I was just pondering that very question after a discussion over the subject arose with some friends recently. What if we played decent but ended up losing all three matches?? What would be the most logical step from that point forward?? Would everyone stay in love w/Arena?? Would some of our bright young players not make the leap to Europe (GAM-Everton etc....) after such a poor showing?? Fact is, we are in a very tough group and its very possible that our stay will be a short one. I personally think we will advance but I also think that if we dont there should be a shake-up within the team. I think that Arena has done a great job but maybe we would need someone else to take us to that next level. I have loved his term as coach as much as anyone but I think a change might be in order if we have a poor cup............discuss.
Thinking of three losses (God forbid!) is pretty absract. How did we lose them? One costly error? Run out of gas? Get outplayed? etc. A coaching change? Maybe. But I think Bruce is ready for something else anyway. National team duty is tough. It's very sporadic excepte during a major tournament. Game here, game there. He's probably ready to return to the regularity of a season and weekly games. I think the biggest question is how it effects the way the game is viewed here in the US. Games will be daytime which means we could have more casual followers watching and possibly getting interested in the game. Three losses would be disappointing to the true followers of our team, but we at least know the difficulty of the cup and especially our group. And we know what incredible gains we have made since qualifying for the first time in 40 years in '90. We are a world apart from that team. Someone watching with less interest or knowledge would be likely to blow off the game with three US losses but might quite possibly get hooked with a good US run.
It could happen......I hope not, but you never know. I don't think it would be the end of the world for our program, just as '98 wasn't, but it would definately wound our pride. You make good points, but I would hope Arena would still stay on....but he would probably step down. As for the younger players, I don't think it would affect their chances of getting a European contract. After going 3 and out in '90 players such as Harkes and Wynalda and others still got contracts. After going 3 and out in '98 Hejduk had impressed enough to get a contract with Bayer Leverkusen.
It's certainly possible. But I think a loss to Ghana is highly highly unlikely. Even with weakened US lineups, we never seem to lose to lesser teams. We tie them a lot, but never lose. I think that'd be extremely unlikely. Losing to both Czech Republic and Italy on the other hand isn't all that unlikely at all.
Yes it's possible. Very unlikely though.We've come too far to let it happen.We have to get a result in the first game.This game is just too important. Possibly the biggest the US has ever played.
I'm an optimist, which one are you? Pessimism describes a general belief that things are bad, and tend to become worse; or that looks to the eventual triumph of evil over good; it contrasts with optimism, the contrary belief in the goodness and betterment of things generally. A common conundrum illustrates optimism versus pessimism with the question, does one regard a given glass of water as half full or as half empty? Conventional wisdom expects optimists to reply with half full and pessimists to respond with half empty.
It'd be very horrible, next 4 years would suck here on BS! if that were to happen all americans should fly their flags at half-mast. but anyway I think the cup is half full, and the USA will do well.
I am an optimist too Dr. I think I am just trying to prepare myself for the worse. I dont expect the US to lay down or lose all three but I didnt in 98 either. We have come a LONG way since then and I just hope Arena has these guys prepared for battle. This may be the hardest group we have ever faced in a WC and we will have to earn getting out of this round. I dont see anything like Portugal-S.Korea to save our butts this time around.
I didn't expect us do so horribly in'98 either....we had a lot more talent and potential than we showed. I think the difference between then and now is the coaching (and a deeper squad). Sampson's mistake (sorry this has bean beat to death a thousand times) was player management.....he had completely destroyed the team's cohesiveness and chemistry with his player decisions and waffling nature (he didn't seem to be able to level with anyone and "just tell it like it is," according to statements by several of the players). On the other hand, player management is one of Arena's greatest strengths.....and he turned us into a real TEAM again. [I'm one of those that thinks our greatest asset is our teamwork/team spirit/team chemistry (whatever you want to call it).....the other teams may have the more talented players, but quite often we win anyway because of our team ethic (how well our players work together).]
That means we will need another recipe(coach) and cook another food, more delicious food (playing better soccer)with better ingredients(talents)
1) We end up with a new coach - which in all probablity we're going to have to deal with anyway... 2) Some of the older guys retire from international football - which in all probability is going to happen anyway... 3) The Eurosnob mockery increase a bit, but who cares. 4) We reload on talent and get ready for 2010. Which we're going to do anyway. In short...not a whole lot different from any other scenario (except, of course, if we win the whole thing! But that should be the subject of another thread...hmmm...not a bad idea, that.)...
