BEIJING • The U.S. Olympic soccer team had a chance to deliver a soccer statement to the world.The men’s team rode to the brink of the quarterfinals of a star-packed Olympic tournament, which features such world celebrities as Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Ronaldinho.

And the U.S. threw away that chance. The team blew it.In the final chapter of a collapse, the U.S. lost toNigeria, 2-1, in the final qualifying game. If the U.S. had won, it would have trotted into the quarters.

Instead, a humiliated team runs straight home to America.U.S. coach Peter Nowak embraced blind sentimentality after the loss. He watched a game vastly different than the one played at Workers Stadium in the heart of this vast, smoggy city.

“In my heart, the boys won the gold medal tonight and I will always cherish this moment forever,” Nowak said.

In reality, the U.S. suffered through a resounding loss. Nigeria, led by the fleet Victor Obinna, outshot the U.S. 32-7 overall and 18-7 in shots on goal.

If Nowak wants to cherish this debacle, that’s his choice. I’d try to banish the game from my mind forever. This was no gold-medal performance. Nigeria easily could have won, 4-1.

Yes, the Americans suffered through injustice. In the fourth minute, U.S. defender Michael Orozco sent a mild elbow to the chest of Solomon Okoronkwo.

And following in the grand tradition of soccer flopping, Okoronkwo tumbled to the grass as if gunned down by a sniper. Referee Wolfgang Stark rewarded Okoronkwo’s bad acting by giving Orozco a red card, and the U.S. faced 86 minutes of playing a man down.For Nowak and his players, the red card explained the entire game. It excused all their multitude of errors.Obinna danced through the U.S. defense all night. The American offense didn’t exist until a frantic surge in the final minutes. The Nigerians showed more hustle, more imagination and more desire.None of this matters to Nowak or his players, who kept making cryptic excuses about the red card.It had been a tough night, and Nowak looked exhausted as he tried to explain his team’s exit from the tournament.

“We were very close,” he said softly. “We were very close.”He’s right. The U.S. did come achingly close to staying alive.

On Sunday, the U.S. led the Netherlands 2-1 heading into extra time. After beating Japan in the opening game, all the Americans just needed to hold on for a couple minutes.They couldn’t. The Netherlands scored in the 93rd minute, dooming the U.S. to this elimination battle with Nigeria.There’s reason for soccer despair today, but the U.S. can construct a better soccer future with lessons from this tournament.

U.S. forward Freddy Adu once seemed in danger of becoming a teenage flop, his best days behind him before he turned 20.He’s a reborn player. He was dazzling against Japan and the Netherlands before being forced to watch the Nigeria game because of accumulated yellow cards,

Adu will join Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the Americans’ 2010 World Cup team, and that trio could help the 2010 team make the statement this Olympic team failed to deliver.

Sure, this Olympic squad came close, but that’s nothing to cheer about, despite what Nowak says.

Getting close only adds to the pain.-Contact the writer: Columnist David Ramsey can be reached at 476-4985 or david.ramsey@gazettedev.gazette.com. Check out David’s blog at http://daveramseysez.freedomblogging.com

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