On Friday I gave the low–lights of the US Men’s National Soccer Team’s experiences in 2009, so in an effort to end the year on a better note than their 3–1 loss to Denmark, here is a look back at the moments that made me think dreamily of what happy surprises could await the US in the first African–hosted World Cup.

5) Tying Costa Rica on the last day of qualification to finish first in CONCACAF
I was at the game on that rainy night in RFK stadium, and on seeing Jonathan Bornstein's last–gasp equalizer going into the back of the Ticos net I jumped up to applaud with both arms over my head and watched as my wedding ring arced through the air in slow motion to my right as it flew off my cold-shrunken fingers. After things settled down a bit, I found it resting on a grate in front of my neighbors where it narrowly missed dropping onto the stands below us and was able to breathe a sigh of relief at the reception I would now get on returning home.

Similarly for the team on the field, ultimately it was just a point in a game that should have supplied 3, but with México also inexplicably getting a tie in their last qualifier, that point meant that we finished at the top of CONCACAF qualifying, not that it mattered much since as usual FIFA changed the criteria for seeding teams and we wound up in the same pot as El Tri, but it did feel like more than a home draw that night.

4) Beating Honduras in Honduras to clinch qualification
This game supplied not just the unexpected joy of a road win against a tough rival that also wound up later booking their tickets to South Africa, but a couple other happy surprises as well.

First, like many I imagine, I kind of shook my head in disbelief at what in the heck Coach Bob Bradley was thinking in giving the the Colorado Rapids’ favorite big lug, Conor Casey, a start up top in such an inhospitable environment, and what did he do but reward Bradley with a freaking brace! Then, just as I was lamenting how I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw a US player score directly off a free kick instead of kicking it to the moon or ineffectually into somebody’s solarplexus, 2009 Honda Player of the Year Landon Donovan made a double fool out of me.

3) Starting the final round of qualifying off with another 2-0 win over Mexico in Columbus
The weather was unseasonably mild for a February in Columbus, Ohio, which meant that ominously we weren’t going to see a repeat of the Méxican players refusal to take any pre–game warmup, huddling in the tunnel for warmth before they had to reluctantly take to a frozen field. Never matter, as the result was another in a long series of Dos a Cero scoreline and a happy start to the CONCACAF Hexagonal.

2) Taking a 2-0 lead into half-time vs. Brazil in South Africa
Of course we all knew it was too good to last, but for the fifteen minutes of beer and “erectile disfunction” ads interleaved with blah–blah–blah studio commentary, it sure felt good. It still feels good.

1) Beating world No. 1 Spain in South Africa
Ever since Romania beat Spain 1–0 back in November 2006, only 3 teams had even managed to tie them before we beat them in Bloemfontein. Along the way, in addition to beating us 1–0 in a home friendly in Santander, they beat the English twice, most recently 2–0, Italians, Swedes, Greeks, and Russians all twice, along with the French, Italians, Greeks, and Argentines once, all of whom are World Cup qualifiers.

Of course that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans going into South Africa other than by supplying a strong and necessary dose of confidence before next Summer. If nothing else, I’m hoping our players are thinking about that and what they might accomplish if they work their asses off and play like they are capable of when the whistle blows for the kickoff vs. England next June.

What do you think? Did I miss anything from the year 2009 that made you proud to be a fan of the men in red, white and blue, like the World Cup draw? Let me know if so, and add your vote below!