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                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com
The U.S. national team played as good a first half as anybody could have imagined against Brazil on Sunday. Disciplined defending, and perfect passing sequences leading to a pair of beautiful goals, had the Americans up 2-0 at halftime and thinking about an improbable Confederations Cup final victory.
Less than one minute into the second half, that dream was already starting to fade.
Luis Fabiano's 46th-minute goal cut the U.S. team's lead in half and Brazil unrelenting attack continued to push and push until the American defense cracked, and crack it did. Fabiano equalized in the 74th minute before Lucio's 85th-minute game-winning header capped the impressive Brazilian rally. The Americans had no more miracles and were forced to settle for a 3-2 loss in Sunday's Confederations Cup final.
The defeat provided a bittersweet ending to what was still a very successful tournament for the U.S. team, which saw several new players emerge, and several established players reach new heights. Jay DeMerit, Charlie Davies and Jonathan Spector stepped up and staked strong claims to starting roles heading into 2010 while Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Michael Bradley established themselves as the strong nucleus of a national team capable of making a strong run in the 2010 World Cup.
What did you think of today's match? Still stunned by the loss? Proud of the team's performance in the final? Have a new-found respect respect for the U.S. national team?
Share your thoughts below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhf2T-ZGAA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]
US fans take heart.
remember, Rocky Balboa got respect ut also lost in ROCKY
…but he came back and won ROCKY II (world cup)
Unless of course Bradley inserts Ching then it will be Millionare baby
Tom the Yank:
Other than yourself, I don’t think there is a single poster on this site that would claim that Wynne or Pearce are better choices than Kljestan or Bornstein? Have you forgotten the misbegotten game Wynne had against Costa Rico? In the latest round of CONCACAF qualifying Pierce has been abused every time he has played.
Admittedly we don’t know that much about Torres (anyone follow Pachuca?) and thus don’t really know how he would have done but Adu would have been a nightmare today. Think of all the times he dribbles into tackles and has the ball stripped from him. The Brazilian defenders would have eaten him up and left him on the ground whining for a foul call.
The fact of the matter the US would have been alright today if M Bradley were not suspended and any one of Edu, Hedjuk, or Churundolo had been available.
If you have to believe that BB made bad substitution decisions please know that he had nothing on the bench to work with.
Tom, you’re bound and determined to blast BB and you’re not going to let little things like facts get in your way. So be it. The US has its WC 2010 coach whether you like it or not and you can either get on the bandwagon or get off. To paraphrase Landon Donovan when speaking of Giuseppe Rossi: If you don’t want to be with us, then I’m not concerned with you.
Jeff Carlisle said it best.
“As long as central defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit, along with goalkeeper Tim Howard, were in scintillating form, the U.S. looked capable of weathering the storm, which is exactly what it did in the first half. But the Americans’ continued penchant for conceding set pieces, a lack of possession, as well as some withering Brazilian pressure eventually wore them down, especially with Dempsey and Donovan providing little in the way of defensive help out wide.”
our problem wasn’t depth. It was poor selection. Beyond the starters Bradley picked a lousy squad to take to the Confed Cup. the only good thing is that this is a lesson for 2010. And we need a new lb for 2010. Boca isn’t it. That second goal is his. REmember all those crosses over his head at the back post? Dont want to sound like a hater but that’s my two cents.
I agree with the morale victory stuff. This was hard to take, even for an optimist/realist like me. Tomorrow I’ll be happy and glad for our team and future prospects.
bradley sucks
mistake
subs too late
horrible choices for subs again and again
What in the world was Bradley thinking putting Sacha into the game? The guy cannot pass with any efficiency.
Great job by the US players. Tough loss to swallow. Coach Bradley did get the team there, so I can’t be too critical, but I wish he would think about subbing earlier. That late subbing cost the team dearly. And when he does sub, use Torres or Adu. I know it sounds crazy but we are the same fans, that months earlier, were saying to use Spector, and Demerit, and move Bocenegra out left. That worked out pretty well. Anyway good job by the team, and lets hope we can get our first win in Azteca!
Tom the Yank- you make very good points that I agree with from the outside-which is where we the loyal, lonely, inside info. starved U. S. soccer fan sits. It isn’t like other sports here in the U.S. where you have more reporters then players up the team and coaches @#$% and you get a much better feel for what’s going on.
