*World Cup Game Discussion Thread* (SPOILERS)

[rexallllsc]

Does any team in this tourney have set pieces that are less inspired than the US'? GOOD GAWD.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by rexallllsc

Bye Bye Bruce Arena.

I doubt it. Arena will point the blames toward some of the players and probably FIFA. Fans of "The Bruce" who considers him God-like will make excuses for him based on the over-strict referees and their European-bias.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Italy must of scored, they went up 2-0.

Yup, now in extra time.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I doubt it. Arena will point the blames toward some of the players and probably FIFA. Fans of "The Bruce" who considers him God-like will make excuses for him based on the over-strict referees and their European-bias.

I don't see how he escapes this. Our media will kill him especially for his lack of creativity when we needed to win.

2010 - Let the countdown begin.

[saldana]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I doubt it. Arena will point the blames toward some of the players and probably FIFA. Fans of "The Bruce" who considers him God-like will make excuses for him based on the over-strict referees and their European-bias.

i dont know, the fact that we have the lowest shot total of the entire tournament and have scored 1 freaking goal is hard to blame on the refs entirely...at some point his system has to come under fire.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

To be fair, Arena was probably responsible for their emergence in the first place. I think he's been a good coach, but 8 years is a ridiculous period in international football. One possibility is that someone like Klinsmann (who apparently wants to stay in the US with his family, and is likely to leave Germany at the end) would be a great step for the US - of course, he may choose to take the legions of club offers if Germany continues to advance.

True, but Arena needs to progress with the talent. He really hasn't done that one they "arrived". Klinsmann actually lives in the US, and flies to Germany to due his duties. He's very "American" in his style and training.

[Solecismic]

If stoppage time is based on any realistic assessment, there's still 10-15 minutes remaining.

[saldana]

i cant believe we are out....did anyone tell beasly and donovan that the tournament was this month, because neither of them showed up.


and that last play was the summation of our entire WC....'swing and a miss'

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

To be fair, Arena was probably responsible for their emergence in the first place. I think he's been a good coach, but 8 years is a ridiculous period in international football. One possibility is that someone like Klinsmann (who apparently wants to stay in the US with his family, and is likely to leave Germany at the end) would be a great step for the US - of course, he may choose to take the legions of club offers if Germany continues to advance.

I think the problem is that the next coach will probably be American as well. I think there's a charter to only hire Americans for the position. We need to suck it up and realize that Pereira [sp?] the Portuguese coach, or Klinsmann, would be a huge upgrade and could teach our players so much.

[rexallllsc]

The only player who really excited me for the US in this tourney was Clint Dempsey.

The rest were very disappointing and outclassed. Especially Donovan, Beasley, and Keller.

[kingfc22]

Donovan should have kept dribbling towards goal and waited until he got some contact.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by rexallllsc

The only player who really excited me for the US in this tourney was Clint Dempsey.

Agreed

[Galaxy]

Does this kill the rising interest in soccer in the US?

[rexallllsc]

It's really sad that as horrible as Beasley has been, he delivers the best balls.

[bhlloy]

Ugh...bullshit penalty call but I have very rarely seen a team so impotent as the US going forward. I don't think I can put into words how much I hate Landon Donovan - so much talent and so little done with it

[rexallllsc]

JESUS. Ghana has no class with these dives. I hope Brazil pounds them.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Does this kill the rising interest in soccer in the US?

It sure doesn't help. Especially the fact that our coach just stands their dumbfounded on the sideline. No emotion.

Can we get a Bill Cowher out there.

[rexallllsc]

JESUS. Ghana has no class with these dives. I hope Brazil pounds them.

[Desnudo]

Essien is out so Brazil should clean up these guys.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Does this kill the rising interest in soccer in the US?

Nope. Too many little kids playing the sport. It'll stay about where it is, where people get a little interested every four years, but I don't see it reaching Big 4 status.

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Ugh...bullshit penalty call but I have very rarely seen a team so impotent as the US going forward. I don't think I can put into words how much I hate Landon Donovan - so much talent and so little done with it

His time with Leverkusen says a lot about his drive to improve as a player. He's clearly living off of his reputation at this point, and nothing more.

[Galaxy]

Eric on the post-game commentary is riping Arena.

[Sublime 2]

Thank you Wynalda!! Good to hear someone calling out Arena.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Does this kill the rising interest in soccer in the US?

Yep.

[Galaxy]

Do we have another tournmanet, like a Euro Championship, until 2010?

[Bisbo]

Just logged on, so please excuse me if this already has been addressed, but can somebody please tell me why Landon Donovan wasn't in the lineup today?

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Nope. Too many little kids playing the sport. It'll stay about where it is, where people get a little interested every four years, but I don't see it reaching Big 4 status.

