The US regressed in my opinion a shit load since 2002, and for some reason they are being used as a model of progression in the Mexican media? The US continuously gets their asses handed to them internationally and 1 result versus Spain validates their Project 40 aspirations in the eyes of the Mexican media? I'm to the point of calling the media Malinchistas.
I don't know the details of the project 2010 although I remember a long time ago reading that their goal was winning the World Cup 2010. It is a really lofty goal and of course to us it seems delusional. They've made alot of progress though. If you remember when they attended Italy '90 their squad was composed of 4 professionals (Tony Meola, Peter Vermes, Chris Sullivan and Paul Caliguri) a handful of amatuers and some college students. If you like at the players that were on their squad for confed cup, likely to very closely resemble their World Cup squad, its composed of a majority of players who ply their trade overseas. And that number keeps growing. I don't thing they are title contenders right now because they can't play anything but bunker ball, contrast that to Italy's catenaccio. They've made alot of progress and will probably keep getting better because they seem to assess themselves truthfully and work on their weaknesses. Still waiting for them to move from bunker ball though. I still believe we will win the world Cup before them though
I don't think the mexican media is malinchista... they have many respect for the US Soccer, that's different. I think that we can learn a little of that project: We need a style, every coach in Mexico has changed everything and we start again and again and again from scratch. We have to focus on goals. For example: Be champions of the Copa America. And go for it. The mexican team is always going to the tournaments "to see what happens". As for the US National Team, compared to past years, their team is not that strong right now...
Nope I think you are in denial (If you do think that).. simple as that.. Even If Mexico wins this Wednesday, you can't but commend how the US did in Confederaciones, and how we haven't been able to beat them in 10 years in their home..(as far as I am concern, we still haven't, not the real seleccion).. Call me malinchista.. fine i don't care. I am a realist. fact is, while our league is way better than MLS, their players are playing in some very important teams in Europe, very different than in the 80's/90's when they had no league and no players in Europe.. I am not saying they are better than us, I am just saying that the USNT that I watch play in the 80's and 90's, compared to this one.. yeah.. probably the biggest progress of any nation I have ever seen.. ..
In some cases, the fact that domestic football in the US is really not as important as it is in Mexico has allowed for them to iron out wrinkles instead of looking for quick fixes like some Mexican teams do.
You'd have to be blind not to see that they have progressed. In the 94 World Cup they never got passed their own half against Brazil. 15 years later in the Confederations Cup they made it passed their half line twice. Thats progress
There is definitely some merit to the idea of media exaggeration. In the old days, this game would get about as much press and media attention as a Costa Rica game. They will play up the recent US successes and there's plenty of coverage of the Confederations cup result. I'm sure this helps the ratings. But if you stop and think for a minute, the US was one Italy goal against Brazil from being eliminated from the Confederations cup. If Italy had scored one goal, this Confederations cup would have been a little footnote in the soccer press. This is also the same US squad that was almost beaten in El Salvador and was crushed in Costa Rica. Like all other CONCACAF teams, they play crappy away from home. An upset is possible for them, but it will not be easy. Basically we all know how they will play - clog the midfield and wait for a Mexico error to counter; wait for a free kick or corner kick and score from a set play, etc. Also notice how the Gold Cup final is disregarded because the US was not the 'real' US team. Well then how many of the games in the Mexican losing streak had Mexico teams that were not the 'real' Mexican team ? Most games were friendlies and there was even a game with Pumas subbing for the 'real' Mexican team. The US has progressed by relying on their strengths - size and speed. They know they don't have to win this game. A tie would be fantastic for them. The game, as always, is decided on Mexico converting their opportunities or missing them. This is a good US team, but they are not world beaters. Makes for good drama though. As well as TV ratings even in the middle of the day. Wonder how many people are cutting work ?
To make it short the US team was never an easy team to beat for Mexico except for a 20 some year gap that ended back in the mid 90s. The Mexican sports media are just to pressed for a story so they come up with this exaggeration. Yeah the US team has greatly improved in that time span Rebaño talks about, but many in the Mexican sports media are don't have the knowledge or don't want to do the research to know the USSF also has it's share of problem right up there with the FMF. Plus if your national team coach is playing attack football against a countertattacking team but your forwards can't finish their chances then that usually leaves you exposed in the back enough times for the counterattack team to vaccinate you enough times with goals of their own.