Ives- who kindly gives us this blog and is most likely just breaking even if that doing – does not have the money or access to follow this national team much closer then you or I. For that matter how critical can say Ives be without going over the line with the USSF and being declared persona non grata? They seem to operate about as openly as the Iranian election board and seem to endure criticism in about the same fashion as the Iranian ruling council. I mean really- who has the money, access, interest and leverage to ever tell us what really goes on? Say Ives writes a scathing critique of the USSF, its coaches, and general practices and policies he might just end up locked from the train that barely feeds him as it is. Take a good look at Suni and tell me he does not look like a vindictive little stick with a P instead of an S. Now multiply that by the guys he works with/for and add it to the core sports press in this country lack of interest/out right disdain for the sport. Hell- none of players never even fess up about the real inner workings of the USSF and the national team program. (Wynalda did, albeit without a lot of class, and look where he is now) You smile, make no waves and play the nonthreatening idiot like a Balboa or any of those former players and you keep making a nice little living
The mystery part is we are not at practices, meetings etc. and we don’t know what the coaches see.
So…………. it comes down to whether we trust BB and his decision making abilities on form, fitness etc.
And from where I sit I don’t have a firm opinion on that after the last 7 matches. I really don’t know what to think.
Until we get a none USSF affiliated -i.e – not Harkes, the Lalas brothers, Wahl at S.I. etc. – we have no real inside, unbiased info to go on except conjecture and hypothesis from a great distance. This may sound like a conspiracy theory to the point I’m almost embarrassed by what I have written here but I’ve been following it closely for 30 years now and that’s how I see it.
Your thoughts Tom the Yank?
Great tournament! going into this i didnt think we would even score. This result is still positive!
I’m unbelievably disappointed, but also very proud of both the players and of the coaches. I’ll say one thing about Bradley….People forget that this is a learning experience for the coaches as well as the players. I would rather have Bradley coaching this team than any foreign mercenary, particularly at this stage in our country’s development as a soccer nation. Think of the experience that he and his staff have gained through this tournament and how much it will mean going forward, not just at the World Cup, but for future generations of American coaches and players who will be mentored and coached by Bradley.
i think that the kljestjan sub was the worst possible thing that could have happened in today’s match… actually, the bradley red card was the worst thing (imagine closing the game with feilhaber and bradley, not clark and klestjan), but only considering today’s decisions, the klestjan sub was pretty bad. especially if you consider that brazil had just scored their second goal…
although i was one of the guys hating on the coach, can’t really hate on him too much. i still don’t agree with some of his moves, but i do agree with him keeping donovan and dempsey at the wings, even when they were playing poorly (and BOTH donovan and dempsey played pretty poorly against italy and brazil first time). because you can’t sit those guys, adu and torres don’t see the pitch. it’s that simple.
so i guess, it’s really a depth problem for us, especially in the midfield and striker positions because we lose possession too easily through the middle and place our full backs in too much pressure. good game, but still some serious work to be done
I disagree, completely, as Bradley had options – he chose Klejstan, Bornstein and Casey, instead.
I would rather that he subbed in players with skill who could hold the ball, like Adu and/or Torres but, if you want more defensive players, I’d put Wynne and Pearce in and pack it in and hope for the best. Bradley brought in players that had already demonstrated their inability to acquit themselves at this level, save Bornstein, who is adequate, at best. Again, this was our shot to shock the world and we didn’t defend a 2-0 lead with 45 min to play. The starters were warriors and they punched above their level. The coach let us down, IMO, and I say that having a good opinion of Bradley as a person and motivator of players.
The legs were gone by the 70th minute. Bradley looked down Bench and what real choices did he have? None. Just none.
Edu- hospital MB- bad red card but you shouldn’t leave your feet ever when you play for the U.S.(you ever get the feeling the Bradley marriage must be one of those fire and ice combos because the son didn’t get that temper from his Dad). Adu- couldn’t defend well enough to get any barely any minutes for last 2 years and was found wanting 80% of the time in MLS BEFORE EUROPE!
Torres- what do we know about this guy really? I ask you real Mexican League fans to tell me how good is he becuase I don’t know either? He is the preverberal back up QB in American Football.
