Group B Brazil Turkey US Cameroon Yikes! Meanwhile France in Group A has it easy: France Colombia Japan New Zeiland
In the for what it's worth category... here are the most recent FIFA rankings for teams in each group: GROUP A 2 - France 22 - Japan 37 - Columbia 49 - New Zealand GROUP B 1 - Brazil 7 - Turkey 10 - US 17 - Cameroon By that measure, the US got the toughest possible draw and France got the easiest. If the US makes it out of its group it will be a major accomplishment. Between the draw and hosting, this tournament has to be considered a major failure for France if they do anything worse than losing to Brazil in the finals.
I'm really excited about this draw. There is no better way to see how you measure up than to play 3 quality teams like this. I just hope I actually get to watch the games! Scumby
As long as it is not Telemundo. 700 channels and I dont get Telemundo. As far as the bracket goes ... who did France blow to get such an easy ride?
Here's the schedule. US matches are: June 19 - USA vs Turkey June 21 - USA vs Brazil June 23 - USA vs Cameroon Talk about brutal! With so few days off, this is definitely going to be a tournament that favors depth and fitness. Just to give players decent rest, I'm sure we'll see very different line-ups each game. We've got to win that first game against Turkey and then get a point off of either Brazil or Cameroon for out best chance to advance to semis. Finishing second in our group will likely result in playing France. Much like the Gold Cup, making it out of the group makes a big difference in the number of games you'll end up playing because there is also a 3rd place game. Aren't all the Euro leagues into their off-season by June? Being in the middle of the MLS season could be a advantage for US in that regard. What's the weather like in France in June? Is heat likely to be a further factor?
I'd have been dismayed if the U.S. had drawn this group in the World Cup. But in this case, I'm pretty psyched--partly because of what Turkey and Brazil did in the WC. MLS players will be in competitive form; Euro players will be available. Let's see what we can do.
It's Europe and all the matches are during the evening (1) at 7 and the two others at 9:00 pm. That means temperatures in the 60's.
i'd rather be in this position than in france's we got to fight like demons possessed to get out... france is going to have to watch the final and they are in the cake side hell, the french probably won't even line up, having already conceded
MLS players should be in good shape...enough games to get sharp but well rested and fresh legs. Euro-based players may be run down. at least there's that
Here's an interesting article from soccertimes that says UEFA wants to cancel the confed cup, or at the very least send their B teams. That would suck. I really want to see if the USA can really play with the big boys. Scumby http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2003/feb12.htm
As an American, I like this event. It's a good chance for the US to play high quality opponents. As a soccer fan, it's a really stupid event.
No, I hear they've asked to double or triple the number of referees so as to avoid having to actually play hard..... just so no one gets hurt. I hear the opposing teams plan on calling the Germans in and have them show up to the French pre game warm up while wearing military fatigues...... automatic forfeit! Cheese eating surrender monkies!
Where do I post the France surrendered jokes? They're so funny! goyoureddevils, you only like ManU??? Look at my favorite teams. They're all doing great, AGAIN!
Indeed. Even if we go 3 losses and out, we will have some good competition and get ouselves moving towards qualification for the WC.
I think the biggest challenge is Cameroon because we have seen the US against Brazil before and against Euro's but we dont see the US against African nations that often and this should be a good game to measure US soccer vs African. Too bad its the last game and might be meaningless by then. Also its the US back in the land of 1998 fiasco...time to make up for that. A loss in game 1 against Turkey puts the US in a MUST WIN against Brazil.... how does the US enter the field in a MUST WIN against Brazil!! BTW the other day when I saw the US on ESPN and the ESPN soccer music went on, boy I felt like it was WC all over again.
Hey! Back Off there ya bandwagoning freak!! Unlike many american Manc Utd fans, I fell in love with the team in 1987.... when they were sucky beyond all suckieness! I think they finished fourteenth in the league that year! But they had some tough, hard nosed players, and I just loved Big Ron Atckinson. As for "supporting" all of those teams, I think your an idiot. You don't support those teams, you likethe players that play for them and the trophies they win......... are you french? Or have you just been living there so long you've stopped taking showers regularly and no longer care to make rational statements??
yeah.... You know, sticks and stones and all that, but you are really a dumb sob if you think I really support all those teams.
Then why post them on your fav's.... no offense if you really mean that, but I get ridiculed by footie fans all the time for being a BAD fan cause I dont llive in Manchester - so that means to them i must be a bandwagoner...... then I see people with ac milan, juventus, ajax, and barcelona all listed on their favorites.... kind a chaps my ass a little you know...... sorry to take it out on you if its truly undeserved. all i can say is that Manchester United means so much to me that I couldnt even eat after last saturdays tie agaist Man City at home - an d after we lost to them earlier in the season......ughhh its makin me nautious just thinkin about it!