The U.S has been on a rise since they started preparing for the 1990 World Cup; let's say they started around 86; so they have had a decent run for over 20 years now and they have been making significant improvements in all areas of their football culture. IMO, the U.S peaked in the 2002 WC and have yet to find a way to improve their club's and national teams. The USSF's contract with Nike ran out and Project 40 no longer exists. They made a deal with Adidas and it is now called Generation Nads or something. Anyways; for the most part the Mexican reporters are a bit misinformed about Project 2010 but the overall long term process is what they find fascinating being that in Mexico it is all about short term plans. They have to sell newspapers and after the 5-0 prison arse-rape another way to make the USMNT as much of a threat as possible. This is just another way they will milk the rivalry. Mexican newspapers are currently filled with Landycake quotes. After the 1998 WC the USSF paid Carlos Queiroz to analyze football in the U.S and to outline a plan as to what needed to be done in order to make the USMNT into a powerhouse. Queiroz report became known as the Q report and he titled it Project 2010. In Queiroz report he made a series of observations and recommendations. I believe the only thing that the USSF worked on from that report was The Brandenton Academy. I believe they patterned it after France's Clairefontaine training center. Mexico has a defined style but football is constantly evolving and it is difficult to remain faithful to a particular style. Brazil for example tried to maintain their style that won them the 1970 FIFA WC and instead went on a 20 year drought until Carlos Alberto Parreira made the team more defensive. And after 94 the Brazilian style changed once again regaining much of their free flowing attack. Uruguay, on the other hand, has been very reluctant to change from their "Garra Charrua" style; the one that brought them glory over 50 years ago; and have yet to win anything with the senior national team. I believe their last trophy was the Copa America (95) that they hosted.
The Nads have progressed. It would be almost impossible for them not to with all the money and infrastructure that the country can dedicate to a sport. I just think theyre in a moment where theyve got a ton of good press being dedicated to them based on three games in a tournament. As was mentioned before, without big help from Brazil they go three and out, yet again, and prepare for the Gold Cup. They also benefit a ton from lack of press in the country. ESPN didnt hop onboard until the Spain upset. Since then theyve been media darlings, but youd be hard pressed to find an average sports fan in the country that could name have of the Nads current players. When they lose in Mexico, it will be just another loss. Nobodys going to care.
Theres no doubt that there has been a progression from the 1980s to today, in the 80s, soccer was non existent. See I feel that they peaked in 2002 and have regressed a lot since then. The players that made them strong in 2002 have yet to be replaced by their "projects." The US continuously gets their asses whooped that they have the ability to numb those asskickings in their psyches and get fluke single results such as the Spain match. If they play 9 more times, Spain would win every one. There has been no progress in my opinion from 98 to today if the nads continue to play a bunker style to every decent team out there. There is a big enough population and a lot of money invested in order to put a better product on the field.
Most of us who grew up here in the states have, at some point, played for a club team affiliated with the USSF. From my experience, there's alot of talent here in the US that isn't being scouted. Club ball is more about who you know and how much daddy can afford to pay than how good you are. On the national team level, it is undeniable that they have improved. Bias aside, they're probably the most tactically disciplined team in the Americas and their collective play is to be admired. I don't know if I can say they've progressed since they seem to play one good tournament followed by a woeful one on the international stage. Progress usually means consistency and they haven't reached that level just yet. The FMF can learn alot from the USSF and hopefully with Nestor's 2018 project, we'll be heading in the right direction.
I agree with most of what you said, but on the club part I don't think its that much on who you know to go somewhere. I know some people that were olympic kids that didn't turn out so well and they vanish to obscurity. However Dempsey was a poor kid from Nac that made it, and he didn't know anyone or have any connections. Besides U.S. has college soccer that reduces the chances of some rich kid making becuase of daddy. Even in my old 3A high school kids get scouted, and two persons I know, (ones a guy another a girl), got scholarships for soccer. Not to a big school, cus texas's university's don't really have soccer, but to a decent school
I played state ODP twice, went to a couple regional ODP tryouts and I saw some real good players there that weren't picked. Some of the kids that did make regional ODP had good connections. I'm speaking from experience so it would be foolish to generalize but I've heard similar stories from other people as well. College soccer is a joke.
if you don't have connections you more than likely won't make it. i remember discussing it before with crazy _yank. connections are especially important in odp, and making through the ranks of the us youth without them is very hard.
eh, better than nothing. i should've stuck it out one more year. not like i was a lock to make it, just to at least have tried.
As much as I value my national team and treasured 2002, thats about as close to a fluke as we can get. We got lucky against Portugal, tied a SK team, our victory against Mexico only came because we were riding that emotional high and we were familiar against Mexico. We played well, and are progressing, but its a lot slower than 2002 would suggest.
the Nads suck plain and simple they've been playing with the same bullshit bunker & counter tactics for what seems like forever and what has that gotten them exactly? 3 and out in just about every international tournament that is not the Copa Oro, with exception being the '02 WC and this past Copa Confederaciones but keep in mind that in those 2 tournaments, they had to depend on other results to get through to the next round luck has been on there side doesn't mean jackshit in terms of how they play cuz they suck they are a team with a lot of order, i'll give them that. but that's all they have