what a fucking vagina

6/26/2011 5:53:18 PM

We need to stop hosting matches against opponents in locations seemingly based solely upon the takings from ticket sales. I don't know how much say in scheduling CONCACAF supposedly has in the Gold Cup, but realistically it is nil. CONCACAF needs us to host these tournaments. There is literally no other suitable venue. Mexico is a failed state. All of the other nations are too small. It is not some random coincidence that games were played against Canada in Detroit, Panama in Tampa, and Mexico in Los Angeles. The USSF needs to realize that pandering to opponents fans in order to make money bothers the players, there is such thing as a home advantage, and that better results will increase popularity, increase the ability to schedule and play well against top-flight competition, etc etc, and which will ultimately increase revenues.

6/26/2011 6:00:53 PM

As much as I love hating on USSF, this wasn't their call. It was totally CONCACAF's decision and the Rose Bowl (with Mexico in the final) and Houston (with Mexico in the semifinals) were the best options to maximize $$$

[Edited on June 26, 2011 at 6:27 PM. Reason : Concacaf gives two shits about a US home advantage]

6/26/2011 6:26:57 PM

^what he said. It is all CONCACAF's call with the sites. Nothing USSF can do about it. All about that $$$.

6/26/2011 6:31:23 PM

as much as i hate bradley as coach, i think it is abundantly clear that the US men's team only has about 6 quality guys, and the rest are just not dependable. goddamn that defense was atrocious.

6/26/2011 7:12:54 PM

Ha ha, just saw that the guy on espn.com who give grades to all the players gave Bornstein a 2 out of 10. Also, we better find some faster middle backs by the World Cup or we are screwed.

6/26/2011 7:23:37 PM

I spent some time looking up players in our youth system today and even though there's a number of promising players, unfortunately CB remains a problem for us even at the U-23 level. Best prospects now are probably Ethan White/Perry Kitchen (both at DC United) and Ike Opara (at SJ)

A lot of attacking players are coming through the ranks though and it's probably not a coincidence most of them skipped over MLS.

6/26/2011 7:51:43 PM

Quote :

"What's so bad about #3? Boca left a guy completely open eight yards from goal."

Yeah, it wasn't all on Howard. He definitely got hung out to dry, but it's weird to see him get totally frozen on a shot.

6/26/2011 9:07:45 PM

Quote :

"Ha ha, just saw that the guy on espn.com who give grades to all the players gave Bornstein a 2 out of 10."

That's about two times what I would have rated him.

6/26/2011 9:38:45 PM

Imagine celebrating with 4,000 USA fans in front of 90,000 Mexico fans after Donovan's goal.

Yeah, it was awesome.

Imagine, after celebrating like you just won the lottery in front of a bunch of people who were on welfare, that the aforementiomed welfarees just took your money, laughed, and you found out, slowly - one hint, out of four, at a time, that you have AIDS.

OK, it wasn't that bad, but still.

Our seats were midfield, 3/4 up, a much better perspective than what you get on TV. Pretty much the position where you can see everything before it happens. Suffice it to say i saw a lot.

What I learned:

1) Lost causes may not be just that. As a Freddy Adu hater, I will now punch myself in the stomach. The kid did it all. He held up the ball extremely well. He was a man on an island, who received virtually no help and still managed to find space to create and distribute. Same could be said of Gio. The two forgottens shined.

2) We are fucked. Watching our defense was like watching what I imagine synchronized swimming must look like at the special Olympics. Bornstein is an absolute joke and should be ashamed to be alive, let alone a. professional soccer player. Bob Bradley should be fired soley on the premise that he sees anything in that clown.

3) Don't believe the hype. Lol at 'jadn trying to troll us pregame. Chicharito revealed to us his true colors. Guy is a one dimensional player. He was offsides by miles a dozen times, he was dispossesd of the ball easily, and made plenty of poor decisions. Similarly, Dempsey disappeared and his frustration showed late in the game where he inevitably turned into a "I'm going to shoot from 40 yards, off balance, because we're losing" baby.

4) Land of the green? Like I said, we were outnumbered. Much like the Alamo. Similar result, too. Half of our fan base was Latino, probably Mexican in heritage. Conclusion: soccer is still very much a backburner game here.

[Edited on June 27, 2011 at 2:05 AM. Reason : .]

