As a team, this CRC is aboslutely ahead of the world champions, England, Uruguay and anyone else who got dumped. They earned that distinction. You don't really get lucky in WCs, you earn your way. We didn't get lucky in 2002 anymore than we got unlucky in 2006. Arena earned his QF run, like Bradley earned his 2010 exit just as Klinsmann did.
Yeah, they had a coach who brought the best possible team he could bring and put them out there to play.
Hey--like it or not, this thread is in N+A so we're going to need you to construct your posts accordingly.
I am 10 minutes away from Landon's hometown. I know his manner of speaking and his accent well because I sound like that too. Tone is tone and he is enjoying this. It is his right, of course. A real leader of men.
Yeah, I know you weren't - I was speaking to others in here throwing out the "shut up, Landon" and "I'm disliking him more and more," etc. I pulled your quote out to highlight it for others thinking they might have their minds enlightened a little before they arrive at their conclusions. I'm thinking it's a lost cause, though, and not worth the effort.
As I said in my opening post, the whole interview is worth listening to. He is quite measured and circumspect in his analysis. He chooses his words very carefully. I should have said in the beginning that his views about the current state of US soccer in a historical context are broad and go beyond what I quoted -- which in some ways is out of context, and some ways not. And note he says "from a soccer standpoint" and by that I think he means the games played and progress in the tournament in both tournaments. As such the quote is not misleading. It's one reasonable analytical conclusion, apart from everything else he said. It would be a reasonable conclusion, though worthy of discussion and debate, even if it didn't come from him. Is he bitter? That doesn't come through at all.
There's really no comparison in competition between 2002 and 2014. Poland hammered us 3-1 in 2002. And their qualifying group in UEFA were heavyweights such as Wales, Norway, Ukraine, Armenia, Wales, etc.... SK was a host country but was average. 2014 are by far the toughest competition we've seen at the WC in the past two decades.
This logic also makes Greece better than Spain. Using tournament play as the sole arbiter of the quality of teams is patently ludicrous.
I've got a few folks on ignore....but is his tone of voice actually being debated in here as an argument against what LD's saying? Just wow.
Let's do a position vs. position: Goal Keepers: 2002: Friedel (backup by Keller, Meola) 2014: Howard (backup by Guzan, Rimando) both are good. Defense: 2002: Agoos, Bergalter, Pope, Sannah 2014: Beasley, Besler, Gonsales/Cameron, Johnson 2014 a little bit better with Johnson/Beasley Midfield: 2002: Beasley/Lewis, Reyna, JOB, Steward/Donovan 2014: Bedoya/Davis/Zusi, Jones, Bradley, Beckman/Cameron If Armas/Mastronei in Beckman/Cameron role, I have to say Reyna/JOB same as Jones/Bradley. But wing play of Beasley/Lewis/Donovan/Steward are MUCH Better. Forward: 2014: Altidore (20 miniutes), Dempsey, AJ, Wondo 2002: McBride, Mathis, Donovan, Wolfe I would say 2002 is MUCH better. If you back up striker is Mathis, or is Wondo?
Did you watch the Inside US Soccer thing Roger Bennett did for ESPN? Because I did, and I saw Michael Bradley come within inches of accusing Landon of quitting on the team. In any case, Arena wouldn't have brought the best possible team in 2014. Bruce would only bring the "Real Americans" (status to be determined solely by Mr. Arena).
First thing, we were not the better team that day against Germany, we hung around and played OK but apart from the hand ball on the goal line, we were very pedestrian.Better team is a gross exaggeration.
Way better than Germany that day? I don't know about that. How many goals did we score that day? Frankly, we get better and Germany gets worse over time.
I agree with Donovan in some respects. He played great in 2002...far better than he's played any time recently. Sanneh had the tournament of his life and so did Claudio Reyna (named to the official World Cup Best 11). We also benefitted from some luck in making it out of the group and then facing a familiar Mexico in the round of 16. Our team this go around was more talented 1-23. However, some of our key players were mediocre and we were unlucky with injuries. Still, by any objective measure this was a successful tournament for us. By the way, the entire usa vs germany game from 2002 is on youtube. I think we played great in this game:
Also, when is Landon going to apologize to his teammates and America for getting out of shape and out of form this year?
IMO the 2002 team was better. Of our current starters, who would have started for our 2002 team? Dempsey and Jones are the only two that readily come to mind. Our center backs were crap then and they are slightly less crappy now so I will give '14 those two spots. When at least 7 of the 2002 starters were better, I have to go with the 2002 team. CM >>> Reyna vs Bradley - as aggravating and conservative as Reyna could sometimes be, I would take him back in a heartbeat over Bradley. FWD >>> McBride over Jozy - McBride played well. Jozy got hurt. JK had no backup. McBride wins LB >>> JOB vs Beaz '14 - for a short time, before his injuries derailed his career, JOB was the man. This is a close one but I will go with JOB. LW >>> Run DMB / Lewis platoon vs 2014 Stiff - not even close. Our left side depth as plummeted. RB >>> Sanneh vs Johnson - I am excited about Johnson's potential. That being said, Sanneh was an absolute beast in the 2002 tourney. He owned Figo and was arguably our player of the tournament. RW >>> LD '02 vs Yedlin - I will compare LD to Yedlin because a comparison to Zusi is just laughable. As with Johnson, Yedlin is an exciting player to build the future around. LD was just a more polished (and talented) youngster at that time than Yedlin is now. GK >>> Big Brad vs Timmy - Timmy had the best game that I have witnessed from a USA keeper. I still rate Brad's entire 2002 tourney above Timmy's 2014 effort. All time I still rate both Brad and Casey above Timmy. It would have been nice to have the speed of Yedlin and Green off the bench in 2002. We did have Cleetus in all his mohawked glory. (And special props go out to Cobi Jones for the assault and battery that he endured during the Mexico stompage. This has nothing to do with the talent comparision obviously) In 2002, we had quality players along our entire width of attack and also overlapping from the back. In 2014 our attacking creativity was lacking in the final third. I'll take '02. LD speaketh the truth.
So the coach cant have an N&A thread but a former player can? Well in the scheme of soccer and the coach of the mens team he hasn't done anything special. It was a quote from the coach of the mens team that has been oft quoted on this very board. If the captain of the team who has a much more distinguished career than him can have it said about then why is not fair to say the same about a guy who cannot even make the team? I think his actions are tarnishing his legacy. I also know we cross paths from time to time and you are the guy with the ban hammer, but you are not exactly fair with your treatment between JK fans and LD fans. You are quick to jump in an LD thread but you let LD fans come to JK threads and make it unreadable and never even make an appearance. To the point that the guy who is not even a part of the team anymore has a thread but our coach can't. You got the hammer okay i get who is in charge, but you are not at all fair about this. It is really sad you refuse to use this same vigor to allow us a thread for the coach of the team .
Not sure if serious (or what you mean)? David Regis, Earnie Stewart, Carlos Llamosa were all Americans, although each not born in the USA on this team.