meazza Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 I'm really surprised that Freddy didn't go ahead and play with Ghana this year. If it were me and I got dissed by the MNT twice, I'd tell them where to stick it and go play with my "other" country. I was under the impression that Freddy was doing better too, but sounds like the kid just isn't getting enough playing time to hone his game. I don't know, I've seen the guy play on tape quite a bit and he sure looked like someone who can make things happen! He can't since he's already played for USA. Adu was not named to the 30-man preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup. He has played for the United States in five international youth tournaments: the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Pete Posted June 29, 2010 Author Posted June 29, 2010 Eh. The USA will always be a B-list team on the world stage. Good enough to get out of the group but not much further. Every 4 years we act like we are about to break out big but we never do. PTR bull **** nostradamus
ajzepp Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 He can't since he's already played for USA. Adu was not named to the 30-man preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup. He has played for the United States in five international youth tournaments: the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Ah okay, I didn't know that cemented him onto the US side only. Thanks for the info
ajzepp Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 Eh. The USA will always be a B-list team on the world stage. Good enough to get out of the group but not much further. Every 4 years we act like we are about to break out big but we never do. PTR That will change when we get a legit coach in here with a track record of success in club/international soccer, who can come in here and get the most out of our talent. That's how I see it anyway. *cough* Klinsmann *cough!*
linksfiend Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 Eh. The USA will always be a B-list team on the world stage. Good enough to get out of the group but not much further. Every 4 years we act like we are about to break out big but we never do. PTR I can't really disagree here. All our best athletes go into football and basketball - then maybe baseball. I think even lacrosse is becoming more popular in HS than soccer. I don't know how we ever get past Brazil, Germany, Italy, England, etc.
WWVaBeach Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 I read this article on a flight yesterday. This is how a winning team is built. EDIT - The direct link didn't work.The link takes you to Delta Sky Magazine click on the world cup link. Pretty amazining how Barcelona does it.
meazza Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 I read this article on a flight yesterday. This is how a winning team is built. EDIT - The direct link didn't work.The link takes you to Delta Sky Magazine click on the world cup link. Pretty amazining how Barcelona does it. They won't ever win again now that Jose Mourinho is coaching Madrid. !@#$ Barca
ajzepp Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 I can't really disagree here. All our best athletes go into football and basketball - then maybe baseball. I think even lacrosse is becoming more popular in HS than soccer. I don't know how we ever get past Brazil, Germany, Italy, England, etc. I know, I was just thinking....if only we could be a team like Spain.... oh, wait!
Pete Posted June 29, 2010 Author Posted June 29, 2010 I can't really disagree here. All our best athletes go into football and basketball - then maybe baseball. I think even lacrosse is becoming more popular in HS than soccer. I don't know how we ever get past Brazil, Germany, Italy, England, etc. What about Shawn White? Travis Pastrana? Michael Phelps? Apollo Ohno? 307 million in our great country. There is plenty of phenomenal athletes here besides those who choose football, basketball and baseball. Seriously- 40 million in Spain + 60 million Italy + 50 million in England + 10 million in Portugal + 82 million Germany + 23 million Ghana + 16 million Netherlands + 21 million Ivory Coast= 302 million < 307 million in USA I think reports of USA soccer's death are greatly exaggerated
ajzepp Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 What about Shawn White? Travis Pastrana? Michael Phelps? Apollo Ohno? 307 million in our great country. There is plenty of phenomenal athletes here besides those who choose football, basketball and baseball. Seriously- 40 million in Spain + 60 million Italy + 50 million in England + 10 million in Portugal + 82 million Germany + 23 million Ghana + 16 million Netherlands + 21 million Ivory Coast= 302 million < 307 million in USA I think reports of USA soccer's death are greatly exaggerated
Pete Posted June 29, 2010 Author Posted June 29, 2010 and back on point- the purpose of this thread was to discuss the USA soccer team in the 2014 world cup. Like it was stated- this whole team will be back, with the addition of Davies, a healthy Gooch, and a few young up and coming players. The future is bright!
linksfiend Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 What about Shawn White? Travis Pastrana? Michael Phelps? Apollo Ohno? 307 million in our great country. There is plenty of phenomenal athletes here besides those who choose football, basketball and baseball. Seriously- 40 million in Spain + 60 million Italy + 50 million in England + 10 million in Portugal + 82 million Germany + 23 million Ghana + 16 million Netherlands + 21 million Ivory Coast= 302 million < 307 million in USA I think reports of USA soccer's death are greatly exaggerated Please - these are all niche sports with niche athletes. In what country would you consider any of these sports the preeminent sport where a vast majority of athletic boys might regularly participate? Additionally, individual sports aren't really a fair comparison to team sports. I never said soccer was dying. It's probably growing. And with the changing demographics in this country, it might grow even faster. Maybe 100 years from now, it might grow more popular than football and basketball. But right now what percentage of high schools even offer soccer? Do places like Bennett and McKinley, that have football and basketball teams, even offer soccer? It's just not popular enough to bring us to a level where we do not lose twice to an impoverished malnurished country of 23 million. We may get a rare win now and again against a powerhouse, but I don't see us rising to an elite level in the next 30 years.