6/27/2011 1:49:26 AM

my original and mindblowing theory about this: to be a world class defender you have to learn how to play against good players, moreso than to be a good scorer and even moreso than to be a good goalkeeper. we have a world class goalkeeper, and we have some serviceable scorers. i'd guess that it'll be 20 years before we have serviceable defenders, and they'll be a rough 20 years b/c holy shit our defense is bad.

6/27/2011 2:29:12 AM

^^

Quote :

"Imagine celebrating with 4,000 USA fans in front of 90,000 Mexico fans after Donovan's goal."

Hell yes. That's why I want to be at Azteca. If we lose, oh well we always lose. But if we finally win there, it will be the sweetest fucking thing ever.

^

good point, I can agree with that. Defending is mostly about being able to react to what's around you and if you're used to a slow MLS with guys that can't do much but kick it around you and run after it... you're not going to be able to handle Gio on the dribble. Cherundolo Matt Saracen is probably our most accomplished defender ever and he's been in Europe for 12 years now

[Edited on June 27, 2011 at 8:14 AM. Reason : .]

6/27/2011 8:12:19 AM

Yeah, but in Azteca instead of a 4:90 ratio, it'd be a 1:105,063 ratio...until they killed you. Going to a game on our own soil was close enough, and for the most part, their fans weren't sore winners. I think they feel bad that when they go to a game here in the US that nobody from the US gives a shit. I think in a way, they wish there were more US fans there. I mean who wants to be in a stadium with no one to root against but the team on the field. It may work for other sports, but not international soccer. I had a blast trading jabs with the Mexico fans.

6/27/2011 12:32:09 PM

true. I don't think they'd be very gracious in defeat (or as winners) at Azteca but that's why US fans get that police escort

6/27/2011 12:34:54 PM

Without quoting everyone at the top of this page, I read on Big Soccer that Chuck Blazer was asked about the Gold Cup in a press conference last week. He said the USA is the only nation that seems to have any interest in hosting. All of the other nations want the USA to host it because it draws fans and makes money here. He also mentioned that it is played every two years because it makes enough money to fund CONCACAF for two year. All other CONCACAF tournaments lose money. No Gold Cup = No CONCACAF.

6/27/2011 9:53:08 PM

^ I'm sure there'd be a Concacaf man, they don't exactly need those fancy offices in Trump Tower.

anyways, here's a list of possible coaches to replace Bradley (the dude just got an extension so I doubt he's going anywhere but it's fun to think about this stuff) and I saw this tidbit that I never knew about:

Quote :

"After leading several Serie A clubs, Gulati was about to hire Donadoni. But the day of the 2006 final, as Marcello Lippi submitted his resignation as Italy won the title, Gulati’s call to Donadoni’s agent to seal the deal was a disaster. He was told Donadoni was back in Italy preparing for his introduction as Italy’s national team coach. That didn’t last long and now Donadoni is back in Serie A at Cagliari. If the U.S. is looking for a little tactical sophistication, this might be the guy."

Don't know how successful or how fun it would have been to watch but it would have been interesting.

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/in-bob-we-trust/

I don't get the Klinsmann boner, even if he's an obvious upgrade, but whatever. I personally don't want any coach from MLS except maybe Kreis and I don't think he's ready for a national gig yet. Bielsa is the most appealing on that list to me.

6/29/2011 9:54:47 AM

^If you thought diving was bad now....


and I wouldn't really want Klinsman as coach. I'd rather he take over Gulati's position.

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 11:12 AM. Reason : ]

6/29/2011 11:11:52 AM

It's an old profile on Bielsa but this is exactly what I want in a coach

Quote :

"'Pressure,' he has said, 'is synonymous with football.' And also: 'Football is a collective game, it is - don't forget - a game of association.' By which he means that everybody attacks and everybody defends. The pressure on the ball all the time, wherever it might be, combined with the smooth, practised moves of a purring Mercedes Benz in midfield and attack, add up to the relentless, one-touch, high-tempo, total-football game that Bielsa has made his trademark and that Argentina's Latin American rivals have been helpless to resist."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/jun/02/worldcupfootball2002.sport8

Everything I read on this guy includes words like - genius, youth, experimental, attacking, entertaining, pressure

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 11:23 AM. Reason : loco]

6/29/2011 11:19:18 AM

Quote :

" four year contract"

6/29/2011 11:22:23 AM

Pretty funny when you think about what it would be like if our top athletes played soccer. Imagine these guys growing up playing soccer

Devin Hester
Ladanian Tomlinson
Chris Johnson
Adrian Peterson
Troy Polamalu
Steve Smith
Revis
Demarcus Ware
Larry Fitzgerald


Our soccer team would literally run circles around spain and run right past everyone. We would beat other teams goofing around and the world would hate us for our insane celebrations. We would make the whole world start playing cricket so that they could feel good about themselves
again.


