Poll: How do you look at the US

South Korea somehow achieved that feat (possibly with a little help as well if you know what I mean), and that's how they became a rising team.

 

This is a good point. Mexico has never made it to the Semis before (and has only made it the QFs when the WC is held in Mexico). I'm assuming that neither Poland nor Croatia have ever made it that far either since Polar Bear mentioned them.

 

....and we might have been in the SF game against South Korea if a certain ref hadn't ruled a certain hand-ball in a certain QF match "unintentional" (that's if you believe he saw it just like he admitted he did).

 

Croatia got 3rd place in the 1998 World Cup. Poland got 3rd place in two World Cups as well.

 

If the US did not lose to Germany in 2002, I would have put the US as a rising team. But they did not.

 

Ok....I had forgotten about Croatia (1998....not good memories)....and how long ago was Poland?

Another thing, seems to me that Polar Bear is right and you've got your wires crossed as to what is a rising team and what is a declining team.

Mexico......maybe it's just the rise of the USA as a good team, but they seem on the decline to me.

Croatia......it seems to me that their glory days were in 1998. I don't know much about the current team, are you suggesting they're rising again? (And what kind of evidence do you have to back this up?)

Poland.....their glory days are in the past too. They may be on the rise again (if you say so), but in our last 4 games against them (all since 2002) we've had 1 loss in the 2002 WC, 2 wins (both in Europe...1 in Poland, 1 in Germany), and 1 tie at home in the US. That puts us at least even with them doesn't it? (I would say it puts us ahead of them.)

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/03/23/profile.croatia/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/04/10/profile.mexico/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/01/06/profile.poland/index.html


Read these articles, then maybe you could get some idea...

 

Not to be insulting, but are you high on something?

Neither article suggests that either team is on the rise. It more or less points to stagnation and decline within both of those teams and that if the newer players brought in to the teams can have a good world cup this summer then they'll have turned it around (and be "on the rise"). I mean....just look at the headline for the Croatia article ("Croatia no longer a Euro darling, but still packs punch").

The article on Poland also doesn't suggest that they're a rising team......it suggests they're a solid side capable of doing well but we'll have to see this summer if they're "on the rise." And I'll repeat....based on our record against them recently, if you consider them a rising team wouldn't you have to consider us one as well? [especially when you factor in our recent record (since 2000) against Mexico and South Korea....2 of your other "rising teams"....which we have demonstrated we are at least as good as]

 

Yes, but since Mexico didn't, you are retracting them as a rising team now, right?

 

Croatia looks more like a one hit wonder than a team on the rise. However, at least there are no gaps in their qualifying for the WC. In the Euro Cup, well that's a different story.

Poland's semifinal finishes were in 1978 and 1982. Don't the non-appearances in 1990, 1994 and 1998 more than cancel those out? How can you be rising when you are not even in the WC for 16 years? And what did Poland do in that last appearance. They went out in the first round and with Germany, Costa Rica and Ecuador in their group, I wouldn't be surprised to see them out again.

 

Why are you arguing with someone who has brought you down to their level.I was ROFLMFAO when I just came back in here and found this slanging match going on.None of the three teams he mentioned are "rising" teams.At best they are adequate teams.The US topped CONCACAF,so there goes his Mexico argument.Poland wouldn't beat our womans team and Croatia,whilst were a top side,and still are a reasonable side are by no means what they were in 1998.And they are actually on the down side of an era,not coming into one.

 

I don't know if you're including me, but I've been ROFLMFAO as I discover how deep his idiocy goes.

(Consider it a public service......we're containing him in this thread so he doesn't go out and continue contaminating other threads. )

 

Thank you for your patience. It is with great sorrow and embarrassment that I admit that I have waisted almost 6 hours on this dribble.

I now release this thread from its hijacking and bare no responsibility for any further continuation of said dribble.

Please fill free to post "How do you look at the US".

Thanks again for your continued patience and have a good day.

 

The US is still a mediocre team, and if they fail to get out of the Group of Death, they still will be a mediocre team. I have yet to see them prove that they are rising team, if they ever make it to the semifinals. The only teams they have proven to beat for sure are pushover teams, and from how they have been performing they drew with Jamaica, a mediocre team as well.

 

Agreed, as you see with Greece winning Euro 04, everyone saids all the right pieces fell into place and that they were lucky instead of giving them praise.

 

Can you stop making such ignorant posts please, you have no intelligence about the United States soccer team, particularly with your comment about Tim Howard being one of the best players when he may be the #3 goalkeeper come June.

 

This is an example of what's wrong with all your arguments and what's driving everyone nuts about your posts. Your opinions are not necesarily wrong (of course not, they're opinions), or stupid (some are though), but your justifications certainly are. Of course Mexico is not a pushover, but the reason is not because Mexicans are more passionate about football compared to Americans.

 

I really do not care if ac2004 labels us as a mediocre team , and labels teams that we have beaten recently as better . thats probably the stupidest ranking system Ive ever seen , and I dont really care . I really hope we can win the world cup , beat Italy , the Czechs , Brazil , france , England and Argentina , so we can be labeled a rising team

 

but the thing is, many people get so carried away...american fans, italian fans..it happens so much that it's not really interesting anymore.

 

that's not really a fair judgement though, wither group C is better or not, group E is still a group of death. Nigeria and Argentina failed to make it out of their group 4 years ago, but in no way is Argentina a mediocre team for doing so. Nigeria is still technically one of the better teams in the world, skill wise, they just have a disciplinary problem, which is probably why they didn't qualify this time around.

I would say that unless the US completely pulls a WC '98 this time around, they're still a good team. To make it out of a group a death, no matter how you look at it, you NEED some type of luck.

 

From what you guys are saying, are you really labelling Mexico as a mediocre team? You guys have said that Mexico is not a rising team, and not a pushover team as well. Would it make you guys any happier if I label the US as a rising team and Mexico as a mediocre team? I believe Mexico has had somewhat of a decent history of beating Powerhouse teams.

 

sometimes the team with the better players don't win...just ask any team that played Greece during the last Euro.

Key word is still "team". I don't think US has any ego's on the team (minus LD maybe), they will work for each other. A team of "7's" can beat a team of "8's" if the "8's" don't work for each other.

 

ovrarated for the most part l

 

I guess you're still mad because we beat your team last month....

 

lol no way you won and we didnt have the best team but w/e