This is so true. I think the officiating is the biggest problem. When I was an active state referee I called games more like a European referee because that is where I got certified, trained and had most of my games. When I got here other refs and assessors would tell me that, while I was not doing anything "wrong" pursuant to the LOTG, I was not calling the game "the way it's called here". Lots of fouls that go whistled in Europe are not even called here. I think the MLS average is about as high as the 2.BL or 3.BL average. That is not bad given how fanatical Germans are about football attendance. Shiite, I don't think England or Spain have anywhere near the average attendance of the BL, so if MLS ever gets close to German 1.BL levels we will be doing just fine. Yeah, but truth be told that was a Spanish B side who did not want to over-exert themselves with the WM coming up. MLS and USSF fanboys love to say they "beat Spain" as if Spain gave a damn about that game. Footy and I got in to it back then on this very issue. I still think that Spain was just walking through that game unconcerned if they won or lost. You don't know what you are talking about. If you think American football is #1 in Texas you should come here on any weekend and see how many people are playing soccer compared to American football. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a soccer player. Only high schools and colleges play football for the most part. There are VERY few American football clubs. There are THOUSANDS of soccer clubs, each with teams ranging from U7-U19. You do the math. THAT is how popular soccer is in Texas.
Löwen News... Arne Feick seems to have completed the speculated move from Bielefeld to 1860. I guess he was waiting for the club to get its license. Smart move. He joins the club as left defender. The boys had their "lactic" test this week. Pics here. Rakic was there looking like Billy Ray Cyrus. Rukavina was there too. St. Pauli is interested in Halfar. Hopefully we can sign him to a contract extension or else we may have to sell him either this summer or by winter.
True. In terms of hobby sports footy might be even have a bigger basis. I dont know. But I do know it doesn't change that pro footy in Texas(and the USA) is in reference to attendance, sponsors and the quality at pro level is light-years away from European footy. Just because to this day there is no potential for it. Maybe you can tell me, why is it not possible to turn that huge approach to THOUSANDS of footy clubs at hobby level and the suggested popularity into huge amounts of talents or pro structures ?
Two reasons. Because Americans want to watch their sports only if it is played at the highest level. Second, there isn't enough money in the game here to get our best athletes to stick with our game instead of switching over to the traditional American sports, where all the real money is. Our game will never be more popular than the traditional American sports. It is the very same reason basketball, baseball and American Football will never be anything other than "hobby sports" in Germany too......
Basketball is not a marginal sport in Germany. Much as ice hockey and handball, you've got a decent pro league.
And yet, for a bunch of "third world" players we seem to do all right. Well, we can't dominate the world in everything....yet.
Don't say never. The American sports scene was completely different 60 years ago. Boxing and horseracing were king along with baseball. Football wasn't nearly as popular as it is now. NASCAR was almost non-existent. TV changed all that. Cultures change. Baseball is in decline. Boxing has been replaced by MMA. Who knows what things will be like in another 60 years?
@ footyfan You spoke in my mind. So why complaining about being worlds no. 22 in a not traditional sport which is ranked no. 5 in your country ? Loosing 0-4 to worlds best team is as natural as anything then. Such as my friends Bundesliga Baseball-team loosing to the Yankees. @ LB Yeah in fact, you are almost bankrupt(the worlds 1860) and the yellow man is going to be your investor.
Yup. We're almost broke. It comes from protecting the world and rebuilding Europe for the last 60 years. You're welcome.
Because we expect better from our national team, we didn't need to win - just show some pride. The game was one-way traffic, we played poorly, showed no composure on the ball, poor defensive shape, lack of technique, and tactically we were overmatched. Now you may say "Well that's just a non-traditional sport in the US", but you don't understand that we have made every world cup for the past 20 years, have won a Gold Cup or two, have beaten Spain two years ago, and are generally improving. The problem was this game we showed no improvements in any categories. You can lose 4-0 and still take away a positive, but this game, there were no positives.
The US fielded an inexperienced B side as the game was scheduled at an inopportune time. You can't expect such a line-up to have a chance against the world's best team. Heck, Germany is considered among the very best teams in the world and in the '08 final Spain pretty much clobbered us. And '10 also saw Spain being the better team. Americans such as you need to consider the team the US fielded and refrain from drawing hasty conclusions.
