World Cup and European leagues

Started by Jim Matson, June 11, 2006, 12:00:45 AM

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Ralph Turner

Reminds me of the chant...

Oh vuh ray ted!
Oh vuh ray ted!

The US team definitely looks uninspired.

I sometimes wonder about how much hype these guys get relative to their accomplishments. :-\

David Collinge

Quote from: > on June 12, 2006, 01:38:59 PMThis looked more like the 1990 USA team that got their ass kicked rather than the 5th ranked USA team of this year.

FIFA World Rankings

I wonder if anyone outside the USA ever even acknowledges these idiotic rankings.  Who here thinks the USA (#5t) is better than France (#8) or Argentina (#9)?  Who would you take in a match between Egypt and Germany?  Guess again; Egypt (#17) is two places ahead of Germany (#19.)  #42 Australia just made #18 Japan look foolish. 

Even FIFA doesn't seem to take their own rankings seriously; after all, in Group E, Italy (#13) is the seeded team, despite being the second-lowest ranked team in the group (Czech Rep. #2, USA #5t).  The 8 seeded teams carry the rankings 1, 4, 5t, 8, 9, 10, 13, 19; five teams that didn't even make the field are ranked higher than the seeded Germans.

It's too bad the World Cup wasn't played in April, when the USA was ranked #4.

Ridiculous.

mybleedinghands

Quote from: Ralph Turner on June 12, 2006, 01:49:40 PM
Reminds me of the chant...

Oh vuh ray ted!
Oh vuh ray ted!

The US team definitely looks uninspired.

I sometimes wonder about how much hype these guys get relative to their accomplishments. :-\

Nedved for the Czech Republic said we were teh dark horse of the whole tournament, so it's not like it's jsut the media hyping up the US!

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)

I haven't ever seen the Chechs before.  They are far and away better than expected.  That is one heck of a football squad.  Man, we just got whupped today.  That second goal never should have happened, but even if every break went our way it still would have been a 2-1 loss.  Very impressed by this squad; if Brazil doesn't win it, its going to be these guys.  They would have beaten any team that has played thus far.


That being said, its really sad that we couldn't come up with four world-class defenders to throw out there.  John O'Brien should have been in from the beginning and losing Spector to injry last month just killed us.  Eddie Pope is a great guy and all, but he should be nothing more than an emergency sub.

I know how much they want MLS to succeed, but we need to get our guys over to Europe as fast as possible.  Eddie Johnson could have done some real damage had he ever faced players of this calibre before.

Regardless, I still think we're better than Italy and Ghana, so we should be able to earn the chance to get steamrolled by Brazil in the round of 16.  We can only hope.  One thing's for sure: while the US may have a top ten squad, we certainly have a long way to go before we can compete with the big boys.
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Pat Coleman

Quote from: David Collinge on June 12, 2006, 02:26:18 PM
Quote from: > on June 12, 2006, 01:38:59 PMThis looked more like the 1990 USA team that got their ass kicked rather than the 5th ranked USA team of this year.

FIFA World Rankings

I wonder if anyone outside the USA ever even acknowledges these idiotic rankings.  Who here thinks the USA (#5t) is better than France (#8) or Argentina (#9)?  Who would you take in a match between Egypt and Germany?  Guess again; Egypt (#17) is two places ahead of Germany (#19.)  #42 Australia just made #18 Japan look foolish. 

Even FIFA doesn't seem to take their own rankings seriously; after all, in Group E, Italy (#13) is the seeded team, despite being the second-lowest ranked team in the group (Czech Rep. #2, USA #5t).  The 8 seeded teams carry the rankings 1, 4, 5t, 8, 9, 10, 13, 19; five teams that didn't even make the field are ranked higher than the seeded Germans.

It's too bad the World Cup wasn't played in April, when the USA was ranked #4.

Ridiculous.

The FIFA is scrapping this ranking formula for a new one at the end of the World Cup.

Lot of World Cup coverage in USA Today. I'm learning a lot on the day job.
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Ralph Turner

I just don't see the US as a Top 16 team, because these guys do not show the hunger that we see in an Angola, T&T or Ivory Coast.

Even the Swedes, in their official North Park University colors  ;), showed more enthusiasm.

Mr. Ypsi

The Americans were strangely lethargic today.  I think falling behind within the first 5 minutes changed the whole tenor of the game - the Czechs then played all 11 men behind the ball, and USA never could solve that defense.  If Reyna's shot had been 2 inches to the right, it's a 1-1 game, and that would (or at least might) have changed the whole flow of the game.

