Brazils coach has said hes looking for 3 to 4 games as tuneups for the cup. PAGING BRUCE ARENA! No disrespect to Norway or Japan, but this is a team that we should play. This is a golden opportunity to play the best and see how we match up. I dont see what the problem would be. I think we need to try and get a game...
Since there is a very good chance we could meet Brazil in the 2nd round, it might not be wise to play them right before the cup.
Actually, I think it would be the best thing for them. They would get such a better comfort level for the next game. Iin fact, I think the US should use whatever means necessary (including $$$) to attract the big teams over to the US as much as possible, before and then continue after the world cup. This seems to be starting already with MLS teams playing Real Madrid, Chelsea, etc. But now the MNT should start doing more big team friendlies.
Brazil just played U.A.E ....... they arent even in the world cup , and they are waaay worse than canada and norway . P.s. we will get out of our group DTOM!!!!!
So I suppose that Italy is a lock to advance ???? Come on !!! Enough with the Euro-Snob soccer attitude.
I agree with everything except "over to the US". We should be playing most of them on the road or at a neutral site.
I'd rather not play them for only the reason that if we end up beating them but losing to them in the WC it would be so bittersweet. Of course it could set up perfectly like the lore of the Miracle on Ice. We could get worked at Giants Stadium 5-1 only to come back and beat them when it's our time! Great moments come from great opportunities!
Are you still trolling STHLM (Swedish Troll Has Lost his Mind)? You should be more worried about your countrymen Sven. I hope for your insane sake that Sweden advances but either way you need to not worry about the US. We will show the Azzurri and the Czech what soccer is all about. Hopefully the only three players that are decent on your squad will show up to this cup. We have a complete team and will show it. Please troll elsewhere, there should be a Sven thread somewhere.
interesting. Everything I want to say has been much been said, but I'll recap anyways. I definitely think that Bruce should be scheduling games like this...and on the road. I understand that teams actually like to play in the US, but we need to get experience in hostile environments. That's exactly what we'll have in virtual road games against Italy and the Czechs, so we might as well prepare for it. We always hear talk about Jamaica and Trinidad being tough places to play, but in reality the top teams in the world would not get intimidated there. Further, I agree with the Miracle on Ice analogy in terms of playing the team you MIGHT end up playing just before the tournament. It would certainly take the edge off and make them less intimidating when it happens. Also, people have been calling us the "group of near-death," but I have dubbed it the "Group of Opportunity" on my sports blog. I actually put Herb Brooks quote in the post because that's exactly what we have, and opportunity to prove ourselves to the world.
My thoughts exactly. Play the best. In '02 the US played Italy to prepare. The loss in the last game before the WC to Holland (0-2) at home obviously didn't hurt the WC performance.
Man you have no sense of humour! Seriously chill out! I have the right to post in this forum if feel like it. I don't think the USA will get out of the group. That is not an extraordinary opinion at all. I can't believe I got redcarded for this Good luck in the group play!
Oh come on, you know that I love discussing soccer/football with you. I must admit I would love to see that England/Sweden match. Relax, I didnt boot you and look forward to your posts in the Sven thread.
We're probably playing Spain in Madrid and Germany in Dortmund, I think. Someone said T&T and Jamaica are hard places to play. They're probably the easyist places to play in CONCACAF. I think our players know what it's like to play against hostile crowds. I think the crowds in Germany are a step down from the "I hope that fence doesn't break and 100,000 Mexicans flood the field and kill me" kind of way.
Where did you hear about Spain? And yes this is exactly the game we need to schedule. We cant back down form top teams any longer. I say we play them, and play them hard the whole game just to show people we can hang with the big dogs.
Brasil needs to play games in Europe. If they met the USA in an exhibition in Portugal, then that might fly and that would be sensational for the USA. More of the Portugal side would be cheering for the USA, and it would be a good crash-course on what to expect in the Cup for the USA. Otherwise, Brasil should not focus on coming to the USA, and the USA should not focus on travelling to Brasil. Both need to focus on similar styled opponents that they'll face in the cup.
No dummy, you need to play an African team to prepare for Ghana. After all, we cannot properly prepare for the World Cup by not playing anyone from Africa. Maybe Ethiopa.
i think playing brazil would be good. 1) i don't think norway, japan and canada are really going to help us prepare very much. 2) i've read that ghana plays in a style very similar to brazil's... this could be good prep. 3) i really don't see how the possibility of us playing brazil in the world cup suggests that a friendly would be a bad idea?
I think we should play them, and come out with extremely vanilla tactics. Basic 4-4-2, nothing unique or creative. Figure out how our guys play against them then if we face them in the WC, come up with something completely different to hit them with. That sort of thing is Arena's bread and butter.
You were neg repped, not red carded, for trolling even with smiley faces. We shouldn't waste our time with Brazil. We can just beat them in the World Cup. I think their number is up this time around.