Yeah you're right we just as well win it! But the thread was about about if USA was knocked out early. Regardless -- point well made.
This is exactly what i was thinking earlier while reading some posts on this thread. My team is Mexico..until the day i die..but if they got knocked out early (which wont happen ) i would keep rooting for the U.s, or Costa Rica,or Trinidad..anyone thats representing the Concacaf and makes it further. Its understood that their is a huge rivalry with Mexico and the U.s..but we have to remember that this is a WC, and we must raise the Concacaf zone to the maximum at this competetion and put our diffrences aside.
I would have to say England simply b/c I am more familiar with their players from watching the EPL, so I feel like I have more of a bond with them. Why any US fan would want Mexico to do well is beyond me... I understand the whole "make CONCACAF look better" arguement, but I could careless if Mexico is the one doing well.
There is only 1 team I am rooting for in Germany. That team is the USA. If the USA gets knocked out then I will not "root" for any other team. I will watch the games with interest but without backing any other team.
I was cheering for Germany after we were knocked out last time around, eventhough it beat us 'cause all i hate was Huge Dallas not Germany nothing more nothing less ...
This goes both ways, as evidenced in this thread already. Neither side will stop, they can't. Either way, having either country advance as much as possible will add credibility to our region.
See this is what I dont get. Are we that starved and insecure that we our bitter rival to advance if we dont? Qute frankly, I could care less about what some sod over in europe thinks about our "region."
uhh, ok. I guess we can all say that. Soccer is not personal for me, but it does seem to carry much passion worldwide. This board is a great forum for debate, etc. Adding credibility to this region helps form better arguments. Not that I care what anyone else says
I'd have to go with someone new - Holland #1, followed by, but not necissarily in this order: Spain, anyone from Africa, lesser south american teams, Costa Rica.
I'd root for the 'ticos. maybe. i'd like concacaf to do good, but i really can't see myself rooting for mexico. and maybe holland. i'd like to root for a team that plays exciting football and hasn't won it all yet.
I've been a fan of the US since the 1994 World Cup, which I watched in Brazil. (I may have been the only one rooting for the U.S. in the entire state of Minas Gerais!) Now if the U.S. are eliminated, there is no question I support Brazil. They play attractive, attacking soccer and deserve to win that way. They work hard and have amazing players. Italy and Germany bore me to tears. Brazil plays the game like it should be played, and that's why they've won it 5 times. It will take decades or longer for someone else to catch up after they win it in Germany.
I really hate Mexico when we play them but otherwise I like to see all the Concacaf teams do well. So if we flop i'm goin for Mexico, Costa Rica & T&T. I think it's good for the region if we all have a good showing and maybe slap some Euro squads around.
If USA gets knocked out then I'm rooting for Cote d'Ivoire to go all the way. That's a fine reason, except Holland doesn't develop it's own talent, they steal it from other countries. Almost half (if not more) of the Dutch team are not from Holland. Most were born on "Dutch" islands in the Caribbean or former colonies in Africa and Asia who were picked up by Dutch clubs for their academies. If the players turned out to be great, they are given passports so they can play for the national team. France does the same. Netherland Antillies and Surinam, who each have their own national team, constantly lose players, who should be on their teams, to Holland. Even Cote d'Ivoire, who are facing Holland, have lost numerous players to the Dutch. Bonaventure Kalou is one of the starters for Cote d'Ivoire, and his brother Salomon (sp?) Kalou is also an excellent player. However, he will not be playing for his home counrty, Cote d'Ivoire in the World Cup. Instead, he is waiting to get a Dutch passport so he can play for Holland. So don't be fooled by thinking "they are great with such a small population". It's not hard to be great when you steal the talent from every other nation. In fact, if you count all these other nation's populations that the Dutch steal from they probably have a player pool as big as anyone in the World Cup. At least Brazil develops its own players, so I would rather root for them instead of a team like Holland or France who become great at someone else's expense. So for the long post, but (as you can probably tell), I really hate Holland and France. Also Italy, but not for the same reasons, more so because Italy tend to be a thorn in the side for my teams (Norway in qualifying, USA now in the World Cup!)
Valid reason against Holland, but if a player loved his birth nation MORE than his adopted soccer home, than he would choose his birth country. For example, Zidane was born in Algeria. Did he the option to suit for Algeria? If anyone blame the player not KNVB.
Should the US get knocked out in the group stage....highly unlikely....I'd like to see any from anywhere other than Europe or South America do well. I think it'd be great to see TNT do well. But let's face it, odds are that it will be Brazil vs. which UEFA manages to play best during the tournament, same old thing in the end. Anyone getting sick of Brazil?