I bet MLS will be bigger than the NHL, MLB and possibly rival the NBA. And women's football will be solidly pro in countries such as the US and Germany.
I guess you don't get it either, when you watch your B or C team - you don't expect victory, you just expect to see improvements. Both in your players and your coach - we saw neither. Sure Spain is awesome, but what we want to see is some depth. Oneywu is a starter, he was awful. Tim Howard - one of the best keepers in the world, had no chance on the three goals I saw. Sasha has played for Anderlecht, and he looked confused. Rogers is an MLS all-star, pitiful. Ream - actually showed some promise after getting roasted, but that was expected. I could go on and on, but why? I think you guys are making a bigger deal about this, we were disappointed that we didn't show any improvements. Where was the bright spot from that loss? There was none from what I can tell.
Ed, I think the bright spot is we know which guys not to invite to camp. Rogers and Ream sucked. Klestijan has never impressed me. On paper that team just left me shaking my head. It would like Löw playing Marin, Bender, Gebhart, Träsch and other third stringers. The difference is THOSE guys are WAY more talented than ours.
http://www.tsv1860.de/de/aktuell/news/2010/news_2011-06-08_malura-feick-ochs.php New hires: [25] Arne Feick (2014) [12] Timo Ochs (2013) [5] Dennis Malura (2013) Depending on who will still leave the team(Rakic, Rukavina etc.) a DM sub to fill the place Igno has left is still to come(rumors talking about a 21 year old Icelander(!)) and they´re trying to extend the loan of Bell for another year. LB, what about starting the 11/12 official thread ?
I don't know much about how Feick and Malura will handle 2.BL footy, so it should be interesting to see how they progress. Ochs is a good signing. One never knows what Kiraly will do in the future and to have a sold back-up like Ochs is a good option while Eicher and Bussman get better. Clearly we still need: 1-2 DMs, one of them being a decent starter to take over for Ignjovski. 1-2 CBs, one of them being a potential starter. Buck did well in the middle, as did Ayguen. However, both as slow as molases. I would like to see someone like Bell if not Bell himself. If we keep Bell then we need only 1 more CB. I think Kaiser will be held in reserve as a left or right back. Not sure what they will do with Ruka and Rakic. Other than Lauth and Volland, none of our strikers are very "hot". Heck, they are not even luke warm. Yeah, about that time. New thread here.
Loewenboy-I've noted that you have made some remarks concerning Bobby Wood. Has he been moved up to the first team from the U-23 and has there been any mention of him in AZ or otherwise in regardss to his development? In one post you noted him as a striking back-up to Lauth. I thought he was more of a midfielder. Please advise. We are in need of emerging attacking midfield and striking talent with the US Nats. With Rongen's ouster, I hope the kid will get more looks and starts in our US youth set-up, continues developing with 1860, turns into a real star and shows that coming up the "hard way" through a club's ranks is the best way for top US talent in Europe. The best league to develop as a tactical and technical player ins the Bundesliga. Too many of these US kids think they can walk in overseas and not have to pay their dues. Woods seems to be a proof that hard work opens up doors. I just hope he is proving and working hard enough for Mauer to see some real time next season.
He's been training & playing with the first team so far in pre-season. Scored a goal in one of their blowouts over some 24th-ish-league team. Beyond that, wait and see...the season is just a few weeks away. He's an attacker, can play at forward or on the wing. He's still young and figuring out where he's best utilized. Don't you mean that you hope he still gets looks at starts with Rongen gone? He seemed to be an automatic starter under Rongen whenever (a) 1860 released him for U-20 games/tournaments and (b) he wasn't injured. Rongen was making him a key element of the U-20s, and his injury was probably one of the biggest factors of why the US got knocked out of the U-20 WC qualification tournament in Guatemala. Hopefully whoever becomes the new US U-20 coach has the same idea.
Seems TSV got 32 year old Colin Benjamin on an "absolutfrei" transfer from SV Hamburger today. Not a bad addition even if he may have seen his best years. Benjamin is still a solid first choice defender that can come up and score goals. This is a very good acquisition, done on the cheap and provides real experiece and the know how to make a promotion campaign reality in 2011/12!
This deal was done days ago wasn't it? Benjamin's biggest challenge will be staying healthy enough to contribute. He hasn't done that in a very long time. Also, where would Benjamin get the "know how" for any "promotion campaign?" He's been at HSV all this time. He's never had to worry about winning anything.