The US almost did it. They almost defeated the two-time U-21 champs in the Netherlands and just like that, they have to win the game against Nigeria. They almost had the six points that would have given us passage to the quarterfinals.
After an early 16th minute score by Ryan Babel made many think the Netherlands would steamroll. But the US settled down and something happened during the half. Maybe a pep talk by Petr Nowak to the Yanks lit a fire under them. The US began to take it to the Dutch and were holding possession better.

Then the inconceivable happened. The U.S. scored. Wonderful pass and run, shoot from Freddy Adu to Sacha Klejstan. We could draw this team. Four points would be a great result after two games. If it couldn’t get any better, the near impossible then occurred. A loose ball got knocked around in the Dutch penalty box, Michael Orozco sent a cross in, and it went off of Jozy Altidore for the U.S. 2-1. I was stunned as were all the fans in the Tianjin stadium and US fans at home. I started to believe. And I started to dream about potentially winning this group, upsetting one of the traditional world soccer powers and favorites in these Olympics.

But, as is the case with U.S. soccer in international play, a combination of bad luck and bonehead play creeps up and bites us in the butt. Freddy Adu makes a studs up challenge on the keeper, earning a yellow card which means he’ll miss the Nigeria game. Michael Bradley gets a yellow card for the second straight game, both cards for wasting time. Now he will miss the Nigeria match. Can we blame them? They surely thought we were going to win so they could just commit the foul. Stupid. Absolutely stupid. Now, two of our most important players will be gone for a most pivotal match on Wednesday morning. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

And, of course, I can’t forget to mention the yellow card on Stuart Holden that allowed the Dutch to have a dangerous penalty kick. And then the Dutch guessed right, figuring that the US players would jump, allowing a low kick to go unimpeded into the back of the net and out of the reach of Brad Guzan. Man. It felt like someone punched me in the stomach at that moment.

Glass half full view: We got a point when we were expected to lose. Badly. Glass half empty: we had them. We had the Dutch. We had one foot in the quarterfinals and were going to be one of the surprise happy stories of this Olympics for US soccer and we missed a tremendous opportunity.

So now we go into the match with Nigeria needing a result. But we also have our fate in our own hands. Win, and we win the group. Tie, and we go to tie differential, as three teams will have (in all probability) 5 points. If the US advances, all will be fine. Relief will rule. But if we crash out of these Olympics, we’ll look back on what happened late in the Holland match, and that could haunt these players for some time.