7/3/07: A Fish Called Wanda

[GPK]

So everyone understands that we are a guest team in South America and FIFA does not mandate that teams release their players for the tournament...you knew that right?

Montreal is a fine city. Good times.

Nice doubleheader coming up today.


Local ownership could reinforce Fire’s ‘club feel’-Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=328330)
Ex-player Klopas has interest in buying Fire-Chicago Tribune (http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/fire/cs-0700702fire,1,7322879.story?coll=cs-fire-headlines)
Sources: Anschutz Entertainment Group had Fire up for sale=Daily Southtown (http://www.dailysouthtown.com/sports/453468,031SPT6.article)
Paraguay defeats U.S. in Copa America-AP (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/070307dnsposocparaguay.2cdf397.html)
United Releases Casal, Creates Roster Opening-Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/02/AR2007070201711.html)
Wizards player deals with blood disorder-Kansas City Star (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/wizards/story/174912.html)
Galaxy fashionistas ready for Beckham-Carson Daily Breeze (http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/8296197.html)
Scoring still Adu's goal in the Under-20 World Cup-Press Enterprise (http://www.pe.com/sports/soccer/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_soccer_col_03.40095ac.html)
Quaranta hopes to rekindle the fire he once had-Star Ledger (http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/giase/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1183436754327450.xml&coll=1)
LA Galaxy to play in Sydney at end of year-Reuters (http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2007/07/03/la_galaxy_to_play_in_sydney_at_end_of_year/)
Kotschau back on field after breaking leg in '06-Deseret News (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,680195898,00.html)
Mexico showing signs of growth at Copa America-Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/4939731.html)
U-20 World Cup ticket sales top 1 million-CBC Sports (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/fifau20/story/2007/07/03/ticket-sales.html)

[nyrmetros]

1 million tickets. not bad.

[Dadinho]

So everyone understands that we are a guest team in South America and FIFA does not mandate that teams release their players for the tournament...you knew that right?


Yes, we did.

But, your opposition might come back and say something like, "Fine, but when you are invited to a colleague's party do you disrespect the party and your colleague by bringing a couple of crack whores and pissing on the rug?"

But that isn't me. It is your opposition.

[Bucky-O'Hare]

I agree, the Copa America is a competition that deserves a lot more respect than the USA has given it!

[hoboken16]

I agree, the Copa America is a competition that deserves a lot more respect than the USA has given it!

True but Bradley's hand is tied up a bit on this one. Donovan didn't want to play and most of the Euro boys (Bease, Dempsey, Gooch, Spector) couldn't play. When you consider those things what roster changes would you have made?

[Dadinho]

True but Bradley's hand is tied up a bit on this one. Donovan didn't want to play and most of the Euro boys (Bease, Dempsey, Gooch, Spector) couldn't play. When you consider those things what roster changes would you have made?

I don't think making changes addresses the issue. To me, the issue is whether we should've accepted the invitation knowing that many of our players could and would be excused from it. I'm actually in the camp that thinks Sunil did the right thing, even if it gets a bit embarrassing at times.

[Mimir19]

When the copa plans were being debated, I wanted our boys to go so that more of our players had "big opponent experience." Much like the overseas stretch we went a few years back (but this is more of a grind), these matches will give Bradley an idea of who he can and can't count on.. This way there won't be as many surprises come world cup time..

I think what really depresses us is how we are playing.. I just didn't think (homer) that the US would perform this way.. Which leads me to almost get mad about the roster that we have.. But then i remember why we wanted to go to Copa..

Everyone just needs to take a deep breath..

[TheRightHandofDoom]

How could anyone not think that after Keller performed so poorly at the World Cup, led his team to relegation and got canned by his club, was mediocre against CONCACAF competition at the Gold Cup, got spurned for DP money by MLS, and hasn't found a club that wants him as a starter, that he wouldn't mirror his abysmal performance at the Copa America?

[GPK]

Yes, we did.

But, your opposition might come back and say something like, "Fine, but when you are invited to a colleague's party do you disrespect the party and your colleague by bringing a couple of crack whores and pissing on the rug?"

But that isn't me. It is your opposition.

I've read this a couple of times and I still don't understand. Is this english?

[kjod71]

Regarding Keller, he was crap against Paraguay with some blame on all three goals. Hahneman I expect would have been there had he not been injured. But regarding BM and their relegation, Keller was their captain and loved by the fans.

[hoboken16]

I don't think making changes addresses the issue. To me, the issue is whether we should've accepted the invitation knowing that many of our players could and would be excused from it. I'm actually in the camp that thinks Sunil did the right thing, even if it gets a bit embarrassing at times.

In my opinon you accept the invitation without a doubt. In 2009 however if we are invited again then we would probably have to decline due to Gold Cup and Confederations Cup pending the dates of the tournaments.

As far as making changes I was addressing a previous post about people who are not on the roster. I'm looking at the long term so I don't have a problem at looking at the B squad to see what they could do against good competition on the road

[Dadinho]

I've read this a couple of times and I still don't understand. Is this english?

In the tradition of Damon Esquire , yes.

[chessplayer]

I don't think making changes addresses the issue. To me, the issue is whether we should've accepted the invitation knowing that many of our players could and would be excused from it. I'm actually in the camp that thinks Sunil did the right thing, even if it gets a bit embarrassing at times.

Probably nobody will read this, but I think that CONMEBOL has a problem with lopsided results more than the whole US-needs-to-respect-us issue. If we had scored on a few of our chances vs Paraguay or kept the Argentina game to within one goal, would anyone be complaining about our sending our B team? What is understandable is that we beat Mexico and laid an egg at the Copa, while Mexico brings their same team as they did for the Gold Cup (minus Pardo) and are tearing up the joint, it does look bad for us.