This was the worst US selection I can remember since MLS started, yet they completely dominated Wales (Yes, I know they weren't at full strength either). Their coach flat out said he "couldn't possibly see his team losing". WTF??? Wales haven't accomplished anything ever. A 10 game winning streak against some minnows and a 1 off win against Italy. I honestly don't understand how anyone could rate Wales above the US.
Wales are a much improved side under Mark Hughes, they are currently 5 points clear in their Euro 2004 group which includes both Serbia and Italy. I know the US don't get many games but I wouldn't get too excited about an end of season friendly home win against an understrength 10 man Welsh team!
Crazy_yank dont take this the wrong way or anything but you sound like quite an arrogant bastard, I remember reading posts from you on soccernet about blackburn having too much class for us and their world class players would crush us (3-nil agg). Same with scotland and canada (3-1 scotland). Are you realllllllllly arrogant or just really crap at picking winners and keeping your mouth buttoned before matches?
I'm just wondering? Did Wales really think they could win with that team or was this just a chance to try out some second tier players? If the answer is the first choice then I'm thinking the arrogant ones come from the UK, not the US. The days of sending over the "B" team for an easy romp are over. This wasn't even that good a US team and they just blew Wales out. That game wasn't even as close as the 2-0 score makes it sound.
Bottom line: Our (US) second tier are better than their (Wales') second tier. Even so, Wales often looked good on the break--both before and after having a man sent off-- and Rimando had to make two or three great saves. The Welsh keeper was playing his ass off and kept Wales as much in the game as they were. It could easily have been a 5-0 ass-whuppin'. It would be interesting to see both first-team squads go at it. That said, I think I would still give the edge to the U.S. in a for-real clash between the two sides. I think we have shown that when we come to play with our A Game, we can hang with anyone in the world. Those who dismiss the U.S. as a second-rate soccer power do so at their peril. And looking at the young talent on display last night I would say the future is bright... for both countries actually. We will have maybe one more go at the World Cup when people will do this to us. A lot of people dismissed Korea-Japan as an "aberration" Cup and are assuming that the "normal" balance of football power will resume once the Cup returns to "it's home" in Europe with Argentina, Italy, France et. al. reassuming their lofty positions. We (as well as other up-and-comers) will get another chance to pounce then as well.
As opposed to the vast accomplishments of the US team. Minnows? Italy, Argentina, Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia etc. When you have a player fit to lace the boots of John Charles, Ian Rush, Cliff Jones, Terry Medwin, Ivor Allchurch, Neville Southall, Ryan Giggs and Mark Hughes, come and have a word. Until then keep qualifying from your fifth rate confederation, and getting to the world cup. In 1990 and 1998 you were probably the worst team at the tournaments and a laughing stock of world football. In 1994 home advantage won through, and in 2002 you managed to compete for the first time. More than likely you will return to your natural position as the whipping boys of the WC in 2006.
Re: Re: What's up with Wales? Keep dreaming. We may not reach the quarterfinals again, but our player development system is immensely better than it has been at any other time in history. And while our domestic league is still closer to Second Division status than EPL status, it has been very effective at helping our many gifted young players get the competition they need to be ready for high-level soccer. The US National Team is going to be competitive at the International level for many, many years.
Aberration?? Germany Vs Brazil in the final, the two most successful teams ever! As for 3rd and 4th, South Korea had years of WC experience, home advantage and a couple of interesting referrees. Turkish club football has improved hugely in the last 10 years so their success at international level is not at all surprising. That said there are some surprises at every world cup, last year was no different.
I think it was an aberration. Argentina going out in the first round, France failing to score a single goal or nab a single point, Italy and Spain losing to South Korea, etc. I agree with you, it WASN'T an aberration, but a sign that the balance of power in world soccer--while it may not be shifting, is certainly being spread around more evenly. Having said that, I respect what Wales has done recently and this shouldn't take anything away from that. We'll go right ahead qualifying from our 'fifth-rate confederation,' and then competing admirably in the World Cup. We didn't used to be a force to be reckoned with in world football. Now we are, and that's the way it is.
I don't think anything could be read into this match. Both teams fielded essentially B teams, with two thirds of the US squad coming from the two MLS teams not playing this weekend - which happened to be the first place team in the West and, alas, the last place team in the East. A smattering of European based players rounded it out, but the big guns -- Friedle, Keller, O'Brien -- were not there, and Reyna was on the bench. I was disappointed in not seeing Giggs, as I recall seeing some report earlier that he would be there. A cynical friend of mine who follows European soccer more than I told me at the time not to believe it, that Giggs rarely plays international friendlies. Guess he was right. Mr. Whats-his-name Jones, #2, was lucky not to be sent off earlier. He rabbit-punched several people. A total thug, IMHO.
No, they didn't really think they would win. Hardly any of their first choice players were available - only the goalkeepers, the centre back Melville, and Simon Davies, who had come back from his holidays to play in this match. This was a result of the lower division playoff matches (Cardiff players, as well as Blake and Page), as well as injuries or resting their star players (ie Giggs and Bellamy). Wales have a strong first XI, but if they get as much as two or three injuries or players unavailable they are a pretty poor side. With their best side they can compete with the top two tiers of teams in Europe; without their best players they are in the fourth tier. I imagine that the US would have greater strength in depth, given that it has its own domestic league of a decent standard.
