Should hold it in Nov-Dec of 2018 to get everyone use to the timing of a "winter World Cup". Post World Cup Cup
This would be like the youth sports participation trophies people complain about. "It's okay, guys, we can just play in our own tournament against teams like ours..." Hard pass. Just field a strong, young team in March/May/June and play WC teams or the top qualifying failures (if they too want to field a real team).
No team would want to play that tournament. There's two things sadder than not being invited to the big party. The first is petulantly deciding to throw your own party with all the losers who weren't invited. I'm not cool enough for your party? Fine! I'll have my own party! And it'll be a million times better than your party! And none of you can come! Yeah, that'll show em. The second thing is being one of the people invited to that party. "Hey! You're a loser too, right? Let's have our own party - just for us!" The NIT can work because there are enough college teams that you'll have plenty who feel they deserve to have gone to the big dance and feel righteously angered that they didn't. But Italy, Chile, Ghana, us - all these teams had their fair chance at qualifying for the WC and were, in fact, the favorites. Showing up to a tournament like this would be a commemoration of their massive failure, and humiliation.
I'd watch. Make it age limited (26 and under or something like that) and you'd have players from these countries trying to prove themselves for moves to bigger and better leagues. You know the scouts would watch. They don't care who wins they want to see how individuals perform against good competition. Might help some younger US players get a shot recognition that they'll miss out on by not being at the WC.
With the time difference FIFA might not actually care because it is a cash grab and if necessary some cash can be sent their way to make it happen. If we're worried about older teams collecting paychecks from their federations, make it a Olympic style tournament. Do U-25 but allow 3 exceptions like the Olympics do so guys like Bale can also play if he wants. Sell it as a transition and an opportunity for scouts to look at younger players who aren't getting a chance to shine at the WC to make a mark and perhaps earn summer transfers just like the the WC boys will do.
Sounds fun. I would watch. Wouldn't compensate for not making the World Cup, but why would it have to? If I can enjoy that Guinness Champions Cup or whatever it's called I could enjoy a series of games between non-World Cup teams.
This is all true as long as we care about how we are perceived and others do as well. Looking less awkward might be nice but won't help us sift through the pool and get a good look at the presumptive best XI in the long run so I say bring on the loser's ball.
That's my opinion too. The sooner we get to the task of figuring out the building blocks for the next generation, the better. Why hold off on doing that because we're afraid of looking like losers? If we can get a little round robin with quality opponents lined up instead of taking the summer off, let's go for it.
They were plugging this idea on the Fox broadcast too. Does this mean there is more substance to the rumor, or were they just going off of the same vague internet stuff that we are?
I'm fine w/the idea. I wouldn't refer to it as a tournament, maybe just a tour like the club tours they have in the summer, and instead it's an international tour featuring those teams, I'd probably try to have Italy, Ireland, Netherlands from Europe, try to get Ghana and Ivory Coast from Africa, Chile and Paraguay or Ecuador from South America, and China (money bags hopefully). Would be fun, don't treat it like a tournament so much as an opportunity for the all the sides to try out their younger players to build for the future, like a pre-Olympic Tournament because for many of the teams missing out was at least partially a generational issue.
I think it's cringeworthy. Instead, just schedule 2-3 friendlies in late May and early June to serve as pre-World Cup cannon fodder. If Australia qualifies, for example, I'm sure their Group Stage opponents will be interested in a friendly against the US. The thing the USSF should be doing is begging for 1 of those 6 extra spots at the 2019 Copa America.
Either way, tourney or string of friendlies, the winner is our program. Group cohesion and familiarity , chemistry, is or should be top priority now. The pool is pretty clear and deep. Having everybody on the same page is of the utmost importance. More reps with each other can"t hurt. Then take the rest of the summer to chill and repair. Come back to your clubs and make yr statement.
The NIT and Europa League are things, no reason this shouldn't be either. And I think FIFA will play ball--if they're given the proper financial incentive to do so. It would also bring in a ton of cash for the USSF and FIFA, between all the teams that failed to qualify that are big name teams, have large US-based fanbases and/or travel well, or both. My field: USA Italy Holland Chile Paraguay Ecuador Greece Ireland N. Ireland Wales Slovakia Cameroon Ghana China ($$$$$) Peru-NZ loser Australia-Honduras loser
One of my chief frustrations after the day that shall not be named has been the fact that there's been no, new, "news," regarding their offer to us, and some other teams to join up in the tournament since the stories with the April and May bylines (is that how you spell it). I was desperate to find any info to confirm we'd say yes and I couldn't find anything at all. I think Bruce being gone helps, he never seemed in favor of participating prefering to focus on the Gold Cup, and I don't know how one can take an "A" team to both the Gold Cup, and that Copa America if they're basically held back to back or simultaneously, but I desperately want us to play in both of those, the potential US Copa America that's been talked about as a new cash grab in 2020, and also that odd FIFA Friendly Tournament system they've been talking about. Wish someone could confirm it, but maybe instability and uncertainty with the fed is why we're not locked in yet.
No thanks. The USSF doesn't deserve to benefit from a money grab tourney. Make them suffer this summer. Make them sit and watch all the WC teams and listen to how furious we are we're not there. Make them soak in the suffering. Do not let them pivot away to Italy and Chile gracing our shores while they gouge fans to the tune of $300 per ticket and tell us how exciting it is. Plus, I'd like Pulisic and others to have a summer off and arrive to preseason fully fresh. Might not happen again until 2023.