-19
triple-overtime win over Northwestern. Michigan did show life in
their final game of the season, a 42-41 loss against Ohio State, but
quarterback Devin Gardner was hurt in the process. The Wolverines
lost the game against the Buckeyes by attempting a two-point
conversion with less than a minute remaining instead of attempting a
conventional PAT and heading for overtime. Finishing the season at
7-5, Michigan was selected to attend the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl,
facing the Wildcats of Kansas State.
The Wolverines were to be without
Gardner for the bowl, and freshman Shane Morris was to start in his
place. Unfortunately for Morris, he didn't get much help in the game
as the Michigan run game was putrid and the defense even worse.
Morris was the leading rusher with 43 yards in the game while tight
end Devin Funchess added 14 yards as the second leading rusher. No
running back had more than seven. On defense, the Wolverines allowed
Wildcats quarterback Jake Waters to throw 21-of-27 for 271 yards
while Kansas State rushed for 149 yards total as a team. In the end,
the ineptitude of the defense to get any stops and the inability of
the offense to generate points spelled defeat for Michigan, as Kansas
State claimed the bowl 31-14, sending Michigan to end its season at
7-6.
After a successful first season under
Brady Hoke, Michigan has gone 15-11 the past two seasons and will
look to rebound with a strong, incoming class. Hoke has been able to
recruit well, but the amount of recruited talent hasn't translated to
wins, and Hoke and his staff will have to improve on the field if
they want to coach in the Big House in the future.
Michigan State University
If the Spartans were to be successful
in 2013, it would have to be behind the strength of their defense,
one that finished as the best in NCAA Division 1-A in 2012 while they
also lost top rusher Le'Veon Bell.
Michigan State began the season still
trying to figure out who its starting quarterback would be. In the
first two weeks, Andrew Maxwell got the nod, but it was the defense
scoring the majority of points for the Spartans as they totaled four
defensive touchdowns and just two offensive touchdowns, with the
Michigan State quarterback not recording a passing touchdown until
their third game. IN the third game, Connor Cook was given the start,
and he capitalized, throwing for four touchdowns against Youngstown
State.
The Spartans then lost a very defensive
game to Notre Dame, 17-13, before they began their conference
schedule.
With a 26-14 win over Iowa and a 42-28
victory against Indiana, Michigan State began to roll. The Spartans
then allowed just nine points in three wins over Purdue, Illinois,
and Michigan in the next three weeks.
Michigan State then defeated Nebraska,
Northwestern, and Minnesota in the final three weeks to claim the
Legends division with an 8-0 conference record.
Facing the undefeated Ohio State
Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans came in as the
underdogs but still confident given their defense and the leadership
of their head coach, Mark Dantonio.
Michigan State took an early 17-0 lead
in the second quarter before the Buckeyes closed to gap to 17-10 at
halftime. Ohio State then scored the first 14 points out of the break
to take a 24-17 lead, but Michigan State responded. The Spartans
scored the final 17 points of the match-up to earn a 34-24 victory as
Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller was held to just 101 yards
passing, while Cook totaled 304 yards. Michigan State's defense held
the Buckeyes to just 1-of-10 on third down conversions, and the win
gave the Spartans a berth in the Rose Bowl for the first time since
1988, where they would play the Cardinal of Stanford.
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| Michigan State players and coaches react to a fourth down stop in the Rose Bowl which sealed a 24-20 victory over the Stanford Cardinal for the Spartans. |
An impressive defensive performance
from the Spartans resulted in a 24-20 victory over Stanford.
Quarterback Connor Cook earned the MVP of the game, throwing for 332
yards and two touchdowns, although he got away with a couple of poor
throws straight at Cardinal defenders.
Michigan State ends the season at 13-1,
an impressive season from the Spartans. With a young quarterback and
some young players on the defensive side, the future looks bright for
head coach Mark Dantonio and this Spartan football program.
NBA
Champion: Miami Heat over San Antonio
Spurs, series 4-3
MVP: LeBron James
Key Storylines:
- LeBron wins second straight NBA
Championship - Ray Allen hits key three-pointer in game 6 to keep the
Heat alive versus the San Antonio Spurs
- Derrick Rose sits out all of the
2012-13 season to heal a torn ACL in his left knee. Upon returning at
the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Rose played in 10 games before
tearing his right meniscus, requiring surgery and ending his season.