Everybody else- just leave it alone unless you a true devotee of the Mexican league because you don’t know what the kid really has. We just have to wait and see.
I swear- I’m going to start seeking out Mexican football fans any where I can find them so I get to the real info on the guy.
We have got to send Sacha and Bornstien back to the MLS for one year exile from national team duty. I DON’T HATE PLAYERS BUT I CAN SEE WHEN THEY DON”T BELONG.
Casey- when you hustle like Ching then maybe you can get another look but right now you defend and hustle like your playing in an over 40 league and that lasck of commitment ticks me off.
It would have been nice to win but we are what we are at the moment.
AND ANYONE, INCLUDING ME, WHO RAGS ON DONOVAN SHOULD BE BANNED FROM ALL BLOGS EVERYWHERE.
MUSCFIORENTINA
Please if have something to say please say it with facts. You really think that he is the genius of this USNMT not my friend, Here the fact is the players and all the complaint that happen after the lost to Italia and Brazil. The players finally realized that we had raised our voices and that we were fade up. And even knew that the media were too. So Finally they played with heart and pride. No so much cause of Bob Bradley genius tactics. Please tell me that Sasha K. is better than Torres who has played in better level games as champion with Pachuca. Adu is three time better the Sasha and that even tho he is not playing with his club imagine that. Now Beasley is just out shape and need to get back to it, for right now I give him some time off from the USNMT. Casey please that guy can only score in the MLS feel very disppointed and now I know why Bruce stop calling him for the US. So please give the good thing about what Bob Bradley did for us not to crictized him or get him fire. Why are we the only nation that can’t say anything bad about the coach or crictize him. Please!!!
Make no mistake, this was our best chance to win a FIFA Final, for a long time. Obviously, the lads played at their highest level to beat Egypt 3-0 and Spain 2-0. The question is, how could a 2-0 advantage be defended, given that Brasil is clearly a superior side. Bob Bradley seemed to use his subs late and he picked the wrong people, consistently, throughout the tournament. Klejstan, Casey and Beasley are clearly not at this level, right now. How did Torres and Adu sit out, in favor of players who are out of form and lacking the skill to hold the ball? Was Mastroeni injured? In any event, great performances by Donovan, Spector, Gooch and Clint, for being the man in key moments. Waiting until 72 min and bringing Sasha in, signalled the end for me. Casey – why bother using subs? It’s a shame because we kept a clean sheet vs Spain who was a better side than Brasil, IMO. Moral victories are not good enough, as this one was there for the taking and the coach owed it to the players to make better tactical decisions.
the guys have been silent on twitter today, you know there hurting after this one.
stephen- Quarterfinals?? there was group play and semis…..?!?!
Nothing more to say beyond what’s be expressed already.
I will say this though-
The quarterfinals of this tournament were more enjoyable games to watch compared to the Champions League.
“Where are all the fans that wanted to fire Bob Bradley…” MUSCFIORENTINA
Here’s one lad. Bradley was terrible again. Needed halftime changes on defense and didn’t make them. Needed a ball winner and attacker when behind didn’t have any. But he had time to put in his buddies, didn’t he?
Great showing by US. I am uncertain about whether this is a turning point, or not, in US soccer but it doesn’t matter as this moment should be enjoyed.
My heart was broken when the wheels finally came off during this game.
My heart burst with joy when I think of how proud I am to be supporter of the USMNT after watching them today.
My heart goes out to Clint Dempsey who clearly cared so much about winning today for his country.
There was so much learned during this tournament and so much gained. I firmly believe this team will be a contender in 2010!
tuff last half, but great turny. so much has changed in the last week. im pumped for the rest of WCQ’s and the big show next summer
USMNT Thank You!!
I was a fire Bob guy!! Sorry!! I want the best.
Thanks Guys!!
John F.
I’m with you and that is why I keep saying Bob Bradley is a good coach but not a great coach for this type of game. Why do you bring Borstein for Feilhaber, why you bring Silly Sasha in for Altidor when he only kick that ball around with no direction, why you bring Casey for Clark. Dumb Sub. maybe bornstein was the right but should of has been for any of the foward player and keep more Midfielders play a 5 4 1 formation. and the other sub should has been midfield for another Midfield. Bob should known that plus S. Africa give them the blueprint on how to play Brazil and that is not give them any space and that what the USA did in the Second half all the outside lane were open. so that the story. Until next time.