[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 12:48 PM. Reason : cancel the nfl]

6/29/2011 12:47:04 PM

who the fuck is ramses barden

6/29/2011 12:59:03 PM

because raw athleticism always translates into soccer success


Eddie Johnson says what's up

6/29/2011 1:05:23 PM

Wouldn't you also want someone with great instincts and hand/eye coordination keeping the net?

Randy Moss would be better in net and Ware as a center back.

6/29/2011 1:11:35 PM

Ware is an end rusher so he's used to playing low, diving, and leaping up all of a sudden to bat down balls. He's also 6'5 with an incredible wingspan and incredible stop start acceleration. He has so much range and could cover so much of the net.

6/29/2011 1:19:02 PM

There's a huge difference between the type of fitness required for football and the type of fitness required for soccer. It's like the difference between running the 100M and cross country. The explosive, aggressive athleticism does not necessarily translate, especially because footskill, foresight, and creativity play a much higher role.

I hate when people say that athletes in other sports would be great soccer players just because they are impressive physical specimens. There's a reason that we were a better squad than Jamaica even though they had better speed and strength. (Not that that is saying a whole lot, but it's a good direct comparison of athleticism on the soccer field.) Also, look at the best club and national squad in the world right now, Barcelona and Spain. They're made up of short guys who aren't physically imposing by any stretch of the imagination.

(And seriously, Philip Rivers at midfield??? Are you insane? The guy is a giant who lumbers around the field. I love him to death, and have followed his career since we were at State together, but he wouldn't last half an hour at center mid.)

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 2:54 PM. Reason : m ]

6/29/2011 2:51:32 PM

If you wanted to pick a QB for midfield I would have gone with Aaron Rodgers: more athletic than most QB's, good vision, good decision maker.

6/29/2011 3:01:14 PM

I didn't put rivers in my list but that site put a bunch of qbs at midfield for their creativity and decision making.

6/29/2011 3:01:18 PM

LOL at serious reponses to The E Man.

6/29/2011 3:11:07 PM

Let's put it this way. People are laughing at Usain Bolt, who actually has a bit of soccer skill - or so I've heard, claiming that he could play for Man Utd. He's just as athletic, and way faster than everyone you posted. Go outside and try to juggle a soccer ball for more than a second and tell us that its the same as a high knee drill.

Don't get me wrong, though. If soccer was a number one sport in this country, we'd be right up there with Brazil.

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 3:44 PM. Reason : .]

6/29/2011 3:42:36 PM

This is the most idiotic discussion about soccer yet.

We are already equal or superior as far as athleticism goes to any team we play. We don't lose because we don't have athletes, we lose because we don't have soccer players.

6/29/2011 4:21:20 PM

We lose because we don't have our best athletes in soccer at all is what I'm saying. We still have good athletes but our best athletes never play soccer. Bolt could not play in the NFL either. Guys like Chris Johnson and Hester have god-given ability with their footwork and agility that can not be taught nor matched. Bolt only has straight line speed. These nfl players are the best athletes in the world and combine elite strength, agility, footwork, coordination, creativity, timing and stamina to play football. Don't try to equate that to a sprinter.

I'm not saying these guys could become soccer players overnight, I'm just saying if our top athletes grew up playing soccer, we'd dominate.

Not only would we have the best athletes, we'd be incredibly faster than anyone else. We'd be so fast that our elite footwork and agility wouldn't be needed as much, but it'd be there.

6/29/2011 4:31:03 PM

It is clear that you have no clue what you're talking about and know next to nothing about soccer. What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this board is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

6/29/2011 6:06:35 PM

Thats really cool of you to copy paste that.

6/29/2011 6:20:30 PM

oh, this is still being discussed?

6/29/2011 6:23:48 PM

how is chad johnson doing at soccer? shouldn't he already be better than everyone in the mls?

6/29/2011 6:50:32 PM

Barca is in talks with buying him instead of Fabregas or Sanchez

6/29/2011 7:11:03 PM

$1, Bob Drew.

