A little perspective...

[Sandon Mibut]

Only team in the Gold Cup to win its first two games: United States
Only team in the Gold Cup to not allow a goal the first two games: United States
Team to use the most players the first two games of the Gold Cup: United States.

Look, I'm not gonna come here and tell you guys the US has played great or that they haven't been frustrating because that's not the case. The finishing has been crap and the team has shown no killer instinct and allowed lesser teams to stay in games.

But, the objective is to win the Gold Cup. Period. And so far, the US has played the best over two games. Still a long way to go and still a few teams that can bite us in the ass if the team isn't careful.

But there are 11 other teams in this tournament that would like to switch places with the US right now. Other teams have flattered to deceive, underachieved or have been exposed and it's cost them points. But not the US.

The US has worked through its faults and still gotten the job done. Its defense has been solid and its depth outstanding and they do enough to get out of each game with three points.

Yeah, there is plenty of room for improvement. But things aren't nearly as bad as some here would lead us to believe based on their fatalistic posts after the first two games.

So, keep things in perspective. Things aren't fantastic but they aren't nearly as bad as many think and the goals are being met.

[TomEaton]

Stop with this perspective nonsense. If the US wins, it should always have been by more goals.

[SgtSchultz]

The best part of this tournament is the number of young Americans playing. They learned a valuable lesson against the Guats. Dont lose your cool. In both games we have been superior. Our problem has more to do with mental focus than talent and skill.

[bshredder]

We are trying to break in an unprecedented number of new players. Of course we are going to struggle doing that.

But it's much better to struggle now, so we don't struggle in the World Cup or the qualifiers.

And the struggling hasn't even been all that bad.

[sidefootsitter]

My perspective is that the Mexico-Panama-Honduras-Cuba is the toughest group.

The US got three patsies.

We'll see what it does in the knock-out stage.

[ghazi]

My perspective is that the Mexico-Panama-Honduras-Cuba is the toughest group.

The US got three patsies.

We'll see what it does in the knock-out stage.

After the group we had in the World Cup, a little karma and justice is fine with me.

[sidefootsitter]

After the group we had in the World Cup, a little karma and justice is fine with me. Oh, I have no problem with how this is turning out. Who knew Guadalupe would actually be presentable and Honduras and Cuba very good? (It's sort of like the NFL - you make your predictions in pre-season and you're lucky to get 2 out of 6 group winners right)

OK, we all knew Greg Sutton sucked.

[irish56]

My perspective is that the Mexico-Panama-Honduras-Cuba is the toughest group.

The US got three patsies.

We'll see what it does in the knock-out stage.

Keep in mind this is the Concacaf Gold Cup. If your team is name USA or Mexico, you are in a group full of patsies.

[coldfusion]

I remember well our pipe dreaming years ago about academy and youth players like Simek, Whitbread, Karby and Spector. Well, two of them started yesterday, and after finding a new Clint over the last two years, it looks like we've found a new Frankie, too. Rico could render all past destroyers obsolete before long. Mapp may never be a 90-minute player, but BB is getting the best he has to offer. Benny and Mikey started against Guat, and there's enough back pressure from them and the other youngsters that the slightly older young guys are feeling it. This is surely progress. So what if we don't have superstar strikers. That comes last. No worries, life is good.

[sidefootsitter]

Keep in mind this is the Concacaf Gold Cup. If your team is name USA or Mexico, you are in a group full of patsies. Well, this is certainly not the case with the Mexico-Cuba-Panama-Honduras group.

The above may be a very interesting preview of the 2008 WC quals.

Then add Jamaica under Bora, an improved Canada and maybe a "real" T&T team ... and you may have a major fight on your hands.

[rgli13]

eh, honduras didnt really impress- they play like levolpes "sister, aunt, and grandmother" if you ask me ;)

[flem16]

Well, this is certainly not the case with the Mexico-Cuba-Panama-Honduras group.

The above may be a very interesting preview of the 2008 WC quals.

Then add Jamaica under Bora, an improved Canada and maybe a "real" T&T team ... and you may have a major fight on your hands.

Qualifying isn't going to be a walk in the park. Sure, the first of the three stages is a gimme but you can't afford to stumble in either or the next two rounds otherwise you'll find yourself watching at home.

We seem to have hit a period where normally mediocre opponents (Honduras, Haiti, Cuba, Panama, etc.) have all found a bit of prosperity at the same time. This could make things interesting if Costa Rica, Guatemala, T&T and Jamaica can field their usual level of talent.

