In the most recent Soccer America, there is an article about the coaching mess at UCLA over the last year. It says in the article that Sampson was considered by the Associate Athletic Director to be the most qualified candidate for the job. However, sources say that two former Bruin players who had also played for Sampson didn't give Sampson glowing reviews when UCLA called them. So, who stuck it to Sampson? I'm thinking Cobi and Friedel nailed him. Any other ideas. JUDASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! [<---------Bob Dylan bootleg reference] Murf
But how many players played at UCLA and also under Sampson at any point? Friedel, Cobi, Henderson, ??? Murf
Well, I guess if they wanted to keep their phone bills low, they could have called Caligiuri and Cobi but Friedel would seem to have been a good person to call because he also played under Fitzgerald in Columbus. He could have given the AD feedback on both coaches. Murf
If these unnamed perpetrators fill the role of Judas, then Steve Sampson would be whom? That metaphor's a bit of a stretch. A better analogy might be Sampson as the incompetent platoon leader who gets fragged by his own troops. Need I remind you: Steve Sampson is the worst coach in the history of sports, at any time, at any level, anywhere in the world, ever.
Actually, on the whole, he did a pretty good job. Maybe not up to Scotty Bowman standards, but still a pretty good job. He did "screw the pooch" over the whole World Cup thing, but his career as US National Team coach was relatively successful on the pitch.
No, empennage was correct, Wynalda played at San Diego State. So did Balboa. I got confirmation here.
My name's Francis, but nobody calls me Francis. Call me Psycho. Anybody calls me Francis, and I'll kill ya.
Being a bad manager is a job requirement for the Red Sox. It takes great skill to accomplish. If I were the manager, I would spend 8-10 hours a day figuring out ways to screw things up just perfectly in order to keep my job.
Maybe they just gave a fair and honest assesment of the man. They told the truth and it was hell for Sampson. How is that being a Judas?
Technically, yes. He did a great job at Copa America '95. We did not play Copa America '97, and I think that was a mistake, but it would have screwed up the MLS season, so maybe it wasn't a bad tradeoff. The win against Brazil. The drew Mexico during qualifying. A few other decent friendly results. Of course SS really mucked up France '98. It wasn't all his fault by any means. Part of it rests on the players' shoulders. However, Kuwait, Macedonia, and Scotland are not exactly good preparation for a World Cup. The whole player revolt, the John Harkes mismanagement, isolation in the French countryside...all major ***************ups. I think his ego grew over time and he became disconnected from his players. This is all speculation, but that's definitely the impression I got. A disciplinarian, authoritarian, rigid type of coach. Not a player's coach at all. He thought maybe he was bigger than the program and it was all about him. It wasn't. Still, I was very disappointed in players who publicly criticized him like Waldo, Harkes, Ramos, and Lalas. In short, he did a great job of bringing a beautiful lady to the dance. Then he showed up drunk.