Just out of curiosity I stayed up to watch the Telemundo tape delay of the US-Honduras match just to see what Andres and his new sidekick would say as the NATS thrased Honduras. Needless to say, I was not surprised by the negative comments. On the first goal, the sidekick said nothing of Cherundolo's perefect cross or McBride's clinical finish but that the goal was caused by the Honduras defense playing poorly and not jumping well to clear the ball. On the second goal, the sidekick said it was a great goal, but it was a result of the Hondurans just letting McBride run through them and not closing down the space. Then Andres, who sounds like he easily succumbs to some kind of peer pressure, said it looked as if the keeper just let the ball pass him (read: did not make much of an effort to keep the ball out of the net). I guess the bozo sidekick failed to realize the reason that McBride had so much space to work with was because of the killer! pass given to him by Casey. Oh well, I guess these nitwits and others will constantly come up with excuses as to why the US has beaten yet another Latin American team.
I think they were right. Honduras played horrible. Cantor even threw out that the conspiracy theory that the players are trying to get Bora out!
If you heard Carefully Cantor mentioned the the US was maybe the best team in Concacaf because they came from playing good games against the Netherlands and Poland, they were killing Honduras at that moment and even beaten Mexico... then the sidekick makes like a weird vocal expression after Andres Cantor mentions the Mexico game. Andre's Sidekick is nothng but a Mexican, feelieng that his team is now tottally outclassed.
Why are you surprised, this people feel like one of them, they only in America to make money not for the love of the country.
I watch every US game shown on Telemundo and the sidekick is a homer who's always a glass-half-full guy when it comes to appraising the US. Sometimes I think he's trying to reconjure Norberto Longo by always being so critical, but he pales in comparison. I have a lot more respect for Cantor. I think he's also been a lot more critical of US play this cycle, but then it was easier being the good cop when your partner was Norberto. Now with this homer to his side, maybe he's trying to cover both ends of the spectrum. I'd like to give Cantor the benefit of the doubt. The US is a big fish now and so open to a lot more criticism and maybe that's what he's driving at.
Telemundo's announcers cater to their demographic which is Latino viewers. Cantor and Alejandro Blanco aren't usually any worse than Rob Stone, Ty Keough, or any combo of US announcers that do our Nat games. Cantor repeatedly refers to the US as "la seleccion de todos" or "everyone's team" and Blanco referred to the USMNT as the steadiest team in CONCACAF making it clear that he was including Mexico and Costa Rica in the comparison. They do favor Mexican soccer but that's largely because they want to promote what Telemundo broadcasts. My main gripe with them is their preference for Latin American refs and criticism of US refs. It seems they do show bias in that department.
That is because they grew up with that type of refereeing their whole life. There is constant griping and complaining between the quality of SAmerican and Euro officials. It is just a matter of what you are used to. Both ref very differently. I still would much rather have a South American refereeing a US qualifier than ANY CONCACAF official that is not Canadian. Telemundo is just playing up to the hardcoe in their crowd. they are not commentating for the sophisticated. There is probably not much a reporter can say, no matter what the past results, and what is actually being seen on the field, to a fan who wants to believe in his way. When is the last time you ever got a Yankee or Red Sox fan agree on anything that takes place on the field, no matter what results or videotape shows. Everyone will always slant it their way no matter what the facts. Just the way it is. We'll keep winning, and they can keep talking. Remember, it is deep rooted in South and Central American footballing culture that "their" way is the right way to play. The US plays the "wrong" way, which is a more Euro style. It is a direct culture vs. culture clash on the field. A lot of suttle things happening there besides soccer. They do the same think for every Euro team not named Spain or France. Even the Dutch and Italians take their shots. Just like Euro's look down on all not named Argentina and Brazil.
Ummmm that really was the reason for the goal. McBride didn't really have to make much effort to rid himself of a mark or out leap him for the ball. The Honduran defense was very disorganized and amatuerish in its approach. Because of Bruce Arena being in charge and the growth of our players over the past 10 years the US is capable of playing a very technical game. Honduras was not last night for a number of reasons. At the beginning of the game, Honduras was doing a good job of choking off LD and the middle of the field, but the US was able to draw them out of their shape and make the long passes or quick attacks into the attacking third.
