C'mon man, you know better than that!! They aren't World Class, imho.... To me to be considered World Class you have to be on the top 5 at your position. With this I'm not saying US won't get out of group stage, it will be difficult though. I foresee Germany 1st, Portugal 2nd. Now, if CR7 was to get injured (he's already a bit banged up) it would change things drastically.
Tim Howard is an above average keeper by Premier League standards. Which makes him a very good keeper, but certainly not world class. I like Mike Bradley and what he can do with the ball. He's a real talent. Good enough to play in the Serie A. US needs some forwards to step up. I had some high hopes for Altidore after he tore up the Eredivisie and started beasting, but he's been a bust in the premier league and his form is complete crap.
I think every US fan was upset at his move to Sunderland. Instead of playing for a team with an attacking mindset, like AZ, he went to a team that plays 10 men behind the ball and hopes to escape with 1 point each match. It killed his rhythm and any gains he'd made as an attacking forward.
Ok then, I can agree Michael Bradley doesn't fit in there (and I would go so far as to make it top 10). Howard can arguably be considered a world class goalkeeper regardless of the team he plays for.
Completely agree. IIRC Ter-Stegen didn't even make the German preliminary squad. Also, I remember talking to you and ATW about Weidenfeller and the national team a few months ago. How did Weidenfeller make it over Ter-Stegen? Did he have that amazing a season?
Well, there's a lot if talk about this squad right now. Neuer is the undisputed #1, so in case of an unity you want an experienced keeper behind him. Weidenfeller was the only logical choice, he has lots of CL experience and has been one of the most consistent keepers in recent years. But now to Marc, the majority of fans is baffled he wasn't called up for the WC. Zieler has been playing pretty mediocre this season and no one really understands why he's in as 3rd keeper. Ter Stegen has been really good this season and is still young, this would've been a great experience for him. People in Germany don't really like Lów, he obviously has players that he will always play and other guys that never get a chance to prove themselves. The biggest discussion is about him not nominating Mario Gomez, we only have two strikers on the 30 man squad, one of them a newcomer in Volland and the other one an aging Klose that has been injured for majority of the season and has looked like a bad fit in recent games for Germany. Lów is in love with the concept of playing with a false 9 instead of a real striker, but I highly doubt this will work vs good teams. Also, the defense is a complete mess, bad wing defenders and no synergy between the defensive line and the rest of the team. Majority of Germans is pretty pessimistic about this WC, think we'll lose as soon as we face the likes of Spain, Brazil, Italy,...
Ronaldo alone would solo USA just like he did vs Sweden(WHO by the Way are more talented than the Americans) Ghana has Asamoah and Boateng and other talented players who play in important European teams I do Not have to explain Germany The only guy I know of the USA team is the Goalkeeper and that is it,no outsanding player comes to mind. Sorry
cech courtois de gea neuer lopez casillas buffon lloris sirigu hart those are 10 gks better than howard right there
Damn this team is loaded with Talent,wouldn't surprise me if they make it all the Way to the Finals. Definitely a sleeper
^^ Belgium is too inexperienced imo, think they'll need another 4 years to become a strong and cohesive unit.
Yeah Belgium has a very experienced back line though. If they can score some goals watch out. Big fan of Lukaku, but losing Benteke hurts.
Big name players.. I would also include Willy Caballero, Kaylor Navas, Victor Valdes (before his injury)
Boy, you are really underestimating the unpredictability of the World Cup. And even then, you're overrating Portugal and under rating the U.S. Sure, in terms of raw skill and individual players, Portugal is great, but have shown very little aside from Ronaldo dependence in their games. That said, the Ronaldo dependence is a legitimate game plan to win. But one off day for him or a team defensive effort and Portugal shows holes. And give the U.S some credit. They've never had outstanding players to carry them, yet they've managed to leave marks on past World Cups. This year they'll again go in as the underdog and its be foolish to think less of them. And this is coming from a guy who isn't an American fan.
I'm sorry but this isn't March Madness. The World Cup doesn't have Cinderellas. Great WC teams advance because of great players. Teams just don't "get hot".
