C'mon DD. I'm as big a USMNT homer as there is. We're not there, yet. We're getting there. The win against Italy was huge, just as the 2nd place finish in the Confed Cup and winning the group in WC 2010...a group that included England. Even the win against Scotland, while certainly not a Euro power, was still proof that the ability to dominate is there. However, games like Antigua and Barbuda, tying Canada, tying Guatemala, getting stomped by Brazil...these games are proof that there's a LONG way to go.
ATW - thanks for that link. I had done a very quick search for a recent USA team but didn't find it. Altidore plays for a Dutch team and he's terrible! Gooch played for Twente for a short while and his level shocked me. Bradley, on the other hand, is a very impressive player... then again, I'm only talking about his time in Holland. ATW - how is the media in Germany about the Italy match? Confident? I'm interested to see how that goes. I predict either a small victory for Italy or a monster score for Germany - - don't think it will be anything in between.
Yeah, I guess. The point was that right now, England is pretty bad, probably the worst I can ever rememember, and the Netherlands is sliding, Greece is terrible, lots of teams not doing all that well. Makes me think there are maybe 10 -ish teams that would be clear favorites to the USA these days, whereas it used to be 20ish.... I think the US is a lot better than they used to be, and even though they have struggled some, the style they are playing is a lot more creative, and that gets me pretty pumped. DD
DD - sounds good. Looking forward to seeing the USA in 2014! I do agree with you that there should be an expanded Copa America. Teams like USA, Costa Rica (lived there for a while so there's an interest there!) and Mexico should be there on a consistent basis. Would allow us Europeans to tune in and see their football more than once every 4 years.
Exactly Ace....makes me wonder where the MLS stands......in regards to football. Clearly the top 5ish teams in the premier league would kill the best MLS team - but beyond that, I think the LA Galaxy could easily compete with the Evertons and Fulhams of the league. Same with the other top leagues, where they are even thinner at the top 2 or 3 teams..... I think US football has finally gotten a foothold....now it needs to get the respect it deserves. DD
I think the best MLS teams would struggle to stay in the Premier League. I think a more acceptable level would be the Championship. Our league needs to get to a level where the teams can be competitive with the Mexican League teams in the CCL first. I enjoy MLS and want the league to grow but it's still not there yet. It seems like more and more teams are getting younger more talented players in their pipelines, it's only a matter of time before the league grows. Anyway in the topic of the Euro, I think Germany wins and I'm going with the Portugal over Spain upset. Three straight major finals is really tough to do.
Wow. The soccer comparisons are crazy. Holden, one of the best players in the MLS, transfered to premier and has done marginal at best. The MLS is miles and miles behind the top European leagues. USMNT is a mile behind good European teams.
4 Pardon the interruption but wtf? I'm a little biased when it comes to the Holden's but I think you won't find anyone who actually watched more than one premiership match involving Bolton within the 2nd half of the 2009/10 season and 1st half of the 2010/11 season that would call Stu's performance "marginal at best". It's such a ridiculous comment it took me by surprise initially. He is such a vital part of that Bolton Wanderers side that it's no surprise that his absence this past season played a major part in their relegation(along w/L.Chung) I think evidence of that can be seen in ENGLISH fans(via The Guardian) voting him the player of the season during the 1st half of the 2010/11 campaign(Along w/ Nemanja, Samir, Luka, RVDV) Stuart has been pretty high above marginal in his prem performances, so let's not get things twisted. And saying MLS is miles and miles behind top European leagues is quite silly imo. (Are we talking mainly EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga? If so then yes the MLS is a bit behind and might win a one off match featuring teams from both leagues but an MLS team has neither the depth nor quality from the 1st to the last player on the roster. If we're adding Ligue 1, Eredivisie or Jupiler, then I think the MLS is a bit closer than you think. Nonetheless the majority of MLS teams would probably fit better into the English championship than the premier league. The MLS is still a work in progress and I think most people that have been along for the ride since 1996 would be happy with how far the league has come.) 'Same for the USMNT. A "mile behind" good European teams would require a better explanation of what the good European teams are. I would say they're a mile behind the best European teams but in a tournament like the World Cup, I'd have no problem betting money on the US team to beat a good European team. The US team are better than some like to admit but still not as good as some "homers" want to believe.
I was just about to say the same. I'm definitely not an Altidore fan but even I could see that he had a pretty decent season w/Alkmaar last season. Gooch was coming off an injured season when he made the loan move to the eredivisie(and hadn't played much after recovering from the injury due to Thiago Silva's ownage of the CB position at Milan that season). He made the move to the Eredivisie and if I recall correctly he was hardly used at CB but mainly at LB that season. So a big, right footed CB playing LB=definitely not a recipe for success. Gooch has done better in Portugal, just needs to stop getting injured(such an easy thing to do I know )
Yes I was talking about the top 4 leagues but even looking at MLS vs Eredivisie I don't think it is even close. Look at the constant talent and transfers coming from the Eredivisie. The bread super star soccer players there. I know they aren't as amazing in the Eredivisie as later in their career but theres a constant flow of very talented players there. The bottom of the Eredivisie is what I would call comparable to the MLS.
Top leagues Serie A EPL Bundesliga La Liga No U.S. player in La Liga Serie A- Mike Bradley EPL- Dempsey, Howard, Holden, Ream, Guzan, Bundesliga- Cherundolo, Jones, Johnson, Chandler, A decent amount.
These fines aren't enough. They're pennies as far as these federations are concerned. Make the fines/penalties hurt and then maybe they will do something about the actions of their fans. They should institute a 3-strike rule. 3-strikes and your fans are banned from attending the games. Tickets are rescinded and non-refundable. I realize it might only be a small faction and not the group as a whole. Still, it hurts the game to have fireworks in the stands and s*** thrown on the field during play.
If it's about sheer talent then obviously the Dutch would win. Constant transfers aren't always about or only about talent. Different off the pitch factors also are involved, including the difficulty of pulling off the transfer. The MLS is notoriously difficult when it comes to agreeing on transfer issues w/foreign clubs. Dr. Ludicrous mentioned this either in this thread or the Dynamo thread but it's not just team-team negotiating but rather MLS League and MLS team negotiating vs Foreign team. The player would have to have made such an impression on the foreign team before they decide to go through the effort of negotiating w/the MLS.
The paper missiles aren't a big deal in my opinion, but they should find the assmunchs who displayed the neo-nazi flag and should throw them into some Ukrainian jail and let them rot there for 30 years.
Marginal? Holden almost single handidly kept Bolton from relegation, and this year when he was out they got relegated. The premier leagues aura is based upone 5 or 6 teams, the rest are not all that great. And the championship sucks - most of those teams, IMO would not fare well in the MLS either. DD
OK, I had a weird thought, and could not think of a better place to post it. Why hasn't someone modified their hair to create a stiff bowl of hair, where you could capture the soccer ball in a nest like manner and run it forward until you want to put it on your foot for the shot? DD
You started it well and then you just ran too far with it. The Championship is pretty damn competitive and as much as I feel that The Championship is a better measuring stick for the MLS right now, some MLS teams would struggle there. It's a pretty good league and pretty tough as well. (The money in that league is also quite nice) Don't underrate it.
