So I roll out of bed today, and I realize...

[AbeBeta]

Unfortunately, you are correct. But even riding the bench on a Euro club team, I think is better exposure to the type of practice and skill cultivation that they need.

Would you rather be A) Practicing with top flight players, continuously improving your game, or B) Starting in a watered down, no competition league where you talent either wastes away or is stymied?

Good point - for development. but financially, the choice is obvious for the players, you stay home, play for Real Salt Lake and collect a better paycheck.

 

[dwmyers]

Good point - for development. but financially, the choice is obvious for the players, you stay home, play for Real Salt Lake and collect a better paycheck.

There is also the simple truth that the most dynamic and active players the US team had came out of the US based league. The Euro Americans were largely a disappointment.

David.

 

[Funxva]

Good point - for development. but financially, the choice is obvious for the players, you stay home, play for Real Salt Lake and collect a better paycheck.

Oh, no doubt! Which is really a shame. But I can see those players that really want to bring their game to another level, some might do so, and if they succeed, others will follow.


Look at Keller Fwiw.

 

[Doomsday101]

I almost fell asleep just by reading about soccer.

 

[AbeBeta]

There is also the simple truth that the most dynamic and active players the US team had came out of the US based league. The Euro Americans were largely a disappointment.

David.

I find it hard to see any bright spots in the performance -- I felt McBride showed some real heart in the Italy game but I can't think of any other good performances.

Keep in mind that our Euro-players aren't exactly playing for elite clubs. Other teams they pull guys from Man U, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Barca. Most of our guys are on 2nd tier clubs there.

It just speaks to the poor quality of US players. Honestly, I think we need to do what other countries do and naturalize some Brazilian immigrants ASAP.

 

[Funxva]

I find it hard to see any bright spots in the performance -- I felt McBride showed some real heart in the Italy game but I can't think of any other good performances.

Keep in mind that our Euro-players aren't exactly playing for elite clubs. Other teams they pull guys from Man U, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Barca. Most of our guys are on 2nd tier clubs there.

It just speaks to the poor quality of US players. Honestly, I think we need to do what other countries do and naturalize some Brazilian immigrants ASAP.

Lol. That would definitely solve some issues. We do have some Argentenean players in the league. (For DC United, Gomez, and Erpin, who are pretty good)

 

[dwmyers]

I find it hard to see any bright spots in the performance -- I felt McBride showed some real heart in the Italy game but I can't think of any other good performances.

Keep in mind that our Euro-players aren't exactly playing for elite clubs. Other teams they pull guys from Man U, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Barca. Most of our guys are on 2nd tier clubs there.

It just speaks to the poor quality of US players. Honestly, I think we need to do what other countries do and naturalize some Brazilian immigrants ASAP.

I don't think we can duplicate what the Brazilians do. My roommate was recruited somewhere around age 8 or 9, and was living in what amounted to a cross between a primary school and a soccer camp for the club he would eventually go pro with. It's a level of immersion that would be impossible in the States. And my memory isn't perfect these days, it might have been more like 13 or 14, but I remember being shocked how young he was when he was pulled into all that.

The problem with being a bench warmer on Euro clubs is the same problem as watching two masters play chess. You get better at chess fastest when you play with players a little bit better than you are. You might learn some cool tricks watching masters play but your game improves faster with (slightly) better competition. So I think Americans can't afford to be bench warmers for years. They have to play. Get enough players and the level of competition will begin to rise.

abersonic, I think you made a cogent point when you said soccer has to filter down to the poor. The upper middle class might play soccer through high school and perhaps into college, but it's always been the working class that populates the professional ranks of big-time sports.

David.

 

[AbeBeta]

Lol. That would definitely solve some issues. We do have some Argentenean players in the league. (For DC United, Gomez, and Erpin, who are pretty good)

of course, as we've discussed before, my wife is from Uruguay - so I must hate any player associated with Argentina

we do love that provoleta though.

 

[Funxva]

of course, as we've discussed before, my wife is from Uruguay - so I must hate any player associated with Argentina

we do love that provoleta though.

Haha, yep. I can understand your hatred of Argentina.

Uruguay is a nice country! I visted there once with my wife, she has family from there.

Now can we agree that Paraguay is less than... ideal for tourism?

 

[AbeBeta]

Now can we agree that Paraguay is less than... ideal for tourism?

Worst of the Guays by far. They don't even do that cool shuh-ing sound on the double Ls

 

[AbeBeta]

I don't think we can duplicate what the Brazilians do. My roommate was recruited somewhere around age 8 or 9, and was living in what amounted to a cross between a primary school and a soccer camp for the club he would eventually go pro with. It's a level of immersion that would be impossible in the States. And my memory isn't perfect these days, it might have been more like 13 or 14, but I remember being shocked how young he was when he was pulled into all that.

Yeah, that part is nuts. It makes sense there where it really is a better life for many of the kids there. In a more, ummm, stable country that just doesn't fly -- especially when you are talking about affluent kids.

