Landon says the '02 team "was far ahead of" the '14 team

Of course LD would say the team he made was better. No one should be surprised by this.

 

He made a decision that from any rational analysis of the available evidence was to the detriment of the team. The players did the best they could. They did it for themselves and the country they represented. They have my admiration for rising above their coach's pettiness.

 

That German team would be annihilated by this German team though. That German team wasn't very good at all by German standards.

'02 Germany reached the final, sure, but they only had to beat South Korea after USA. Its not like they knocked out a bunch of juggernauts along the way. Not to take anything away from 2002, watching the highlights, I sometimes think he might be right but to say "Well, we did better against Germany so we must be better" is a total fallacy.

 

Let's revisit this after they play France.

 

It can be very provocative to pull a quote out of context and blow it up into a discussion.

That being said, for those of us who watched the '02 game, it was a much more back and forth affair than the one we just played. Different times, different players. . . and funny somehow the victory over Portugal in '02 (which was one of my own favorite USA matches ever) apparently did not mean much in the discussion. (and I have to admit not listening to the podcast).

And I got no probs with Landon being honest/answering the difficult questions. I don't think he is saying too much unusual.

 

Remember when Brad Friedel said the 98 team was more talented than the 2002 team?

 

Quite true, and many thought the '06 Germany team had the easiest group ever and one of the easier routes to the semis from there.

 

I can see his argument although I don't think it means much.

I think there is a reasonable argument that the 2002 team was ahead of this team from a point in time standpoint. The team had a bunch of critical players playing at their peak. The players complemented each other better. And they had an up and coming player in Donovan would come to be out greatest offensive player ever.

However that isn't a particularly interesting observation. World Cup teams are cyclical and even the great teams go through ebb and flows with the talent levels on the team.

The more interesting question is whether USSF 2014 is ahead of USSF 2002. I would argue yes. The infrastructure is better. The influx of young talent is better. The expectations for the team are higher now as well.

 

Yeah. We have a thread discussing how this team stacks up to the 2002 and 2010 teams. I think the 2002 team represents the high water mark of US soccer. I wouldn't say it is far ahead of the current team, but I don't begrudge Landon his little rhetorical dig.

 

So it's controversial to say a team that made the QFs is further ahead than a team that lost int he R16?

 

In some corner of the multiverse 37 year old super sub Clint Mathis slots home the winner against Belgium in stoppage time.

 

Apparently controversial enough to provoke a couple "shut ups." People get touchy around here.

 

Well, apparently JK is not to be questioned and we're supposed to lap up his duplicity just because "he's the coach and knows better"

 

As time goes, I'm disliking Landon more and more.

 

I'm not sure if that was sarcasm or not. The 2002 group was tough. Don't forget Portugal was a favorite to win the cup. A legit favorite more than this year's version. SK was at home and ended up going far. Poland I think had crushed it in qualifying. I don't remember specifics, but in retrospect I know that group doesn't look as hard given how far Poland and SK have fallen, but it was a tough group at the time. I agree with you though that the 2002 Mexico team was far below Belgium 2014. We also had their overconfidence about beating us that we could use against them Belgium was composed, confident (but far from overconfident), and patient.

 

If the 2014 team had a 28 year old Landon, a 23 year old Julian Green, and a 24 year old Yedlin, things may have been dramatically different.

 

Meh. I don't mind LD speaking his mind, and I'm not surprised by the mixed reactions. LD's end to his international career (as far as we know) was highly polarizing, and this little jab just reopens the wounds a little bit. Whatever. I don't get too riled up about what Lalas says either.

 

Fail to see how this is News and analysis. Landycakes got mad because he got left out and is now going to go everywhere whining about it? Guess what LD did not do shit.....

For him to let his bitterness and resentment tarnish his legacy is kind of sad really.

 

"That's why he's here!!!"

I'll have to go back and look. Not that its relevant to this discussion, but I'm interested... was his shot better than Jones'?

 

Au contraire, my appreciation has grown the more I hear the old man speak. 100 years from now, I posit people would've forgotten about JK, not so with Landon Donovan.

 

JJ's goal? No.

 

We shouldn't focus on results because they can flatter to deceive. Wondo scores a very scorable goal and this group achieves more than anyone would have dreamed before the Cup.

 

I'm not particularly sharp and I was able to detect his sneering tone immediately. Subtle? Sure thing bud.

 

Yeah, because everyone remembers Bert Patenaude. In 100 years we'll all be dead and won't give a crap.

 

Earning an A in a normal class is ahead of earning a B in an AP class?