When Koller went down, I became hopeful that 0-2 was not insurmountable.  The one bright spot was a 10-minute stretch midway through the second half where the American offense totally dominated, including two excellent scoring opportunities (Eddie Johnson's shot which went wide-left by less than a foot and the set-up pass which the American [Pope, I believe, though I'm not sure why he'd be THAT far forward even duing a desparation comeback attempt] ALMOST beat Cech to the ball, and would have had the easiest goal of his life if he had).  Alas, at the end of that stretch, Mosicki(sp?) got his second (his team's third) goal, and that took all the life out of USA.

Well, it is beat Italy or go home - a tie ain't gonna cut it.

mybleedinghands

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on June 12, 2006, 03:26:42 PM
Mosicki(sp?)

Rosicky - only bright spot about the game was that i had him on my fantasy team.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


I think you nailed it Ypsi.  I'm not sure even the US guys realized just how good that Czech team was.  Even if we were at the top of our game, we would not have been as good as those guys.

We caught some bad breaks, but I'm not sure they were ready for this match.  Arena really seemed to drop the ball on this one.  I chalk it up to our lack of defensemen.  O'brien should play every minute, but I doubt his fitness level will allow it.  Jon Spector really would have made a big difference I think.

I hate to go all Red Sox on you (because I do think they can pull out 4 points and advance), but we probably have to look at next cup to be anywhere close to contention.  Spector and Oguchi will be in their primes, along with Eddie Johnson and maybe Donovan can move into the Reyna role.

It's hard to get excited about advancing when it only means an embarassing loss to Brazil in the next round.
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Ralph Turner

I have always been reluctant to blame the coach at this level for motivation.  These players have been thinking about this day for 2 decades!

Tom Landry never gave big pep talks; he didn't believe in them.  If a pro cannot get ready for the World Cup, then why is he even a pro?

cawcdad

That was not the U.S. team I have seen. They looked flat and uninspired. The defense was all out of position on the first Czech goal. The two best attackers, Donovan and Beasley were non factors today. It is gut check time Saturday vs. Italy.

rbaikie

Quote from: David Collinge on June 12, 2006, 02:26:18 PM
Quote from: > on June 12, 2006, 01:38:59 PMfive teams that didn't even make the field are ranked higher than the seeded Germans.

Doesn't matter how the German's are ranked - being the host country they get put into the mix automatically -they could be ranked last in the world and then a lot of teams ranked higher wouldn't make the field.

rbaikie

Quote from: David Collinge on June 12, 2006, 02:26:18 PM
Quote from: > on June 12, 2006, 01:38:59 PMThis looked more like the 1990 USA team that got their ass kicked rather than the 5th ranked USA team of this year.

FIFA World Rankings

I wonder if anyone outside the USA ever even acknowledges these idiotic rankings.  Who here thinks the USA (#5t) is better than France (#8) or Argentina (#9)?  Who would you take in a match between Egypt and Germany?  Guess again; Egypt (#17) is two places ahead of Germany (#19.)  #42 Australia just made #18 Japan look foolish. 

Even FIFA doesn't seem to take their own rankings seriously; after all, in Group E, Italy (#13) is the seeded team, despite being the second-lowest ranked team in the group (Czech Rep. #2, USA #5t).  The 8 seeded teams carry the rankings 1, 4, 5t, 8, 9, 10, 13, 19; five teams that didn't even make the field are ranked higher than the seeded Germans.

It's too bad the World Cup wasn't played in April, when the USA was ranked #4.

Ridiculous.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


Ralph,

I agree with you.  My post was misleading in that regard.  I meant I chalked up blame to Arena for some of the tactical failings, not for the motivation.  I'm not sure it is a question of motivation at all.  I just think the Czech team that hit the pitch was playing far better than even the US players expected.  You couple that with the early goal my that ogre of a forward and I can understand where intimidation could set in quickly.
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Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


A good quote from Michael Davies' blog on ESPN, I think he sums up my opinion well.

Some in the media will attack the players, the coach, the selection, the tactics, but the truth is the U.S. just got thumped by one of the best teams in the world. Even without Milan Baros this evening, and Koller for half of the evening and maybe the rest of the tournament, the Czechs have players of superior quality, with superior strength, skill, creativity and football intelligence.

The US certainly will need to play better and Arena could throw a more competitive line-up out there, but I don't think anyone should be suprised by the US missing out on points here.  Saturday will be huge.
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