Switzerland? The same Switzerland that was eliminated from WC '06 without conceding a goal? A minnow? BTW, I have to disagree with anybody who characterizes El Salvador as a minnow. They're probably the weakest side in the Hex, but minnows don't make it to the hex---that's what the semifinal and preliminary rounds are for, to give them their payoff and see them off.
This is an excellent point. Playing quickly is great if you can play directly and advance the ball forward dangerously through combination play. We are not very effective at that so playing quickly for the sake of playing quickly is not helpful.
You're accusing me of the same thing you're doing by introducing you're own straw man. Hypocrisy much? lol We just have to agree to disagree. Even will all those distractions and other tactics employed to put the visitors off their game I'm certain a big European team would still find a way to score the goals necessary for victory an perhaps keep a clean sheet as well. Like I've said somewhere before, these shenanigans are not unique to our region. It can get much worse in other confederations, not that I'm condoning it or anything.
If soccer rules encouraged higher scores, teams like Switzerland who hang on by a thread with their stern disciplined organised defenses would be blown out of the water by teams like Brazil. That's the only reason they're able to match it with the big boys on the scoreboard.
you have to understand, countries like england, germany, and italy have the clout to draw attention to the injustices they receive (and therefore affect real change). look at the huge hub-bub England made about racist chants in Spain recently (stemming from 04 incident): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...England-vow-to-stand-up-to-racist-chants.html it would be nice if the US players were in a position of power/clout to do the same thing, but that's not just the reality. again, our players just kind of 'grin and bear it' and move on to the next game. UEFA's gamesmanship may happen, but it is exposed quickly and dealt with (the power of the English/German/Italian press can force that). again, this stuff is just accepted in CONCACAF because it's been going on for years. CONCACAF practically has its own set of FIFA regulations, because God knows some of the countries couldn't adhere to UEFA's. if they did our lads could maybe play on a decent pitch every once in a while, etc. but the reality of it is, a lot of these countries can't afford anything better (which is why this stuff is allowed to go on in CONCACAF).
also ... almost forgot to post this: NY Times article on this very issue... In Central America, U.S. Team Often Faces More Than 11 Men Again, you say this same sort of stuff goes on in Europe and it happens all the time to England, Germany and Italy. Please cite examples.
we should have won. landon needs to be in the midf. beaz has lost a step. pearce is not an answer for '10. Tfore, play: ching, josey, and clint up front ld, torres and bradley center mids frankie gooch/demerrit boca spector
Maybe they should just make the goals bigger. Then all the teams with great offense and shitty defense would totally rule.
Depends, France just played on an awful pitch in Lithuania, and Luxembourg beat the Swiss earlier this round. I wouldn't call Latvia a minnow either, they qualified for Euro '04, and though they sit fourth in their group, they have 7 points from 5 games, and are just three points out of first. In fact, I've seen a number of posts making very uninformed statement about Euro "minnows." The worst referring to Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria as minnows. Belgium have been to 11 World Cups, including six straight from 1982-2002, including the semi's in 1986. They missed last time. Six of the last seven = minnow? Plus, they were in second in a tough group with Spain, Turkey, and Bosnia until slipping up at home over the week-end, but are still in with a fighting chance at a playoff spot. Switzerland? 8 World Cups, including the round of 16 last time w/out giving up a goal. Austira? While the success is more distant, 7 World Cups, including two semifinals. And they beat France to open qualifying this time. Euro minnows are teams like San Marino, Faroe Islands, Andorra, Malta & Liechtenstein. A bit above them are teams like Kazakhstan, Moldova & Azerbaijan. I'd still take all of these teams over CONCACAF minnows any day. Above that, it can even get tricky vs. teams like Luxembourg, Estonia, Armenia, and improving teams like Montenegro and Georgia. Equally puzzling is the dumb reference to teams like El Salvador as "minnows" in CONCACAF. How can you be a minnow when you are in the final round of WCQ in a 35 team confederation? The real minnows in CONCACAF are the (mostly) tiny Caribbean nations: Montserrat, Anguilla, Dominica, US Virgin Islands, Arbua, Donminican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Belize, and St. Lucia (maybe a few more). Aside from the Faroes, San Marino, and Andorra, I'd put any team in UEFA a step above these squads. And CONCACAF have some more teams a minor step above these: Caymand Islands, St. Kitts & Nevis, Netherlands Antilles, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, etc. Teams like Belgium and Switzerland would probably make the final hex, if not qualify outright out of CONCACAF. Austria would be the 8th highest rated team in CONCACAF (ahead of El Salvador), but are 39th in UEFA. Let's try to keep things in perspective.
i gather that's a trick question, because there's no definable answer. i reckon it'd be 'no' even if there was.
And in this case it was on a set piece. Lots of forwards score on set pieces, particularly on the US team. The other funny thing on this one, it could easily have been scored by Altidore, Frankie just pushed him out of the way, but Altidore was right there.
What the hell was wrong with Bob on ussoccer's post game conference? That voice inflection and cadence is surreal. Talking like a Spanish Skeletor Robot.
That's not the right way to look at it. The point is that winning at home and drawing away DID get those teams in the top two. You can't just add in a made up team to the group that wins at home and draws away. That would have meant taking a few extra points off those second place teams and meaning that they may not have won at home and drawn on the road.
Late post... I think the US came out flat. Also, give credit to El Salvador. They played the best I have seen in a long time, even at home. We needed a Kasey, Friedel or Howard in goal to make the big save. Guzan may get there, but I haven't caught the train yet (like many on BS). I have defended Pierce, but he had an aweful game. However, I blame Boca for his stupid lunge on the first goal which completely took him out of position. Frankie, What more needs to be said? Could he have defended the second goal better? Probably, but it was a nice cross and equally nice header. The defense really looked like they hadn't played together. Same with the midfield. Beasley saving grace has always been his pace and hard work. I saw neither this game. Play Torres the next game. Our center mids played poorly and Dempsey tried hard, but had an average game. Ching played well and I thought Donovan was subed in the second half because he had disappeared. Hopefully, the game was a wake up call. Still, I'm not too worried. Credit to the US to fight back and get the tie.
No, they blew their budget on the acting coach. Yeah, that's why. Right, but soccer rules don't. So, what's your point? Is your point that the only reason that the Swiss can play with the big boys is because they play by the rules? Ok, I concede that point. Also, do you work at a strawman factory? This. I was going to point out the same thing. You can't just look at a group from the outside with an arbitrary point total and come to a conclusion like that. Because every point gained is points lost from another team. And no, I don't have anything constructive to add to this thread. Anything that I could say has already been said. It's just taken me three days to read this thing a little bit at a time so I was just now able to reply. I prefer to read the entire thread before replying.
And the rankings you refer to are so accurate aren't they. CONCACAF teams, compared to CONMEBOL or any of the European teams competing in the final round of European competition are the true minnows. If we can't beat them, even on the road in a hostile environment, we just are not that good. I hope we can beat T & T at home. What are they ranked.....75th on the FIFA rankings. By that measure we should win by 3 or 4 goals.
Credability??? From you??? A statement like "CONMEBOL has 10 members and no "minnows"" is enough to expose your total football ignorance. If there are no "minnows" in CONMEBOL, then you are saying that Peru and Ecuador are on a par with Brazil and Argentina. They aren't, but they are surely as good or better than El Salvador.