Inspired by the other thread on the youth tourney. We haven't hashed out the reasons we blow for a while now (still basking in the glory of run to the quarters in the WC, I suppose). So, why do we suck and soccer and will we ever not suck? How do you propose to fix problem short of brainwashing all those football, basketball, baseball loving parents and removing all the gameboys, computers and tv channels that detract from playing. Any glimmers of light on the horizon?
The great thing about threads of this sort is that we won't have to see many of them anymore (and if we do, we no longer have to take them seriously). After the USA's WC success--generally viewed as going out unlucky losers to Germany--the USA is no longer seen as a joke on the international scene. No one will be dismayed by having the USA in a future WC group, but no one will be relieved, either (Cameroon?). Further, only about eight leagues in the world--Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, England and Spain--are generally viewed as superior to MLS. All other leagues are either viewed as either roughly equal or clearly worse. I remember when Euro 2000 was happening, how there were a rash of articles in the worldwide press, and more specifically in the European press, going on and on about how terrible the USA is at soccer and what a crime it is that no one in the USA cares about the sport or the upcoming tournament. In these articles, MLS was trashed, right along with the general American cultural psyche. They went side by side with numerous Americans lamenting (although, in a serious way, unlike this thread) along the lines of the original post of this thread and looking for some glimmer of hope. Well, its a relief that those types of articles have been relegated to the ash heap of history. The USA doesn't suck at soccer. People in the USA don't think the USA sucks at soccer, and people abroad don't believe it. In 2004, instead of having discussions like those of 2000 when you had to even question your own sanity for defending USA men's soccer, we'll be talking about things like the USA's chances in Copa America 2004, the lineup for the qualifiers and, perhaps, about who will win the all-MLS TFC Champions Cup final.
Time heals all wounds, Nancy. We're getting better all the time. Sometimes, we're so close to the situation we can't see the big picture. As someone who has played/watched for close to 40 years, things have never looked better, although sometimes I go to a youth game and want to gag. Can you imagine 30 years ago: - Finding high quality soccer on tv on a regular basis? - Expecting the US to win international matches on a regular basis - People calling for the head of the US coach when he has a winning record - Finding soccer programs of varying intensity at just about every school - Finding soccer gear in almost every sporting goods store - Finding soccer specialty stores in most every town/region in America - Seeing soccer played in nearly every town, every week, at nearly every age level, in most towns in America - Soccer information available in "mainstream" newspapers and magazines - Soccer information on the internet - The expectation that future world cups will be played here - (add your own incredible fact here) - (and here) - (and here) - (etc.) We don't suck. Mexico sucks. After all, we beat them at every level, in all sorts of competitions. (Of course they don't suck, just making a point.)
We suck because Kobe Bryant and Michal Jorden and Garnett and Alonzo Morning all decided to play basketball and they would have been such good soccer players. And because Reyna is really a right back.
We still suck and want the world to know it! Don't fear us, don't even think about us, just think of your three points against us, and let your young players get some international experience.
I've posted this story before, and it's worth repeating. Back in the winter of 1999, when I was looking at camps for my son the following summer, I rang up Charlie Cooke, the great Scottish international, who is a key Coerver guy here in the states and lives in Ohio. We were chatting, and I expressed my hopelessness about our future prospects, lamenting how the '98 WC team just imploded, how our techical and tactical skills were just awful, and how we were never going to be a top nation in the soccer world. His reply? "I've spent a lot of time traveling all over this country and have seen a lot of players. Don't worry. The US is going to be a football power, and it's going to happen sooner than you think." Q.E.D.
Karl, while I'm sure he meant it and I happen to agree with him, if Cooke had said anything else he would have been an idiot as far as being a businessman. He's running soccer camps in this country, so you expected him to say what: "Damn straight pal. I only do these camps to laugh at the poor play of the yank kids. How many weeks can I sign you up for?" As for the actual point of the thread, we will never be a soccer power because Jim Rome leads a conspiracy of journalists and powerful figures intent on keeping the sport down. No less than 300, I say 300 people were killed when USMNT players were actually put on magazine covers. That NYT photo spread was rigged so the soccer haters can point to something to prove soccer is a "gay" sport. Trust no one... JMac
We suck because we are an instant gratification society that can never embrace the nuances of a game like soccer. We suck because we are obsessed with commericals, and there simply aren't enough for us to enjoy the game. We suck because there aren't enough meaningful stats for us to be able to fully enjoy the game. We suck because we only like winners, and couldn't possibly stand our teams not winning every competition out there. We suck because, as Americans, we simply can't participate in what the rest of the world feels to be the right game--in fact, we spurn it because the rest of the world likes it. We suck because there is no soccer culture in the USA. Did I miss any? these are the reasons why we suck, aren't they? I know that before the WC, Arse Wegner actually used two of these reasons as to why the USA was going home early.
Well, JMac, there's a concept known as "damning with faint praise" -- that is, he could have said, "Ah, laddie, you're not as bad as all that..." or "Things will look up...." No, I remember his Scottish brogue over the phone as if it were yesterday, and he said emphatically, that we would be a "power" in international football. He wasn't trying to butter me up, believe me.
Because Shamiqua and Jamal are playing soccer. Who would have thought we would ever see the year when, at least right now, the USA finished ahead of Argentina at the WC, and Argentina is ahead of an NBA team at the BB WC?
We suck because when we only needed a tie against an already eliminated team we got our asses kicked. Also we probably would not have made the quarterfinals, had we not met Mexico. Mexico is our Bitch, and we own them. I can only think of a few teams the US would've beat in the round of 16. Had we not gotten as lucky as we did, we very well could've not advance out of the first round, or not advanced to the q-finals. And that ladies and gentlemen is why we suck.
Um, Mexico was playing some of the most effective soccer in the tourny and we beat them. That's some nice negative attitude you got there! You don't think we could have handled a Denmark? Sweden? Senegal? Belgium? Who knows? Who CARES? we got the job done. Period.
Yeah Mexico was playing some good soccer, but we know them so well that it didn't matter. Anyway, Mexico actually dominated the game against us (ie. possesion), but we frustrated the hell out of the with our stalwart defense. Read my post again. I said I could only think of a few teams that we would beat and the teams you listed are definitely the teams that I would think of. Belgium- probably Senegal - maybe not (they proved to be strong) Sweden - probably not Denmark - probably not
Don't be so sure, they beat Uruguay and France and tied with Senegal. The US has the ability to beat them, but it is far from a garauntee(sp?) These guys tied both England and Argentina. I'm not quite sure if the US has the ability to accomplish the same feat.
you got buttered so good, you're running around telling everyone how there is no way you were buttered.
Huh?? "Running around?" I relayed a story. I was the one who had the conversation, you weren't. I was there, you weren't. Change your screen name to "flanovermyhead."
Ouch that hurts. I was just explaining why we suck. Do a lot of other teams suck more than we do? Yup. Do we still suck compared to the top teams? Yup.
Damn straight. Thank god for the ref who called the Italy - whatever it was game that helped this happen. Oh and have I told a Korean how much I love their team lately?