Do not be surprise...Probably they are trying to protect Bruce Arena's a$$ from another a$$whoop like we have on confederation cup, this is stupidity on the most thick part and can take USA soccer to the trash...
Re: Re: Ussf Rejects Copa Amer... We didnt get our ass whooped. 2 one goal losses and a draw... No one in that tournament save New Zealand and France brought their "A" teams...it was a joke come up with a better one than that.
Re: Re: Re: Ussf Rejects Copa Amer... Here is a better one: Whenever you loose twice on a row "YOU HAVE BEEN WHOOP" or what is that a "almost win"
LOST Opportunity Copa America is the world's oldest continental international soccer tournament, dating back to 1917. By rejecting the bid to compete, we lost another chance to go toe-to-toe with our hemisphere's best, and send our best team possible. In the big picture of developing a solid senior men's program, taking on some of the best teams in the world should never, ever be passed up. And the excuses we're hearing here don't wash. Those of you who have posted that negative publicity related to a possible poor performance and the prestige of the Olympics as valid reasons to not accept an invitation to Copa America are way off the mark. If we bring our best side possible, and we earn no points and crash out of the tourney, we still have gained more valuable experience in a third world environment. The rest of the soccer world (and we DO care, no matter what some people say) holds the Copa America in very high esteem. What would happen if we did well?- And we most likely would, at least against everybody except Brazil and the Argies. Think long term. Think third round of WCQ- We will be blooded in the Copa and will be better prepared to handle the hostile environments to come. Frankly, I'm tired of people using the wafer-thin argument that it's better not to travel into unfriendly environments or unfamiliar and far away venues for friendlies and tournaments like the Copa, on the basis that rankings are at stake, or that MLS would be interrupted. We just don't travel much at all, frankly. I can't remember the last friendly we played outside of CONCACAF. USSF made a good decision to pull out of 2001 Copa due to the mess in Colombia, but there's no valid excuse here about Peru. We had better get used to traveling to new and different places like South Africa, or Morocco, which may host a World Cup in 2010. Or how about down to Brazil in 2014? Thinking long-term, now... Copa America prepares us for these kinds of adventures. Let's get in line with the rest of the world here, for cryin' out loud! and play up to our potential. We'll qualify for the World Cup, and we'll do more damage there, too when we go- if we don't turn down opportunities to grow like competing in the Copa.
Getting my two cents into this p!ssing match: Their is no guarantee of getting into the Olympics MLS could schedule a summer break next year when its too hot to play decent soccer anyway, just as many leagues have a winter break when its too cold. There had been discussion of that this season because of summer tournaments. It can be done with enough lead time. Once again USSF are shown to be the amatuers they are. They need to stick to the management of the youth soccer scene where they are more qualified.
Re: LOST Opportunity BINGO! This notion that we should "focus on the world cup" are suffering from very low expectations. Don't you think the US will have any matches against really high level competition to win in Germany? You can't prepare for taking on Spain in the group stage, Italy in the round of 16, and the German hosts in the quarterfinals by playing Haiti. Only playing Brazil and Argentina in South America will prepare you for that. So, yes, the USSF should keep focused on the World Cup and have accepted the invitation. eedeeyots! G.
This is just bad business, short term, and myopic thinking by the USSF (big shock, I know). Do you think that the Copa America people will invite the USMNT back any time soon aftr getting snubbed how many times? I'd much rather play an important tournament like this even if you have to blood some new talent (Calling Freddy Adu ) rather than sitting on your collective asses because it might interfere with MLS. (Of course as soon as MLS all gets SSS, we can then go to a Fall-Spring schedule, and this will all be moot down the road. 2 down, 1 coming, and 7 to go)
Well, so far we have heard of one either former/current players for the USMNT http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/90min1025wynalda.html Glad to see he sees it as a mistake as well...
WHAT IS TO BE MADE OF THIS? As reported also in RAdio Unica From http://www.mipunto.com/punto_notici...VESDEPORTES&archivo=031028194115.g661x8iz.txt (trying to have Peru's president -Toledo- have Bush change USSF's mind? Would love to see it happen, but there is a very remote chance of it happening) " Fbl-Copa-América-PER LIMA - En su propósito de conseguir la participación de Estados Unidos en la Copa América-2004, que se celebrará en Perú en julio próximo, el comité organizador local pedirá al presidente Alejandro Toledo mediar ante su colega George W. Bush para lograr ese propósito. "No es una situación de Estado, pero como hay buena amistad entre ellos estamos tramitando el pedido para que nuestro presidente interponga sus relaciones con el presidente Bush a fin de que la seleccicón de su país venga a jugar como invitada", dijo Arturo Woodman, presidente del COL. Perú ha sido infomado que el seleccionado estadounidense tiene un calendario que culmina el 15 de julio, y estando previsto iniciar la Copa América el día 6 "se trata de que la liga norteamericana haga un pequeño reajuste", dijo Woodman a la AFP. Además de las 10 países sudamericanos, el otro invitado es México y, si se confirma el descarte de Estados Unidos, se menciona a Costa Rica. "
Re: Re: LOST Opportunity Sorry for jumping in so late, I just heard it today from a friend of mine who is going to Copa America. I agree with the above post. A team only gets better by playing better competition, i.e. Brazil & Argentina.
I don't know if it's fair to call it a "grave mistake", but it is a disappointment. I think you have to consider the delicate balance between going all out in pursuing high-level competition for the National Team and making sure you don't step on MLS's toes and make their regular season largely irrelevant by taking many of their top players for such large stretches of the season. Personally, I'd say that guys like Cory Gibbs and Carlos Bocanegra benefitted from the competition they faced in the Confederations Cup in France last summer and that the U.S. MNT is in better shape from that experience, even though our results were pretty poor. I would lean in the direction of saying we should've gone to the Copa America because of that. At the same time, however, I can understand that MLS and U.S. Soccer need to be allies in growing the sport and, had U.S. Soccer accepted, it would've aggravated MLS to a certain extent. You need to maintain a certain balance there and find the "happy medium". So, that's the trade-off. I don't like that reality, but if U.S. Soccer repeatedly do things that kick MLS in the balls, will MLS cooperate when Bruce wants players a bit before FIFA regulations mandate (i.e. long pre-World Cup training camp in '02, for example)? I hope we're beyond the point of asking whether MLS will be around for a long, healthy lifespan, but in the back of your mind, you have to be a bit skeptical of whether it is that healthy to you have two senior citizens bankrolling an overwhelming majority of the league. MLS does need to achieve a certain level of profitability at some point, in order to be viable once these benefactors check out... You can't just say "so what - screw MLS and do what's best for the MNT" because at some point, MLS will kick back and that's not in the interest of the MNT. I think in this case, U.S. Soccer was a bit over-accomodating, but I certainly understand the thought process behind the decision and respect that there is a thought process involved.