Landon was on Mike & Mike this morning (podcast here) http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=11167346 From 5:58 on... Now, he chooses his words carefully -- he doesn't say the '02 team was "better" but rather "ahead of" The entire interview is worth listening to, but these comments stood out as we now assess our '14 performance.
This is LD's moment. He will never get another sniff at a WC so he should enjoy it because he is jolly well F'd as far a Klinsmann is concerned. Turn the knife, have at it Landon.
Interesting counterpoint between being "far ahead" and "a little behind." Editorial comment: one of those two assessments has a factual basis.
There is an interesting shoe that has yet to drop (or maybe it will not drop). Whether it drops or not will tell a lot. And that would be for a senior member of the squad who is contemplating retirement from international soccer to give us his deux sous after his retirement. Maybe Beaz. Maybe Howard.
Now turning the knife would have been LD saying, "We would have beaten Germany in '02 if JK was still playing." But LD is way more subtle than that.
Last I looked, LD is a citizen of the USA and has this thing that we call....what is it now?...it's on the tip of my tongue....oh yeah, the right to free speech. Personally, I want to hear him talk. I want to hear it all (though we won't be that lucky).
I remember that team well and with affection but except for our attacking players, I wouldn't say the talent on this team was better. In any event, Landon's comparison of the 2002 US v 2014 US predicated on playing two very different German teams is problematic. If they could have played the same German team, then we could sensibly talk about which US club was the better one.
Yeah, it's amazing the level of antipathy shown towards LD by the JK nutriders. And the funny thing is what's JK going to do to LD if he chooses to speak his mind, leave him off the WC squad?...oh, nevermind.
Indeed. Of all the things we can waste our time talking about this is a fairly interesting and compelling topic. And one that imo actually has a serious ethical dimension. Players are taught from a fairly early age to put the team first. To control their egos. And many of us who have not been athletes are taught the same thing when we work together as a team to achieve a common goal. I can't help but wonder how the players feel about the moral authority of a coach who seems to have put his ego and personal feelings ahead of the common good.
Yea right...the '02 wasnt that great...Played a very weak group and got lucky to get out alive. Also, played an OK Mexico team in the R16 that certainly was not as good as '14 Belgium.
Oh boy the Freedom of Speech card From this point on everything that's going to come out of his mouth is drama. Since you need a mouthful of it I'm sure he's going to satisfy you the next coming months . He's going from being a legend to turning off a lot of people . I can only give him so many passes before he crosses that line .
It seems to me the Freedom of Speech card is an entirely appropriate response to your asinine "shut up" post.
I'm so sick or Landon. He needs to STFU already. He's just bitter we made it out of the group of death without him. The more he shoots off his mouth the more convinced I am that Klinsmann made the right decision in leaving him home
They only beat a Portugal team superior to this year's team and tied a SK side that had been touched by the hand of God in that tournament. Then went on to outplay Germany and were unlucky to lose (with some added ref incompetence). Yea not that great.