USA vs Mexico

[joseephuss]

yea, we sent our b- team.

they did ok, all considering.

it wasn't a blowout until the last 10 minutes.

Why send the B team? This tourney is bigger than CONCAF. It's the big boys. Were they just conceding the first game to get the other guys rest?

 

[SA_Gunslinger]

Why send the B team? This tourney is bigger than CONCAF. It's the big boys. Were they just conceding the first game to get the other guys rest?

the other guys aren't coming. it's the B team for the whole tournament.

i hear you.

i think the philosophy is to get younger guys some experience b/c in the last world cup we severly lacked depth.

whether you agree with it or not, or whether it will work is a whole different argument. lol

3 years until we find out.


also, keep in mind, unlike the rest of the world, our league (MLS) is IN SEASON right now, so that doesn't help either.

 

[tomson75]

I like your new Avatar!

I thought that post I made in the other thread went ignored altogether! Good to know someone enjoys good unicorn-on-dolphin action!

No way man, the second I saw that I called dibs on it...unless of course you wanted it. How you can turn down a mecha-dolphin avatar is beyond me.

Thanks for finding this gem!

 

[MC KAos]

Why send the B team? This tourney is bigger than CONCAF. It's the big boys. Were they just conceding the first game to get the other guys rest?

the other guys aren't coming. it's the B team for the whole tournament.

i hear you.

i think the philosophy is to get younger guys some experience b/c in the last world cup we severly lacked depth.

whether you agree with it or not, or whether it will work is a whole different argument. lol

3 years until we find out.


also, keep in mind, unlike the rest of the world, our league (MLS) is IN SEASON right now, so that doesn't help either.

a lot of teams send B teams to tournies like these, brazil being one, but mainly because A)the really good players dont wanna play in tourny's like that after a long club season, and B)the brazilian and argentine B teams are so good they could win world cups. Mexico is so lame, they always send their absolute best team to everything, its so funny

 

[Cochese]

Why send the B team? This tourney is bigger than CONCAF. It's the big boys. Were they just conceding the first game to get the other guys rest?

Its really not better than CONCACAF, we got a special invite to go, something that almost never happens. Just look at how seriously Brazil are taking it. We beat up on the Mexicans, and got our Confederation Cup spot for 09, which is KEY, that will tell us what we can expect from the WC the next summer. This tournament is about seeing what kind of depth we have for consideration in the future, which hopefully will not include Taylor Twellman. Half of our best players are in the MLS, which is in the middle of its season, the other half have about a month to get ready to play for 8 straight months, I can fully understand the mentality.

 

[Cochese]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-i0IZZ-yaUU

GOAAAAAAAAALAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[jem88]

a lot of teams send B teams to tournies like these, brazil being one, but mainly because A)the really good players dont wanna play in tourny's like that after a long club season, and B)the brazilian and argentine B teams are so good they could win world cups. Mexico is so lame, they always send their absolute best team to everything, its so funny

Yeah Brazil has sent a weakened squad, but have you seen Argentina's team? Unbelievable talent:

Riquelme, Messi, Tevez, Aimar, Crespo, Veron, Milito, Mascherano, Milito, Heinze- I don't care which squad the U.S. sent, they'd have little chance of beating these guys. Argentina was the best team in the last World Cup and they're looking like the dominant team in the Copa.

I'm pulling for Venezuela but the Argentines are fun to watch.

 

[Rampage]

soccor is for sissy's

 

[SA_Gunslinger]

soccor is for sissy's

wow, you spell very poorly.


USA U-20 club is through in the U-20 world cup.

they beat brazil 2-1!!!!

 

[Cochese]

soccor is for sissy's

http://i17.***BLOCKED***/albums/b79/door212/douchebag.jpg

 

[Cochese]

Anyone see the Messi goal against Mehico? That was a work of art.

 

[TRUTH87]

yeah, and I also saw the poor exhibition The U.S made in Copa America. all the U.S plays for is to beat mexico, but always perform bad in important tournaments. you can tell me that they did not take their A team, but geez..they got whooped.

 

[Cochese]

I expected the Copa team to get whooped, so its not like I am disapointed. I am very encouraged by guys like Adu, Altidore and Zizzo on the u-20 world cup team. Those guys look like they could have immense futures for us. Adu has finally stepped up, and actually played like a dominant player. Against Brazil, he was the trickiest and most elusive player of anyone on the field. Altidore has immense skill, and Zizzo is rough around the edges, but I think he has enough quality to play abroad.

