World Cup 2014

[jterrell]

Love Yedlin, needs a better cross and foot at times but he makes up for so much with his speed and his fight. Also I am a Sounders Fan and have seen this kid play since he was at club soccer level and then Sounders academy team

Yedlin is raw but talented, not surprisingly, I'd like to see him play in Europe before the next WC.

 

[jterrell]

With Cristiano Ronaldo's injury lingering I see this as a huge opportunity for USA . My predictions for the yanks are as follows :

Vs Ghana Win
Vs Portugal Draw
Vs Germany loss

Table : Germany 9
USA 4
Portugal 4
Ghana 0

I think we get through on goal difference !

I think Germany rests its best players in this scenario. Better to be rested than claim meaningless points.
Not that their back ups are bad players mind you.
The US already beat a German B side group earlier this year so feel they could steal a draw.
I also believe the Germans would prefer the US advance to Portugal who could see Ronaldo get healthier by the final 8.

End of day I don't think any team of this group advances beyond 16 except Germany though I'd love to get there and take our chances.

 

[CATCH17]

The US will always be behind other countries in terms of getting top athletes to play soccer becuase, quite simply, there are more sports to compete with.

Other countries don't have nearly as strong a presence from baseball and basketball while football is virtually nonexistent around the world. That will always be an issue for US soccer.

We may never have the depth of these other countries but there is no reason that we can't get 11 world class players on the pitch in the future.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

I think Germany rests its best players in this scenario. Better to be rested than claim meaningless points.
Not that their back ups are bad players mind you.
The US already beat a German B side group earlier this year so feel they could steal a draw.
I also believe the Germans would prefer the US advance to Portugal who could see Ronaldo get healthier by the final 8.

End of day I don't think any team of this group advances beyond 16 except Germany though I'd love to get there and take our chances.

with a Healthly Ronaldo Portugal might make the Semi Finals. Without i agree i think round of 16. That would be great if Germany rests their players … doesn't hurt that Klinnsmann and Low have that German connection .

 

[JBS]

Reus hurt. Sounds like he will miss the world cup.. Big blow

 

[RastaRocket]

Reus hurt. Sounds like he will miss the world cup.. Big blow

****, He was one of the players I was most excited to watch.

 

[RastaRocket]

The US will always be behind other countries in terms of getting top athletes to play soccer becuase, quite simply, there are more sports to compete with.

Other countries don't have nearly as strong a presence from baseball and basketball while football is virtually nonexistent around the world. That will always be an issue for US soccer.

This isn't even the problem IMO. We have plenty of people who are great athletes that can play soccer. Look at Spain, all those guys are tiny as ****, it's not like the players who could be elite for USA are playing in the NFL or NBA. Those guys are too big. Our problem is we still have players going through the NCAA and all of that BS. The USA needs to develop in academies from a younger age, that is the issue, not a lack of talent.

 

[joseephuss]

The are plenty of guys in the NFL that are not too big for soccer. If they were playing soccer, they would be leaner because they wouldn't need the muscle mass required for football. Their workout regimens would change to meet their sport.

Talent is an issue, but not the main one. And I am talking pure physical athleticism(speed, quickness, agility, explosiveness and some size). You don't choose players only because they are great athletes, but being a great athlete never hurts.

The most important issue is skill development. Develop that aspect and you can overcome not having a bunch of top end athlete. I agree that the college route is a waste, but it starts even before they get to that level. Academies can be a huge key. Get them young and working on their skills. I also think it would be nice to increase the player pool. If you can get more kids playing the game at all ages, then you increase the talent pool. You can find the guys that are more adept at the skills, the guys that are the better athletes and most importantly the guys that are both when you get more and more kids involved in the game and attending the academies.

U.S. soccer has plenty of good enough athletes. They are not slouches. It would be nice to have a couple of truly great athletes out there. I would not trade off a very skilled player for a great athlete, but I would like to see more guys who are both.

I look at DeMarcus Ware. If you could find a guy with that kind of athleticism, but also had very high soccer skills, you could find a place for him on any soccer squad. A person like that wouldn't be as heavy as he is playing in the NFL because he wouldn't need to be, but he would still have good size and strength. That kind of guy could be a heck of a center back.

Finding the most skilled players and developing those skills to an even higher level is the main objective, but I am not turning away great athletes because they are too big. If they have the skills, they have the skills.

 

[jterrell]

with a Healthly Ronaldo Portugal might make the Semi Finals. Without i agree i think round of 16. That would be great if Germany rests their players … doesn't hurt that Klinnsmann and Low have that German connection .

Yea, it's wishful thinking I have logically talked myself into.
I had some Portuguese friends I played online games with the last time they faced the US.
After we won those guys wouldn't speak to me and I never once gloated.
They seriously shunned me for life, lol, just because I was American and we upset their golden generation team.

I do seriously believe Ghana just isn't very good this time around.
I also consider Portugal with a hurt Ronaldo beatable.
We'd never beat Germany on even terms but the scenario does exist where the game is our "super bowl" and pointless to them.

 

[CATCH17]

What have I been telling you guys about the 4-2-3-1.

We look so much better all around in this formation.

Very solid at the back and decent going forward.

I'd like to see a tad more patience once we get past midfield with the ball and I don't want to see our midfield and back line playing possession football. We're just asking to concede a trash goal.

 

[JBS]

England is awful. This team is not in good form a week before the world cup

 

[joseephuss]

I wonder why they aren't using the official Adidas Brazuca ball for today's match against Nigeria. They are using them in most of the other friendlies I have seen today. It's a small detail, but it is nice to have some familiarity with the ball that will be used.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

great win vs Nigeria !!! midfield looked good . Altidore got his goals …. we are ready for Ghana !!!!

 

[RastaRocket]

England is awful. This team is not in good form a week before the world cup

They are always awful. Probably the only international team in the world I don't like.

 

[JBS]

They are always awful. Probably the only international team in the world I don't like.

They have a lot of young talent

Hogson refuses to play these guys... They are probably 4 years away at this rate. .. But they have a lot of up and comers

Appears as if rooneys best days are behind him

 

[LatinMind]

Germany is going to take it.

 

[RastaRocket]

I wonder why they aren't using the official Adidas Brazuca ball for today's match against Nigeria. They are using them in most of the other friendlies I have seen today. It's a small detail, but it is nice to have some familiarity with the ball that will be used.

They use the same Adidas balls in the MLS with different colors.

 

[jterrell]

Very good showing. Got sloppy late but that happens in friendlies.

Omar Gonzales need sot not see the pitch in Brazil. His lack of pace/fitness is painfully evident.
They really need to develop John Brooks there and soon.

Bradley and Altidore were excellent. As was Howard.
About what we gotta hope for in the WC.

Fabian Johnson is becoming my favorite American player.
That kid can flat go.

 

[jterrell]

Soccer is a skill sport so you gotta invest heavily in skill training and fitness.
It is very much like basketball in that it requires an insane work ethic to develop skill.

The US has plenty of athleticism they simply lack the dedicated soccer guys.
Not a large enough fan base here to motivate the kids beyond pee wee age.

I played elite level soccer as a kid with an English coach and played up on a lot of select teams that were years ahead of me.
I practiced for hours every day for fun.
But when I got to middle school and high school I went football because no one cared about soccer.
I lettered as a freshman to get my letterman's jacket then quit and played football only.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

beckerman is an unsung hero. His presence right in front of the CB's brings a calming feel in the midfield. I love how it allows jones and bradley more freedom to attack.