I may be wrong on this but from what I've seen, the USA has the longest unbeaten streak in the world right now at 12 matches. While we haven't had to go through a Euro Chamionship or Copa America lately, like many of the top teams in the world, it is still one hell of an accomplishment, considering where we've been in the past. I believe this streak says more about our program than our run in the 2002 World Cup. 13-OCT-04 WASHINGTON DC (USA) USA vs. Panama 6:0 (1:0) 09-OCT-04 SAN SALVADOR (El Salvador) El Salvador vs. USA 0:2 (0:1) 08-SEP-04 PANAMA CITY (Panama) Panama vs. USA 1:1 (0:0) 04-SEP-04 FOXBORO/BOSTON (USA) USA vs. El Salvador 2:0 (1:0) 18-AUG-04 KINGSTON (Jamaica) Jamaica vs. USA 1:1 (0:0) 11-JUL-04 CHICAGO (USA) USA vs. Poland 1:1 (0:0) 20-JUN-04 ST. GEORGE'S (Grenada) Grenada vs. USA 2:3 (1:2) 13-JUN-04 COLUMBUS (USA) USA vs. Grenada 3:0 (1:0) 02-JUN-04 FOXBORO/BOSTON (USA) USA vs. Honduras 4:0 (2:0) 28-APR-04 DALLAS (USA) USA vs. Mexico 1:0 (0:0) 31-MARS-04 PLOCK (Poland) Poland vs. USA 0:1 (0:1) 13-MARS-04 MIAMI (USA) USA vs. Haiti 1:1 (0:0)
In the quote above I deleted every word from your post except for the names of our opponents. I don't think anything else is required to demonstate why this streak, while nice, is not really all that impressive, and is lightyears less signifigant than our run in WC2000.
1. It was 2002 (a WC run in 2000 would be very impressive. ) 2. It is significant because in 2002 we did good because we were a little lucky...In 2004, we have been a little lucky because we are good. We now have the confidence to win matches that we would have never won in the past. During the 2002 run we were a counter-attacking team that bunkered a lot. The only matches we didn't bunker at times were against Poland (we know what happened there) and Germany (they were protecting a 1-0 lead and doing some bunkering of their own). This year, for the most part, we have been taking the action to our foes. This 12 game run has given our players more confidence than WC2002 did because of how we are winning more so than who we are beating.
Is this unhealthy? Will the team stagnate if it isn't challenged? With the hex coming up I wouldn't expect this to last too long, but it actually worries me some.
I would worry more if we were winning 4-0 & 6-0 all the time. But, that hasn't really been the case for most of the streak. We may not be playing world-beaters, but we've been in some tough matches. I think the late draw at Panama really helped us mentally. We now know that if we don't bring our 'A' game against every foe, we can be beaten...even to teams that we can beat 6-0.
The Mexico and the Poland matches were quality results, especially since all three were played in front of crowds dominated by fans for the opponent. And results in WC qualifying are always quality. The streak is impressive enough, and it certainly is a nice reflection of the level of US soccer at the moment.
More impressive to me is the fact that USA hasn't lost to a CONCACAF team post-911. A 28 game unbeaten streak in our region! The last time we lost was against Costa Rica in Saprissa (September 2001). The fact that our last loss was to Holland in Amsterdam (Rotterdam?) is also a nice factoid.
Provided that the Kessell run is a unit of distance, a parsec is a unit of time. A light year is a unit of distance. But then, is a mile longer than a minute?
Be careful when correcting others, they may know what they're talking about (Also don't use Star Wars for rocket science or astrophysics, unless you think an X-wing fighter is really going to bank to turn in space) A parsec is NOT a unit of time. From dictionary.com (or one of many other dictionaries) par·sec (noun) Pronunciation Key (pärsk) A unit of astronomical length based on the distance from Earth at which stellar parallax is one second of arc and equal to 3.258 light-years, 3.086 × 1013 kilometers, or 1.918 × 1013 miles Or if you prefer...its 206,265 astronomical units. Tmagic77 was right... a parsec is longer/further than a lightyear.
Right. If that definition is confusing to you, here's what a parsec is. Take a right triangle with one leg equal to one astronomical unit (93M miles) the second leg is equal to one parsec if the angle between the hypotenuse and the parsec side is equal to one second.
It is impressive, even considering the competition. The way we've come back several times shows the character of this team. The game in Mexico is the only game I'm scared of in the hex, we really shouldn't lose any others. Wouldn't it be something if we went into the rumored match with England next summer with a twenty game streak. So what's the longest streak of all time by any team?
The Star Wars geeks usually defend this apparent misuse of parsec by claiming that a ship as fast as the Millenium Falcon would allow a pilot to choose a shorter course for the Kessel run. The Kessel run is located in an area with lots of black holes so the functional event horizon for a faster ship would have a smaller radius and would allow for a shorter path.
In the 50s Hungary lost one match during a period of 3 years. I don't know how many were in a row, but that has to be one of the longest runs on one of the sides of their WC loss.
With only the first Poland match being played outside the USA. While there were plenty of Mexican supporters in Dallas and plenty of Polish supporters in Chicago, these games were still played on US soil, which should give an advantage. Interestingly enough, the goalkeepers in these matches were Friedel against Poland in Poland (1-0 win) Walker in Dallas against Mexico (1-0 win) Howard in Chicago against Poland (1-1 draw)
Or, alternatively, by claiming that Solo was just trying to snow (what he thought to be) a couple of rubes with a bunch of made-up BS.
I'd always assumed the Kessel Run was interplanetary, and that he should have made a left turn at Albuquerque...
...and fitness level. Team character + fitness level goes a long way to explain the consistent results of this team, particularly against some of our stronger competition.
Cheers to the BigSoccer Geek Nation. This is soooooo different than my Dallas Cowboys discussion board.