How patriotic for the shortsighted Crapids! I guess Mastroeni will be back for them this Saturday & we're out Bobby & Ernie. I think Pablo will need to move teams to get called up for Nats duty regular. The Bruce has decided wisely - ouch! Maybe Mastroeni would like DC? http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=68414 "The Rapids chose not to release Mastroeni until after their match against Kansas City on Wednesday. In the interest of fairness to both clubs, as well as the desire to have continuity in our training camp, I decided to remove all four players from the roster," said Arena, who is expected to finalize the roster for the June 20 return leg in Grenada on June 13. Still, the only guy I feel bad for is Tony Meola.
I recognize these words individually but they make no sense in this order. Bruce does not really hold a grudge and if he needs Pablo later he will still call him up.
Why? He wasn't playing this week anyway. I was under the impression these changes were only for the first leg anyway. If I would feel bad for anyone, it would be the other three because they have a more realistic chance of playing beyond this round and are being punished because Hankinson doesn't have enough confidence in his team to win a game without Pablo.
LOL, yeah I think Meola was coming up on some legendary caps number I was looking at the Crapids board & people are really split down the middle on whether Hankinson/Crapids management made a mistake or not. What a laugh! Now, they have soured Pablo's chances of further Nats callups while he stays there & torpedoed their chances in one disputed game with KC. Their managers are idiots!!! Besides, who really wants what the Europeans have visa vi club relationships with their player's national teams? Remember all that crap with the EPL teams & African Cup of Nations - ugh! Honestly, I don't care if DC drops a couple IF we qualify for Germany. What could be more important? This is WC qualifying!!!!!!!
Yeah, but he wasn't going to get it this week. I don't think this has burt Pablo one iota Wolff and Zavagnin needed it more to prove something to Bruce. I think this is a tempest in a teapot.
we are playing Grenada, right? the same Grenada that's the lovely island nation in the Caribbean Sea? is this the same nation that has set its sights on winning it all by 2010?? i would really love to see the whole American soccer universe relax about the qualifying until we start playing teams from the mainland
Yes, this move is for the 6/13 roster; the 6/20 roster has yet to be announced. Except DC United and Columbus and possibly New Jersey somewhat get the short end. KC doesn't suffer, because they get their three back to play against Colorado on Wednesday and Columbus on Saturday. However, the Hejduk-less Crew get to face a full KC squad on Saturday (I guess Meola might have been released for it, but probably not the other two) and, more importantly, DC without Earnie and Bobby gets to face Colorado with Mastroeni. Walker, who wasn't going to be called at all, will probably now miss their match at San Jose. So, while Arena "evened things up" for the Wednesday game, didn't he just disadvantaged three teams instead of one next Saturday?
I'm with you on this one, rev. Of course, I want the US to go to Germany, but I want DC United to win the MLS Cup more than I want to see team USA qualify for the World Cup. I didn't really used to feel that way. I also used to admire players and coaches on other teams. Not now. I hate every team in the league besides United, and I hate every head coach besides Peter Nowak. I guess that's a sign the league is maturing.
I gotta agree with this line of thinking. I am having trouble understanding "fair" in this context. It seems like too many teams were affected for this to have been the best idea. DC gets hosed. On the other hand, I'm happy to have Pablo back for the Rapids given our poor away-game showing and given that DC hopes to step it up a bit. For a few more quotes on the aftereffects of Arena's decison, check out American Soccer News. Cheers, BilFish
Ask Nellie about that. The Kiwis are out because somebody found enough players in the Solomon Islands to field a team which just happened to beat them. If we start underestimating teams we could find ourselves bent over the visitor's bench getting a royal reaming - and nobody wants that.
I don't get the New Zealand comparisons...I mean no offense to any Kiwi's, but NZ really, really, really, really to the 100th power sucks. Also, those were not home and away matches. It was one big tourney and the NZ coach rested some of his players because there are what...5 games in 10 or 12 days? His second string that really must suck, played the first team of an island that sucks and they got beat. Then the Aussies tanked the last match so they wouldn't have to play NZ in the playoff. These teams all suck except for the Aussies (average at best) who thank GOD had the auto berth taken from them. That would have been the disgrace of a lifetime and an insult to all footballers. As it is the Aussies can't seem to beat any decent teams and qualify in what is basically a two game series to get to the most prestigous team event in the world. THEY STILL HAVE IT WAY EASY COMPARED TO ANYONE! The US is way above the Kiwi's and Grenada is probably a bit above Vanautu. Me thinks this not be problem over two legs. As has been said many times before - If we can't beat these guys we freakin suck and don't deserve to go. We are overrated, blah, blah, blah... Teams like ours simply do not lose matches like this. End of story.