the olympics is meaningless! nobody takes it seriously and you can tell by the people winning it (african teams for the past few years, with the help of the refs of course) Copa America is a tournament with history, tradition, intensity, hostile atmosphere and physical play. It would be great for Bruce to take an all mls team with young players. here is what someone posted "US wins Copa America? Barely a ripple in the mainstream media. US wins at the Olympics? Major media exposure." wrong. US wins olympics and it will get media exposure, but nobody cares about soccer anyway. US wins copa america and the US gets major exposure among the hispanic population and wins respect for the USA team and MLS.
Copa America is in middle of MLS season. I don't think it's that significant here in US. I think having all the star players missing will have effect on the attendance.
Copa America! If we do well in that, we will gain respect. If we do well in the Olympics, it won't change how people think of us.
Well, to take it in a different direction, the COpa is a senrior squad tournament that helps us ranking wise and potentially in seeding in furture World Cups. But, it is in the middle of the MLS season. Also, it will earn us more respect internationally; but Americans won't care. AS for the Olympics, mass coverage in the U.S.; if we do well, back home the Olympics will be regarded as a bigger deal; just as they were last time. Who cares about winning the international hearts, win them back home.
Abroad people will respect the US team for doing well in Copa America, but the casual sports fan (the fan that US Soccer, MLS and all the other soccer powers that be here in the US are trying to win over won't even know what it is). For US Soccer we're already gaining respect abroad and at home with our showing in the World Cup last year. But if you ask me, I think continuing to build support behind our national teams is the key to building the most respect. That starts at home, not with other country's opinions of our teams. The Olympics is a much more recognized tournament here in the US, and that would win over more people than Copa America. But this topic is kind of pointless because the tournaments are for two different age groups of which only a few players will overlap into both.
more important to soccer fans: copa america more important to the mainstream media: olympics an olympic win could do more for getting media attention and drawing in more fans. but we're definetly going to both.
"Abroad people will respect the US team for doing well in Copa America, but the casual sports fan (the fan that US Soccer, MLS and all the other soccer powers that be here in the US are trying to win over won't even know what it is)" difficult choice doing well in copa america: respect from soccer fans abroad and the hispanic population in the usa doing well in the olympics: more media coverage for the people that aren't soccer fans in the usa. it all depends on wether you think doing well in the olympics will get mls more new non-soccer fans or doing well in copa america getting more new hispanic fans.
Olympics - U23 team. Copa America - senior team. Save for the three overage players we may or may not use in Athens, where is the conflict?
The answer is definitely play in both. Doing well in either or both competition is a win-win all around. As stated before, the olympics would get the US team some decent media exposure and the Copa America would help us gain respect in the soccer world and maybe a little bit of media attention. I think doing well would help raise general awarness of soccer in this country, but I don't think it would be th type of thing that would draw large amount of fans who weren't into soccer or cause Latinos who prefer other league to watch the MLS or become USMNT fans.
Well a number of players on the senior team are U-23s, notably Donovan and Beasley (and I believe Quaranta will be a regular for the senior squad by this time next year). IMO any player who is in our first 11 by this time next year should go to the Copa America, but any U-23 guys who aren't in the first 11 (even if they're regularly-used subs) should go to the Olympics. This probably means only Donovan and Beasley would be going to the Copa from our U-23 contingent.
Even though Donovan & Beasely are eligible for U-23, I don't think anybody really thinks of them as U-23 players because of their contributions to the senior team. I don't really see it as a problem. Donovan and Beasely go to the Copa America, the more prestigious tournament.
I think we should go to Copa and forget the olympics. The Copa America is a prestigious tournament that if we do well, it will give us more respect not only to latino fans but also to American born fans that only watch the Euro leagues. It's these REAL fans that MLS needs and not the soccer-mom types. Also, even though the olympics is more well known, fact is that the nats will be greatly overshadowed by gymnastics, track/field, and the dream team. So who's kidding who when some suggest that this will bring exposure to our team?
Unless there is a MAJOR scheduling conflict, I feel we can & should play in both tournaments!! Each tournament has its' own important points, in terms of national pride, prestige & status and SHOULD be treated as revelant IMHO!! However, as a sidenote, if there can ONLY be one choice, my vote goes for the Copa America tournament. Not so sure that our national team will be safe in Greece, considering all the anti-American bias in that region of the world.
I can see the MLS altering schedules a little next year to avoid too many games during the Copa America. The amount of games was less during the WC if I rememeber correctly. How long does the Copa America take, two weeks? Play a reduced schedule have the teams only play one game during that time.
I think I heard that last year. And the year before. He was playing better two years ago than he is today.
I disagree, MLS (and our National Team) need to attract to largest cross section of fans from the "American born fans that only watch the Euro leagues"- (so why would they care about the Copa America????) to the soccer moms. So once again, play BOTH. We have both a senior and a U-23 team. Send the senior team to the Copa America and the U-23 to the Olympics. We have nothing to lose by plaing both. It's a win - win situation. Doing well in the Copa America may help us gain respect with hard core fans and help our national reputation. However, it will do little to draw attention from the mainstream media. And while we Olympic soccer would have trouble gaining attention when competeing with the more popular Olympic sports, if we medal, we'll still get a ton more mainstream media attention than if we won the Copa America- a tournament that means little to most mainstream US fans. When we came close to winning a bronze in Sydney, I was surprised at the number of mentions US soccer got in the media.
