The Chance of US against European teams.

[russ]

We will never beat any European squad in Europe. Everyone knows it and we ought not even bother showing up! :eek:
Finally,a sensible post on here.... :D

[bltleo]

sup everyone. i think US has a good chance at playing most european nations. Arena needs to play more friendlies with powerhouse teams. The US needs to stop just playing concacaf teams they need to be playing bigger team if they want to get better. u don't get better by playing weak teams

Yes excatly, I think USA should play more games against Euro teams. I would like to see how US perform against these "new" european countries about that
even we Germans have not so much esperiences. For example Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Ukraine etc. Of course clasic games like USA-Germany or against Spain, England, France, Holland or Italy are always interesting for both sides.

It will be interesting to know which countries from 6 countries they make
play-off for the WC will qualify. I hope for Czech and Slovak Republic and Switzerland. Well If Czech Republic will play against Slovakia, one of these countries will not be in Germany next year. I´m more comfortable with czech team and know much more about their team. But I must say I was impressed by style of play of Slovakia when they played against us Germans. I have also followed Artmedia Bratislava how they play in Champions League. This team beat Glasgow 5:0, pretty many goals and 1/3 of Slovak teams come from Artmedia Bratislava. To be honest I have never really heard about this team, but since they play in Champions League they interest me a lot.

I will watch some of these play-off games and I will inform you about the results and give you analysis about their best players.

Bltleo
GERMANY

[kinstlinger]

I'm a realist, too, about this.
We can PLAY against these teams, but there's a big difference between losing 0-1 in Amsterdam/losing 1-2 when our A-B side played England's B side, and winning one of these games.
We beat Portugal in 2002, and fell on our faces against Poland.
I don't think we'd be embarrassed by one of the European powers, but we'd need outstanding stuff from Gibbs, Gooch, Keller and 'Dolo to win.

[schmuckatelli]

I like our chances against them, especially with an in-form Johnson.
Well, sure, I always like my chances with an in-form Johnson. (Badda-bing!) :p
But seriously, folks, you've been a lovely audience.

[england66]

Well, sure, I always like my chances with an in-form Johnson. (Badda-bing!) :p
But seriously, folks, you've been a lovely audience.

someone best explain to bltleo what a johnson is......not sure they teach that in English language classes in Germany.

[bltleo]

someone best explain to bltleo what a johnson is......not sure they teach that in English language classes in Germany.

I really don´t know what johnson is....you guess right...

[england66]

I really don´t know what johnson is....you guess right...

I'm sure there are many on these boards who would be happy to show you....

[SAEfratboy7]

As much as i love USMT, they will fold like a deck of cards when they play european teams. I love the optimism of the USMT, but in reality, if they can't beat an England C team :) then how can they compete with europe? The only reason the US made it to the world cup is because they play in an easy conference. The only real challenge they have are the brown brother from below.

[england66]

As much as i love USMT, they will fold like a deck of cards when they play european teams. I love the optimism of the USMT, but in reality, if they can't beat an England C team :) then how can they compete with europe? The only reason the US made it to the world cup is because they play in an easy conference. The only real challenge they have are the brown brother from below.


now thats pretty ballsey from a newbie.....prepare to duck....









.......INCOMING...!!!!

[Dave216J]

It's a bit early, but assuming the seeds hold in European qualifying, they will likely be:

Germany
Brazil
Spain
Mexico
Argentina
England
Italy
France

Which would yield a second Euro group of:
Turkey
Sweden
Croatia
Serbia
Portugal
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Poland
Ukraine

(Actually, that's 9, which might make it more likely that they massage the seedings to include the Dutch and drop Mexico somehow).

In any event, of the seeded Euros, I would prefer to face France, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, in that order. None of them are good match-ups, but they will have all the pressure and none of them have performed superbly lately.

Of the more crucial second group, I feel that we're a good bet to beat Poland, maybe Croatia, maybe Turkey, and could get a draw against Serbia or Ukraine more often than not; the Dutch, Czechs, Swedes, and Portugal would not be good match-ups.

In a group with (for example, and assuming we're together with the five African teams) Spain, Croatia, and Japan, we're good bets to advance. On the other hand, with Italy, Czech Republic, and Paraguay, we're in big trouble. It's already exciting, and the draw isn't for months!

[bltleo]

As much as i love USMT, they will fold like a deck of cards when they play european teams. I love the optimism of the USMT, but in reality, if they can't beat an England C team :) then how can they compete with europe? The only reason the US made it to the world cup is because they play in an easy conference. The only real challenge they have are the brown brother from below.