Where are all the fans that wanted to fire Bob Bradley…..Don’t hear them now. He had a perfect game plan for Spain. Today was also well planned, Hell any other team and we would be celebrating right now.On a sad note I think this Tourney was the end for DMB.
Taking the “long view” here are my thoughts:
1. We showed we can consistently score goals in the run of play against good teams. That’s a HUGE thing, a major step up for USMNT soccer. We are no longer a team that can only score on a good team with either a lucky break or a deadball situation.
2. We showed an improved ability to play tactically and make in-game adjustments against good teams (to a limited ability). I criticized Bradley’s game plans/tactics in some matches but clearly his plan against Spain was outstanding and his game plan against Brazil forced them out of their preferred scheme. We’re not a savvy as these teams, not as versatile but we can play our game and adjust. And that was the big reason for bringing in a Euro coach–to produce a more tactically savvy coach.
3. A number of players stepped up (Donovan and Gooch are two great examples). A could of other players proved their starter caliber (like Spector)
4. We absolutely, positively need to be sure that Davies, Altidore, Adu are in situations where they’re getting minutes. In a WC, this team would have gone home–we would not have advanced. And we can’t afford to go into 2010 WC camp getting our more skilled attackers into game conditioning and then start working on getting them technique sharp. Altidore was a partial factor rusty, out-of-shape and not sharp. Adu was a nonfactor. We just don’t have the depth to have 2 of those 3 players non-factors (and if they aren’t playing regularly, they’re nonfactors for the WC).
5. We’re still too dependent on a couple of players in key roles. Donovan goes down and we’re hosed. Gooch goes down and what a huge hole that would be. Bocanegra can play left back–and who’s behind him? We’ve got a lot of bodies in central midfield but behind Michael Bradley, well, two other players need to step up because our CMids will get cards (as we saw in this tournament). We need a minimum of 3 quality CMs who can play interchangeably.
6. I think Dempsey is best as a striker (even though that doesn’t fit the old US model of a target player and a withdrawn guy running off him). If Donovan is going to play outside mid than pair Dempsey with whomever is in the best form (Davies or Altidore) and we’ve got a nice group of skilled poachers and multi-talented forwards. That also means we’d need to find an regular outside starting mid with the work-rate this team requires.
I’m so proud of out guys they did and play like I wanted them to play. It show that winning to Spain was no fluke and that we can keep up with the big team. USNMT gave Brazil a little scare and now too Brazil can take us as a respectful team. Only cause USA is in the Concacaf doesn’t mean they can’t compete. The Only thing I see wrong is even tho Bob Bradley had a good squad in the field is still show that he need to learn on how to win big game and how to more tactical. So I hope he can bring a good assistant coach to help him on that or maybe bring Cabrera to the Senior Team as his assistant coach. Please we need some help. I tasted, I smell the Championship and I more hanger for The UNITED STATE to Win something big if not the Confederation maybe the World Cup……GO USA YOU MADE PROUD AGAIN.
paul lorinczi wrote: “I still think BB is not the guy to finish the job in 2010. When the team is struggling, he does not seem to make the right tactical decisions to compete at this level.”
All right smart guy, what should he have done differently? Was it BB’s tactical inferiority that caused US players to have poor first touches and poor clearances? Was it BB that got beat on the corner at the end of the game?
BB had a brilliant game plan for Spain. They play at this level don’t they? Today, the US got beat by a superior team. What do you think would have happened if M Bradley had started and Feilhaber was the sub for Jozy in the 2d half.? Was M Bradley’s suspension some sort of tactical shortcoming of BB?
Sir Alec Ferguson, Guus Hiddick, or Jose Mourinho could not have done a better job in this tournament with the talent differential between the US and Brazil.
If Bradley had a 4th sub, would it have been Beasley?
Defending Bradley because of a weak bench is insane since he made the horrible selections.
SG wrote: “Can’t believe Bradley sat and watched the 2nd half and didn’t make a change…..what a JOKE! no clue”
Dude, you’ve got no clue. 3 subs in the second half. What other change did you have in mind?
