Can you possibly imagine what the coverage would be like here for a USA-Iran or better yet, a USA-IRAQ home-and-home for a place in the 2006 World Cup? Even the most ardent soccer-bashers in this country would watch, and I assume that the vast majority would root the US on. The fall/winter of 2005 can't come fast enough.
That'd be pretty spiffy. I bet a lot of people would watch. See the real test would be televising the game at like 2 in the morning.
I thought our plan was to bomb them back to the Stone Age - 'cause then there'd be a lot MORE oil in Iraq.
Hey it makes more sense than the "Star Wars" defense system... And why wasn't that called "Missile Command"?
I would be rather worried if we needed a home and home to get to the WC. Let Canada or Jamaica worry about travel plans to the Middle East!
hahahaha BTW-If the US finished 4th and had to play Iran? Our players mught point blank refuse to travel to Iran on the away leg. They'd have to worry about a lot more than just losing a game
I'm not sure you'd be in THAT much danger going to Iraq. The citizens don't really hate hate us. I mean they don't like us, but they're mostly apathetic. I'd worry more about Saddams police. And Iran, well they'd play the match up, but Iranians have been warming up to the US in recent years. Students held mass candle light viagles for the 9/11 victims. The crowds you see shouting "DEATH TO AMERICA" on tv are ignorant farmers bused in and paid to "hate" us by Iran's failing fundamentalist government.
Very true...There was a pretty good editorial in the New York Times about the younger generation in Iran that was written by an Iranian (about 65% of Iran is under 30)...if anybody wants it i'll go dig it up and link it. But unfortunatly its not majority citizens i was referring to
I still don't think I'd be willing to go for a few more years if we played either one. Someday I'll go over there but not anytime soon.
Last night's PBS show on Muslims showed highlights of soccer in Iran, saying how the mostly young crowd gathered by the big games spilled into the streets and became a demonstration against goverment oppressions. The show said it was enlightening for the whole nation, that the government was more strict with its soccer crowds now but couldn't put the cat back in the bag. There was also the public issue of Iranian women not being allowed to attend a home game, while visiting female (Ireland) fans were allowed entrance. Considering how often soccer crowds are overtly linked to fascist or sectarian demonstrations, I was proud of our sport getting this positive recognition, implicit though it was. Forget the Blackhawks and the Seals, I think we should send our national team over there as often as possible to promote dialogue and win goodwill. What a concept.
With the growing threat of terrorism abroad? Especially out of that region? All it would take would be one of Osama or some other terrorist group's wackos that wants glory, whether Iranian or not, for it to be a trip not worth taking. Attempting to improve relations vs. one of our players and citizens lives in a meaningless game? That is a no-brainer for me. I think we all know that we won't see a game between our boys and a team from that region (unless its Israel) for a long long time unless it is on neutral ground or like mentioned above in a home and home qualifier. Even with that I wouldn't be surprised to see the USSF move for a neutral site to have the game or games played at...
Sounds like George W, who said he was "not willing to risk one life" through trusting Sadam Hussein. I guess it's no surprise he's unfamiliar with the cost of war.