 

[Funxva]

Worst of the Guays by far. They don't even do that cool shuh-ing sound on the double Ls

I love that, it's funny, because that's the type of Spanish that I learned (From my wife and the shuh-ing). Definitely throws people for a loop when I start speaking Spanish.. (Most assume that I'm either from Cuba or Puerto Rico, though I have no latino blood in me at all. It's the Cherokee)

 

[genghiskhan]

Bully for you.



They also cared about the Macarena. That makes them superior to me?



Here we go with the insults. "You better love my beautiful game or I will accuse you of being arrogant and insular!"

We don't shove baseball and American football down the world's throat; don't you dare shove soccer down ours.



Long story short: the "celebrate diversity" folk want America to become athletically homogenous with the rest of the world. To them, the tepid American response to the World Cup is evidence of our bigotry, our xenophobic failure to "get" with the global program.



Hey dummy: BTW, soccer ain't popular in Canada or Australia either, but I don't see you lobbing insults at them. Get lost.

GREAT post. I agree 100% with everything I quoted.

 

[genghiskhan]

I'm proud to be a "celebrate diversity" person and I can honestly say that exposing myself to what the rest of the world enjoys is truly enriching. That goes far beyond soccer.

Frankly, I see much of this as sour grapes among US fans - after the US hosted the cup in 1994 there was a surge of soccer appreciation that resulted in the founding of the country's first legit professional soccer league since the 70's (that indoor crap doesn't count). Then in the next world cup the US gets their butts handed to them and has an early exit. Bye bye fan base.

Waaaaa. We can't dominate a sport. We aren't going to watch anymore

You are 100% wrong. I couldn't care less if the US was the best team in the world. I still wouldn't watch it. The sport sucks.

 

[genghiskhan]

I love football, both American and World.

There's a reason why the latter is the most popular sport in the rest of the world.

I'm sure there's a reason, but I'm struggling to figure out what it is.

 

[Funxva]

I'm sure there's a reason, but I'm struggling to figure out what it is.

Way to pad your post count by adding useless commentary after the fact.

Oh look at me... I'm doing it too, wow. I'm an attention *****.

 

[genghiskhan]

i think its pretty accurate to assume that most people here dont like soccer with a PASSION!!! and thats fine thats your opinion and im not gonna try to shove it in your face. but in my opinion it is a lot more action that football and for SURE than baseball!!! there arent much goals score in soccer but there are a lot of exiting plays along the way that keep you in the game, plus the fact that a soccer game only lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes(half that of a football game) because there are no stoppage in action. another thing about soccer is that they dont change the rules to make it more "exiting" like basketball and football do(as evidenced by the touching rules on corners Vr. WR to help offenses out to make the game high scoring and exiting) if they wanted to make soccer more exiting, they would just take out the offsides, and they would go back to scoring goals like in pele's day when games were constantly 5-4. but anyway soccer is a great game in my opinion, and its not the most popular game in the world b/c its easy to play if your poor. for instance, panama and venezuela are some of the poorest countrys yet they are great baseball players, same with cuba and the dominican republic, but anyway, just my opinion

Wow, I can only assume you are on drugs if you think soccer is more exciting than football.

How can a bunch of people in shorts kicking a ball across a field the size of Greenland possibly be exciting?

 

[genghiskhan]

Way to pad your post count by adding useless commentary after the fact.

Oh look at me... I'm doing it too, wow. I'm an attention *****.

First, I wasn't here DURING the fact. I'm still just as entitled to interject my opinion on a subject as anyone else here is.

Second, if you think I could give a crap about my post count, you are enormously ignorant. Look at my post count genius. Do I LOOK like someone who cares about padding my post count?

Try not to be so clueless next time.

So when someone else posts something it's an opinion, but when I state mine, I'm an attention *****? Riiiiiiiiggghhhhhttt. I can only assume that the distinction is whether or not someone agrees with you. That's a wonderful way to go through life. Congratulations.

 

[Funxva]

First, I wasn't here DURING the fact. I'm still just as entitled to interject my opinion on a subject as anyone else here is.

Second, if you think I could give a crap about my post count, you are enormously ignorant. Look at my post count genius. Do I LOOK like someone who cares about padding my post count?

Try not to be so clueless next time.

So when someone else posts something it's an opinion, but when I state mine, I'm an attention *****? Riiiiiiiiggghhhhhttt. I can only assume that the distinction is whether or not someone agrees with you. That's a wonderful way to go through life. Congratulations.

Did I ever call you an attention *****? I think I was calling myself one. :

Joking aside, you can iterject your opinion all you want, this is a free country. But then again, my opinion is that you are padding your posts by posting useless inflammatory crap.

 

[genghiskhan]

Hockey on grass.

Not true. It's similar, but hockey is way better. At least you get shots on goal in hockey, and when you watch it on TV the players don't look like ants because the field is so ridiculously big.

Soccer is the first program I've ever seen that doesn't look fantastic in high definition.