Do we really need those acronyms? Seriously who is likely to confuse the gender of Hope Solo and Michael Bradley. I'm just going to say "USA" from now on, let the context work for itself. All the extra letters make me feel like the army.
Well I would say that the Women should be USNT and the Men should be USMNT. The Women do have 2 World Cups, they deserve the main title.
I just say "Team USA" like all the other sports. I have a feeling that people started using the acronyms just to be different.
I suppose the context of the competition will fill in the rest, if we're talking about the Algarve cup or the WOrld Cup in an odd numbered year, its the women. You know?
I don't have a problem anyone typing 'USMNT', but you can't say it as an abbreviation and people act like the only correct name for the team is "US Men's National Team", which is a pain to say out over and over. It also sounds like, I don't know, ignorant, I guess. Why, when in every other sport the national team is called 'the USA' or 'Team USA', does the soccer team have to be different? It's like people don't know, because I can't think of any good reason to use 'US Men's National Team' so exclusively. It's a weird habit, with no redeeming benefit. I think we should switch to 'the USA' or just 'the National team' if the context allows it.
Do they say that? I have heard some TV sportscasters talking abut sports they were unfamiliar with say it.
Yes? It is by far the most common term used to refer to the US basketball and baseball teams. It is also commonly used to refer to all US teams (and even individual competitors, when referred to as a group) at the Olympics. I don't watch hockey enough to know if it is commonly used for the US hockey team outside the Olympics.
Well usually the only time we see US teams competing in world competitions is in the Olympics and that is usually used as a generic term for the entire Olympic team, so it makes sense that it would carry over to the teams within the larger olympic team. (not just true in the US) Soccer as we all know the national teams are called National teams regardless of the country. So it makes sense we would go with the world standard. In terms of distinguishing men from women, I only really follow the men so for me it's context, if I am posting about the US National Team then it is only going to be in a mens forum so no need to distinguish.
Doesn't work for friendlies, which both teams play every year. I think the habit of using "USMNT" and "USWNT" is there because soccer discussion has been mostly Internet-based (as opposed to on TV and radio) for almost two decades. It's the only spectator sport that became popular in the Internet era. "USMNT" is two fewer keystrokes than "USA Men" and three fewer keystrokes than "Team USA."
True but the men and women almost never play on the same day, or against the same country in the same time frame, for example If you're talking about the recent USA game gins Mexico it's definitely the men, where if you're talking bout the recent USA game against china, it's definitely the women. In a way it's sort of like the TV soccer announcers who for whatever reason feel they need to explain the rules or precedents or history of the game to their audience, dumbing it down unnecessarily.
It may not be a problem for fans who follow the US national teams closely, but if you were to mention a friendly to someone who doesn't know the national teams' schedules, it can be problematic. This is especially true with MLS's increased popularity, because I now know quite a few MLS fans who don't follow the national teams closely and just watch games when they hear about them. These people know the USMNT/USWNT acronyms, but if you mention a friendly offhand they might not be sure which US team is playing.
That's disappointing. The fact that I didn't realize it is, I guess, a sign that outside of track, I don't follow the Olympics much any more. I think it's a dumb-sounding name. I like it when the American team is the United States, the Polish team is Poland, the Italian team is Italy, etc.
Huh? Nobody says, "Are you going to watch the Holland National Team play the England National Team?" It's just Holland' and 'England'. If you want to go with the world standard in spoken English, you would just say 'The USA'. Which sounds better to me anyway. I'm all for it.
Team USA makes me cringe. Obviously that's used by broadcasters during the Olympics to describe the entire contingent of athletes at the summer or winter Olympic games. So for the people at SportsCenter or FOX Sports they're probably going to call them "Team USA" this summer. The difference in acronyms is because we're really the only country who gives a damn about women's soccer. Maybe you don't personally, but more than any other federation and country there is actual interest. Debate could be had whether the interest is because Alex Morgan is playing or genuine interest wishing the team does well I don't follow the women's team, just my choice, but there are many that do. If someone says US team or the USA national team outside of a pre-match show the "average Joe big 4 sports fan" is going to wonder if USA basketball is playing.
Ditto. It's a term that I think is most appropriately used when discussing Olympic skating, gymnastics, curling, fencing, etc.
I dont see it as our responsibility to explain everything to non fans every step of the way. If theyre interested, they will do more research and figure it out for themselves. Im going to date myself severely but I can recall when I first discovered soccer, on PBS when I was probably 8 or 9, I think it was either an Italian or German league game. Nothing was explained, the game was just there on the tube, and explained itself. I immediately loved the game, and over the years ive learned more and more and nagged my parents to let me play once we moved to an area that even had a youth soccer program. Peronally if someone had overtely been trying to hold my hand and lead me through that discovery process, I'm not sure I'd still be as much of a fan as I'd have felt extremely patronized, and my "discovery journey" wouldnt have been mine.
People are wrongly associating 'Team USA' only with the Olympics. Baseball, basketball, rugby, etc. are all Team USA. It's for all international competition, not just the Olympics. That said, it's too official to sound natural in conversation. Just 'the USA' is all you need. "I was in Brazil when the USA beat Germany." Yup, that's right. "I was in Brazil when Team USA beat Germany." Nah, but a sportscaster might say it. "I was in Brazil when the US Men's National Team beat Germany." Nah, why all that verbiage?
Umm yeh that's exactly what I have heard. You are right normally heard it just by the country but heard them referred to as the national teams as well. Spanish National Team, Dutch National Team, English National Team. Heard those terms all used.
The UK does the same. The olympic team is called Team GB, even the football team was called this in the olympics. Which is find with me. Call the olympic team team USA but the rest of the time should be US or US National Team.
Theres an article on Major League Soccer Soccer right now describing Ante Jazic as a former "CanMNTer"... it just makes me laugh. Oh, he's a man is he? Right got it wasn't sure. Though to be fair when you click through the article heading does say "Canadian International" ... AFTER saying CanMNT again. Its just silly.
What seems silly to me is people taking the time to squabble about the terms used to refer to something. Especially when those terms aren't ambiguous and adequately convey to others what the subject of the conversation is. The "it's football not soccer" crowd springs to mind.
Team USA is an official name of our Olympic committee and national teams. Go to http://www.teamusa.org and you'll see soccer listed under sports. Sure it's not a sophisticated nickname, but it's easy to say and is consistent across our teams. I don't see any problem with it.