 

[gazmc_06]

I never even noticed this thread, a large part of my family are from the UK (not me obviously) so soccer is pretty big, we don't have the same amount of commitment to it over here which is the problem. people in other countries start playing at 2 and 3, we don't bother usually at all but if we do it's usually about 6 or 7 years old which is a pretty big gap.

anyway moving on.... Adu is not an elite player IMO, you look at the young talent being produced in other places, Ronaldo, Messi, Robinho, Quaresma...there is a huge gap between their ability and Adu's.

 

[joseephuss]

I never even noticed this thread, a large part of my family are from the UK (not me obviously) so soccer is pretty big, we don't have the same amount of commitment to it over here which is the problem. people in other countries start playing at 2 and 3, we don't bother usually at all but if we do it's usually about 6 or 7 years old which is a pretty big gap.

anyway moving on.... Adu is not an elite player IMO, you look at the young talent being produced in other places, Ronaldo, Messi, Robinho, Quaresma...there is a huge gap between their ability and Adu's.

Soccer is getting bigger in the US. It just grows at such a slow pace. Nothing is going to speed that up, but I do see it growing. It is bigger now than when I was a kid.

I don't think the US is close to competing on the international level. Even though it is growing it is just so far behind.

Good points about the age at which kids start playing soccer. It does not stop there. Once kids start getting older they often have less options until they get to high school. They have to play club soccer that costs some money. Not every kid as the chance to play because of money.

I know in Texas when I was growing up there weren't a large number of high school teams. It has grown since then and some schools and areas also have junior high teams as well. Still not near the same number of junior highs that have football and basketball.

Then there is college. There are only two colleges in Texas that have a men's soccer team. That isn't representative of college soccer in other states, but with the population of Texas you would expect more than two options. So if a kid grows up in Texas and wants to stay close to home and play soccer he doesn't have many options. If you love the game you will just play, but some kids like to do both live in state and play soccer. It happens in college football all the time. Kids choose a college because it is close to home.

The percentage of kids that love soccer is way less than those that love football, basketball or baseball. That will always be the case in the U.S. The percentage is going up, but it will lag the other sports.

Now if you just take the kids that love soccer and give them less options growing up to play the game you then end up with fewer elite players. In football, they have so many options that a larger percentage are retained as they grow up.

 

[gazmc_06]

well my brother grew up over there and I've been over a whole bunch of times and they have teams everywhere, you have amateur league's, just normal sunday and saturday leagues, 5 a side, obviously just playing everyday with your friends is a big help and they are raised on the importance of it and it's bigger than football and basketball combined are here.

my brother might actually be coming over here on a scholarship next year, he could stay over there but he doesn't wan't to play for the Scotland national team so if he plays over here for 5 years he could play as an American.

 

[Cochese]

anyway moving on.... Adu is not an elite player IMO, you look at the young talent being produced in other places, Ronaldo, Messi, Robinho, Quaresma...there is a huge gap between their ability and Adu's.

I diddnt see anyone say he was, but if you watched that U-20 tournament, he was electric. He was the most 'brazillian' player on the field against Brazil, and that team has players like Pato.

Quaresma mentioned in the same breath as those other players? Does not compute.

 

[gazmc_06]

Quaresma is easily the most under-rated young player around, people get the hype of Robinho, Messi, Ronaldo.....Quaresma playing for Porto goes un-noticed. when you watch him play he gives any defensive player a handfull...Freddy Adu is not on their level is all I said. as for him being the best player on the feild against Brazil, the young Brazil team aren't at a level of the young Brazil teams of the past with the likes of Ronaldo - that Brazilian team are a weak Brazil team.

 

[Cochese]

Quaresma is easily the most under-rated young player around, people get the hype of Robinho, Messi, Ronaldo.....Quaresma playing for Porto goes un-noticed. when you watch him play he gives any defensive player a handfull...Freddy Adu is not on their level is all I said. as for him being the best player on the feild against Brazil, the young Brazil team aren't at a level of the young Brazil teams of the past with the likes of Ronaldo - that Brazilian team are a weak Brazil team.

Pato has miles of hype surrounding him, to outplay him is a feat.

Quaresma is a Barca reject, he just isnt that good. 20 goals in 99 appearances is pretty pedestrian.

 

[gazmc_06]

Pato hasn't played against great players, it's not hard to play great against not so great opposition.

you may remember Riquelme (one of the best players in the world right now) was also a Barcelona "reject"....Christiano Ronaldo up until last season was never a goal scorer, he had a break out year for scoring and expect Quaresma to have a similar season very soon. also, goal scoring for a winger is not the most important thing, setting up goals, good delivery and playing well in big situations...Quaresma does all those things.