Norway NT coach informed this morning on Norwegian tv that Norway will meet USA. No date but I guess the match will be played in late May.
That's funny, this time last year everybody was complaining that we needed to play more European team in Europe.
It's probably just a ploy to make Taylor feel good about himself. After all, half of his international goals have come against Norway.
I wasn't one of them. I don't see what difference it makes to be honest. Last world cup, the crowd was nuetral against the Czechs and Ghana, and decidedly pro-USA vs. Italy. Just get better players.
LOL, yeah! He has a hat trick against them, and a goal vs Japan, is that it? Well, at least it is another match, and it's bein gplayed in Europe so not too bad.
Anybody know how rabid Norwegians get about their team? I'm not too enthused about the competition, but the location could make this easily worthy.
Yeah, I think we just need to get to where we are winning away to Mexico. That should provide all the hostile environment experience we need.
Yeah, i agree. But i have a question, why is everyone so concerned about us playing in hostile crowds? To help us with the World Cup? Because in all reality, we are probably gonna have just as many fans as the other team from now on, unless it is a host. And in wc2006, we had the most fans vs Italy, and Ghana, and the Czech was about split, so yes it's cool to play more games away in Europe, and only helps us, but it's not like the hostile crowd is why we lost, or because we played on grass in europe.
I think just the environment of being away helps us, with the "hostility" factor being an added incentive. Plus playing in front of pro-other team crowds in the States, or against teams in Mexico and Central America is much different in terms of atmosphere and "feel" than playing games in Asia, Europe or Africa for that matter. That's just my take.
Playing away is good as teams usually play better in a home environment. This is a good game for us. MLS will be in full swing and the Euro season will be winding down or over. The U-23 qualifying will have been finished.
To that end, it will help us more so in qualifying than anywhere else I think, where we have to play infront of those wackos in Costa Rica and Guatemala. Because of club soccer, I don't think any of our senior players should have too much of a problem acclimating to a hostile environment. About the only I can think of off hand would be Jozy Altidore. The other impact MLS player we have is Landon Donovan, and he's been there done that. Personally, I think we're starting to schedule so many away matches because our side is now mostly a European side, and Bob doesn't want to piss off his players' coaches by forcing players to travel half way across the world for friendlies, when he'll already be doing that for qaulifying matches. It sucks as a fan because we don't get to see our boys take on the best in the world too often, but that's just just life I guess.
the complaint all along is usa rarely goes and travels to play enough good teams... i suspect the spain june 4 match will be preluded by norway... what a contrast of styles between those two!!
Home teams normally play better because they are more comfortable and want to impress the fans. Even though many of our guys who will play there have Euro experience it is still very tough to pack up and meet, have only a couple of days practice in a foreign environment and play that teams A squad. Not a comfortable a situation. Requires more mental preparation and toughness. We sorely lacked this in BA's 2nd "feel good about ourselves" cycle. Very good tests. If anything was missing in 2006 it was a tougher mental attitude IMO. I can stand losing, I get the missing key players, the bad luck this time around, but in general we played like a bunch of patsies. A bunch of home fed, mamas boys who were menatlly suspect IMO. That, I don't like. Nothing changes that but playing matches like this regularly. No substitute. If you don't have the players overall, you better freaking have the will to fight, experience in that environment and nerve to compete. This is how you help instill that. A coach who can think on the fly, read a game properly and make the ptoper changes and adjustments helps also. Didn't have it in BA, not sure we have that now unfortunately either.
I was just on youtube, checking out the latest video from MLS and this D-bag from Norway.. had to say this (at the very bottom). Why do foreigners keep complaining about how much they think we suck at soccer? Why don't they admit the real reason they say such things? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6M0ivEMdm0 hnick01 (1 hour ago) Show Hide Marked as spam Reply | Spam "American Football, what you call soccer, sucks seriously donkey balls. Search Cristiano Ronaldo/Fernando Torres/Gerrard for the pro football players. David Beckham is so last 90's."
I really want to keep beating teams in Europe to shut these people up in Europe. Can we beat these teams? I think we can and will.
The last time we played Norway, 2006, it was a match between domestic sides. The American MLS player destroyed Norway domestic league players 5-0. It looks like American soccer is better than Norweigian football. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280688.html
First norway got idiots like all oter countrys and unfortunalty it seems that one of does feels like showing of his stupidity buy insulting MLS. First that was a friendly game and those are not a good tool to compere leagues. Second that squad is far from the best squad of players from the norwegian league. What league is beat MLS or Tippeligaen ? Well considering that no competatove games have been played between teams from ouer 2 countrys it`s really hard to say. But personaly i hold ouer league to be sligthy better then the MLS.