I would just love to see the faces of the thirld world couch potatos puking there guts out at the fact that we (USMNT) are getting to the point of being dominant in CONCACAF. White boys out there kicking there ass! As for the commentators. I think they are truly in shock at the state of the game where we're dominant. I find it quite amusing.
I think most Yankee and Sox fans agree that Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in too long during Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS...
I'm as big of a US homer as there is but really, that's the reason for the goal. Here's how you know: how high did McHead have to jump (while inside the box) to head the ball in the goal? 0 inches.
If you watched a tight closeup of McBride's header being taken and hadn't watched the game, you would never believe it was a shot on goal in a real game. It looked like he was doing a drill. Almost like he had a $10 bet with someone that he could head the ball to a specific spot. I've never seen anything like it in a real match. He was rediculously open, but he was still rediculously cool with the finish.
Hey, I saw the Telemundo broadcast as well, and there were several compliments given to our players - that they mentioned the lapses on Honduras' part only shows their ability to analyze. USUALLY a goal is scored at least partly because of a defensive lapse of some kind, slow speed, bad positioning, etc. One thing I noticed that Cantor mentioned, often, was how lopsided the crowd support was. He said more than once, "The U.S. has a good team now, why aren't more of their fans here to see them?" He did mention Sam's Army by name, called them "very faithful", but seemed honestly puzzled that so many in the crowd were obviously purely pulling for Honduras. He also said that there is no longer any "giant" in CONCACAF, but that the U.S. is clearly, in his opinion, the dominant team now. That's pretty fair, IMHO>
You would be very hard pressed to find a more pro U.S. Country on this Planet than Honduras. More than a few Hondureños relish the fact that the USMNT has been dominate over Mexico these last few years because they view their fans as being arrogant and patronizing (remind you of anyone )
Exactly..I thought the criticism to Honduras/mild praise to the US for the 1st goal was justified...Still, i remember nice comments re: the accuracy of Cher's cross and the coolness of BMB to finish.... The criticism of the 2nd goal was the one that i didn't like as much..YEs, there were some liberties given to the US by Honduras (all game really) but it was a nice goal.... Overall though, i thought at times they were fair as already mentioned by some of the quotes put here by posters.... I recall a few comments such as (roughly tranlated): -"The US plays with great order and tactical savvy, but every single time, they show more and more technical ability "(and this one came from the pro-Mexico dude) - "The US is having a picnic/ training session with Honduras....It's like they know they do not have to overexert themselves" -"The US has prepared itself in a serious manner vs. varied opposition and with respectable results (Poland. Holland, Mexico)"
yeah i don't know why you are surprised that happens all the time. That said i think he's right in many respects. Hondurous defense was crap. The did let people run free in the box. And US should have had 7 or 8 goals anyone other than Mcbride could at least shoot the ball on the frame. The first goal was not clinical it was a fricken gift. Heinous defense. We won't get those gifts against quality sides. The second was a great shot. The third was kinda garbage time scappy goal and nothing special and the last one i missed cause i turned my head to watch the Brazil Argentina game. Americans don't have very many quality shooters on the National team. They almost never shoot from anywhere but right inside the box and on the occasions where they do shoot from outside the box they seem to always rocket pathetically errant shots that don't threaten the goal. I'd just like to see them at least make the keeper make a save. Put it on the frame somehow and stop trying to walk every ball right into the net. get greedy. Get arrogant.
Well, more accurately a bunch of Gringos of mixed backgrounds kicking their ass...but I get your drift.
Yeah-- they are shocked-- I don't think we've EVER beaten Honduras 4-0 before but now they see!!! And I'm sure we'll be just as dominant against those third world monkies as we've been in the qualifiers in the past!!! They just can't accept how dominant we are.
That's exactly what I was thinking! If those guys really loved America, they would recognize our team more and NEVER criticize it. Based on what I've heard in Telemundo broadcasts, I'd NEVER want to go to war with these guys because you just can't count on them.
Gee-- is that right? But then why are those Telemundo guys so shocked at how awesome we are? Maybe it's because, apart from that one 4-0 score, we've never beaten any latin team by 4-0 before? Could that be it?