Commentary

Six Degrees of Dempsey: How to react after US-Ecuador at Copa America

Clint Dempsey - US national team - Copa America Centenario - Shrug

Once you get to the knockout rounds of any soccer tournament, for a fan, everything starts to feel like a referendum: Did your team advance? Did they do it cleanly? How strong was the group really? How's the bracket shaping up? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN??


Copa America Centenario is on to the quarterfinals, and the US national team challenges Ecuador on Thursday at Seattle's CenturyLink Field. As you scan the site for talking points, here's my handy-dandy Clint Dempsey face scale of expressiveness for appropriate and expected USMNT fan reaction:

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Blowout Victory


You already got one of these against Costa Rica. Slow your roll.

Six Degrees of Dempsey: How to react after US-Ecuador at Copa America - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/6-16-DEUCE-excited-win.png

Close Victory


They did it! Quarterfinals in an international tournament! I told you soccer made it in the US! Who want what?!


Oh. Argentina* want what?


Uhm … Ah … Er …


… 'Murica.


#NoVenezuela

Six Degrees of Dempsey: How to react after US-Ecuador at Copa America - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/6-16-DEUCE-vacant-win.png

(PKs)


[Pushes aside walls of couch cushion fort]


Huh. So this is winning …

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Close Loss


Blast! A good run though, with solid takeaways. Foundational effort. We can build on this.


… Right?


RIGHT?!

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Controversial Loss


Well. That [EJECTION/(NON-)CALL/INJURY] was bad.


Any case, not our tournament. There's always
the Olympics
Confederations Cup
Russia 2018!

Six Degrees of Dempsey: How to react after US-Ecuador at Copa America - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/6-16-DEUCE-blowout.png

Blowout Loss


Seriously. Letting myself care is the worst.