- Dwight Howard signs with the Houston
Rockets after a messy 2012-13 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Kobe Bryant tears his Achilles at
the end of the 2012-13 regular season, and unlike Rose, comes back
early from the injury. Bryant then injuries his knee after playing in
just six games in the 2013-14 season
Detroit Pistons
It was another rebuilding year for the
Pistons in 2013. Young players Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond and
Brandon Knight were the centerpieces of a team that finished 29-53 in
the 2012-13 regular season under head coach Lawrence Frank.
Frank did not last the offseason under
general manager Joe Dumars, and the Pistons made some major changes
to their roster. With a lot of money opening up due to the trade of
Ben Gordon for the expiring contract of Corey Maggette as well as the
a trade sending Tayshaun Prince away, Detroit had a lot of options
heading into the offseason.
The Pistons began by replacing the
fired head coach Frank with Maurice Cheeks, former head coach of the
Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers and former NBA point
guard.
Detroit then spent their money by
signing Atlanta Hawks swingman Josh Smith, someone the Pistons had
been linked to a previous trade deadlines. Detroit also signed former
Piston and NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. The Pistons then traded
away Brandon Knight as well as a pair of backups for Milwaukee Bucks
guard Brandon Jennings, an exciting, high-scoring, yet inconsistent
guard.
In the draft, Detroit selected shooting
guard Kentavius Caldwell-Pope from Georgia, forward Tony Mitchell
from North Texas, and point guard Peyton Siva from Louisville.
The additions to Detroit's roster
provided an interesting lineup for the Pistons, a lineup which would
be quite tall compared to the small-ball fad that was making its way
through the NBA.
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| The play and development of young center Andre Drummond will be key to the success of the 2013-14 Pistons. |
So far in the 2013-14 season, the
Pistons stand at 14-19 but still in the playoff hunt in the weak
Eastern Conference. Jennings leads the team at 17.5 points per game
while Monroe averages 14.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and
Drummond 12.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.
The Pistons will likely make the
playoffs, and with wins this season so far over the Miami Heat and
the Indiana Pacers, two top teams, Detroit could make some noise in
the postseason, although any advancement is unlikely.
NFL
Champion: TBD (My prediction: Seattle
Seahawks over New England Patriots)
MVP: TBD (My prediction: Peyton
Manning)
Key Storylines:
- Richie Incognito, offensive guard
for the Miami Dolphins, is sent away from the team for harassment as
well as threatening phone calls and racist remarks regarding second
year tackle Jonathan Martin, who left the team after week eight
- Peyton Manning, in his second season
with the Denver Broncos, opens the year by throwing 19 touchdowns
before throwing his first interception in week five against the
Cowboys. Manning went on to break the regular season touchdown and
passing yards record, owned by Tom Brady and Drew Brees, respectively
Detroit Lions
Where do I even begin with our beloved,
yet frustrating, Lions?
In the offseason, Detroit made all the
right moves, signing Reggie Bush to improve the offense as well as
Glover Quin to solidify the defense. Early in the season, it also
appeared that the Lions had hit on important draft picks in first
rounder Ezekiel Ansah, third rounder Larry Warford, as well as
undrafted signees LaAdrian Waddle and Joe Fauria.
And, the season began like any NFL team
could hope given Detroit's 4-12 2012 record, as the Lions jumped out
to a 6-3 record and held their playoff destiny in their own hands
given major injuries to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Unfortunately, the Lions failed game
after game to finish off opponents, and Detroit lost six of its final
seven games, despite holding leads in the fourth quarter of each, to
end the season 7-9.
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| Quarterback Matthew Stafford had an up and down year for the Detroit Lions in 2013. Despite his struggles, Stafford makes the Lions coaching vacancy one of the most attractive for candidates around the league. |
Matthew Stafford appeared to be a
problem in the majority of the losses, but blame could also be placed
on Detroit's receivers for dropping passes, the running backs for
fumbling carries, and the coaching staff for not making necessary
adjustments in the second halves of games.
The Monday after the Lions loss to the
Minnesota Vikings in the final week of the season, head coach Jim
Schwartz was fired as was offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.