Pete Posted June 30, 2010 Author Posted June 30, 2010 Please - these are all niche sports with niche athletes. In what country would you consider any of these sports the preeminent sport where a vast majority of athletic boys might regularly participate? Additionally, individual sports aren't really a fair comparison to team sports. I never said soccer was dying. It's probably growing. And with the changing demographics in this country, it might grow even faster. Maybe 100 years from now, it might grow more popular than football and basketball. But right now what percentage of high schools even offer soccer? Do places like Bennett and McKinley, that have football and basketball teams, even offer soccer? It's just not popular enough to bring us to a level where we do not lose twice to an impoverished malnurished country of 23 million. We may get a rare win now and again against a powerhouse, but I don't see us rising to an elite level in the next 30 years. Rare win? Here is two recent-we won the Confederation Cup in 2009 by beating Spain 2-0 (only international loss for Spain in 77 games). And we beat Portugal when they were ranked #1 in the world. This team can compete with any team and will only bet better. Niche sports with niche athletes? Not many athletes are as marketable then Shawn White, if any. Cricket and Rugby are two of the biggest sports in the world- and those smaller countries athetes are drawing off the same pool of athletes as the soccer team. Donovan, Bradley, and Davies are world class athletes. I think you underestimate the growth of soccer in this country. We will see, cheers
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9sRAlGnHYQ
meazza Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 Please - these are all niche sports with niche athletes. In what country would you consider any of these sports the preeminent sport where a vast majority of athletic boys might regularly participate? Additionally, individual sports aren't really a fair comparison to team sports. I never said soccer was dying. It's probably growing. And with the changing demographics in this country, it might grow even faster. Maybe 100 years from now, it might grow more popular than football and basketball. But right now what percentage of high schools even offer soccer? Do places like Bennett and McKinley, that have football and basketball teams, even offer soccer? It's just not popular enough to bring us to a level where we do not lose twice to an impoverished malnurished country of 23 million. We may get a rare win now and again against a powerhouse, but I don't see us rising to an elite level in the next 30 years. Those malnourished impoverished countries don't develop the players. They are just picked up at a young age by the top soccer academies in Europe.
linksfiend Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 Rare win? Here is two recent-we won the Confederation Cup in 2009 by beating Spain 2-0 (only international loss for Spain in 77 games). And we beat Portugal when they were ranked #1 in the world. This team can compete with any team and will only bet better. Niche sports with niche athletes? Not many athletes are as marketable then Shawn White, if any. Cricket and Rugby are two of the biggest sports in the world- and those smaller countries athetes are drawing off the same pool of athletes as the soccer team. Donovan, Bradley, and Davies are world class athletes. I think you underestimate the growth of soccer in this country. We will see, cheers First of all, we did not win the Confed Cup. We lost. Brazil won. We couldn't hold on to a 2-0 lead. Secondly, I doubt Shawn White is in the Top 50 in the US in earnings including endorsements - and almost unknown worldwide. But this is getting way off the topic of the future of the USMNT. Now Donovan, Bradley and Davies are all solid players, and may even be good enough to make Brazil's roster, but none probably crack the starting lineup. Finally on the rest: meh. We beat Spain in a tournament that noone cares about. And we beat Portugal in a group stage match. Besides, I would put Portugal a little below an elite team. They have never won a World Cup nor a European Championship. We did play a hell of a game against Germany that year and deserved to win. But that would've gone more in the occasional win category. We played Italy to a draw but again that was a group stage match. Hell - we weren't even favored to beat Ghana - it was even money in both the sportsbooks I checked. I think you underestimate what it will take to reach the next tier. But I do hope I'm wrong.
justnzane Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 portugal is pretty good, possibly elite. To say that a team isn't elite because they never won a tournament before is a fallacy of nostalgia. What happens in the past is history, and if you live off of history that is what you become. If work to improve history, you end up making history. that said, I am surprised no one has mentioned Buddle all that much. I hope he continues to develop like he did this year.
meazza Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 portugal is pretty good, possibly elite. To say that a team isn't elite because they never won a tournament before is a fallacy of nostalgia. What happens in the past is history, and if you live off of history that is what you become. If work to improve history, you end up making history. that said, I am surprised no one has mentioned Buddle all that much. I hope he continues to develop like he did this year. Can you tell me who's considered elite in Portugal? I only see Portugal ever winning a WC or Euro if Mourinho decides to take over the national team and I don't see that happening. History means everything. At the end of the day, the Germans and Brazilians will most likely be the ones left standing. Of course the Italians often are as well but this year was just a disaster and a mistake everyone saw from the beginning.
Tolstoy Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 I can't remember his name, but I just read an article about another "phenom" that we have coming up through the ranks here in the US...I'll have to try and remember where I read it, but I know the kid will be on the U-20 team for their next WC. I haven't given up hope with Freddy, either....glad to see you mention him. Hopefully he gets more time abroad with a decent club and can really refine his game. Where is the WC in 2014 being held? Is it Andy Najar, 17 year old playing for DC United now? See this link: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...5901&ver=us
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