[Soccer] Copa America

So are you saying that Brasil still would have lost with Ronaldinho and Kaka playing? Really? You sound like the one with a lack of soccer knowledge. Mexico poured more of it's better players into the Gold Cup because a confedertion cup berth means more than winning the Copa America. The Confederations Cup is a big lead up to the World Cup and has a lot of prestige. But in your opinion it was all done for the chance to show how really good they are in the Copa America. Gimme a break.

And to answer Swoly. My great grandfather was born outside of Corpus in the 1890's. We are still trying to find out where his father was born. My grandparents were born in Magnolia Park.

 

totally agree, i hope they address this issue soon

 

I read in "World Soccer" mag that the U.S. did not take their 1st team b/c the U.S. are invitees so this tourney is more or less a string of friendlies and MLS clubs do not have to release players to Nat'l team duty.

 

They've consistently invited the US to Copa America every year along with Mexico and the US has turned them down every time because of conflicts with MLS.

COMNEBOL knew what they were getting, they really shouldn't be shocked. But the other CONCACAF teams are so mediocre that even a second or third string US team isn't that big a deal.

 

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what's the symbol for a bolivar?

 

DAMN. I had to leave last night, left my Media Center recording and saw a movie while I missed the other three scores. I wanted the U.S. to beat the freakin' Argentinos, ché.

Stop making excuses for the U.S., soccer fans. You mean to tell me that the U.S. Soccer Federation believes that the OLDEST FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN THE WORLD doesn't deserve of a good showing from the U.S.??? You've gotta be kidding me. Please tell me that the MLS can afford to lose some superstars at least two weeks and a half, and that the EstadoUnidenses will want to see their team hoist a much more important championship trophy than the measly Copa Oro.

I would love to leave aside the fact that MEXICO always loses to you all, but I for once would like to see the rest of the world notice the U.S.'s football supremacy in this area, at least, instead of giving the disrespect it always gets. I for once would like to see the rest of the world (besides us Mexicans) say: "P*nch*s gringos... nos ganaron. " and show the world the U.S. can win this entire thing.

The U.S. soccer federation has a lot to learn. The MLS will NEVER be seen as something "serious" from the rest of the world if the players that can beat the rest of the world don't really show it in a team affair. If it continues to beat MEXICO and play sissy against the rest of the world, this disrespect will continue.

DrLudicrous, you know what will happen for the U.S. out of this? CONMEBOL countries will see the U.S. as an easy pray and A LOW RANKING in FIFA (I know, we all think that's a joke).

 

They should have sent the US best team, I mean they need competitions like this to get better overall.

I want to see our better players getting the experience.

DD

 

Conrad is the lone bright spot in the defense, and Eddie Johnson showed some sparks in the offense when I thought he wouldn't. Keller disappointed me as I always thought he was a great goalie, but in the past few games he hasn't showed the leadership I see now in Howard. Dude... Paraguay whipped Colombia to shreds, and having Cardozo, Santa Cruz, and Cabañas (CD America, Mexico) up front makes them DIFFICULT to guard. I must say that having Calero for a goalie made Colombia vulnerable. Yes, I agree, there's a chance against Colombia for the U.S, dude.

no smileyticons here, I am being serious. Vamos, Estados Unidos. Get at least ONE point, please... PLEASE!!!!

 

Vamos Vamos, Argentina

 

Fellas, this year, the Gold Cup IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES than the Copa. Aside from the intrinsic value of being the championship of our federation, it secured us a spot in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009 - invaluable experience against top-shelf teams in the country which will hold the World Cup a year later.

That needed to be re-emphasized here. If the spot in the Confederations was not at stake in the Gold Cup, I could see a little more merit to the "OMG THEY'RE BLOWING THE COPA" argument, but there's just very little question that the value of the Confederations Cup in 2009 vastly exceeds that of the Copa America in 2007.