Detroit's head coaching position is
seen as one of the more attractive openings given the talent on the
roster, but also limited because of the money spent on current
players and the lack of funds to change the roster as the coach would
like. Thus, the new coach will likely be stuck running a 4-3 defense.
Of course, given a partially new
coaching staff and the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft,
the offseason will be busy for the Detroit Lions. Only time will tell
the new direction of the team, and hopefully, we'll be talking about
a playoff berth next season.
NHL
Champion: Chicago Blackhawks over
Boston Bruins, series 4-2
MVP: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
Capitals
Key Storylines:
- A lockout by the NHL owners resulted
in a shortened season with only 48 games
- The Chicago Blackhawks began the
season by recording 24 consecutive games with at least a point at
21-0-3 before losing their first game in regulation against the
Colorado Avalanche
- Playing in only 36 of the 48 games,
Sidney Crosby had one of his best seasons since dealing with
concussion problems, scoring 56 points, fourth-best in the league
Detroit Red
Wings
With the lockout, the Red Wings' season
did not begin until January 19 of 2013. With a shift in the
conferences set for 2013-14, the 2013 season was the last season for
Detroit in the Western Conference.
The Red Wings began the 2013 season
without a couple of players that had been mainstays on the roster for
years, as Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom retired after the
2011-12 season.
Despite the loss of these two players,
Detroit, led by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, was able to
continue its streak of reaching the playoffs, extending it to 22
straight seasons.
The Red Wings entered the playoffs as
the seventh seed in the Western Conference, but defeated the
second-seeded Anaheim Ducks in seven games, winning the final two.
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| Veterans Henrik Zetterberg (right) and Pavel Datsyuk look to lead the Detroit Red Wings to their 23rd consecutive playoff appearance in 2014. |
Advancing to face the top-seeded
Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit took a 3-1 series lead but could not
close it out as the Blackhawks rallied and won the final three games,
the final one in overtime.
In the 2013 shortened season, the Red
Wings saw the emergence of some young talent in defender Brendan
Smith and forwards Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, and Damien Brunner.
Unfortunately, Brunner was signed in
the offseason by the Devils, and the Red Wings countered by signing
Daniel Alfredsson.
So far in the 2013-14 season, the Wings
stand at 18-14-10 overall, sixth in the Eastern Conference. Detroit
has been led in points this season by Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and
Alfredsson.
MLB
Champions: Boston Red Sox over St.
Louis Cardinals, series 4-2
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
Pirates
AL Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Detroit
Tigers
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los
Angeles Dodgers
Key Storylines:
- 14 players are given 50+ game
suspensions for their involvement including performance enhancing
drugs with a rejuvenation clinic in Miami, Florida, called
Biogenesis. Alex Rodriguez is given an unprecedented 211 game
suspension, while Ryan Braun is hit with a 65 game suspension
- After struggling in 2012 and giving
up a late-season division lead, the Boston Red Sox rebound in 2013
under new manager John Ferrell, and, taking inspiration from the
victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, the Red Sox win the World
Series for the third time in ten seasons
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers looked to rebound in
2013 from a disappointing end to their 2012 season, one in which the
Tigers were swept in the World Series by the San Francisco Giants.
With slugger Miguel Cabrera coming off
a Triple Crown and MVP campaign and the Tigers starting rotation
looking as dangerous as any in the league, 2013 looked to be
promising for Detroit fans.
In the offseason, Detroit picked up
Torii Hunter to bat second in the lineup and play outfield while
re-signing Anibal Sanchez and extending ace pitcher Justin Verlander.
After a poor showing in the postseason, the Tigers let closer Jose
Valverde go while determining Joaquin Benoit to be their new closer.
The season began rather slowly for
Detroit, as it jumped out to a 9-9 record. A 10-2 stretch by the
Tigers then righted the ship, and they headed into the All-Star break
with a 52-42 record, as well as six All-Stars in Miguel Cabrera,
Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Torii Hunter, and
Jhonny Peralta. Scherzer went into the All-Star break with a 13-1
record, starting the game for the American League in a 3-0 winning
effort.
Scherzer continued to lead the Tigers
out of the break, and Miguel Cabrera, despite being hurt, had an
August explosion which included 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and a .356
average in 27 games.
