Well, as I Mexican i gotta say that we aren't. Still long way to go, but we are on the good path at least.
Meh. If winning Youth tournaments and the Olympics translated into "taking over the soccer world" Nigeria would have been World Cup Champions a while ago. Not taking anything away from Mexico. They have done a Brilliant job in all their championships.
Congratulations to Mexico! I say that as a proud USMNT supporter, without the hate. I'm proud that Honduras and Mexico got as far as they did in the Olympic tournament, they were reppin' CONCACAF pretty hard. I would be routing for the US, but we didn't qualify and that's on us. If Brazil won, we'd be enduring years of how Neymar is the next Pele... and the Spanish were exposed... finally. All in all I don't take the Olympics soccer as seriously as I take the World Cup, but their achievements of Mexico's youth programs shouldnt be diminished.
like the tv announcer said, the bulk of this team will probably represent Mexico in WC14. We have our work cut out, there is no denying we are falling behind again. Our problem is our program is developing, just not fast enough.
In the last 14 months, Mexico has won the U17 WC, Concacaf olympic tournamnet, Toulon tournamnet, Olympic gold, Gold Cup and placed 3rd at the U20. The scary part is that most of these players are from a generation after their Golden Generation that won the U17 WC in 2005.
Mexico proved it will be strong for years to come. It'll be interesting to see what the US has up their sleeve in response and no I'm not talking about naturalizing more Germans. US Soccer has to focus on developing homegrown talent.
One very important point... The entire roster (except gio) is home grown and plays in Liga MX. A strong local league shows its value.
The EPL is (considered to be) the strongest local league in the world and all of their players are homegrown. They're not doing very well though...
Yea... Mexico did well & has some good young talent but are they actually the best even on the u23 level? Sure, you can say that statitically now, but lets be honest, no. There was alot of luck involved in this Olympic tourny. Im not downplaying but I wont even acknowledge them as being the best younger team in the world. Just because they beat Brazil doesnt mean they are better, however overrated Brazilian youngsters maybe atm. The US U23's beat this side 2-1 prior to Olympic qualifying remember. I honestly think the US couldve have just about done as good. The audacity someone like Grant Wahl has to say Mexico is one of his favorites to win the WC in 2014 now is incredibly rediculous. Lets calm down, they are still far from being even close to one of the best in the world.
LOL @ Grant Wahl... What it does look like, if anything... is that Brazil ain't going to win the next world cup.
This is the kind of mentality that lead US fans to make ridiculous conclusions, this Mexican team has played 5 youth tournaments in 14 months, winning 4 and placing once in 3rd place. There is absolutely nothing you can point to in order to concluded that the US would have done this good. Sure, a team can get lucky in 1 tournament, but not in 5. It all comes down to Mexico producing great young talent and the US not doing so.
This Brazil U-23 team also beat the US senior team 4-1 on American soil. I'm an American born and raised Mexican so I like to see both teams do well. Right now I peg Mexico as a darkhorse and possible semifinalist in Brazil 2014.
Does this generation of Brazilians look like World beaters to you? I thought the last World Cup brazil team was too good, and then look at what happened.
Contenders for 2014? Really? Maybe they can make it to the Quarters or something but winning the whole thing? That will take some convincing.
Well if you were wrong then, why will it be any different in 2014? Here are a few things to the consider: - This is the U23 team + 3 dispensation players - 2014 is 2 years from now - This U23 kicked our asses 4-1 - Lately I haven't seen too many teams looking like world beaters, 'cept for Spain
First off 2 of those tourny's are strictly CONCACAF. 1 is the Toulon, which no one takes seriously. They finished 3rd in U20 not 1st. I am talking strictly about U23's in which the other tournaments besides the Olympic games are irrelevant. It is a majority opinion that with the US' talent, they shouldve made it to the Olympics. They just had multiple problems that had a lot more to do with tactics & such than on the field skill. Look at who would have been eligible for the US for this Tourny.. The youth quality from quality clubs within Europe. & European pedigree. Pay attention. Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar) Freddy Adu (ex Benfica, current Philadelphia Union) John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin) Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna) Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim) Danny Williams (Hoffenheim) Brek Shea (FC Dallas, linked with several European sides) Jared Jeffrey (Mainz) Mikkel Diskerud (Rosenborg) Joe Corona (Tijuana) Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA, see Brek Shea) Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin) Andrew Wooten (Kaiserslautern) Conor Doyle (Derby County) Sebastien Lletget (West Ham) Josh Gatt (Molde) & then 3 overrage players They have players all in the Mexican league who in some cases dont play quality minutes yet. We have multiple players at the U23 level already playing good minutes in good leagues around the world & doing quite well. Its perfectly within reason to say the US could do just as well.
You are applying the transitive property. US>Mex, Bra>US .... Bra>Mex????? Clearly the transitive property has been violated. Therefore, it does not apply to futbol. QED/Proof by Contradic
Hats off to mexico for the win. What pains the most is that if our defense wasn't horrible, we could have qualified and done well at the olympics, and we did beat mexico like a week b4 qual started but that might have been a fluke. We are lagging behind them in youth soccer but that's pretty much always been the case no? Not hitting the panic button yet
Im sorry? What? Never did I say the US is better than Mexico. I am just clarifying that the US could have gone just about as far in the Olympics in response to someone who disagreed. I dont know where you pulled this from.
That friendly meant nothing, and when you say the US would do just as good you mean they could beat Brazil for the gold? no way.