The players probably haven’t even completed their showers, and we’ll try not to get too end-of-days here, but we’re equally as disappointed in the US World Cup performance as Eric Wynalda, the fauxhawk rockin’ ESPN analyst who just opined the above quote.

But is Bruce Arena too conservative a coach, or did he not have the talent? Was 2002 just an aberration?

Landon Donovan didn’t get burn in the German professional league for a reason, folks. He was an unknown entity entering the 2002 World Cup, and exceeded all expectations. He was a marked man here, and did nothing to impress. We can’t recall anything he did remotely well. And why on earth is he taking corner kicks? They should be taken by Convey or Eddie Lewis, you know, players that can bend a ball. Donovan is going to be ripped mercilessly on the blogs and in the papers tomorrow. DeMarcus Beasley will be spared, likely because of his brilliant assist against Ghana.

Arena needs to scrap the 4-5-1. It provides no offense. And now that McBride is sure to retire from the USNT, seeing as he’ll be 38 in 2010.

What really hurts Arena is the Czech game. Four years to get your players up for a World Cup opener, and a terrible 3-0 performance reflects unbelievably badly. Then, the Czechs get walloped by Ghana and Italy without scoring. That loss is mostly on the coach.

We’ll walk away from the Cup excited about these players in 2010: Clint Dempsey (the lone US goal-scorer at the Cup), Bobby Convey, DeMarcus Beasley, and Eddie Johnson. Donovan? Sure, but we’re not nearly ready to anoint him as the face of US soccer.

If we were presiding over US soccer, the first thing we’d do is schedule some difficult games leading up to the 2010 Cup. No more cupcake gimmies against non-qualifying jokes like Honduras.

Second, we’d push players like Dempsey, Johnson, hell, even Ben Olsen to go and play overseas. Freddy Adu, too. We haven’t seen enough of the supposedly prodigious Adu yet, but the US is in dire need of an imaginative, playmaking midfielder – perhaps he is the answer?

And people, can we please not harp on the questionable foul and penalty kick in stoppage time? Please? Because you’ll sound just like the whining Dallas Mavericks fans who are chirping about an actual foul against Dwyane Wade.

Maybe Gooch doesn’t get that foul if he didn’t earn the attitude of wanna-be tough guy a few minutes into the opening match. What did he average, five fouls a game?

[Update: When the team was announced last month, we instantly asked, 'Where was offensive powerhouse Taylor Twellman?' Thank you, Marcelo Balboa, for reminding us of Twellman’s name. Balboa – we’re going to give him an ‘A’ for broadcasting this Cup – also wondered why John O’Brien was on the squad, when he was injured and unfit to begin with, and never saw any playing time. These things aren't good for Bruce Arena.]

[Update II: Wow. Arena's presser gave no inclination he wanted to be back. He has been the US coach for eight years now, which is an eternity. When asked point-blank about returning, he said that he has 'options he has to explore.' Wynalda is killing him. It should be noted Wynalda was a forward, and that may be why the lack of goals disgusts him so.]

World Cup Ends for US (NY Times)