Seeking a second straight Triple Crown,
Cabrera continued to play through the injuries until the Tigers had
claimed the Central division title and Christ Davis of the Baltimore
Orioles had slugged his home run total out of Cabrera's reach.
Reaching the playoffs for the third
straight season, the Tigers drew the Oakland Athletics in their
divisional series for the second straight year, and for the second
time in a row, Detroit defeated Oakland, claiming the series 3-2
after trailing 2-1.
In the American League Championship
Series, the Tigers faced the Boston Red Sox. Detroit's starting
pitching was fantastic in the first three games, allowing only two
runs in 21 innings pitched. But, the Tigers offense could not match
the production of the starting pitching, nor could Detroit's bullpen,
and a couple of grand slams by David Ortiz and Shane Victorino aided
the Red Sox to a 4-2 series win over Detroit, ending the Tigers'
season.
At season's end, manager Jim Leyland
retired while Cabrera was named MVP for the second straight season
and pitcher Max Scherzer won the AL Cy Young.
 |
| Miguel Cabrera (left) won his second straight MVP in 2013. He'll try to again lead the Tigers to the World Series in 2014, but without the help of Prince Fielder, who was traded to the Texas Rangers. |
The Tigers then hired first-timer Brad
Ausmus as the new manager. Continuing a busy offseason, general
manager Dave Dombrowski made a couple of major trades. First,
Dombrowski traded away Prince Fielder and his massive contract to the
Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler. Pitcher Doug Fister was
then traded to the Washington Nationals for a pair of relievers and a
utility infielder. Finally, the Tigers signed speedy outfield Rajai
Davis and closer Joe Nathan.
Detroit's moves allow for a much better
defensive infield, where Cabrera will move back to first, Kinsler
will play second, web-gem machine Jose Iglesias at shortstop, and
third base will likely be played by prospect Nick Castellanos. Austin
Jackson and Hunter will fill two outfield positions while Davis and
Andy Dirks will likely split time in left. Victor Martinez will fill
the designated hitter roll for Detroit. With the trade of Fister,
Drew Smyly moves into the starting rotation along with Verlander,
Scherzer, Sanchez, and Rick Porcello.
The 2014 season will again be World
Series or bust for the Tigers, and with a new manager and a talented
roster, it will certainly be an interesting and exciting year for
this Detroit franchise.
USMNT
Soccer has always been one of my
favorite sports, and this year, I was able to watch one of the most
successful years in the United States' Men's National Team history.
Coincidently, it was also the 100th anniversary of US
National Soccer, which made the year extra special.
The Americans' centennial season didn't
start off as quickly as the team hoped, with a tie against Canada and
a loss to Honduras. But, after a win over Costa Rica, played in a
couple of inches of snow, and an impressive tie against Mexico in the
Azteca, the Yanks were headed in the right direction.
The US continued with three straight
wins in World Cup Qualifying match-ups, led by forward Jozy Altidore,
to put themselves on top of the Hexagonal.
Taking a small break from qualifying
matches, the US participated in the Gold Cup. With the return of
Landon Donovan, who hadn't played in 2013 until the Gold Cup
tournament, the Americans cruised through the group stage and into
knockout play.
Again, the US had no trouble winning in
the quarterfinals and semifinals, and reached the finals in Chicago,
which I had the joy of attending. The game was won by Brek Shea on a
goal in the 68th minute, and the USMNT celebrated their
first Gold Cup since 2007.
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| Jozy Altidore (left) and Clint Dempsey were key components to an impressive 2013 campaign for the USMNT. The Yanks now look forward to the 2014 World Cup, which will begin June 12 in Brazil. |
After the Gold Cup, the US wrapped up
their first place finish in the Hexagonal and placed their name into
the 2014 World Cup draw.
Unfortunately for American soccer fans,
the US drew what is considered to be the Group of Death in the 2014
World Cup, with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana as the other three teams
in their group. While the road is certainly difficult for Red, White,
and Blue, it gives head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his squad a chance
to show just how far they've come since the 2010 World Cup and that
they're ready for the big stage. Whatever the outcome of the group
stage, I think I can safely say that the World Cup will likely be one
of my favorite sporting events of the upcoming year.
