World Cup 2014

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USA! USA!

We're number two!
We're number two!

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We are still alive - that's all that matters :)
 
good luck

I know I will be supporting you.

but in soccer speak, someone has to break Hazards legs early to give you a chance
 
I don't think we advance past today. However, (a couple of weeks ago) I didn't think we would be one of nine teams remaining. Been a fun ride so far.
 
we got our boy Altidore back...he should help out.
 
One win (barely) in four matches. We're still several generations from doing anything in this sport. At least the women are good at it.
 
Aside from Tim Howard, a total disgrace. That was absolutely pathetic.
 
I don't see it. The same conversation occurs every four years. I'm at a point where it is prove it or forget about it. I'll become a believer at that time (when it happens) and not a moment sooner.
 
Burgundy Burner said:
I don't see it. The same conversation occurs every four years. I'm at a point where it is prove it or forget about it. I'll become a believer at that time (when it happens) and not a moment sooner.
Click to expand...

We just lost a game to a country with the same population as the state of Maryland. Not even Florida or California, but Maryland.

Sports really comes down to only three things:

1. Talent
2. Coaching
3. Luck/Drive

We already have a much larger pool of talent to choose from. Imagine the state of Maryland trying to beat the rest of our country at any sport--it wouldn't happen.

For once, we finally have a world class coach. A former captain of Germany. There's no longer any "secret technique" that we don't know about.

So other countries are more passionate, and start their kids at the age of 5 into soccer camps. Great. So if we start our kids at the age of 10 into identical camps, we will still cream them due simply to the law of numbers.

We've never had great coaches before. Now we do. There's nothing we're missing. It's just going to take some time. We could never say that before.
 
Tough crowd. Only 8 teams did better than the US guys. And they damn near took it to penalty kicks today. You can say it was nearly all Howard today, and that wouldn't be far from the truth. But they played hard today - give them credit for making a contest of it.
 
Hell, even I got in to it.
 
I give them a lot of credit, but soccer is like the winter Olympics for the USA. Smaller countries like Norway, Sweden, Canada (by population), Austria, etc. will always do better than us. It's not a game of numbers - it is a game of what interests our kids. We will lead the world in certain sports and trail in others based on these interests.

Why does Ethiopia always do so well in distance running events? Think about it.
 
If I was American I would be proud of what my team achieved.

From a guy whose own nation (which has a rich soccer history) who struggle continualy to even qualify for tournaments, I was envious as hell of you.

It is as has been previously stated about the size of your population, it goes much deeper. How many of your top sportsmen would pick soccer as their sport of choice? so allready your potential pool of talent has shrunk.

Belguim struggled for a good few years (like Scotland have) but their football association took the same kind of drastic steps the German FA did. to get grass roots funding in Belgium your team must commit to several things such as style of play, home grown players. That is why they have suddenly produced a whole crop of players roughly the same age. I wish the SFA would do somthing similar.

They beat you last night because they had more depth to their squad, their decisions to have all teams play and operate same way means they can plug in a replacement without changing ethos or actual game play.

Be proud, the increased publicity will only help your chances in 4 years time, I only hope my own nation is there too.
 
I have said it before and I will chime in again....some have touched on it, the talent pool is the key. Where is the USA going to get the talent for soccer? The same pool has been providing talent in this country for my entire life and beyond...middle class kids. This is a limited pool. Where are the world leaders in the sport getting their talent? In this country, the very talented, athletic kids are not going to play soccer if they are from poor upbringing...they are going where the money is. In the rest of the world, soccer is a ticket out. Here? It is not! Until the talent whom sees football, basketball or baseball as the way out of their situations, until soccer can begin to pay these kids the way the other 3 do, we will not see a US World Cup Champion.

It does not mean there is no talent among the middle class, but even most of them go for the top 3. Why isn't Robert Griffin III playing soccer? He could be one of the very best players in the world if he applied his physical talent. John Wall?
 
We took a team that is considered a legit threat to win the whole tournament to overtime and were one great stop by their keeper away from penalty kicks. Nothing to be ashamed of there. Nothing at all. For that matter, we had a real shot at finishing it in regulation with Wondo's strike. He makes that goal 9 times out of 10.

I would have loved to win it but this showing was even better than I expected. This isn't like the loss to Ghana 4 years ago in the Round of 16 where I turned the TV off believing the better team was going home. Belgium was the better side and we still nearly won. In the process we have served notice to the world that the US is here to stay on the world soccer stage.

If I am disappointed in anything it is the same disappointment I had before the team even left for Brazil. We needed Donovan yesterday and maybe for the tournament. He would have been priceless brought in yesterday for the last 20 minutes and I absolutely believe we would have won it (or had more chances to win it) if Klinsmann had taken Donovan along and had him available.

This is going to be a dangerous team in 4 years. Look for a number for MLS guys who played in this tournament to get attention from European clubs in major leagues and gain valuable experience at the highest levels of world soccer before the next WC.
 
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