 

so invaluable that neither france, italy, or portugal were in the '05 confed's. that's 3 of your final 4 from the world cup '06.

in fact of the 8 quarter finalist in the '06 world cup, only 3 were in the confed's the year before, germany, brazil, and argentina. and germany only qualified because they were hosts. brazil only qualified because they were current world champs. argentina due to copa america title.

and then look at the concacaf participant in the '05 confed's, mexico. they play a tremendous confed's beating brazil and going to penalties with argentina in the semifinals. ultimately won by brazil. the played so well and got invaluable experience that they played argubaly their worst group stage at a world cup ever and still lost to argentina. the winner brazil had an unispiring world cup and really never looked threating in the '06 world cup.

that's how it went down so everyone please stop overrating the confed's cup. copa america is older and has many many rivalaries. it is an intense experience played in front of hostile south american crowds not south african

i'll bump this thread in '09 and '10 to say i told you so.

 

You be sure to do that.

 

alot of thought for that response? good job

 

They already lost them for the Gold Cup!! Why should the clubs lose players for another 2 to 3 weeks?!! If this happened in Europe, you would have a major fight between clubs and countries. The clubs would be saying that the players would be to tired and some of these clubs are doing their own tours of the world (see Manchester Utd. and Real Madrid).

What's your point? What does that have to do with anything? Big teams and their full rosters go to the confederations cup. Do you understand that?!!!
The Copa America might be the oldest but compared to other tourneys held around the world it's not the biggest. It could be but hell, not even the Brasilians sent a full squad. What does that tell you? If they don't send one why should the Americans? The Confederation cup is for teams from all of the continental confederations and some invited teams. It was never meant to be the best teams. That's what the WC is for. It was for the top teams of the confederations and some other teams. There is a big difference.

I find it laughable and irritating that the Mexican futbol fans are so critical of the Barras when it comes to non Concacaf tourneys. Why don't you guys spend more time criticizing (sp?) your own team for losing to us instead. I hope you guys have a good tourney, really, because maybe, just maybe you will have something to be happy about, like your team and not someone else's.

 

Hey, sunshine, your thought process is obviously 180 degress from mine on this. I'm not going to convince you, 'cause you've got that eye-rolling thing going on; you're not going to convince me, 'cause I'm right.

If I felt like arguing, I might point out that France, Italy and Portugal are in vastly different situations soccer-wise than is the U.S., and that that's pretty obvious to most observers; that only eight teams played in the 2005 Confederations Cup, one of them didn't qualify for the World Cup and that three of the remaining teams advancing to the quarterfinals is not so awful as you'd like to make it seem, particularly since three of them were in the same group (eliminating the possibility of advancement for another of those teams) so 50% of the teams that participated in the Confederations Cup that could possibly have advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals did so; that Brazil won your precious Copa before their "uninspiring" performance in the World Cup following it, and that Uruguay finished third in the Copa and didn't even qualify for the big stage; that Mexico fans seem by and large to be prouder of that loss to Argentina in the World Cup than they are of most of their wins; that the U.S. experienced significant roster turnover before this edition of the Gold Cup and that, like or not, those CONCACAF teams against which they gained experience in that competition are the ones that these largely inexperienced players are going to have to be able to beat in order to qualify for the World Cup; that it doesn't pay for a national team coach to burn bridges with club coaches by insisting on holding on to their players for weeks at a time, risking injury, for competitions to which they're only an invited guest; that the United States is not in South America and that no amount of wishing can make it so, leaving us in one of those "play the hand you're dealt" situations; and that "a lot" is two words.

But I don't, so I'll just let you bump this thread in '09 and '10 to say you told me so.

 

US lost 3-1 to Paraguay. Dynamo's Ricardo Clark scored the loan US goal in the 40th minute to tie the game at one. That should pretty much eliminate them from the quarterfinals.

I think Keller is finished. It's time to move on. I know he isn't getting a ton of help with the defense in front of him. He just looks a lot slower than in the past. Let's get the younger guys some expierence becuase I don't believe that the #2 and #3 spots are even remotely figured out behind Tim Howard.