I think this applies for Yank Abroad: It's now official: http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sow/news/ap/20021002/ap-costarica-sampson.html
Thank God. We'll never have to worry about Costa Rica beating us again... On another note, that's about the most Judas-y move you could make, isn't it? I mean, besides going to coach El Tri -- which we all know would never, ever, ever happen.
what is Costa Rica doing? surely there is someone better than that available. moreover, what is sampson doing? by all accounts, he has been very successful at the youth level since leaving the USMNT and has only been a nightmare in international football. sounds like he is gonna step on his joint again.
Does he get paid $350K per year in youth soccer? Does he get the enjoyable challenge and atmosphere of international soccer? Maybe he'll fail, but if he succeeds, he could be on his way to having a Bora-like niche as a national team coach. If he fails, he'll have a lot more money than he had before.
maybe you are right. personally i wouldn't want to go though what he went through last time around. i only imagine the scruinity (sp) and criticism will only be greater in CR. it wouldn't seem worth it to me. moreover, if he is as good a youth guy as i have read/heard, i'd rather he was developing our players than trying to eliminate our team.
Steve had a crap France 98, thats pretty much undebatable, but he is not a bad coach overall, and did pretty well during 98 WCQ and prior. I think that this is a good step in the overall state of US soccer, when a country that just qualified for the WC, barely missing out on advacnice to the round of sixteen by goal differential and 2 crap offsides calls (vs Turkey) in a group that included the champion and 3rd place finisher hires an AMERICAN to lead it's side. I wish him luck...except when they take on the US
I never thought I'd see the day when the US started exporting coaches. I wish Steve well. He's a decent coach that had the misfortune of having to deal with John Harkes' ego in its prime.
Big ups to Steve Sampson. First American coach to coach a foreign national team (as far as I know), and a pretty good one, too. It's not he got hired by Martinique. People need to get over Sampson. '98 is history. Move on. If this isn't a show of respect for American soccer, I don't know what is. That shows you how deep the American soccer fan's religious pathology goes - an American is hired to coach a team whose fans have never respected America's standing as a competitive soccer force, and all some people can see is the Judas of France 1998.
It is impressive that he be the first coach from the US to head another National Team Riding Bora's Reputation Again Bump
I think you misunderstood. He's not a Judas because of '98 -- that was just crap man management and a bunch of old spoiled men who disrupted the team. He's "Judas-y" because he's a US coach who's now the manager of Costa Rica. It's like Sven going to coach Germany or someone from Liverpool going to coach at Everton, etc.
I don't look at it like that at all. '98 was maybe a Burns stop and a Hejduk goal from being a somewhat decent tournament. That's a fact. The main question is that if he leads Costa Rica to qualification, American soccer will gain as much respect as we gained from the WC. That is a fact
I find it interesting that he had offers to coach in MLS. "He added he had turned down various offers to coach in Major League Soccer because he wanted to concentrate on youth football and developing young talent." I guess he wasn't the soccer outcast that many have claimed in this country.
Huh? Huh? I still don't see how a Swede deserting England or a Frenchman abandoning Liverpool makes Steve Sampson a traitor.
Re: Re: Costa Rica hires former U.S. national coach Sampson It's pretty bad, but I guess $$ talks. That'll go a long way in Costa RIca.
Guys - I appreciate that Steve is a Yank, but I don't think this discussion belongs here. I'm going to move to USA Men for merging with the existing thread. Thanks.
"So here's what we'll do, guys: Paulo, you play up front. You six midfielders, play behind him, then..."
As the years go by, the 3-6-1 and Burns at RB just become funnier! I'm not going to say anything about the 3-6-1 and Paulo Wanchope being ideal for Sampson's tactics.....oops When a rival nation brings in one of our own..does this mean 'we have arrived'?
Sampson might do well? 1. Remember when he took over the USA? The USA never attacked like they did under Sampson his first year. Costa Rica has great attacking players. It could be a fit. 2. As for the Judas label. I disagree. He has to do what is best for him. Let's look at other Judases of note: Berti Vogts: Scotland Maldini: Uruguay Milotinovic: pick your country Carlos Queiroz: pick your country Clemons Westerhoff: The white witch doctor Paco Maturana: Ecuador Guus Hidink: pick your country
True - but this discussion is going on in multiple forums and my feeling is that it's not really something we would cover on Yanks Abroad. On the other hand, if he were coaching a club team, I think we would. Is it something you would like to have covered there?
I understand the needless double-posting is a problem, but I'd say Sampson is closer to being a Yank Abroad than ever having anything to do with the USMNT.
I actually hope Sampson has a great run in Costa Rica. He could actually blaze a trail for other coaches to get opportunities - heading or assisting a team - abroad, which is a great thing for American soccer. It will also be a GREAT rivalry when Costa Rica plays the US. I'm looking forward to it.
A couple of points - - He's no longer involved with the US team, why put this in that forum? He's a Yank Abroad! - He did a very creditable job qualifying for France '98. I doubt many coaches would have been able to handle some of the player issues and the timing of '98. Brown stuff happens - even to good teams. It wasn't like we got blown out of all our games - like Saudi Arabia. We got beat by a counter attacking Iran - not necessarily a better team. - Good Luck to Sampson and the Ticos in '06. May they finish second to the Yanks.