According to this website: http://www.rdasilva.demon.co.uk/latest.html First I've heard of it, can anyone confirm/deny?
It shows up on FIFA.com too: http://www.fifa.com/en/news/fixtures/men,-1.html 25.01.2004 - TBA United States - Paraguay Classification:F Friendly 2004
Makes sense to have two friendlies in a weeks time. Arena has done this before in the early part of the year.
WHY DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE US WAIT TILL THE END OF JANUARY? WHY NOT JANUARY 5 OR SOMETHING CLOSER? and hopefully this time Paraguay does bring a decent team (i don't recall any of the players from the friendly with the USA being in the team that paraguay has used for the conmebol qualifiers)
Wahh wahh wahh. I wanna play Argentina, Brazil and Italy every time. Denmark, Holland and Paraguay suck. We need to play more games at home! We need to play more games away! Bruce should call in more players! Why does Bruce call up so many players?! We only won by a goal! A draw sucks. We lost -- the sky is falling. P.S. - Merry Christmas!
Paraguary sucks! These friendlys are getting to be jokes. Do these countries really think they can handle the USA?
Call Arena to take the team to a real competition - like Copa America. This friendlies doesn't add or take away much of prestige, except for C.C.-FIFA rankings probably. I know MLS has to arrange too many things ahead of time, hopefully when every team has its own stadium it is going to be easier to be part of Copa America.
This has been discussed to death in several topics. Do a search on Copa America if you want to understand why the US turned down the invitation. If you're happier making up reasons, feel free to remain in ignorance.
Just not as much fun playing them without Chilavert. Just ask my wife-- she would know. *harkening back to the Australia v Paraguay friendly at Olympic Park, Melbourne, in June of 2000* Nonetheless, that makes two friendlies scheduled for January, and one more in February, so far. And in a World Cup Qualifying year, at that. Sounds like someone's doing something right...
To add an opinion that is not even out of context doesn't mean lack of knowledge. Obviously, the thread is on another friendly match. I know and understand the reasons they gave to turn down the invitation. But I still can question it, can't I? lond2345 either read between the lines or had the same feelings. Was Arena afraid of loosing prestige b/c of Copa America. A failure at that level could cost you the job and miss the big party in 2006. Unless they underestimate it. A big sign that US soccer asociation does not underestimate the tournament is bidding to host Copa America in the near future.
I think I agree that this particular thread isn't the place to whine about the U.S. not being involved in Copa America or to gripe about the level of competition. There are other threads for that and I can see how it might get tiresome when posters keep bringing it up instead of say, giving a go at what tactics or players should be deployed in what will be an excellent friendly for our less experienced newcomers to the team. If someone would have told me one year ago that we would be warming up for World Cup qualifying by taking on the likes of Holland, Denmark, and Paraguy I would have been very satisfyed. You can't line up friendlies against the Brazils, Englands, or even Germanys of the world with every phone call you make to those organizations. And these teams we are meeting in the near future are a far cry from the bottom of the barrel of possibilities. A far, far cry. Let's move on and get with discussing what we should expect from this match.
why are people obssed with Copa America? Let's see.... MLS, World Cup Qualifying, Olympics, European Pre-Season, Copa America. You know what all these things have in common? they all happen in the same general time period edit- Back on topic. These games are pretty much JV games. I'll watch them because I'll always the USMNT play a soccer game when its on TV. But I don't expect very entertaining soccer.
You said it. But it's also fun to watch the newer guys get capped and gain experience. It's Also fun looking for that glimmer of hope that finally answers those nagging "who will be our LB" type of questions.
I wonder if only telemundo will be showing the the two next friendlies. I would hope that Paraguay takes the game seriously. Either they will because they are already in qualifying and need the "practice", or the will not because they are already in qualifying and do not want to risk injuries etc.. Opinions?? I do not think we should judge their quality solely from that last friendly. They have comfortably qualified from SA the last two times, making the second round in both WCs. They are currently in first in SA qualifying. And they played Germany as closely as we did, albeit in a truly dreadful match by both teams. If they bring their "A" game it should be a very good match for us, especially in terms their style. I believe them to be one of the more conservative SA teams, having a focused and tactically proficient defence, the type of "almost" European defense we have trouble breaking down. Unlike a lot of other Latin American teams, they will not leave much if any room for the counterattack, our bread and butter, thus forcing us to try to break down a defence like we have to do against European teams. Wow that was redundant. I only wish we would play more road matches. I would love to us play them in Paraguay. Does anybody know our ratio of road to home friendlies over the last few years?
i've often found these games, if nothing else, highly entertaining. we have no A team at this point, and this is the first stage in developing that team. young players are (or should be) desperate to make an impression. it's a fun, sometimes frustrating process, but you gotta have faith that this is bruce's great strength.
well we might not have distinct A-team, but I do believe that there is a distinct talent barrier. The majority of this squad is definatly a notch or two below our best. I hope you right though.