I will. Lalas is a hack and part of the old order of US Soccer. He was great in the old days, but his ideas of "leadership" should be replaced with actual soccer skills and tactics.
Maybe...but what in this rant was he wrong about? I've read where the '94 guys are jaded in not getting the respect for what they did for US Soccer. Lalas definitely has an anger to his commentating. But he's not incorrect. There's something wrong with this team. They are far and away more talented than Honduras...than Panama...and they struggle to get a point from them. There's no excuse for it any more.
Lalas and his generation scratched and clawed for everything they achieved. Today's players have a large well funded MLS domestic league, regional and extra-regional championship level competitions, better access to Europe, money and advertisements, etc... Like he said, a generation that's been given everything in large part due to the blood, sweat, and tears of guys like him who were given nothing yet gave everything.
I agree with this here. Lalas has always been out of touch with modern soccer imo. Thats the same attitude that put retreads out on the field year after year. Guys like Altidore, Dempsey, and maybe even bradley shouldn't even be starting, yet those are the players he calls out. I agree that the US has talent, I don't agree that guys like that are the talented players and they get opportunity after opportunity to fail. Arena is definitely a problem too.
He is SPOT on - this team is SOFT SOFT SOFT - since Jermaine Jones is not there we have ZERO toughness or enforcement out there, while other teams are planting Pulisic into the ground, we let them run free. We need a tough as nails midfielder who is not afraid of getting stuck in....... I think we finish 4th and lose to Australia and miss the WC. DD
Well, yeah...but the ones that were called out are the faces of US Soccer and are expected to be the leaders. We have talent. Plenty of it...at least enough that qualifying from CONCACAF should be a foregone conclusion. It should be clinched. We should be using these last 2 games to see some of the younger guys. Instead, we're still fighting for the last spot and hoping not to have to travel across the globe for a freaking playoff against what will likely be Australia.
I completely agree with his argument that we should hold the USMNT more accountable. What I disagree with is his manner of delivery - he pandered to the base who will come out with knives whenever one bad thing happens (e.g. people like DaDakota). Why does Lalas have the moral high ground here? He and his teammates **** the bed in the 1998 World Cup. He certainly wasn't a leader for that team. Did he point the entitlement finger at himself after that debacle? Soccer is a simple game until things stop working. I also agree that we should be able to beat Honduras and Panama, but how do we do it? Simply stating that fact is low hanging fruit.
To be fair, the 1998 debacle was 99% Steve Sampson. Leaving John Harkes home and "inventing" the 3-6-1. Both decisions that rank up there with Klins leaving Donovan home in '14 as the 3 worst decisions in USMNT coaching history.
LOL. They fired Klinsmann for no reason now. The team us just heartless and soft as baby ****. USMNT is about as well run an organization as the Texans.
I wouldn't say they fired Klinsmann for no reason, but rehiring Arena looks to have been a poor decision. Aside from the 1-1 draw in Azteca, Arena's second tenure has been a disaster. I agree with the entitlement statement. Many of the key players disappointed US fans by coming back to MLS instead of continuing to pursue success in Europe. Bradley didn't have to leave Serie A when he did, nor did Dempsey need to leave the EPL. Altidore played himself when he signed with Sunderland and probably would've been better served by returning to the Eredivisie where he could score a lot of goals and regain his confidence.
We need some toughness on the pitch an enforcer - be great if it was a HM - because right now we are like Arsenal - without the skill, just soft as charmin. DD