Very tough loss, but overall a great tournament…
We really only played 1 1/2 disappointing games, the 0-3 loss to Brazil, and the second half here today… The Italy game was going very well for us until the Red card, so I wasn’t so disappointed w/ that one.
A lot of improvement is needed, especially making smart decisions w/ the ball, and keeping possession under pressure. Players like Beasley, Kljestan, Bornstein, and Casey did not do this for us, and there needs to be a rethinking of their roles on this team.
I am sure that lots of us were thinking right around the 60th, “where is the sub?” I was surprised to see SK come on at the 75th. Just after the goal.
#1 Why bring in a player that obviously lacked confidence and received a red card a week earlier.
#2 After the 2nd goal, #1 rings more true, and we needed some more dynamic play like TORRES.
Crist! you’d think that after working under Jorge Vergara he’d have a little more respect for Mexican soccer.
I was disappointed to say the least with Bob Bradley’s tactical choices, AGAIN.
Things we learned from the Confederations cup (in no particular order)
Tim Howard really is THAT good
Spector has filled our role of a missing right back, and Bocanegra will fill the left back spot just fine
When LD plays, the team plays. LD has proven that he CAN show up for big games. One of the best players of the tourney I think
Charlie Davies deserves a starting spot for the foreseeable future. He was a nightmare for defenses with his speed and agility
The US CAN score goals in the run of play
And lastly, this US team can play and compete with the worlds best. They have the heart and perverseness to do so. In order to do that though, they need to be attack minded. The “be patient and play off the counterplay” mentality does not work against the world’s elite. Anything less than the quality we saw in the last three games in this tourney will lead to another 3 and out in WC 2010.
And a question: Is this performance enough to at least get us considered a “seeded” team for WC 2010 (If we qualify of course)??
Bradley’s substitutions were terrible. They probably cost us at least a goal against Italy (if not for a lucky result in the Brazil – Italy match we may not have even gotten out of the group) The players are not the only ones who have to improve or lose thier spot. Like it or not, it looks like he will be our coach in for the World Cup. Hopefully, we can find a third striker, Edu will come back and this Jones guy will be the real deal(and Bradley will actually play him. add in Cherudulo and there is some of the depth people are talking about.
I’m not feeling so happy about moral victories. It looks like the Gold Cup is going to be a wash so lets hope we bring our A game (and A team) to the Azteca.
If these guys can get a win at The Azteca it would wash away the disappointment. I’m very proud of the team though…
I like Kljestian, but The Coach should play people who are in form. I think the whole Celtic thing took him off balance. At the same time I think we shouldn’t have to worry about hearing the nepotism crap about Michael, we really missed him today…
Kljestan I could not believe it…..
Either way i think bob is starting to understand what he wants his team to look like once SA2010 comes
He wants to play a 4-4-2.
He has decided what he wants his back four to look like.
He has finally realized that he needs FullBacks that can go forward and make crosses.
He wants a strong holding mid to play alongside his son, which definitely works.
He wants Donovan and Dempsey on the field at all times.
Jozy is the Golden Child… more so than his son.
Freddy needs to single handedly win the gold cup in order to start for the national team….
I expect to see the following lineup come SA2010
——————–Altidore———–
————Adu———————-
Landy—————————Demps
——————–Bradley———–
———–Jones———————
Boca—————————-Specs
———–Gooch—-Demerit———-
—————Timmy—————-
Subs-
FW-Charlie Davies
FW-Marcus Tracy
FW-Brian Ching
CM/WM-Jose Francisco Torres
CM-Benny Feilhaber
CDM/CB-Maurice Edu
LWM-Robbie Rogers
CDM-Ricardo Clark
LB-Jonathan Bornstein
CB-Michael Parkhurst
RB-Steve Cherundolo
GK-Brad Guzan
GK-Luis Robles
We would actually have depth at every position.
As far as this game goes, Michael Bradley was sorely missed. The line-up I posted above could have beat BRAZIL today. Just imagine if we had that lineup and could bring in Benny for Altidore and Edu in for bradley. We would have held the midfield much better.
