Soccer is unique in that, if there is a tie, the sport is so physically demanding that it would substanitally dimish the result if they just played until someone scored. Hockey, you can play 5 OTs and be okay; baseball 20 innings, football 1 or 2 overtimes. But soccer? It's just not feasible, good for the game, or good for the players. That being said, PKs are bogus. It's like the NFL deciding playoff games with an extra-point contest. I always thought ETs were good, especially with the golden-goal format. I mean, you've already played a full game; why, if you give up a goal in ET, should you get a chance to get it back? That never made sense. I do think they could do more than 2 ETs, though. Make it 4, or the equivalent of an extra half with three breaks for rests. Make it golden-goal. And, allow 1 use-it-or-lose-it sub each in the 3rd and 4th ETs, carrying over any unused subs from RT. If tied after the 4th ET, go to an NASL-style shootout, same format as PKs now. Fatigued field players will have to bear down and perform under their fatigue. GKs will get to use a wider range of their skills and have a better-than-10% chance to stop the shot. The NASL was a little crazy, yes, but the shootout was a good idea, and international soccer should look into it.
OH. MY. GOD. Did I just say "4 ETs is the equivalent of one half"? Grr. Please ... if you FCD fans have any mercy ... leave me to punish myself by drinking too much beer, beating my head with a mace, and having to hook up with a woman from ... HO'TOWN.
Not sure what you mean here. I was thinking while in camp and the few games he has been in he not only has to try and get up to international speed but basically learn and play a different position than with FCD. If they would play him off of McBride that wouldn't be the case but I don't see that happening.
It would seem pretty obvious. Cooper has made two sub appearances, scored one goal and played a total of 75 minutes or so...Never for a minute did I believe he would be on the Gold Cup squad and I have NO problem with that. He wanted a chance with the national team (and I championed him getting that chance)....he got that chance....the rest is up to him.....read the lead story at www.dallassoccernews.com and read between the lines....there is some seriously interesting stuff there.
yeah but imagine a world where Trinidad and Tobago never have a shot in hell. we'd miss out on a lot of good underdog drama if it was next-to-impossible for the CONCACAF part of the region to get into tournaments. it just seems unfair to me, a lot like Oceania not having an automatic berth. I hope we don't ever merge. maybe it's just that I CAN name all 37, and on a blank map of the Lesser Antilles I can fill in every island nation. it's the parrothead way.
Coop isn't in good form and aside from scoring in his debut, he's failed to impress. Coop deserves this derision, but how much longer will Gbandi be ignored? He has the tools and the tactical acumen to play at the highest level. If our future includes more Simek's and Dolo's, we need speed to on the left to start play from the back and overlap the midfield.
don't know what to make of this idiotic post.....Cooper "has failed to impress" what the fcuk games you been watching....?? "How much longer will Gbandi be ignored"....by who exactly..?? he isn't even an American citizen and the days of the USA picking ineligable players are long gone....
2nd in goals scored means nothing, did you not get the memo? I can also say that all the people that have almost had their leg broken by his crazy slide tackles aren't ignoring him when he is running around out there. BTW, he isn't being ignored, he is playing for his national team next week. (Liberia)
So if there was a merger, the new CONEMBOL/CONCACAF thingy would get what? 8 berths? If the US can't qualify out of that then they don't deserve to be in the World Cup. Not to mention the tougher qualifying games along with traveling to hostile atmospheres will add experience and toughen the team which will help us out in the World Cup.
if the teams are tired enough, they will find a way to score. Plus there will not be anymore playing for a tie bullsh!t like Argentina in 1990.
my bad. Replace Canada with T&T until Toronto FC can toughen up the national team enough to start winning games. I am, but only in the form of me lying on the beach there.
Now THIS is what I'm talkin' 'bout!! YES!! We can ease through WCQ and go 0-8-1 on Euro soil ... or we can challenge ourselves and harden ourselves and test ourselves and maybe not qualify once every 4 WCs. That said, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL will never ever merge. But it's fun to dream.
NTs are solely, exclusively, and to the exclusion of everything else, about winning the WC. CLubs are different .. but NTs are about one and only one thing. The Reims trophy. That's it, that's all there is. We can compete in less-than-best-for-USA tourneys to keep them viable and because they're in our continent .. but I say .. BALONEY! NTs are about the WC. Anything that anybody does should be furthering the goal of winning the WC. Anything that doesn't further that goal .. MLS, whatever .. should be set aside .. UNTIL the US wins the cup. Note, I mean MLS is secondary to WC in US .. not that MLS is worthless and should be ignored.
Oh, I see. Missed the point of the minutes / earn your way. Would that everyone earn there way there and stay there by earning it.
I think you're way too simplistic here... World Cup is the highest goal, but it certainly isn't 'all there is'.
Of course it is. USA isn't Europe, though, and USA has never won a WC like ENG, FRA, ITA, GER, etc. have. My point is, only good WC showings and a WC championship give Gold Cup and CONCACAF footie cred. Not the other way around. If Gold Cup championships gave USA and MEX top-tier WC cred in the same way BRA, ITA, GER, etc. have, we wouldn't be dissed the world 'round. Heck, GRE won Euro04 and everyone still disses them. If GRE has won WC06, do you think they would be dissed? I may not be from England, but I can tell you that, if most of the WCs were being won by USA, MEX, BRA, and ARG, the Euro championship would certainly be subordinated to a WC effort. This isn't a chicken-and-egg scenario. It's a diode scenario. Continental cred clearly comes after WC cred, not the other way 'round. It really is that simple. And that's why the MNT should be putting all its efforts all the time towards the WC. After all, isn't WC50 ENG 0:1 USA still talked about? Who won the Euro1952? Can you tell me without looking it up?
Not true. Good showings in non-WC events (Gold Cup, and Confed Cup) give good FIFA ranking points which, in turn, position a team for a more promising draw and, obviously, an ultimately better World Cup result. It's really all one and the same. Chicken or the egg....that sorta thing.
haven't missed a minute all year and he's on decline. Tonight's miserable feckless missed shots illustrate it. As far as Gbandi playing for his native born country, Liberia, he is, as stated prev, a US citizen, and my motives are prompted by his success playing at U levels for the US. If Gbandi has not yet become cap tied by a FIFA sanctioned game, then he needs 2b locked up by us. The last thing we need is 2 face him in a group stage 3yrs from now, as unlikely as that is. the Euro Cup is not an apples to oranges comparison to the Gold Cup. The guys on Fox Football Phone in and I share the opinion that it's less important the the Copa Libertadores, but that's a discussion for a diff thread.
One more time, for emphasis...a quote from the FCD blog a week ago... He is gone now and will be back at the end of June from what I understand. Too late wu-tang.
Begging your pardon, but I'm not sure how you can say this with a straight face. Isn't it true that USA or MEX has won 7 of the last 8 Gold Cups? And that gives us WC cred? I don't think anyone can honestly say that USA or MEX are, as far as the WC is concerned, anything more than second-tier teams that have a chance at an upset or two. We've never even made a Rumania-WC94, Turkey-WC98, or So. Korea-WC02 type run. As far as building up points, didn't we have all these points before WC06, and even a #5 FIFA ranking? But we drew into (arguably) the Group of Death? Yes, that ranking system has been revised but systems will always be revised. Rankings don't get you WC cred. Gold Cup wins don't get you WC cred. Only WC wins get you WC cred. Only a tougher training regimen against the toughest opponents with the MNT varsity puts you in position to really have a chance at WC wins.