Well it seems like in this tournament will find out If Bruce Arena got JUST lucky on World cup 2002 or he really got the RIGHT STUFF that is require to run with the big dogs, so far so good, and Bruce is not blinking, he is going for it .....
On the world of soccer...... There are many things that are not percive by the american fans yet...For me is hard to explain but I can pick it up on many foreing reporters even on some Univision and Telemundo soccer comentators, they look at USA SOCCER as a second class, for many of them it was a shock to see USA defeating Portugal BY 3 goals every time the contrary is on front of the USA goal their voice change with joy, but when USA score even their faces change. Turkey is out to humiliate USA but what they do not know is that Bruce is out to surprise them .....dang this is getting scary....
Yeah. This is really is meaningless. If we go 3 and out it'll "prove" last year was a fluke, but if we beat Turkiye and Brasil and advance, then they'll just say it was because the other sides weren't "full strength". There's really no way the US can "win" in France. I hope we do well, but the spin will almost certainly be negative or dismissive.
Ah, but under Arena, we've never beaten a European team on their home soil. While this may not be ideal (unless we meet and beat France), it's the closest we'll probably get until 2006. I believe that Arena still has two major goals left to accomplish before we can definitely put him above Sampson: 1. Have a run similar to Copa America '95 and 2. Win in Azteca A nice run in this Confed Cup will be the closest we get to a Copa America-like performance. Sachin
IMHO this tournament is a chance for the USMNT to prove that WC 2002 was NOT a fluke and to enhance our "new" reputation as a soccer nation!! I can't believe how many BS people are taking this Confed Cup for granted & saying that they don't care how we do. Don't think that the country will come to a halt if we win (and it sure would be nice to beat those french @#%$@%# in their own country), but I "guarantee" that if the USMNT does REALLY well you'll hear people who didn't care about this tournament, all of a sudden, say HOW great it was & how important our success was!! Just my $0.02. GO, USA!!!!!!
Lets say the US goes on a roll. Beats Turkey, beats Brazil and ties or beats Cameroon. Makes the Final against France, does an English language network pick up the final in the US?
How quickly we forget the '99 Confedrations Cup. Bruce led us out of a group which included Brazil and Germany on the way to a 3rd place finish. I'm not sure he has that much more to prove after 2002. But it would be great to get a nice finish here as well.
Sorry, I was trying to point out the fact that it's the Confederations Cup, not the "Confederetion cup," and the idea that Bruce Arena needs a "gauge" for anything after Korea 2002 is about as absurd as the misspelling in the title of this thread. Then again, this was started by Whip, who unfortunately has decided to come over to BigSoccer.com from Soccer America Graffiti and grace us with his presence.
Re: On the world of soccer...... I get the feeling the Turks think they are gonna wipe the floor with us--can't explain why.
A major goal of Arena's that would prove to the world that 2002 wasn't a fluke: Beat Brazil Even if the US doesn't advance in the Confed Cup
Come on soccer fan!!! So your personal opinion is that Bruce does not need a gauge as a coach ! right...Come on Mike even you have come with the phrase before about Bruce Arena getting a lucky start on wc 2002....Well is up to probe now that was no luck involve on his strategy as a matter of fact Bruce have a bad luck, one of his best players got injure on the first game I can assure you that the Poland game could have a different history....Bruce know that there is not a way back he have to face his destiny and like and old boxer he has lost the first round fear.
Re: Re: On the world of soccer...... Still too naive, it seem like too many of you guys spend too much time watching REAL LIFE , but on the world of soccer USA still not consider a threat, whenever USA cross the domain of the mightyones (whoop Germany on wc) the rivality will be total, hard to explaing, hart to understand