I know that common sense demands I be dejected and depressed. But I didn't spend 3 years cheering on the U.S. to lose interest at the first setback. I've done some thinking... and i'm fairly convinced that we can still make it out of the group for the following reasons: * In 94 and 02 we made it out of the group after putting up a Win a Tie and a Loss. Lets wait to see the next game before we tear out our remaining hairs. * Contrary to the usual bigsoccer stupidity, I realize that our players ARE talented. But they were not employed to their talents. Case in point... 16th minute Landon runs at the defense and draws a card from the Czech defender. The rest of the game... LD plays far too forward... or is smothered by defenders because of our impotent wing play. * Early Cup jitters from the ENTIRE team. In the 16th minute on a free kick following that foul on LD Reyna passes the ball not dangerously into the box but off to the right where it amounts to absolutely nothing. Also on EVERY corner kick we had we tried a short corner. We were too scared to even TRY something dangerous. We always went for either the long ball into Cech's hands or the safe pass. My main reason for unbridled optimism is that i'm convinced we'll get Bruce Arena back before the next game. Its only a matter of time before one of the players notice the strange lineup (3 - 6 - 1 anyone?), the use of Landon as a dropped-back forward with an ineffective attacking mid (Reyna / Vagenas), the blaming the players when he clearly impaired their ability himself... and the fact that he's put on a few pounds almost overnight... clearly Bruce spent the opening game tied up in a closet somewhere... whilst Steve Sampson sat on the bench with an expensive hollywood Bruce Arena face-prosthesis trying desperately to validated his horrible coaching ideas. Someone will catch on... and before the next game the real Bruce will come back. The team will play the open adventurous style we remember from 2002 and qualifying and all will be well. Also... the stadium in Kaiserslautern is WIDER than the Arena AufShalke!!!!!!