6/30/2011 2:56:46 AM

that formation pic is almost as good as the original earl drawings

6/30/2011 3:43:14 AM

what's with the high number of NFL players on that list? NBA can't get any love?

Besides, we're average at soccer because we don't have the technical skill of other elite players. Our youth system blows, and our talent doesn't blossom until they're older than their european and south american peers. Kids in the US grow up doing cone dribbling drills and learning tactical strategies instead of being encouraged to develop vision, creativity, and ball control skills. Don't get me wrong, you need that tactical conditioning, but when's the last time you saw an American dribble his way out of trouble? Adu (and sometimes Dempsey) are really the only ones who can create opportunities off the dribble. In my opinion, our youth system stresses tactical ability and completely ignores technical ability, which is only half of the equation.


Childhood Ronaldinho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbniVKt0QGo
Robinho footwork: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUZECEo1dVk
messi footwork: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZ7QVA5-Jo



Now, for contrast


a young allen iverson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WKokFf7DNU
tyreke evans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3E4HqKQVyw&feature=related
derrick rose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7bC-PhE0ss



The problem isn't athleticism, it's creativity. We completely lack it. Our players can't improvise, because they are hardly ever put in the position where it is encouraged at a young age.

[Edited on June 30, 2011 at 4:59 PM. Reason : ]

6/30/2011 4:38:52 PM

Can we focus on how much Bradley sucks and move away from this NFL players as soccer player bullshit?

6/30/2011 4:39:34 PM

Who can fire Gulati? If he goes, Bob will follow shortly.

6/30/2011 5:17:47 PM

Quote :

"Besides, we're average at soccer because we don't have the technical skill of other elite players. Our youth system blows, and our talent doesn't blossom until they're older than their european and south american peers. Kids in the US grow up doing cone dribbling drills and learning tactical strategies instead of being encouraged to develop vision, creativity, and ball control skills. Don't get me wrong, you need that tactical conditioning, but when's the last time you saw an American dribble his way out of trouble? Adu (and sometimes Dempsey) are really the only ones who can create opportunities off the dribble. In my opinion, our youth system stresses tactical ability and completely ignores technical ability, which is only half of the equation."

You are wrong because we are the best at women's soccer which wouldn't be the case if you were right. The women have no problem dominating because they aren't losing all the best female athletes to football. Women's soccer is proof that if you take away football and have the best athletes play soccer, we're great at it.

7/1/2011 12:08:28 AM

Troll

7/1/2011 1:33:08 AM

Because every country has their best female athletes in competitive sports (and specifically soccer), right?

[Edited on July 1, 2011 at 6:35 AM. Reason : .]

7/1/2011 6:18:47 AM

It's not a stretch to say that if our best athletes grew up being soccer players we'd be a lot better at all. But that's not the same thing as saying "if NFL players played soccer, we'd dominate!!!!!!!"

A lot of that has to do with, as mentioned, the infrastructure in place from youth through senior level. It simply doesn't exist in America as it does across the world and that is, in large part, due to the over-saturation of other sports (namely baseball) in the youth.

7/1/2011 8:52:45 AM

^They are both saying the same thing. When I say "if chris johnson was a soccer player..." I don't mean if he started playing soccer today, I mean if he was raised playing soccer.

^^The ones that are good at soccer do. Brazil, Spain, Holland, all the south american and european countries, asian countries.

Its not like Iran and Saudi Arabia have all the soccer talent. You really trying to claim we are good at soccer because women aren't as free anywhere else? really?

[Edited on July 1, 2011 at 1:05 PM. Reason : we are just great at every sport because we have a large, rich, population and a sports culture]

7/1/2011 1:02:21 PM

So the countries good at soccer are good because they have good soccer players?

7/1/2011 8:14:07 PM

Did anyone else watch NY vs San Jose last night? At the half they honored members of the 1994 World Cup squad that lost in Stanford Staduim to Brazil 1-0. Tab Ramos was there and said on tv that he has been an assistant coach with the USA U-17 and U-20 mens teams. He said the U-20 job is open and he is interested in coaching in the future, but he is still learning how to coach. We could see him at the youth level in the future maybe. It sounds like he isn't too interested in taking the U-20 job for the next 2 year cycle though.

7/3/2011 12:31:33 PM

nah

7/3/2011 12:35:01 PM

I didn't realize he was a part of those coaching staffs. It's nice to see one of our own still involved with the game.

7/3/2011 12:38:42 PM