World Cup 2010

[Steve]

Being coached by Bob Bradley finally catches up to U.S.

 

 

Link

 

The biggest mistake the federation made was not making Klinsmann coach. He loves America, has made southern California his home, knows the pressures and rigors of International football. Knows the competition. Instead we let him go to Germany where he even commutes at times from the U.S. because he likes living in the states so much.

 

U.S. soccer has endemic problems. The facts are that our best athletes don't play the sport. Not all of them need to. If 10% of the best kids and youth played football we'd have a great team.

 

In every other part of the world football is a sport for the poor and working class masses. In the U.S. its the sport of midle and upper middle clas suburban white kids. Just being honest. I'm not saying you have to be from a trailer park, poor rural area, the barrio or the ghetto to be a good athlete but those are wear the best athletes in american football, basketball and baseball have come from by and large over the decades. Ice hockey being the possible exception and baseball has become more middle class than it was decades ago. AYSO, the youth organization should have a free or nearly free soccer league in the 5 largest metropolitan cities. Work with local groups there and I would bet any money you'd find a handful of standouts of international quality soon enough.

 

Another problem is there is no money in football. Bad enough dealing with the reputation of it being a 'girlie' sport (not helped when Americans only viewing is the world cup and seeing players roll around faking injuries) but the fact is there is no money to be made in the U.S. remotely comparable to the top 3 sports.

 

There is no collective will to do well in the sport and there is no organized progression from youth to adult because AYSO, high school< colleges and the MLS don't coordinate.

 

 

[Steve]

Mistakes were made in personnel. Oneywu should have started. The defender looks like a NFL defensive back and has the strength and speed to have stopped the Ghanian forwards. Anyhow, it is what is.

 

As for England, I think Capello made a huge mistake relying on Rooney as he did. It was painfuly obvious during the season he was carrying Man Utd. Fergie overplayed him because he had no choice if he wanted a shot at the title and Rooney played injured and was rarely rested. He was not in shape to start world cup games. Crouch and Defoe should have started and Rooney be asked to give a quality 15 or 20 minutes late in the game. Start Rooney and there would be nothing left in the tank after an hour at best.

 

Upson was an Arsenal reject. England missed Rio greatly but I can't believe there weren't other options like Lescott. Upson was too easily pushed off the ball.

 

The Lampard goal that was recognized should be a poster child for goal line technology and a cry to Blatter to install it. The goal would have altered the game at 2-2 and England would not have been as open to counter attack. England had to press forward at 2-1. This German team is one of the weakest and one with the least experience I've seen in a long time. They are good but are beatable. Joe Cole not playing more is a suprise.

 

I think it is Argentina and Netherlands as well.

 

 

[Flashermac]

 

 

[Flashermac]

World Cup Loss to Ghana Is Most Watched U.S. Men's Soccer Match in History

 

 

The U.S.A.’s 2-1 loss to Ghana in the World Cup’s round of 16 was the most watched men’s soccer match in American history, according to Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN channel.

 

The June 26 game, which was shown on the ABC channel, averaged an 8.2 rating, 9.455 million households and 14.9 million viewers, ESPN said yesterday in an e-mailed statement.

 

Only the 1999 women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and China averaged more households and viewers, with 11.307 million households and 17.975 million viewers. The meeting with Ghana was also the third highest-rated men’s World Cup game, only surpassed by the 9.3 rating of the 1994 match between the U.S. and Brazil, and a 9.5 rating for that year’s final between Italy and Brazil. The 1999 women’s final had an 11.4 rating.

 

“The U.S.-Ghana match represents increases of 11 percent in ratings and 13 percent in viewership from ABC’s highly anticipated U.S.-England World Cup game on June 12, which ended in a 1-1 draw,†the broadcaster said.

 

San Diego was the top market for the game against Ghana, with a 15.4 rating. San Diego was the top market for all three previous U.S. matches.

 

Through 50 games of this year’s World Cup, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are averaging a 1.8 U.S. rating, 2,081,000 households, and 2,781,000 viewers. The rating is 48 percent higher than the last World Cup in 2006.

 

 

 

Link

[USVirgin]

I think The Onion's headline summed up the tournament best:

 

BREAKING: Ghana Defeats United States' Interest In Soccer

[limbo]

Mistakes were made in personnel. Oneywu should have started. The defender looks like a NFL defensive back and has the strength and speed to have stopped the Ghanian forwards. Anyhow, it is what is.

 

As for England, I think Capello made a huge mistake relying on Rooney as he did. It was painfuly obvious during the season he was carrying Man Utd. Fergie overplayed him because he had no choice if he wanted a shot at the title and Rooney played injured and was rarely rested. He was not in shape to start world cup games. Crouch and Defoe should have started and Rooney be asked to give a quality 15 or 20 minutes late in the game. Start Rooney and there would be nothing left in the tank after an hour at best.

 

Upson was an Arsenal reject. England missed Rio greatly but I can't believe there weren't other options like Lescott. Upson was too easily pushed off the ball.

 

The Lampard goal that was recognized should be a poster child for goal line technology and a cry to Blatter to install it. The goal would have altered the game at 2-2 and England would not have been as open to counter attack. England had to press forward at 2-1. This German team is one of the weakest and one with the least experience I've seen in a long time. They are good but are beatable. Joe Cole not playing more is a suprise.

 

I think it is Argentina and Netherlands as well.

 

 

Hi Steve,

 

I disagree about the German team being weak, they played by the book yesterday and when the 2-0 went in they had a couple of dream combinations before that.

Yes, the game would've changed but still, the Germans were all over the English team and to be honest, that Upson goal came out of nowhere.

 

They're very strong in my opinion but indeed not unbeatable, it's going to be a very interesting game with Argentine and Germany beating it out.

 

Normally the Netherlands should beat Slovakia but I'm glad when we actually will have won after 90 minutes! My hope is on Chile having that one extraordinary day that they can beat Brasil, happens every 50 years or so...........

 

[The_Munchmaster]

Robert Green - The only man to leave Africa without catching anything.

[The_Munchmaster]

Fabio Capello was wheeling his shopping trolley across the supermarket car park when he noticed an old lady struggling with her bags of shopping. He stopped and asked, "Can you manage dear?"

 

To which the old lady replied, "No way. You got yourself into this f*****g mess, don't ask me to sort it out..."

[Belem]

Bradley never should have started Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley. Edu is clearly the superior player to Clark, who lost the ball early in the game that led to Ghana's first goal. Findley is all speed and no finish. He's the type of player you bring in for the last 30 minutes of the game. The US had some key injuries. Starting striker Charles Davies and Bundesliga stud midfielder Jermaine Jones were out for the WC as well as backup striker Brian Ching. Those personnel losses were crippling to a team lacking in depth. Onywu was coming back from a torn patella that kept him out for 6 months. He wasn't fit, and made mistakes that led to early goals by England and Slovenia. That's why Bornstein started in his place. I agree that he would have been effective in the Ghana game matching up physically with their strikers. He would have stopped that final goal. All in all, the US did well not having a decent striker. All of the goals were scored by the midfield, and Altidore missed many chances throughout the World Cup. He had two similar chances like the one Gyan converted to win the game.

[Steve]

I read somewhere that Altidore was sick. Flu or a bad cold or something like that. He looked sluggish.