I don't really follow Soccer closely. How does the U.S compare to other teams. Does the U.S have any superstar type players that play in Europe? Or are they just a bunch of role players?
Not sure why anyone expected anything from the US team. We have a long way to go to become a footballing power. Argentina have players in the best leagues across Europe where they face the best players every day in training and matches. USA players are mostly from one of the most low quality football leagues around, the MLS Until US can get more players playing at the top leagues across Europe, they stand very little chance
Exactly. I cheer for the US but the brutal truth is that soccer gets 3rd and 4th tier athletes vs. the other sports. They get the leftovers. In other countries, they get their best talent.
I don't watch much soccer so correct me if I'm wrong: Yedlin, Brooks and Pulisic(?) are up and coming and play in good leagues. Dempsey, and Bradley used to play in great leagues as go to players. Guzan used to be good in a great league. Fabian Johnson plays well overseas.
You do realize that California has the same population as Argentina, right? The USA sucking in soccer doesn't have much to do with lack of athletes.
Bradley used to play in Europe he was ok . Dempsey is probably our best player , but he might be past his prime ... And he no longer plays in Europe. Jermaine jones is our third best player but he was out , also old . Tim Howard was our best player , he was a goalie. He actually was world class the last two world cups I think . Our best hope going forward is the young guys like yedlin and green ( maybe add pusilic and nagbe) can develop into decent players
it does when your best athletes aren't encouraged to play soccer, absolutely it does. Soccer's 3rd tier sports status in the US means that 1) the best athletes don't bother playing it and 2) the ones that do lack the infrastructure and development programs of other countries since soccer isn't as much of a focus
Ah is it that time again? Time for the lazy "our best athletes" argument. Let me remind you that Messi isn't even close to being the best athlete on Argentina or Barcelona. He is 5'6, isn't the highest jumper, the fastest player or the strongest player. He wasn't either of those at any point in his life...from his youth until now. He is more than all those (despite the fact that he is a better jumper, faster and stronger than he was in years past). None of those qualities are what makes him the best player in the world. None of those qualities made Diego Maradona the best player in the world(when the drugs weren't factored). None of those qualities made Zinedine Zidane the best player in the world(despite being over 6'0 tall). Being the best athlete does not mean one will become the best soccer player, even with the best quality coaching. Hope that clears it up.
The USA's massive population advantage over these other countries equalizes the impact that soccer being the 3rd or 4th best sport here. The USA has more than enough athletes to play soccer, athleticism isn't the weakness of Team USA. The infrastructure is there too. Unless you say the richest country in the world doesn't have facilities better than fledgling countries like Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile.
Man, it was a decent US team. The players in the US starting lineup that played ALL start for their teams in the Premier League and Bundesliga. The others are MLS players and despite MLS not being at the quality of Liga MX, it is still on par with the Swedish and Danish leagues which produce some quality players on both the Swedish and Danish national teams. Spot on.
Athletes + intense focus on skill training = success we're not getting either from the crap players we trot out there. did you see tonight's pathetic showing vs. the elite Argentine team? Our guys looked helpless out there.
This x100. (minus the Zardes comment because he was basically the best US player on the pitch tonight along with Yedlin). Argentina are Argentina... and they are an Argentina team on a mission- need their 1st major trophy since 93. The best player in the world(like Lebron) is on a mission to win his 1st ever major trophy with Argentina. They would probably do the same to Euro competition if they were in Euro 2016.
So what do you suggest is missing? Because from where I'm sitting, soccer is a 3rd or 4th rate sport from a viewer standpoint in this country (5th or 6th rate if we're including Tennis, Golf, Hockey)... and typically that sort of interest trickles down to youth sports, HS sports, college sports, and eventually the pro game. Of course you may have enough athletes to go around after they all consider playing basketball, football, baseball, hockey tennis, and golf prior to even considering playing soccer... but if a deep-rooted interest in the game is not fostered in this country, its still highly unlikely they'll choose to pursue it. And clearly it has a tad bit more to do with just simple population. I don't see a lot of excellence in athletics coming out of India.
We got beat by a much better side - learn from it and move on. We have a ton of up and coming talent. DD