It depends on how we lose.If we lose via Poor defending, then its Bruces' selection and lack of preparation in prior friendlies. If it's poor midfield play then its a combination of poor selection, not blooding the best players possible, and still a lack of proper pre-WC preparation. Forwards missing sitters. Well, you could argue poor selection. 2 of the 3 would be directly related to Bruce Arena..so he'd get sacked and the US would have to rebuild, which will happen anyway. But Bruce's tenure isn't expected to end after the World Cup (unless the US wins it)
Losing all three is a possibitly, it's not likely - but if you wnat to be be negative both Italy and Czech Rpeublic are odds on favourites (though int he case of theCzceh republic only just odds on) to beat USA and whilst the USA are favoruites (almost odds on) to beat Ghana, Ghana have got some real talent in their team and if they finally decide to get their act together they have every chance of beating the USA. That saiud there's no point even considering it; it's a worse case scenario, the USA is in a tough group and risks taking it's eye off the ball if it looks further than one game ahead USA's best chance is to take each game as it comes, go out believing it can win and doing it's best to win.
Ever since the draw, I've been coming to terms with the very realistic scenario of Team USA playing really well but going 0-0-3. It's a tough group, although since the draw Ghana hasn't looked quite as strong as I had feared. If this were to happen, it would suck--naturally--but I could live with it. This is the Runner-Up Group of Death, IMHO, and at least one good team is going to miss out on the knockout rounds. It could very well be us. If we fall apart and just play lousy, that would entail a drastic rethinking. I love Bruce, but if we don't perform well after 8 years of unquestioned custodianship, it would be time to leave. Failing to get a result, however, wouldn't necessarily be reason for alarm, if Italy and the Czechs play as expected and Ghana manage to replicate their African Nations Cup-winning form. Sure, it will give the soccer-bashers some ammo, but so what? They'll bash the sport no matter what. We will probably have to eat four years of humble pie from other countries, but if we go to WC 2010 underrated yet again, that could only help.
Ghana haven't Won the African Cup of Nations since 1982, so I think the chances they will replicate that forma are remote In the African Cup of Natiosn this year Ghana really didn't look that good, if they palyed like that in the WC I woudln't give them much hope at all against the USA. But they lacked a number of key players in that tournament msotly noticeably Essien so I'm expecting a big improvement. Ghana are an odd team they've had so many good players over the years: Abedi Pele, Tony YeBoah, etc and now Essien, Muntari and Appiah, but they've never played that well.
I didn't realize it had been THAT long, but yeah--ain't gonna happen. Let's hope. I guess what I was trying to say was--Ghana have a big-game tradition, even if the current crop of players weren't part of those games. They may be WC neophytes, but their national team has some history of winning. That said--they haven't looked good lately.
I'm ready for a new coach anyways, whether we do well or we just crash out 0-3. Having said that, I don't think a Bruce Arena coached team will have a problem with winning at least one game if everyone is healthy. Whether that's enough to advance though depends on the other teams. Italy is infinitely more talented than we are, and the Czech Republic is very dangerous a la Portugal in 2002. Having said that, if we fail to score enough goals, and Bruce has left players like Rolfe out of the squad, he will certainly be criticized.
I think the Euros would have a lot more wounded ego to suck up if we went 3-0 then we would have to humble ourselves if went 0-3. If the US goes 3-0 against the Czechs, Italians and Croatians it will be really hard for FIFA to rig a formula that denies us a seed in 2010.
Hard, but not impossible. This is FIFA we're talking about, after all... (If that happens, I'm sure the Jamaica draw will figure into it somehow...)
hey, you can not lose all three games?.No,! it will not happen. I root for you! It counts Hope to see another Germany-USA game in semi-finale so go USA go Germany P.S Landon should stay longer in Germany, not only first round
Again with the seeding! I've said before there's no way anyone could justify seeding the USA at this World Cup. If the USA looks anywhere near to being a top eight team by the time the next World Cup comes around it's got a chance of being seeded. The odds that the USA beats Italy, czech Rpeublci and crotaia 3-0 in the WC are so remote, it's not even worth discussing.
I'll agree with that...3-0 in all three matches is a little extreme. Especially since Croatia ain't makin' it out of their group.