Does the US team receive extra tight security due to current World Anti-American problems? I would hope so because while at home these guys practically go unoticed in foreign lands they could have targets on them. Especially with high profile soccer. Hypothetical: With all the Iraq kidnapping/Beheadings in which the governments don't negotiate with the terrorrists, if the US team or part of it was kidnapped by terrorists would the Government continue the poilicy, even though they are out representing the American Flag? Its a scary thought and I hope they are well guarded when overseas.
Mister Scout, you raise an important issue. For your information, the team not only travels with federal American agencies, they are greeted like no other team in the world by the host nation's military. So the answer to your question is yes they are tended by the best. However, what does this say about our country? These young men and women travel the world representing the US respectfully and proundly in the face of all the anti-Americanism and danger in the world and what do they get at home? At home they are ignored or maligned largely by the media (especially the print media), the "joe six-pack" sports fan xenophobically dismisses them (the foreign game bla, bla, bla) and the culture at large has no clue how gallantly and humbly our men and women play the world's game to the world's suprise. It will probably go on this way indefinitly, and so be it. It is just one of the off the pitch reasons I have so much respect for the players, regardless of their abilities to defend, score or possess. By the way, most advances in US soccer have been interupted by wars going back to the first World War, but I will leave that for another thread.
Very well said. I think I'm at my most patriotic while watching the Nats, bleeding red white and blue, etc. It made me pissed back in 2001 when the game we qualified in was pre-empted by bombing Afghanistan. It was our first international competition in any sport since 9-11, and it was totally ignored. And what you say about the print media could not be truer-- I've said it before: Not only do these sportswriters and tv personalities not like soccer, they are threatened by it, and instead of ignoring it, they wage an offensive campaign against it, terrified by the thought that somewhere in this country someone could be kicking a soccerball. Here's a classic Tony Kornheiser quote, "In America, we play with our hands." Thanks a lot, Tony. It's even more infuriating when I'm watching the Nats in my college dorm lounge and people go, "Oh, the US soccer team, no doubt they'll get their asses kicked!" And I say, "why do you say that? Mind if I let you know that our team is actually very good, probably the best in our region, and we're ranked #11 worldwide?" At least I can educate the philistines to a certain extent in these situations. ok, that was a rant, but one I hadn't done in a while. Bill
What do you mean they "travel with federal American agencies"? What agency? I find this comment to be extremely suspect. With the possible exception of the World Cup, I am guessing they fly without any U.S. government protection.
on ussoccer.com they have a video of the team traveling to el salvador. i dont know of any protection with the planes, but when they were on the bus they showed three of four motorcycles escorting their bus. on each bike they had a driver and someone turned around backwards with guns. i guess thats decent protection.
They got pretty good security during the Confed Cup, and WC 2002 security was air friggin tight. The players actually admitted to being freaked out by the sight of so many assault rifle toting S. Korean soldiers around them.
USMNT security overseas is always very tight. They travel with some U.S. federal agents, but most security is provided by the host country. Here's a picture of Brushes Sand enjoying the most recent USMNT - El Salvador match while several armed soldiers patrol behind him: http://galeria.elsalvador.com/galeria_v2/galeria.asp?p=7&IDgaleria=115 One can also scroll to the other pictures for some good game action photos and even a picture of some U.S. fans waving the "Red, White and Blue" during the game.
Team is safe. Supporters are another question. Germany 2006? Probably OK, check back in 2010 in South Africa.
Gentlemen, this is not an Oliver Stone movie. There was a security detail in El Salvador much like the one described here. Please pay attention to the point, which is they heroism is totally ignored. Heavy security for Americans' arrival UNION-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICES 648 words 25 May 2002 The San Diego Union-Tribune 1,2,6,7 D-5 English (Copyright 2002) Hardly noticed at home, the U.S. soccer team was surrounded by a massive security detail befitting a head of state when it arrived yesterday in Seoul, South Korea, for the World Cup. When they left New York's Kennedy International on Thursday, U.S. players were treated like any other American tourists, anonymous enough to be largely ignored. When they arrived at Incheon International Airport after a 14 1/ 2 -hour Korean Air flight, they were greeted by the largest police and military detail placed on any of the 32 teams, with agents of the CIA and U.S. State Department keeping tabs, too. "You really don't pay much attention to it," said forward Clint Mathis. "It's nice to know you're looked after and taken care of." About 500 police formed a corridor for players as they left customs. Milling about in red and green berets were SWAT team commandos with wraparound sunglasses, automatic weapons slung from their shoulders and hands on pistols. "We've been here before and we anticipated great security," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena. "Perhaps not to this degree, but we're not complaining. The Koreans do an outstanding job with regard to security for the U.S. team."
Why speculate ? If they want you to know they'll tell you There are reasons that Rob Stone doesn't discuss this stuff on air and it's not in the papers and it's certainly not here on BigSoccer It's OPSEC - Operational Security - meaning you don't need to know Sorry to be harsh
Who cares what apparatus of secruity forces travel with the team? The original question has been answered. It is the State Department and CIA. The concern of Mister Scout is: are they OK? Yes they are. The deeper issue to me is not who holds the guns, but who remains quiet. Why does a country ignore a team who represents them so well? Why does this team's profile rise to the level of need of this security, but garners no popular support? The subsequent point made about the media is the right one I believe. We are fed ignorance by those that have voices in the national media. Those who fail to realize that all "American" sports are derivitives of English/Classic Latin sports. It is dumb at best xenophobic at worst the way they begrudge the world's game. I would hope in a forum like this, the participants in these threads would take the time to educate their local editors through email and their own editorials of the need/demand of accurate and thorough coverage of a national treasure known as the "Nats." Peace! Out!
The CIA does NOT protect the Nats Can someone close this as it's really a terrible idea to discuss security issues in an open source forum