Sorry to nitpick, midfield is Clints strength. He started off as a CM, played there in club, college and for the revs and youth(U-20 nats). As he's progressed coaches have recognized his versatility and moved him between CM,RM and forward.
I thought he played mostly upfront in Fulham, guess I was wrong. I don't like how he handles the ball in our end, he is good on attack but he takes far too many chances with it on our defensive side for my taste. He did score the goal against Italy in the last WC though. DD
Apparently they'll do a better job representing than Mexico. As poorly as the US played against Costa Rica, Mexico's play has been a joke. They need to get things fixed up immediately.
Just so you guys know, it's a double round robin (is that the right term?) Each team gets a home and an away game against every team. So a total of 10 games each. We're currently just under halfway done with this round. I like that El Salvador is in 3rd place now, and they get to beat up on T&T on Wednesday...but can they hold off Mexico? That's really the problem. Hopefully they can at least hold on to 3rd, or even if they stay 4th, they get a home and home against the 5th place team of the South American conference (the conf name, I always forget..) Assuming El Salvador beats T&T, and then Mexico can lose their next game (not likely), we'd be sitting in a nice spot.
Sure. We've sucked it big time. We've got no threat and we've got no people aside from Guardado that other teams need to fear. Heck, we have to call up Blanco, who played better than the rest yesterday... and he's 35+ and still kicking... heck, even a PK was bad enough for us on a questionable push on Franco. I hate those goals, too. I never said they didn't count or should be looked at as losses. There are... what, 4 games left at home for us...? Yes, we've sucked as away, and it's sad we have to say "we need these games", 'cuz nothing else will do... there's no threat. Look, I am not saying the way to score doesn't count, but it's obvious that if you can't even manufacture a good attack and a threat against measly teams like Costa Rica or El Salvador or Honduras, how dare you say that it will be a good World Cup or a good showing on the Confederations? The only good showing and good team beat in those cups was Germany. That's why the U.S. doesn't get any respect. As far as the U.S. is concerned, I am talking about how to handle the better teams than Honduras, T&T, or El Salvador, even. It's that mentality that is the "oh, well, we're only invited, so let's just show up" that is a characteristic of a U.S. team that shows up to do nothing in the World Cup, save for 2002 (STFU). ONE MEASLY GOAL by Dempsey only against Ghana in 2006. Other teams in Europe and Asia and even Africa say "We're playing Mexico? F&c!, we better bring our best game... " but if it's The Stripes and Stars, they're all "oh, we're playing the U.S.? Who gives a *****? Start our B team" and they win. That's why the U.S. doesn't get any respect. You go to the "Copa America", get laughed at because you've only won 2 games (yes, one of those against Mexico), and say "oh who cares about the Copa America, let's take our B Team" and lose all games... but Mexico has manufactured one SECOND place and three three THIRD places, the U.S. only a FOURTH place once, and you still wonder why the U.S. doesn't get any respect? You don't think I want U.S. to succeed at the WC? Heck, I'd kill for other teams to fear us CONCACAF'ers. It's just that all other teams besides Mexico just "show up to the party" but don't make any noise... heck, even T&T tied Sweden the last time around! I'd like to hear the people from other countries like Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Spain, or Netherlands chime in on this... to see why they think the U.S. doesn't get any respect. Yeah, I'm pissed and laying it all on the line for you all to realize this. Yeah, Mexico is sucking it up big time right now and needs to step it up. Y'all just enjoy beating only measly teams here in our region. Enjoy beating Mexico at home all the time. That's why the U.S. doesn't get any respect. Huh? Mexico plays T&T on Wednesday. Honduras plays El Salvador at San Pedro Sula. Costa Rica and the U.S. already played theirs. Yeah, it's double-round robin, but you can say that the first half is a round-robin. I've been saying it all along, I hope El Salvador makes it in. De Los Cobos is the only Mexico-born coach to have ever beaten a Mexico team and that's progress for both Mexico and El Salvador.
G-d forbid the US took winning the Gold Cup more seriously than the Copa. Yeah, it sucked to not win a game down there, but you can't expect the US to keep their domestic based players away from their club team for over a month in a non-World Cup year in the middle of the MLS season. They are bringing the top squad (minus Ching) to South Africa. I hope to see them play better than they have the past couple of games. You keep s***ting on the rest of CONCACAF. What does that say about your boys? Yeah, we're beating up on the lowly CONCACAF teams. Mexico is losing to them.
You mean to tell me that U.S. players rather play for their own club than represent their own country in a worldly-recognized stage that is the Copa América?!?!? Or do you mean to say that the U.S. Federation doesn't want to pull the best players away from their team to play down there? Doesn't that tell you anything?
The USFed cant justify pulling the best talent from their domestic league in season for that long for a tournament that essentially doesnt matter. The MLS has to fight hard to gain/keep supporters, and keeping the best talent out of action for a month in the middle of the season sends the wrong message. Its not like the US would win Copa America even with its best players...dollars and cents, dollars and cents.
All right, then. I can't demand anything from a country's team you think I don't support. I'm still waiting on FOREIGNERS like Australians (congrats on qualifying, by the way), Dutch, or just people from outside the U.S. and Mexico to give their opinion as to why the U.S. isn't taken seriously overseas.
Newsflash: The US is not taken seriously overseas because we have not won anything. Double newsflash: Mexico is also not taken seriously overseas.....because they haven't won anything and are looked at as worse than the US. None of the ConCaCaf teams are thought of with any amount of respect. It has to be earned...maybe next year... DD
I've read that Bornstein started cramping up, so they didn't want him in defense, and possibly give up a goal. Because he hasn't played club football in 2 years. Dempsey plays as a LM at Fulham.
So he rides the bench for his club team? I like his creativity a lot, when he and Donavan are in the midfield we have some nice attacking midfielders in play. How about Bradley, Dempsey, Adu and Donavan at midfield? Could they handle the defensive side of it? We need more creative players on the pitch. And Man U was after him a couple of years ago...... <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBcy2bStHto&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBcy2bStHto&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> DD
Are you effin' kidding me?!?!? Teams fear playing Mexico. Teams don't fear playing anyone else in CONCACAF. Ask any other country out there and they'd pick playing against the Yanks rather than having to play the Mexicans at any level. Maybe not around these last couple of years due to our dismal performance, though. We are worse this year due to lack of leadership and management. Again, a foreigner must chime in. And... you say "maybe NEXT YEAR"?!?!? How about THIS YEAR? GOLD CUP No? Ok. CONFEDERATIONS CUP? No? Ok.
So teams still fear Uruguay because they were dominating in the early 1900's? I can bet you no one fears playing Mexico right now and right now is all that matters. Good luck against Trinidad. They're, sadly, going to need it to stay out of last place in this horrible region.
I haven't read the entire thread so I did not follow the discussion, but if you ask for my opinion I will give it. The US is not taken seriously because they haven't showed that have the skills to be one of the better countries in the world. For Mexico it is the same (although Mexico might be a bit more respected as a result of past accomplishments). The fact that Soccer is the number one sport in Mexico and not that important in the US also has some influence on the opinion of soccer fans of the US national team (At least IMHO). That being said, I think both have nice teams, but not teams that have the chance to be world champion. So I do respect them, but I would be highly upset if the Dutch national team didn’t beat them in a match in a big tournament.
The US has announced their roster for the Confederations Cup. It's mostly the same roster as the last game, Mastroeni being left off is the only major change I see. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14745606.html