Re: Re: What's up with Wales? That's right buddy-boy. You just keep right on thinking that. You and all your Euro-snob buddies. It's all going acording to plan... You know what I dream of? USA and England in the same group in Germany. Ahhh... The weeping and wailing, the recriminations, the persecution of the innocents by the Brit press the day after a drubbing at the hands of the USA bounces you lot back home. Imagining that shite warms the cockles of my heart after years and years of (much of it deserved) snobby treatment such as the above. And it will happen, my friend. Maybe not in Germany in three years. But it is only a matter of time. Time is on the side of the 270 million nation of immigrants and not on wee England. Hah. HAH-hah. MWAH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! P.S. Oh, and good luck to Wales. They have a lot of quality players who really deserve a run out in the European Cup. Besides, ya gotta love an underdog. See above.
The Welch side reminds of the US side circa 1992-1993. A very very good side that can surpise any team in the world with a result, but was only as good as its first 13 or so players and severly lacked depth. Last night proved nothing outside of soccer played on a field the size of a bumper pool table sucks, and that the US is significantly deeper than Wales. Until the day comes when a relatively full strength US side takes on a relatively full strength Wales side, everyone is just blowing smoke. Good luck to Wales going forward! Andy
Apologies for the above rant, but I was quite pissed off at many members response to the result of last night, not just in this thread. As for Adu, I had never heard of him before I came on this site, but here he is considered the messiah, which is alot of pressure for a 13/4 year old and one he will have a job on to live up to. The comment about not having a player fit to lace the boots of those I mentioned stands though.
Imagine if the US' first or second (or third for that matter) choice game was soccer. One can dream can't he. I thought for a side with reduced quality and players, and one that traveled across the world, they handled themselves pretty well. But that match could easily have been a blowout.
Jason Koumas I know I am biased as a West Brom fan, but I thought one of the few bright spots for the Welsh last night was Jason Koumas (#11, for those of you who taped/TiVoed the match). He was a bright spot in midfield, controlled the ball well and had 1 or two good runs. He dummied Stewart and Mulrooney out of their pants on separate occasions. As I said on a different board, the lad would be Wales' answer to Landon if he applied himself. Unfortunately, like Donovan, Koumas had a miserable time finishing. One clear chance in the run of play went easily wide, and his free kick from 30 yards out sailed well over the bar. Anyway, if Jason gets more chances with the full Welsh first team during their Euro 2004 qualifying campaign, he should help the team's chances and improve his game. And I hate to say this, but if WBA don't go back up to the Premier League in the 2004/05 season, Jason should sign with an EPL club, because that's where he shoudl showcase his talent.
Re: Re: What's up with Wales? Our fifth rated confederation has had teams advance to the second round in every world cup since 1986. I think Concacaf is doing pretty well. These days Concacaf teams could give any Euro team a good decent fight. USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and even Guatemala.
Re: Re: What's up with Wales? In 1990 we went an amatuer team. 1998 was a disgrace, but I searched and searched for the Welsh results from these tournaments, yet couldn't find them.
Re: Re: What's up with Wales? I could lace their boots if they promised not to kick their feet. Come on. We're third-rate, not fifth! Worst of 32? Yea, you're right. But, in 1990, being the worst was not much a disappointment for us, while in 1998, it was awful. Why the change? The quality of our national team improved enough in ony 8 years that our expectations were raised. Perhaps a bit too much, but it is an indication that things are changing over here. Home-field advantage helped a lot, but also we had our first confluence of better players. The team from 1992 to 1995 had several good performances. And that team was not as good as today's teams. That may happen. We are better than we were, but we are no world power. Teams such as Italy, Germany, Spain, Brasil, Argentina, Holland, and a few other should be expected to beat us whenever we play. It's just that the US team has moved into the second level in the past two decades, and that's a big change. As far as the last game with Wales, I wouldn't make too much of it. It was obviously the type of game both coaches were using to evaluate new talent. So rather than talk about which country was good or bad, let's talk about individual player evaluations. I thought the keepers for Wales looked shaky. I hope they have better. The US second goal was rather weak. Most of the other US shots were directly at the keepers. Rimando reacted well to shots, but did not control his box very well. Taylor (I think, why doesn't Wales put their names on their uniforms?) was doing well as the only striker in a 4-5-1. I didn't think much of those tactics, but again, maybe that was the Wales coach testing his players. Jones (the Welsh defender) did not impress me, nor, I think, his coach. I only think he wasn't red-carded earlier because the ref was giving hiim the benefit of the doubt. I mean why would you play like that in a friendly? No coach wants to go into qualifiers with a high chance of playing with 10. Convey looked smooth and quick running up the middle. So did Donovan. I liked the few minutes Ching was in. What a sweet move to put that inside of the foot shot just over the goal. Can you guys help out with the Welsh players? Again, if the TV guys didn't say their names, I never knew who anyone was. Anyone look good to the Welsh fans? Which of those 11 might eventually help with the Welsh A-team?
Firstly Honduras and Guatemala are wank. Neither would trouble any top European side, unless on home turf, where the climate would prove problematic. Second, in 1990 we had the European Champions Holland and the tournaments champions West Germany in our group, no team in the world would have qualified from that group. In 1994 we missed a penalty in the last minute against Romania (who made it to the quarters) to miss going to the US. In 1998, we were in again with Germany the reigning European Champions. In 2002 we were abysmal. As for the current crop, I was overly harsh and you aquitted yourselves well at the WC.
When have we heard this before? Insert your favorite (or not so favorite) team that just lost a friendly to the USA. Wales didn't go down to 10 till the 2nd half, by which time they should have had us by the short and curlies, according to those in the know.
Honduras B team murdered Slovenias A team right before the World Cup 5:1 and it wasnt in honduras or the united states