It was Oct. 10, a doomsday forever etched into the memories of every fan and player of the United States. More than three weeks later, the pain of not qualifying for the World Cup still burns, as a deep depression hangs around the offices of U.S. Soccer in Chicago.
It leaves the U.S. men's national team looking at a barren landscape in terms of games that really matter for the next year or so.
Not to mention the massive setback to the worldwide reputation of the U.S. team, which had gained plenty of respect in a run of seven consecutive appearances at the World Cup, dating back to Italy 1990.