Welcome here, newbie!
You seems to be very reasonable and realist. Well I have once told that
it was easy for USA to qualify because they play in "easy" conference (concacaf). But some of american friends here were not so happy with my
opinion. We need both: optimists, realist and mix of all. I belong probably to this optimistic group. I use to say in soccer is everything possible:)

Bltleo
Germany

[FirstStar]

As much as i love USMT, they will fold like a deck of cards when they play european teams. I love the optimism of the USMT, but in reality, if they can't beat an England C team :) then how can they compete with europe? The only reason the US made it to the world cup is because they play in an easy conference. The only real challenge they have are the brown brother from below.

Same A**holes Everywhere. Stupid as all hell, too.

[Autogolazo]

Teams we match up well against, even though some may be *better* than us on paper: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey

Teams that aren't that much *better* but because they've got a physical advantage, we don't match up well with: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Serbia, Croatia, Sweden

Teams that simply outclass us: Holland, England, France (with Zidane, et. al.)

We may do better against the Asian teams or Tunisia than against the sub-Saharan Africa teams for the same reason. We still haven't learned to deal with big, physical teams.

I think we could do OK against Ecuador or Uruguay or Paraguay, too.

Here's a harder group, for us, even though each team is lower ranked with FIFA than the team in the same spot in the group down below:

Germany
Serbia
US
Ivory Coast

Now this group is higher ranked in each slot, but I think much more accessible for the US given our style of play:

Italy
Turkey
US
Tunisia

[russ]

Really good post,OG.

I think the key is the second pot Euro team.Concede first place to the seed,and concentrate on beating a Japan and say Norway.

If we're in the same pot as CAF we will miss Cote D'Ivoire and Drogba,Kone et al. :)

[bltleo]

Really good post,OG.

I think the key is the second pot Euro team.Concede first place to the seed,and concentrate on beating a Japan and say Norway.

If we're in the same pot as CAF we will miss Cote D'Ivoire and Drogba,Kone et al. :)

Well we will have to see if Norway qualify for the WC. They will play play-off.

[Jaison]

Turkey definitely aren't the team they were in 2002, but a big concern in drawing Turkey is that it the Turks will have massive support from all the Turks living in Germany (plus several of their players are German born and raised). I think if they make it past Switzerland, Turkey will be playing on a high come June.

[FirstStar]

Teams that simply outclass us: Holland, England, France (with Zidane, et. al.)


A lot of people think we can beat Holland based on our performance against them last year, but the truth is that Holland played like shite in that match (our defense contributed some, but not all, to that). At full-speed, I agree that we don't match up well with them.

No one matches up well with England right now (although Brazil can just out-score them), which is what makes them scarey. They have two problems, though: 1. The pressure always seems to crack them; and 2. their coach is
insane.

We can beat France. They can't score goals matched up against good, young, strong defenders. The US has such players to put on the field. Their age and slow pace will be exposed.

[Adam Zebrowski]

http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,110463,00.html?articleid=110463

norway plays the czechs.....

too bad slovakia and the czech republic didn't get paired...

note the euro draw used the fifa rankings...

http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,110455,00.html?comp=Futsal&year=2004&articleid=110455

"The draw for the six remaining teams will be conducted as follows:
The names of the three best-placed teams in the September 2005 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Czech Republic (4th), Spain (8th) and Turkey (12th) will be allocated to pot 1, whereas the other three - Norway (37th), Switzerland (38th) and Slovakia (45th)- will be placed in pot 2.
One name will be drawn from each pot to determine the pairings. Subsequently, the names of the paired teams will be put into another pot to decide which team will play the first leg at home."

[HartwickFan]

Teams that aren't that much *better* but because they've got a physical advantage, we don't match up well with: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Serbia, Croatia, Sweden


Those teams might have a slight physical advantage, but if we want to, I think we can line up a pretty physical team. In particular, Bruce could go with a back-line of Boca---Gibbs--Gooch---Albright, a midfield that includes Dempsey and Quaranta, and EJ and McBride as forwards. All those guys are six feet tall or better, and have decent (Boca, Dempsey, McBride) to fantastic (Gibbs, Gooch, Albright, Quaranta, EJ) athleticism. Now, I doubt Bruce would put both Dempsey and Quaranta in the midfield, since that would mean there would be no room for Beasley, Reyna, and Donovan, and at some point you have to choose skill over size. But even with those three guys in our midfield, I still think Arena could field a squad that would match up pretty well physically with those European teams and would be reasonably skilled.

[bltleo]

http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,110463,00.html?articleid=110463

norway plays the czechs.....

too bad slovakia and the czech republic didn't get paired...

"

This is this what many Czechs and Slovak wished. They did not want to play against each other. This way we can see both in the WC - Slovak and Czech. If they both win of course. I hope for both. Well then we will not see Norway if Czechs win:). I would like to see Czech in the WC. So I will root for this team.

And maybe we will see Slovakia-Czech in the WC 06.

Bltleo
Germany