My favorite moment of 2011 was quickly obscured by a terrible collapse.  Foolishly, I believed that Landon Donovan’s smart finish of a Dempsey feed in the first half of the Gold Cup Final against Mexico would hold up and that the US was on the way to another regional title and another Confederations Cup berth.  It was a great moment, celebrating loudly in a crowded bar with fellow fans.  But it turned sour as the game quickly turned the other way and we were outclassed the rest of the match – losing 4-2. The result sparked the end of Bob Bradley’s tenure and paved the way for the hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann as the new boss.  The result was a fitting end to a run that had seen Bradley’s team become progressively less organized and disciplined.

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