Shouldn't the U.S. qualify for the Olympics first before we start debating whether or not to send a team? The Oly's start some time around 8/15 and end around 8/30. Copa America is usually a July tournament. I've not seen when it will be played in 2004. Where is the conflict? Unless Copa America is played in August, this whole thread is pointless. But since we're here, what is wrong with no U23s playing in Copa America, save maybe Donovan, Beasley, and/or Convey? I could see some of the other starters and key subs being good enough for the senior team by the middle of 2004. But in reality, I don't see Arena calling in many if the US were in Copa America. He didn't use many U23s for WCQ's in July, August, and September 2000 with the Oly's (September 2000) right around the corner. What's wrong with a limited number of U23s playing in both? Only injury and pissing off MLS clubs for losing players two times. Too bad for the MLS clubs. As you see from the US squad for Wales, Arena does experiment. As far as the US is concerned, Copa America is an experiment to get ready for World Cup qualifying. Just like the Confederations Cup and to an extent the Gold Cup. CONCACAF World Cup qualifying will probably begin early in 2004 and might actually conflict with Copa America. Don't forget, WCQ's for 2002 were played in July of 2000. This would be more of a conflict than the Oly's vs. Copa America. Don't be surprised to see the U.S. miss Copa America again.
The Olympics are August 13-29. What are the dates for Copa America? I would be surprised if they are in late August because so many of the top South American internationals play in Europe and their federations likely want to avoid conflicts that keep their teams from the beginning of the Euro season. If there is a conflict in dates between Copa America and Athens, you can bet the rent that players like Donovan, Beasley, Convey, Martino (he'll be a big part of the senior squad by then) and whomever the overage - if Mooch uses them - players are, will play in the Olympics. Again, if there is a conflict, bet the rent the players are sent to Athens. The USSF has put a lot of focus, energy and money on this crop of U23s doing well at the 2004 Games. It's part of their "master plan" and they want the bump with the mainstream media, fans and, most importantly, sponsors, in this country that doing well in the Olympics provides. The senior team, because it's open to players of all ages, has a bigger pool of players from which to pick so it's a lot easier for Bruce to replace a Donovan or Beasley than it is for the U23 side. (The irony of this is that our U23 team is deep enough that a player who is left off the Olympics roster could still end up being on the senior team in Copa America. Doubtful, but it could happen.) Again, there isn't much debate here about what will actually happen but I'd like to know what the dates for CA are just so we know what exactly it is we're getting all bunched about.
In an attempt to play to the Latino community and at the same time give some of our fringe players some experience, this is the team we ought to field in Copa America. PLAYER (CAPS) POS TEAM Chris Armas (47) M Chicago Fire Jose Burciaga D Kansas City Wizards Ramiro Corrales (3) D/M San Jose Earthquakes Landon Donovan (34) F San Jose Earthquakes Carlos Bocanegra (12) D Chicago Fire Nick Garcia (4) D Kansas City Wizards Gavin Glinton F/M Los Angeles Galaxy Francisco Gomez M Kansas City Wizards Diego Gutierrez (1) D/M Kansas City Wizards Daniel Hernandez M New England Revolution Carlos Llamosa (29) D New England Revolution Pablo Mastroeni (19) M Colorado Rapids Joe-Max Moore (100) F New England Revolution Orlando Perez D/M Chicago Fire Claudio Reyna (92) M Sunderland (England) Nick Rimando (2) GK DC United Ryan Suarez D Dallas Burn Johnny Walker GK Colo Colo (Chile) There are no Latino forwards who are US citizens who play regularly (unless they’re playing somewhere in Latin American and I don’t know about them) so we’re taking Donovan because he speaks fluent Spanish and Moore because his wife is Bolivian. Lame, yes, but what are ya’ gonna do? Glinton gets included because his parents are from Guyana and, well, that IS in South America! Plus, with this roster, we need all the forwards and right mids we can get! Walker is included because he’s played and starred in Chile for so long and he’s practically a citizen anyway. And we need another GK! Of the 18, 11 have been capped. Of the other seven, Suarez and Hernandez have been invited to national team training camps recently and Walker is reportedly “on the radar screen” of Arena. Of the remaining four, Burciaga – when healthy – is a starter at the U23 level, Gomez was a U17 and U20 national teamer and Glinton part of the U20 pool. BTW, if he manages to get citizenship by next July, I’d probably find a spot on this roster for Antonio Martinez of the Burn.
Copa America may be big with all the Latino fans, but I doubt it is note worthy to the British and Northern European fans. Europe has Euro 04 which will take most of the soccer interest during the summer of 04, and then the Olympics is in Greece in August. Probably not a lot of Euro interest in South America. The Olympics is a must. USSF and MLS need to look at Copa America, and, if invited, should be evaluate participating. It could even be a good warm up for the Olympic team.
Why would we care about the European opinion? Its about Latino fans in the US who would be the potential target audience. But I do agree the Olympics is the more important tournament for the US to do well in. What are the chances the Copa would even be on TV in the US?
where will Landon Donovan, DMB, Bobby Convey play? All could playin the Olympics, but the full senoir squad is much better with their inclusion. So there is a conflict, assuming you want to win