U.S. Goalkeeper's Gaffe Is A Reminder Of Soccer Team's Sucky State

Ethan Horvath buries his face in his hands after allowing an easy goal. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ethan Horvath buries his face in his hands after allowing an easy goal. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Hopes of the embarrassed U.S. men’s national soccer team to move forward aren’t going to be helped by mistakes like this.

In the team’s first match since a humiliating loss to Trinidad and Tobago last month knocked it out of next summer’s World Cup, U.S. goalkeeper Ethan Horvath let a ball go between his arms and legs during a friendly against host Portugal on Tuesday.

The Americans actually had a 1-0 lead on their European opponents, who were playing without Cristiano Ronaldo. But that evaporated with the goalie’s blunder. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Horvath was benched earlier this month by his Belgian club team Brugge. Tuesday night’s unfortunate error probably won’t help his confidence, either.

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Anselmo da Silva Nascimento, 27, security worker. Resident of Caju.

"I'm sure my life would be a lot different without soccer. There's no doubt. Soccer opens up our minds to many things; we are not limited in what we can do and it prevents us from going down the wrong path. I was born and raised in the Caju community. Many of my friends, who grew up playing soccer with me gave it up, and ran into bad situations. Some of them were arrested, others died, others got involved in drug trafficking and lived broken lives. It could have been different with soccer in their lives.<br /><br />It's exciting when soccer is involved. People cry when they win. They cry when they lose.<br /><br />Caju is a good and cheerful community, full of kids who have the talent but lack access to the resources to develop their skills. This region is lacking in&nbsp;investment. It's a community like any other, full of people who pursue their dreams and fight to achieve something in life, like any other middle or upper class citizen.<br /><br />Regardless of race, color or where you live, no one can judge you. People from Caju are like any other kind of people. They are educated: There are lawyers, engineers and even PhDs living there."

Cleiton da Silva Carvalho, 28, entrepreneur in the IT field. Resident of Vila Kennedy.

"I'm a family guy, a fighter. I went back to school -- I'm studying law now. I believe I'm a good father. I receive compliments (laughs). I have two daughters, Ana Clara, 4, and Maria Eduarda, 10. Being a father to&nbsp;girls is challenging, but with patience and understanding, we can do it. Sometimes it's hard, and we feel like it's impossible, but we get over it. It's more delightful than anything else. It's in the children that we find strength.<br /><br />The community started as a government project. Residents of the Tijuca region were resettled and Vila Kennedy, named after the American president, was founded. With Rio de Janeiro's expansion and its social problems, Vila Kennedy ended up becoming a violent community, similar to the rest of Rio de Janeiro&rsquo;s favelas.<br /><br />Vila Kennedy is quite big. It occupies both sides of Avenida Brasil and has over 100,000 inhabitants. We have a police station, club, nightclub, Olympic Village, family health center and talented people. Many soccer players and artists came from the community. It ended up receiving attention from the state government, despite the number of shortcomings.<br /><br />This is where I was born, where I have a lot of friends and where I have become a man. What makes me really angry are residents who defame the community. Instead of highlighting the positive aspects, they exaggerate the downsides in a destructive way. It is one thing to criticize and help make things better, and another to just spotlight the problems. It doesn't add anything.<br /><br />I've always moved through different places. I've worked downtown for six years. I&rsquo;ve worked in Tijuca, which is a middle class neighborhood, for six years. When I speak with pride about living in Vila Kennedy, people look surprised. 'Do you live there?' they ask. Because they see my attitude, my job, the way I treat people, and they seem surprised. I end up listening to some things, comments about residents of communities."

Leandro Bouzan Lessa, 31, sailor's assistant. Resident of Mangueirinha.

"It is an impressive achievement to have a team with residents and police officers. I won't tell you it isn't. But now, we can say it's a family. There's no difference between police officers and residents. We're a team.<br /><br />Nowadays, Mangueirinha is a pacified community that is achieving social growth. In my case, as a resident, I think it's a good community in comparison to others. The residents are quite welcoming and determined people who wake up early and work to make a living, hoping for the best. An excellent place to live. It's called a favela, but I don't see it that way.<br /><br />Politicians are not interested in us. This year is an election year and lots of promises will be broken. It discourages the community.<br /><br />There is no such thing as people living on the margins of society. The simple fact that they live in a community doesn't make them bad people. Just because I live in a favela and others live in the south zone doesn&rsquo;t mean that I'm different. I have been blessed with a university degree and I'm going to be an engineer like those engineers in the south zone."

Marcos Vinícius de Jesus, 33, police officer. Resident of Mangueirinha.

"First, you need to get to know the communities from the inside. From the inside out rather than the outside in. Those who have prejudice must come and see how the community is, how people living here really are, and not judge them by what one, two or three people say.<br /><br />I live in Corte 8, next to Mangueirinha. Every community has problems, solutions, good people, bad people. But Mangueirinha is a family. Here, we learn how to live, how to become united. Policeman don&rsquo;t hit or mistreat residents, there's no misconduct. Mangueirinha UPP Command makes me very proud. We've been pacified for three years now and the death rate is the lowest of all UPPs. We have no trouble, no problems between police and residents, no buses set on fire in protest. Everyone has learned to live together. Mangueirinha is a family home. It's in peace, thank God.<br /><br />If it weren't for soccer, maybe I wouldn't be alive right now. Being born and raised in a favela, I've seen many people lose themselves due to lack of opportunities. But soccer has given me these chances.<br /><br />I got a scholarship to a private school because I played soccer. I went to Flama School and Educand&aacute;rio Cruzeiro do Sul, one of the best in Caxias. I competed in championships, won some of them, got my scholarship and graduated. And now I'm here. The UPP has given me a scholarship to study Law at the Est&aacute;cio de S&aacute; University.<br /><br />Regardless of the university, I don't see myself outside of the Military Police. My desire to become a police officer came from my relatives and friends who are police officers. I've always liked the uniform. I'm not a police officer for the power, but to help people. My 7-year-old son is proud of his policeman father.<br /><br />He tells me: 'Dad, I'm going to be a police officer. Dad, I'm going to be a police officer just like you.' He's excited about the fact that I have a job that I like. I wake up every day, ask the Lord to protect me, go to work, and come back home."

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.