We have this debate every four years.

What's nice about soccer is that its format doesn't lend itself well to the constant commercial interruptions our billion-dollar television networks subject us to with other sports.

But the sport itself doesn't suit our tastes. If you're raised on baseball and football, soccer is just too foreign.

I think the hockey strike has made this a Big Three for now, though that could revert at some point. But one thing hockey and soccer have in common is that you don't hear a lot of Americans called the best players in the world.

Perhaps we just can't handle that.

[Bisbo]

I think part of the problem is that we don't have a cool name, like lots of other teams - the Black Stars, Soca Warriors, Elephants, Sparrow Hawks etc - I suggest we call our team "The Heartless Pussies".

[Icy]

Sorry to see you guys out, you had my sympathy. Btw, the Spanish press is talking about the penalty and they all agree that it was not, totally unfair.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Bisbo

I think part of the problem is that we don't have a cool name, like lots of other teams - the Black Stars, Soca Warriors, Elephants, Sparrow Hawks etc - I suggest we call our team "The Heartless Pussies".

Red Bull USA?

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Eric on the post-game commentary is riping Arena.

Yep! Anyone know what happened to Lalas?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

I think the problem is that the next coach will probably be American as well. I think there's a charter to only hire Americans for the position. We need to suck it up and realize that Pereira [sp?] the Portuguese coach, or Klinsmann, would be a huge upgrade and could teach our players so much.

Based on Grant Wahl's story - I think they came very close to hiring Carlos Queiroz of Portugual last time - I wouldn't be so sure about the American only. Klinsmann makes sense because he speaks good English, is very "American", and is well regarded. Of course, the idea of him leaving Germany for the US makes no sense on any sort of competitive merit - it might make sense if the family reasons are good enough.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Do we have another tournmanet, like a Euro Championship, until 2010?

I think it makes sense for the US to rejoin Copa America - quality wise, its probably second to the Euro's in terms of depth, but it has some of the world's best teams. It's far more practica for the world cup than beating up the likes of T&T and Jamaica.

[3ric]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Based on Grant Wahl's story - I think they came very close to hiring Carlos Queiroz of Portugual last time - I wouldn't be so sure about the American only. Klinsmann makes sense because he speaks good English, is very "American", and is well regarded. Of course, the idea of him leaving Germany for the US makes no sense on any sort of competitive merit - it might make sense if the family reasons are good enough.

Eh? Klinsmann already lives in California with his family. He's perfect.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

We have this debate every four years.

What's nice about soccer is that its format doesn't lend itself well to the constant commercial interruptions our billion-dollar television networks subject us to with other sports.

But the sport itself doesn't suit our tastes. If you're raised on baseball and football, soccer is just too foreign.

I think the hockey strike has made this a Big Three for now, though that could revert at some point. But one thing hockey and soccer have in common is that you don't hear a lot of Americans called the best players in the world.

Perhaps we just can't handle that.

A common complaint I hear about soccer from Americans is that it's "boring" because there aren't always a lot of scores. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching the NFL and NBA .. but when I watch soccer, I'm not looking for high scorelines all the time. This was the reason why the MLS when it first started had some radical changes from the normal soccer games (shootouts at the end of draws).

And, I will repeat something I've said before, American soccer can't progress until there are enough American players playing in the top leagues around the world. Keeping it in the MLS isn't good enough. For Freddy Adu's sake, I hope he leaves the MLS and joins a top tier European team.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Does this kill the rising interest in soccer in the US?

Nah. Would a good peformance provided a short term bump yes, but this hardly kills it. Heck if 1998 didn't kill it nothing will.

Soccer has a couple things going for it in this country. One: public schools and programs are constantly short of funding for sports, music, and other activities. So as smaller schools continue to cut "expensive" sports like football, they look towards soccer which is rather a cheap alternative.

Two: Just look at any major city on the weekend nowadays and you find fields of kids playing in organized leagues. That didn't happen 30 years ago .. and won't stop due to the WC failure. Again, soccer is fairly cheap to play in terms of equipment, lets 22 kids on the field at once, and gives them lots of exercise (good incentive for parents to let them play).

Three: Hispanics as a percentage of US population continues to increase. I'm generalizing here, but Hispanics tend to be more fans of soccer. This alone should keep television and other ratings rising is the US assuming the population continues to grow.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Eh? Klinsmann already lives in California with his family. He's perfect.

I think that's what he was referring to when he mentioned the family angle.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Eh? Klinsmann already lives in California with his family. He's perfect.

