Maybe this was the most appropriate ending of all.

No, I'm not saying I'm happy that the U.S. lost its quarterfinal match, 1-0, to Germany. It would've been awfully sweet to watch the Americans play in a World Cup semi. But the way the U.S. lost the match kind of brings this whole World Cup experience full circle for me. See, today the Americans got a taste of what it's like to be the better soccer-playing team on the day -- and lose.

	The world hasn't seen the last of U.S. soccer.

There were times in this competition when the Americans got good results -- the tie with South Korea, the win over Mexico -- against teams that played better soccer. Today, I suspected if the U.S. won it was going to be another game like that...sit back, give up most of the ball and put your one or two chances away.

Instead, it was the Americans putting together the better plays, moving the ball with purpose, testing the bejeezus out of German keeper Oliver Kahn. And it was the Germans playing the tactical game, allowing the U.S. a lot of the ball, scoring on a re-start, and protecting a one-goal lead the way a parent would a child.

It's a funny old game, they say.

I really hate all the "Have we arrived?" and "Will soccer ever make it in America?" discussions that go along with being a soccer fan in the United States. I've been doing the sports radio circuit lately and, I guess because we're supposedly talking to a neophyte audience, the hosts have asked me these questions over and over.

I try to explain where I think we stand. I believe the U.S. is now a competitor in the world of soccer. A power? By no means. But a competitor. By this I mean, right now, I truly believe the U.S. can play against any team in the world and get a good result. The U.S. has players who are not scared to play against the best the world has to offer. We have developed players who can execute a game plan. We have players capable of making a game-deciding play -- a Brian McBride header vs. Portugal, a Clint Mathis touch and finish against South Korea, an Eddie Lewis cross vs. Mexico. And we have some outstanding pure athletes.

But today, I saw something more. Today, I saw ball movement and player movement. I saw attacking ideas that nearly resulted in goals. I saw individual brilliance -- Landon Donovan's nutmeg, cut-back and left-footed blast that was turned away by Kahn in the first half. I saw some World Class Soccer.

Yet one goal by Germany off a free kick decides who moves on and who goes home.

I don't know, maybe this means we have arrived, in an odd sort of way. Maybe today we know a little bit how France, Argentina and Italy feel. We lost a game today that was winnable. Damned winnable. We'll look back at Tony Sanneh's header into the side-netting and replay Greg Berhalter's near-goal that was cleared off the line by a German arm. We'll pull up the quote from German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who said the U.S. should've been awarded a penalty on the play. And for a little while, we'll be pissed.

Then we'll think back -- at least I know I'll look back -- at that wacky own-goal off a Portuguese defender and remember how radically that play changed the Americans' first game at this World Cup. And we'll remember that South Korean forward missing from four yards out in the final moments of the Americans' all-important draw with the co-hosts. We'll remember that sinking feeling we all had when Poland extended its lead to 3-0 on the Americans ... and then only a few minutes later we learned that South Korea had taken the lead on Portugal and, may miracles never cease, the Americans might still advance in this thing.

Of course we'll remember the Claudio Reyna to Josh Wolff to Brian McBride goal vs. Mexico that was, for my money, the best goal the U.S. scored in this tournament. And we'll remember the Hand of John O'Brien moment, when the man in the middle missed out on a penalty that could've brought the Mexicans level.

And we'll admit to ourselves that all this stuff -- the joy and the heart break -- is why we love this game.

We'll thank the American players for giving us such a fantastic month. And very soon, we'll start thinking about 2006.

Oh, who am I kidding, we're thinking about it already. We're thinking about Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley. We're thinking about Tim Howard and -- who knows? -- maybe we'll have to start thinking about a kid like Eddie Johnson or Mike Magee.

Have We Arrived?

Will Soccer Ever Make It In America?

I don't have time for those questions anymore. I've got games and players to watch.

Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at jeff.bradley@espnmag.com.