Suggestion: no more self-loathing

[Roehl Sybing]

I have a suggestion for talking about a US game, friendly or competitive, before it starts.

Say we took on Brazil, in the worst anti-American hellhole of a stadium imaginable. They just won their, say, eight consecutive World Cup. They're on a 84-game winning streak while we haven't scored a goal in seven years. Our scrubs have to play because the A team has gone on strike because of a pay dispute, and even our fifth-stringers have injuries. Oh, we don't have a coach either. And the ref is bought and paid for, so we'll grab two red cards in minute one.

Yes, we're going to lose. That's fine.

But maybe, before the game, if we as fans said things like:
We need to be at our best and get a few breaks, not to mention the other team needs to absolutely dog it for ninety minutes, in order to win. It would be difficult, but possible.

instead of things like:
We're going to lose again. We completely suck. Every time we find new ways to blow it. We'll never get to the next level. I hate my life. Placing my hand over an open flame would be more fun.

then maybe the rest of us wouldn't develop widespread hair loss and intestinal problems.

Same goes for after games too. Would that be alright?

Oh, and don't use words like "next level" either. Or "world class," "realistic," or "I hate to be a downer." Don't be a downer. Don't ****ing do it. Is that how you get girls, anyway? That has to be the most depressing date ever, if you do.

What do you people think? Is that a completely crazy thing to suggest?

[metroflip73]

I have a suggestion...

But maybe, before the game, if we as fans said things like:

instead of things like:

then maybe the rest of us wouldn't develop widespread hair loss and intestinal problems.

Same goes for after games too. Would that be alright?

Oh, and don't use words like "next level" either. Or "world class," "realistic," or "I hate to be a downer." Don't be a downer. Don't ****ing do it. Is that how you get girls, anyway? That has to be the most depressing date ever, if you do.

What do you people think? Is that a completely crazy thing to suggest?

Perfectly reasonable. I'm not particularly fond of anyone using the term "world class" in the first place.

2nd post!

[TheDallasPerspective]

Heh heh heh ... this post made me laugh a little, not because I disagree or think it's wrong ...

It just forcefully reminded me of Nick Hornby's book Fever Pitch, where he describes what it's like to put your heart into a soccer team! No matter how good they do, it could always have been better, yada, yada, yada ....

:)

Oh, and FWIW, Nick Hornby is bald! :D

[joeginto]

I love the thought and I think many of us privately do think these thoughts...
"hey, if we play our ass off, we can do the improbable (not the impossible)" the reality is though that on a message board like this those positive voices just get drowned out by a sea of negativity.

i have to admit i've taken the opportunity to pile onto the usmnt and bemoan our chances when we're taking on a superior team...thanks for the reminder that sometimes what we write on a message board can have a snowball effect.

let's bring on those argies!

[TheQuakesRockMySocks]

We completely suck, and because of that I feel bad inside, for myself and the country.

Wait, is this what you wanted?:p

[Roehl Sybing]

Don't make me ****ing bump this every time a US game comes around.

[joeginto]

I think it's very easy to slip into this self-loathing for a US fan, particularly at this stage of WC qualifying. We seem to lose sight of the fact that the goal of our coach is first and foremost to get out of this group with a 1st or 2nd place finish. Everything else isn't secondary...everything else is simply non-existent. I'm not saying that's absolutely the right approach, just that it's Bradley's position.

Point is, if the coaches objective is to get out of the group, then he is very unlikely to loosen the strings and play the type of football fans like to see. Of course, he's going to go with an empty-bucket on the road... of course he's going to opt for experience... of course he's going to play it close to the vest.

Recent results will only serve to reinforce this negative style. We won twice on the road and played a good match against Guatemala and an ok match against Cuba (imagine how that would've changed if Beasley could've hit those pair of sitters he blew). It's easy to get caught up in the fact that we haven't played all that well. Personally, I don't care at this stage.

The real test for this squad will come in the hexagon. Go to Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras and play those sides at home in front of scant home support. Those 10 matches are what I'm eagerly anticipating. I know I'm just rambling here but listen, I'm happy to putter along at this stage and use Hejduk, Ching, Lewis when needed. But when we're playing El Tri, I want to see our brightest and most in-form players on the pitch. Period. I don't care how old they are, what league they play in, or what freaking new club they're trying to "settle" into.

Here's hoping Bob Bradley will have the courage to make those selections.

Go USA!