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Hall of Famer [24298]
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Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 7:52 PM
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scored in the 86th minute to share a 1-1 draw at Honduras. A loss would have been catastrophic for world cup qualifying chances as Honduras would have jumped ahead of us in the Hexagonal standings. Now we are still in position with 2 games remaining. Home vs Panama and @ Trinidad & Tobago.
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110%er [5977]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:10 PM
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The fact that USA soccer can't easily defeat the three countries you list shows how bad USA men's is compared to the rest of the world.
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Hall of Famer [20482]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:18 PM
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> The fact that USA soccer can't easily defeat the > three countries you list shows how bad USA men's is > compared to the rest of the world.
Not anymore.
We crushed Honduras 6-0 the first time we played them in qualifying - in America. Going down to Honduras is a whole different proposition. They made us play in the middle of the day when it was 95 degrees and close to 100 per cent humidity, they kick and foul us constantly, and the CONCACAF refs never put a stop to that garbage.
USA soccer is improving dramatically, mostly thanks to MLS. The problem is, so are all the national teams in North America - thanks to MLS. You look at Costa Rica, Honduras, T&T...almost all their top guys play here now.
The top teams in CONCACAF are no joke anymore. North America sent 4 teams to the last World Cup and got 3 of them out of the Group Stage. USA and Mexico got to the Round of 16, Costa Rica was one of the final eight left standing and Netherlands needed double overtime and a penalty shootout to get them out.
We still aren't elite, but we're fair-to-decent. Basically the equivalent of a team ranked 20th-25th in college football, and sometimes a bit better or worse than that.
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110%er [5977]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:25 PM
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That's our biggest problem soccer in the USA is treated like a country club sport, and if they can't play in the heat they should stay home.
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Hall of Famer [24298]
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now that's an interesting point
Sep 5, 2017, 8:58 PM
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That soccer is treated like a country club sport in the USA. Everywhere ejae in the world is considered the blue collar working man's sport. And maybe that creates hungrier athletes
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Orange Blooded [4854]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 6, 2017, 2:25 AM
[ in reply to Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster ] |
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You do realize that the Netherlands are not a powerhouse, right? The Germans laugh at the Netherlands' Soccer. It has been a running joke to them, with the exception of the last World Cup. They were actually a little bit concerned about them, then. However, the Germans won that World Cup. Beating Argentina in the finals. Argentina had the best player but Germany had the deeper team. I lived in Germany during that Cup's Tournement and felt our USA Team was put at a disadvantage in our game versus the Deutsche Team, with previous scheduling. We hung tough but got tired in that match's second half. In other games we played more tough in the second half than the first, just didn't have the legs on the shorter rest against Germany. I thought we were on our way for the next Cup, which doesn't appear to be the case at this point. ??
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110%er [5093]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 6, 2017, 8:46 AM
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lol the Dutch are historically a footballing elite even if they haven't won a World Cup.
The Germans may laugh at them but the Germans can laugh at everyone sans Brazil.
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1st Rounder [617]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 6, 2017, 8:50 AM
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... And Italy.
The Dutch are probably the best team never to win one. They've had some great teams. I thought that '98 team was loaded.
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Legend [16025]
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Hall of Famer [21601]
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That's why I'm a proponent to...
Sep 5, 2017, 8:15 PM
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Octagonal Standings.
If we had that in place, we'd be golden right now.
Screw hexagons!
~JKB
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Orange Blooded [4748]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:19 PM
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Most countries get their countries best athletes for soccer. In the USA soccer is still down the ladder of great athlete in terms of participation. It has a long way to go before that changes.
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110%er [5977]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:28 PM
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All three countries have a combined population of maybe 14 million.
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Hall of Famer [20482]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:54 PM
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> All three countries have a combined population of > maybe 14 million.
Yeah but you can only play 11 of them at a time, and as others have mentioned...soccer in their singular passion. It has their undivided attention.
We're definitely doing better. We've gotten out of the Group Stage in 3 of the last 4 World Cups, including the last two. We beat out England to top the Group in South Africa in 2010, and we finished second in the Group of Death in Brazil in 2014, ahead of #9-ranked Portugal and the Ghana team that had knocked us out of the last two World Cups. (Ghana is no joke, they're usually the best team in Africa, ahead of guys like Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria, who can all play.)
We also got fourth in the Copa America Centenario last year, where we went head-to-head against South America's big superpowers and actually did OK. Colombia edged us twice...and Colombia is seriously no joke; they've been in the Top-10 in the world for at least five years now.
We're doing better. And qualifying in those Banana Republic nations is never going to be easy just because of the conditions. Nobody human can just hop off a plane and play effective soccer in Honduran heat, which is exactly what they count on. It's hard just walking down the street in Central America anytime near summertime.
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CU Guru [1366]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 5, 2017, 8:57 PM
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How was NY and the Open? Who did you get to see play?
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Varsity [243]
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So sick of Sunil Gulati
Sep 5, 2017, 10:00 PM
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He fires Jurgen which honestly I agreed with but then turns around and hires Bruce Arena back to "Get us to the world cup". In doing so Bruce has gone back to horrible bunker US style that had him fired in the first place. We rely on mid 30's MLS "veterans" who are slow and learning new positions at the end of their careers. Arena even said in a recent press conference that he would be playing more young talent if he was guaranteed to coach after the World Cup but since not he's going to just try to get us there. Pretty bold move by Arena who was previously fired to strongarm the USMNT.
Sure he can talk about how a gritty draw in Honduras is a great result but at the end of the day we as fans shouldn't accept that. We should be striving for more. Do you really want to see this team, who has lost 6-0 on aggregate to Costa Rica in 2 games, in the World Cup? Can you imagine what a Argentina, Germany, or heck even Uruguay would do to this team? Why not push with a youth movement? Why not give a Lynden Gooch and Emerson Hyndman a shot at experience in the midfield? Why not give Matt Miazga and Cameron Carter-Vickers a go at CB?
I know i'm ranting but if you know what you're doing is not working then why continue with the status quo?
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All-TigerNet [12987]
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In football terms, Bruce was basically brought on as the
Sep 6, 2017, 9:20 AM
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interim to get us through the season (cycle in this case). Things were very stale under Jurgen and he just proved time and time again that he was a terrible tactical manager. I think the change had to be made.
IMO the biggest issue facing the US right now is trying to transition from our previous generation of players to the new generation. We had an entire cycle's worth of players that basically didn't pan out, and now the next wave is mostly still really young. Pulisic is already making major contributions (he's probably our best player already) at age 18, but quite a few other promising players around his age just aren't ready yet. Guys like Clint and Tim are just too old to shoulder the load at this point.
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Legend [17779]
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Legend [19603]
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Re: Well the USA just avoided complete disaster
Sep 6, 2017, 9:54 AM
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I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to soccer, and a very casual fan of team USA, but I thought that Pulisic kid was supposed to change everything? I guess one player can only do so much.
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All-TigerNet [12987]
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He's only 18 and, yeah, it's tough for one attacking player
Sep 6, 2017, 10:17 AM
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to make a huge impact when the midfield is struggling.
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Rock Defender [52]
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We dont need that commie sport
Sep 6, 2017, 10:01 AM
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We have this
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All-TigerNet [12505]
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What sport is this?
Sep 6, 2017, 10:15 AM
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I thought you liked tennis. Tennis measures their games in minutes?
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110%er [5461]
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Re: What sport is this?
Sep 6, 2017, 10:18 AM
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Soccer is a game for people who are afraid to play real football!
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All-TigerNet [12505]
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Was invented by french women
Sep 6, 2017, 10:19 AM
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so they would have something to do while their men cooked for them.
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