[sidefootsitter]

I think the nations with a majority black squads are going to be on the rise visavis the majority Latino based rosters.

There's a lot of speed and size in Honduras, Canada, Jamaica, T&T and Panama compared to El Salvador and Guatemala.

And the rising nations are also getting serious about their coaching situations too.

[shooter6065]

Well, this is certainly not the case with the Mexico-Cuba-Panama-Honduras group.

The above may be a very interesting preview of the 2008 WC quals.

Then add Jamaica under Bora, an improved Canada and maybe a "real" T&T team ... and you may have a major fight on your hands.

Just where the heck is that Jamaica team under Bora? Did they lose in some Caribbean Cup?

[theleftside]

Just where the heck is that Jamaica team under Bora? Did they lose in some Caribbean Cup?

Yup...And IIRC They lost to the Haitians and didn't even make it out of the first round...

T&T might have a B or C team, but that didn't stop them from reaching the Carribean Final.

[Papin]

(deleted my post; see reason below).

[E Diddy]

Well, I haven't been following the US team closely as long as many in this forum. However, in my few years (since 2001), I see a drastic change in the talent level that our players are bringing.

I'd say the most important thing I've learned here, from various posters, is that international soccer is not an easy game to learn and succeed in.

Honduras and Panama, I think, will all be more difficult for our team to play against in qualifying than even Mexico and Costa Rica. The reason: both have talent AND are extremely physical. Anyone that is familiar with our struggles in qualifiers (especially on the road) should have been truly nervous watching Costly and Pavon yesterday, in my humble opinion. Thoughts about the cycle in my next post:

[Dr Jay]

The best part of this tournament is the number of young Americans playing. They learned a valuable lesson against the Guats. Dont lose your cool.


They hopefully learned this lesson.

We won't really know for sure until we fact a similiar situation again which could come as soon as Saturday.

[E Diddy]

Here are my thoughts about our future in this cycle, more specifically.

I believe that our youngest players provide evidence for the highest level of optimism in many years. Bradley, Benny, Demerit, Simek, Spector, Bornstein, Adu, Altidore, (yes I believe their time for real blooding is coming) are all going to be EXPERIENCED VETERAN PLAYERS OF OUR NATIONAL TEAM by the time 2010 rolls around. Great stuff indeed.

As for the current generation of what used to be "mainstays" - Donovan, Dempsey, Beasley, Mastro, EJ, Twellman, Boca, Cherundolo- they will all be COMPETING FOR STARTING ROLES EVERY CAMP. The best thing that could happen to our program, I think.

I see 5 groups of players for 2010- the debate on which players belong in which group is what the Analysis part of the thread is about :)

1. Proven veterans- Keller, Howard, Donovan, Bocanegra

2. Veterans with significant competition within our player pool- Beasley, Cherundolo, Dempsey, EJ, Mastroeni, Lewis, Onyewu, Twellman, Ching, Convey, Hejduk, Conrad, Gibbs, Allbright.

3. Unproven players with talent that pose a serious threat to earn starting spots for WC 2010- Spector, Simek, Demerit, Bradley, Bornstein, Feilhaber, Mapp, Clark, Hahnemann.

4. Unproven (capped) players that are still developing and not yet contending for serious starting roles, but not off the radar- Adu, Boswell, Parkhurst, Pearce, Kljestan, Marshall, Hartman, Guzan, Davis, Dunivant, Beckerman, Davies, Hill, Rolfe,

5. Unproven, uncapped prospects (varying levels of promise)- Rogers, Zimmerman, Altidore, Wynne, Sturgis,

The great thing about the state of our national team pool is that I probably left off a few names from each of the lists for categories 4 and 5. In the next few years, we're going to have a much younger, experienced team, than we've ever had in the international scene. Great indeed. Thanks for reading all of this, if you were bored enough to read it all. :)

[FuzzyForeigner]

when reading the thread title I thought that by perspective you meant:

1989 - US team loaded with the best the USA can muster narrowly beats T and T to go to world cup and people are extatic.

2007 - third string US squad jogs to a 2-0 victory over T and T.



I find the fact that people are complaining about the US winning by so few goals to be encouraging when you think about the american soccer psyche. Lol, we are becoming like italians...or brazilians...winning at this point simply aint enough...you have to win with style.

Anyway, my point is that both soccer and the soccer culture in america has come light years since what it used to be.