ABCDE GOLF


Kerr kills it Cristie Kerr wins the LPGA Championship by 12 strokes and is set to be the first American ranked No. 1. D2


PRO BASKETBALL


Langhorne leads Mystics Crystal Langhorne scores 31 points in a win over Phoenix. D2


World Cup 2010 Bradley’s future with by Steven Goff


irene, south africa — If the United States had failed to ad- vance to the second stage of the World Cup, U.S. Soccer Feder- ation President Sunil Gulati’s de- cision about Coach Bob Bradley would have been simple and swift: He’s gone. The verdict would have been just as sure and easy had the Americans reached the quarterfi- nals: He stays.


But the campaign ended in the round of 16, a 2-1 overtime loss to Ghana on Saturday. And while many factors, including player development, style of play and tactics, will factor in Gulati’s ver- dict, the performance of the na- tional team in the sport’s ulti- mate competition will undoubt- edly weigh heavily. Will he conclude that Bradley’s accomplishments over the past 31


⁄2 years, culminating with a


SPORTS “


monday, june 28, 2010 BLOGS, MULTIMEDIA AND CHATS washingtonpost.com/sports


First Things First Today, 9:30 a.m. Tracee Hamilton chats about the Nats getting swept by the lowly Orioles. Nationals live chat Tonight, 7 Discuss Stephen Strasburg’s latest start while you watch the game. Wizards Insider Michael Lee keeps you posted on how the team’s draft will affect its plans for free agency.


TENNIS


A date in D.C. John Isner, Andy Roddick and Robin Soderling are expected to play the Legg Mason Classic. D3


Strasburg is two parts Sidd Finch, one part Roy Hobbs — except he’s real.” Norman Chad, on Nationals pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg. D2


U.S. team is uncertain Coach could be asked to leave or choose to pursue European jobs


first-place finish in Group C at the World Cup, and vision for the next four years warrant a con- tract renewal? Or will Gulati de- duce that Bradley took the pro- gram as far as he could and that the risk of letting it grow stale is too great? Bradley’s contract, which guar- anteed him $600,000 this year plus bonuses, expires Dec. 31. His New York-based agent, Ron Wax- man, said he did not want to com- ment.


At his final World Cup briefing with reporters Sunday, Bradley said: “At this moment, there have been no conversations [with the USSF]. It’s too soon after the final whistle. I’m sure in the future there will be more discussions.” Gulati was attending a global forum in Cape Town and won’t comment until Monday. None- theless, a decision about Bradley is not expected right away and he seems likely to oversee the U.S. team for its Aug. 10 friendly against Brazil at New Meadow- lands Stadium in New Jersey. While it remains unclear whether the USSF wants Bradley


u.s. soccer continued on D6 A call many find over the line D R


ROB CARR/ASSOCIATED PRESS CAMERON SPENCER/GETTY IMAGES


A shot by Frank Lampard of England gets past Manuel Neuer for an apparent game-tying goal. The ball, however, was ruled not to have crossed the goal line, and Germany went on to win, 4-1. Story, D6.


 Divided loyalties for England-Germany. Metro, B2


Tevez, both lucky and good, propels Argentina


Forward scores twice in 3-1 win over Mexico, once while offside


by Liz Clarke


johannesburg — Argentina scored twice in the first 33 min- utes — one a goal that should nev- er have been allowed and another that was essentially gift-wrapped — and rolled to a 3-1 victory over Mexico Sunday at Soccer City Sta- dium. The victory sets up what prom- ises to be a delicious quarterfinal with Germany, which trounced England, 4-1, earlier in the day in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Argentina’s Carlos Tevez was clearly offside when he struck the first of his two goals at the 26th minute. But a linesman missed the call, prompting howls of pro- tests from Mexican players. While the gaffe is likely to re- kindle the debate about the lack of instant replay in international soccer, as well as the sport’s resis- tance to reversing egregious calls, Sunday’s outcome hardly turned on officiating. Argentina was simply that much better, asserting itself as a serious threat to win its third


washingtonpost.com/soccer


Soccer Insider Get the latest updates from Post reporters.


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World Cup Explorer Interactive map with news and rosters for all 32 teams.


Historical database Search the World Cup back to 1930.


Scores For updates from every game, text “SOCCER” to 98999.


World Cup despite the fact that its star, Lionel Messi, widely re- garded as the world’s best player, has yet to score in the tourna- ment. Argentina has won all four


matches it has played and out- scored opponents 10-2 along the way.


And its dazzling streak is doing wonders for the reputation of Ar- gentina’s famous coach, Diego Maradona — so brilliant as a com- petitor in four World Cups and, for much of his 49 years, equally tormented off the pitch.


Although regarded as both hero and savior in Argentina, Ma- radona was eyed with skepticism when appointed coach of the na-


argentina continued on D6


The errors of their ways


Nationals anymore. The company line that “we’re playing hard, but we’re just losing” isn’t good enough any more, at least not when General Manager Mike Rizzo is in the house. If Manager Jim Riggleman is a natural soothing good cop, then Rizzo must have been born with “bad cop” on his crib. “We’re underachieving. We’re


T


playing bad baseball. Defensively, we’re giving away far too many outs. We’re not situational hitting,” Rizzo said after the Nats blew leads of 6-0, 5-0 and 3-0 in consecutive games to get swept by the Orioles, who entered the series


boswell continued on D4 7-17


Nationals’ record since May 31, when they were last at .500 (26-26)


11


Games behind fi rst-place Atlanta, aſt er being 3½ out on May 31


2-8


Nationals’ record in one-run games since May 31, with four losses in a row


baltimore


he look-on-the-bright side approach isn’t going to wash for the Washington


Nationals right fielder Roger Bernadina tries to cool off between innings at Camden Yards. Washington has lost 12 of its last 15 games. Three games, three collapses


Nats again take lead before losing, 4-3, to Orioles


by Gene Wang THOMAS BOSWELL


baltimore — Another early lead, another breakdown, an- other loss. It’s all become so rou- tine these days for the Washing- ton Nationals that their demise on Sunday afternoon wasn’t so much a question of if as when. The line score will document the decisive moment of the 4-3 downfall to be in the bottom of the eighth, when Miguel Tejada singled off reliever Tyler Clip- pard to bring home what would be Baltimore’s winning run in front of 22,951 at Camden Yards. The makings of Washington’s fourth straight loss, however, be- gan unfolding in the fifth after Nationals starter Luis Atilano had an otherwise sparkling out- ing interrupted. That’s when the Orioles tied the score at 3 and the Nationals’ season began veering toward its nadir. When Baltimore reliever Al- fredo Simon got Nyjer Morgan to ground out to end the game, the Nationals officially had reached that gloomy destina- tion, courtesy of a sweep at the


ROB CARR/ASSOCIATED PRESS


Washington’s Mike Morse strikes out in the ninth inning against Alfredo Simon, who posted his ninth save for Baltimore.


nationals continued on D4 30


Errors in the last 28 games, leading to 29 unearned runs


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