Great starting lineup. Lack of “real” subs hurt. WTF was the deal with bringing on Bornstein at left mid. and Sascha at center mid. Boneheaded moves by the coach. The starters worked hard and outplayed Brazil in the first half. I would kept that lineup or at least added to the attack and not sit back and watch. Attacking Brazil, like the first half, is the only way you can beat Brazil. If you sit back they will score as they did after the substitutions were made. ……Well Done boys, you played your hearts out…. I hope Coach B takes some lessons from is substitution decisions.
1) bradley is a poor in game coach
2)the lack of depth in our roster shows, but klejstan and casey?
3)i think that starting 11 w/ the added depth of edu, bradley, ching, dolo, simek is pretty good. not to mention in jones comes our way.
I was begging for Adu or Torres to come in after Brazil got the second goal. What did we have to lose? We needed a goal and I hope the some of the creative players will find a place on the squad. Aug 12 in Azteca will be a real tell.
It is time to Focus on our next REAL match, Mexico at Azteca
honestly Bob Bradley could win the world cup and people would still call him a idiot for not winning by more goals and not playing freddy adu and J.F. Torres . Look he took this team and energized them after the first brazil loss. and he did something no other coach has ever done for the U.S. he took us to the final of a major international tourney. Give the guy a break he knows this team better then we do he knows what works.
Nothing to be ashamed of. The US just ran out of steam and depth. We learned that our starting 11 can hang with anybody, and they got five games (two against Brazil) against teams far better than anything CONCACAF has to offer. If you can go to South Africa and beat Spain and even lead Brazil for a half, there’s no reason you can walk into Azteca and utterly blast a weak Mexico side.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that once you get past the starting 11, our options off the bench are Adu and Torres (not ready yet), Kljestan (probably won’t ever be ready) and DMB (the int’l game has passed him by; he can still play against CONCACAF opponents, but is no longer up to par against better sides).
I expect that by next year’s WC, Gooch, Demerit, Clark, Donovan, Feilhaber and Davies will all be better for having spent a year playing tougher opposition than before. If any of them fail to move to better leagues, then some scouts aren’t doing their jobs.
On an unrelated note: I hope this Confed Cup helps Egypt and South Africa. The Pharaohs deserved to beat Italy, and they looked like a solid side until their strikers were out against the US, and SA isn’t devoid of talent either. But one needs to get on the ball if they want to qualify, and SA needs many more games against top-caliber competition in the next year.
im not a fan of calling moral victories
but after costa rica honduras brazil and italy
this team made huge strides and actully looked like a soccer team against egypt spain and brazil the second time
First half was too good to be true. Call me insane, but I am almost glad we lost. The US has now come close enough to taste winning the big one. Hopefully, losing this game will motivate them to make it to the semis next summer.
No shame in losing 3-2 to Brazil. Italy would have gladly taken that scoreline.
But for a few slip ups, Demerit was awesome the entire tournament.
OK, boys take 2 weeks,refresh, don’t even touch a ball…….AND LET’S GO TO AZTECA!!!!!
Landon’s comment was right on target; the US needs this attitude to keep moving forward. Great congratulations to the MNT for what they achieved here. They have the taste now for more. Also congrats to Tim and Clint for winning tourney awards.
On the other side, I yelled at the TV when Sasha and Conor were subbed in. I hope the Gold Cup identifies candidates for the bench.
The boys showed well and I congratulate them on their run.
I still think BB is not the guy to finish the job in 2010. When the team is struggling, he does not seem to make the right tactical decisions to compete at this level.
This was a great game. Wish we would have won but we had three very good performances in a row playing high level teams. That will go a long way in the WC2010. In the game I would have really liked to have seen Benny stay on and Torres or Adu come on to try and keep the ball. Also Charlie had 2 breakaways that could have been the nail in the coffin. Again still happy with the boys.
On the bright side. We add Jones, Edu, Dolo to the mix. Guys like Marcus Tracy, Beasley, Adu, Lichaj get playing time next year at club level and we have a pretty good squad.
One more thing. Timmy is a World Class keeper. 1 or 2 in EPL IMO. Deserves all the credit the world.
I still have some complaints about personnel decisions made by Bradley.
BUT, I never would have dreamed they’d make the final to begin with. The overall result–despite my whining–is very positive. Congrats to the boys and even to Bradley.
You can tell when seeing him interviewed just how much he cares. I may question his decisions but I don’t question where his heart is or that he puts everything he has into his job.