Santino Quaranta sounds like a player who could be playing for Honduras rather than the United States, or Mexico, or any other CONCACAF country for that matter.
But Quaranta plays for the United States and scored one of the nicest goals in a very long time. Rather, I should say, he capped off what was one of the nicest plays in a long time for the U.S. with a goal. It was first goal for his country and he scored it on his home turf, RFK Stadium, as he plays for DC United. The goal was that much more meaningful to Quaranta since he has opening battled with alcohol and an addiction to painkillers. Justifiably, you could tell the goal was a special one for him as he celebrated and looked to the sky.
Quaranta said. “I was trying to tell myself just to enjoy it, but it was difficult.”
“And to be able to do it in front of my wife and my two kids was very special and that’s the most important thing to me now,” he added.
Quaranta is a Dempsey like player, strong, determined but also skillful. Perhaps not as agile as Dempsey, but he too is skillful with the ball at his feet and will beat players. Which is a quality you can’t ignore in a player since he will create and score goals. Bob Bradley might have to figure him more into the U.S. team in the coming months.
The goal came after Charlie Davies and Benny Feilhaber were subbed on, both brought an energy to the side that was missing, and both had wonderful Confederations Cup tournaments and may follow their fellow teammate, defender Onyewu, to a big time club. Perhaps not on the level of AC Milan, but a high level side nonetheless.
Feilhaber played a quick one two with Brian Ching before laying the ball off to Charlie Davies, who took one touch to control the ball and then setup Quaranta to laser the ball home at the top of the box.
However, it was Feilhaber who really orchestrated the play. It was a lovely quick touch into Ching with the outside of his foot and then spinning away from the defender to receive the ball back.
Is he the one and only player on the U.S. team who sees plays developing before the other team? Sometimes the U.S. it too stiff and structured, Feilhaber brings a clever and quick style of play to the team. Clipping the ball into players, angling in passes, he ties things together and does it was some flair. Don’t think you can keep up out of the side either.
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