Right - that's what I'm saying. Competitively, its a step down for him to coach the US, especially if Germany gets far - but the family reasons mean that they probably have a shot at him. This is one area where the US ought to take advantage of its ability to pay big money for a top coach. If not Klinsman, luring soneone like an Omar Hitzfield or a Carlos Quiroz would do wonders from a credibility perspective. Arena's a good coach, but I don't think he has any future in MLS (given his attack on that league) or Europe (skepticism about an American coach, same as with any African/Asian coaches) - we shall see.

[Critch]

What's the history between Wynalda and Arena? Wynalda ripped into him at full time and when asked what was different about this time he made a comment about Arena losing his lucky horseshoe, implying that he's always just been a lucky coach.

Is there some history there? Did Arena end his international career? Or piss in his cornflakes?

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Nope. Too many little kids playing the sport. It'll stay about where it is, where people get a little interested every four years, but I don't see it reaching Big 4 status.

Big four? I think you're already giving hockey too much credit. Check NHL attendance versus MLS. It's a dead heat.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Big four? I think you're already giving hockey too much credit. Check NHL attendance versus MLS. It's a dead heat.

I think he means... *shudder* NASCAR as the 4th.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Big four? I think you're already giving hockey too much credit. Check NHL attendance versus MLS. It's a dead heat.

Maybe he meant NASCAR.

Edit: Dammit Crapshoot...stop doing that.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

that was a crap call to set up the penalty kick. for a ref that did such a good job in his last match (AUS-BRA), i think all the cards (on both teams) have been pretty iffy.

Didn't see the US game today, but surely you're not referring to Markus Mercks, or however you spell it? He's one of the worst of the lot - this board complained about the ref giving Italy all the decisions in the It-US game, Brazil got far more help from Mercks against the Aussies.

Terrible, terrible ref.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Then again, the last figures I've seen for pro rodeo (1997) show it with a higher average attendance than the NHL or the MLS, at about 20,000 per event.

And I'd think it was a pretty safe bet that at least the most visible of the monster truck promotions ("Monster Jam") outdraws them both by a wide margin on average.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by saldana

i dont know, the fact that we have the lowest shot total of the entire tournament and have scored 1 freaking goal is hard to blame on the refs entirely...at some point his system has to come under fire.

Stop bringing objectivity into this thread

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by law90026

A common complaint I hear about soccer from Americans is that it's "boring" because there aren't always a lot of scores.

It's not just scores, but very few scoring opportunities. Hockey at least tends to be typically 3-2 (as opposed to soccer's 1-0), but it also has something like 50-60 shots in the typical game, as opposed to soccer's maybe 20. And hockey made rules changes this past season to pick up the pace. When the sport consists primarily of passes moving up and down the field, fans need to have enough of an appreciation to enjoy a good pass in order to get into the game. Americans don't tend to have that, they'd rather watch something more exciting.

[AlexB]

Big qualifier - haven't seen the US game today, but from this thread a gather there was a debatable penalty decision?

However, I'd like to strike back for the referees: other than a few glaring exceptions (Markus Mercks, the Mexican guy we had first game, and a couple of others who I can't quite isolate the games for) I actually think this is a pretty well refereed WC so far.

What seems to have happened to me is that the refs are either very good or absolute tripe - I have maybe seen 5-6 games where the latter is the case, and while the majority have been pretty good, the poor refeering decisions are more memorable, especially when you are supporting one of the teams being affected by them.

However, overall I think the reffing has been pretty decent.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

Big qualifier - haven't seen the US game today, but from this thread a gather there was a debatable penalty decision?

Possible the worst decission in Merk's refereeing career so far. All in all, I didn't see anything new to Markus Merk's habbits compared to 10 years ago. It's the same referee who takes every rule as litterally as he can. He can be a bit harsh at times and not wait long enough to see the advantage situations, but usually he's a good ref, as far as I know.



And have I touted Khalid Boulahrouz enough yet? He was rock solid against Argentina. Everybody in Maassluis is very proud.

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Then again, the last figures I've seen for pro rodeo (1997) show it with a higher average attendance than the NHL or the MLS, at about 20,000 per event.

And I'd think it was a pretty safe bet that at least the most visible of the monster truck promotions ("Monster Jam") outdraws them both by a wide margin on average.

Bah. I need a gate dollars per roster spot per season number. If a football team charges $100 weighted average per ticket and sells out the 60,000 seat stadium for all 8 games then they make about $1M per season per roster spot. Basketball at $42.50 and 15,000 makes about $2M. $2M also for a baseball team at $15.50 and 40,000 seats.

I have no idea what the attendance figures are or what the range for ticket prices is for the MLS. But I'd be surprised if they made more than $250K per roster spot.

[TazFTW]

Schwarzer doesn't start in goal and Croatia scores early.