In an unsurprisingly German fashion, the USA team have displayed a sound tactical foundation at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Yet while the pieces are there for the US, they haven't quite come together yet.

Pieces nearly there

The center of the park certainly did a great job of shackling and pressing the Portuguese midfield with the same effectiveness Germany displayed, but often, particularly early on, there was a distinct lack of numbers when flooding forward. The improvement later on - Graham Zusi grew more and more industrious - brought Dempsey into the game in a far more effective way, and proved that the US are far less one-dimensional than they used to be. Nevertheless, Dempsey still needs help. Having him fulfill roles of both a 9 and a 10 - something he has managed admirably so far - reduces his effectiveness and for a player of his importance, the US just can't do this.

Fabian Johnson's joy down the right wing early on further highlighted Dempsey's conundrum. Although talented in the air, Johnson's exploitation of space was wasted as the US lacked the numbers in the box to really utilize the wingback's fine delivery.

In defense, the pieces were similarly close but not quite there. Matt Besler gave perhaps his finest performance in US colors, but was hampered by a poor display from the more experienced Geoff Cameron. The high and intense pressing game was effective, but had Tim Howard not been in fine form, Portugal would have been out of sight before the US launched their comeback.

Any team at any level can always use additional personnel, but the US is inching ever closer to the sort of talent pool past World Cup winners can boast.

Fitness

Conceding in the last minute would suggest that fitness was an issue, but actually Ronaldo's cross was so perfect that almost any defense would have been left flat-footed. Klinsmann has a reputation for making his sides phenomenally fit, and there was no better place to show it than in the heat and humidity of Manaus.

In sweltering conditions, his US team put in one of the most impressive physical shifts of the tournament. From 32-year-old fullback DaMarcus Beasley to the bruised and battered Clint Dempsey, Klinsmann's charges ran and pressed for an absurdly long period. In essence, Klinsmann's training has enabled them to not only compete at this level but to challenge. And when they rested on their laurels to gasp for some of the thin, Amazonian air, they were supported by a fantastic goalkeeping performance from Tim Howard - who perhaps made the save of the tournament to keep the score at 1-0 at the break.

Beyond physical fitness, the US also displayed a real mental belief. There never seemed to be any period in the game, even after conceding, where it looked like they thought they were going to lose. Their confidence marks exactly how far they've come as a footballing nation under Klinsmann, although the real test will be how they pick themselves up after this result.

Realism

Klinsmann was hounded in certain sections of the American press for admitting that winning the 2014 World Cup was not "realistic" for his US team. While some of this reaction reveals the country's desire to win at everything, it also shows soccer's increased recognition and popularity in the US. Suddenly, faced with a chance to not only play but impress on the sport's biggest stage, Americans all over the world have taken to soccer with understandably exaggerated beliefs.

While Klinsmann will be both delighted at the increased attention as well as ticking all the right boxes so far at the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the German coach's realism is exactly the approach this developing US team needs. With a bright future ahead for US soccer, the next part of their 2014 Brazilian adventure is almost irrelevant considering what they have achieved so far. Progression to the knockout rounds would be astonishing, but failure to capitalize on that opportunity hardly makes them failures. The sport continues to grow, as does the quality of the domestic league, and it will continue to do so provided Klinsmann's stance is followed.