USA do you have the 18 players to win this Confederations Cup tournament? Teams will be hoping to defeat you and prove that you are not as good as your recent results. Do you have 18 players to fight and successfully win into the top four? This is your post "World Cup" style opportunity. Don't waste it. Do your best. Does USA have the legs to win this tournament? Can the team place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Shouldn't they also fight even harder to place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the subsequent Concocaf Gold Cup? This is what it takes to be a Champion.
Good questions. We've got what it takes. Just sit back and enjoy. I watched/endured a glorified kickabout today that involved two tarted-up teams full of over-rated talent. (Dida? Thuram? Zayaleyta? Rui Costa?) Uncle's boys won't be afraid. Trust me.
I'll reply for the entire nation. No we don't. We had tryouts for the national team today at the local YMCA. There were five people in line. Our most popular sports talk host scared everybody away from soccer by describing the Jamican Machete incident and beating it to death over the course of 10 minutes. The "national" team selected from todays tryouts will be practicing triangle defending and dribbling with cones until their field trip. Coach Arena hopes we can do our best and just go out there and have fun.
I do know that a lot of our best players will not be there. In goal, for one place. But a lot of us have confidence in those who will fill the shoes. We could surprise but I wish our full "A" team could play. Bruce Arena is going to look in the city parks again tomorrow for more players for France.
I heard about a great forward playing in the second division in Austria. Apparently his great grandfather was an American serviceman who was in France during the Great War. He once spent three weeks training with Wolfsburg's reserves. Sounds likes a sure thing to me!
I think that in terms of the Gold Cup anything less than winning the thing will be considered a disappointment. Does everyone agree? Maybe playing Mexico in the final and losing wouldn't be that bad considering the final is at Azteca, but anything less than that would be considered a failure to me after the way we went through the tournament last year.
I, like Wolves_67, wish we were bringing our "A" team to France, but I'm still confident that we will do ourselves proud in the Confed Cup!! The irony is that IMHO Arena is bringing a "stronger" team for the Gold Cup, based on how much importance he's putting on the tournament. Having said that, I feel that a 3rd place finish in the Confed Cup and a Gold Cup Championship is WELL within our reach & would results to be PROUD of!! GO, USA!!!!!!!!
i just hope that the fact that jeff agoos called up again is just because san jose was off that week. i would be dissapointed if he is on the confed roster.
As much "BLIND" loyalty as Arena has toward Agoos, I think it's safe to say that there would be a MAJOR shock & uproar if Agoos is included in the Confed roster. I think it's safe to say that Agoos' last USMNT cap was v Wales!!
I wondering who the first person to use "Bruce Almighty" would be. Give your self a pat on the back Wolf. To answer the orignal (and legitimate might I add) question. No, we aren't good enough to consistently defeat the top 3. We don't have the quality to do it. We don't have the depth to do it. I will be very surprised if we finish in the top 3. Considering the squads we have to play. First off, We must get AT LEAST 4 points to advance. Meaning we have upset (yes, upset) either Brazil, Cameroon, or Turkey. Then force a tie in a another match. If we somehow manage to do that. We then would more than likely have to Face off against France. We have our work cut out for us.
You are nuts to say that beating freaking Cameroon would be an upset...I would go farther to say that beating Turkey wouldnt be a shock either... Get a sack
Cameroon will be the easiest three points the US can get. That said, the Americans must put on a massive effort to tally against them. Turkey will be tough, but a point can be taken off them, and despite Brazil's less-than-A lineup a draw would be a great result for us. We can clear the group on five points, assuming both Turkey and Brazil don't run the table.
Upset in terms of this: Cameroon won the African Cup that featured Senegal and Nigeria. Before the World Cup they were predicted by many to be the first African country to make the Semi's. Obviously it didn't happen. They got points from Ireland, defeated South Africa, and then lost to runners up Germany. If they bring their full squad the got some marquee players Rigobert Song, FC Cologne Geremi, Real Madrid Samuel Etoo, Real Mallorca Lauren, Arsenal Foe, Lyon Our squad, on the other hand, won't have O'Brien, Reyna, or McBride. 3 of our 4 best players. We still have no one on the right side outside of Earnie Stewart that can compete at a high level, unless you start moving players out of position. Turkey was the 3rd place team in the World Cup. But your right it wouldn't be a shock, this is the team. I think we have the best chance of beating. And I'm hoping we get a tie from both Brazil and Cameroon. Now I hope you see my logic. I'm not saying that these teams will blast us into simthereens. I'm just saying that the deck is stacked against us
You're right, I just read that. Sounds like Hahnemann (sp?) might be our man at the back. I hope I'm wrong but without Brad or Kasey in goal we won't pull off the upsets needed.
Are you serious about Hahnemann? I barely know who this guy is -- and why wouldn't ManU's newly-signed rising GK star figure for the US between the pipes in the Confeds Cup?
Because Hahnemann plays in Europe, and therefore must be better than any keeper in MLS. Howard will not surpass him until his plane lands in England...until that point Hahnemann is light years ahead of Howard.
What horrible reasoning. Hahnemann plays in England's first division. I understand the Premiership is better quality than MLS, but the quality of the first division is certainly not "light years" above the American top flight, if they are above them at all. And Marcus does very well, don't get me wrong, but even so, you haven't even seen Howard or Hahnemann play, have you? My guess is that you don't watch soccer, and I imagine I would be quite correct in my assumption. Joe Cannon sits on the bench in Europe, are you saying that he's better than Tim Howard, or Adin Brown for that matter?
Re: Sarcasm Alert I'm at work. Everyone's ragging on me. I needed to vent. Must've hit the wrong target.