OT: Association Football Thread III (All Soccer Talk Here!)

[nyrmetros]

What a great weekend of MLS!

 

[nyrmetros]

Miami vs Kansas City was epic.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Italy against Spain looking worse than the Rongos vs Florida. Getting completely dogwalked if not for their goalie.


As a big Italian soccer fan, its so sad to see how far they've fallen. The talent level of this squad is embarassing. Maybe 2 or 3 "top level" players if that.

 

[nyr2k2]

It's funny because growing up, I often had no idea how to say the names of half these guys, and I assumed that the various British announcers in FIFA or on TV were infallible and how they said it, was how it was said. I have now learned that the Brits butcher names perhaps worse than the Americans. LOL.

 

[ecemleafs]

Fox should be banned from bidding for soccer tournaments. So many games not on TV for no reason. They got Fox, FS1, and FS2 and they cant show a live match? They've been showing fishing and paid programming instead. It wouldnt be surprising if Fox was actually trying to kill interest in soccer in this country by getting tv rights and not putting games on tv.

 

[nyr2k2]

Fox should be banned from bidding for soccer tournaments. So many games not on TV for no reason. They got Fox, FS1, and FS2 and they cant show a live match? They've been showing fishing and paid programming instead. It wouldnt be surprising if Fox was actually trying to kill interest in soccer in this country by getting tv rights and not putting games on tv.

Yeah it's ridiculous. This is three times I've tried to turn on the early game only to find it wasn't on TV. Fortunately using Kodi on the TV I was able to get a good stream from the BBC.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

It's funny because growing up, I often had no idea how to say the names of half these guys, and I assumed that the various British announcers in FIFA or on TV were infallible and how they said it, was how it was said. I have now learned that the Brits butcher names perhaps worse than the Americans. LOL.

The problem with Brits is they pronounce EVERY letter lol.

 

[sbjnyc]

The problem with Brits is they pronounce EVERY letter lol.

Leicester City - Brits say "Lester" City - Claim Americans pronounce it wrong.

Lester Hayes - Brits say "Leicester" Hayes - Claim Americans pronounce it wrong.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Leicester City - Brits say "Lester" City - Claim Americans pronounce it wrong.

Lester Hayes - Brits say "Leicester" Hayes - Claim Americans pronounce it wrong.

lol good point. But for all the guff people give Americans for being unilingual, Brits take it to 100

 

[nyr2k2]

How would Brits pronounce the name Darby? What is the difference to them between the words derby and Darby?

 

[nyr2k2]

Santa Maria

This team is garbage but dear lord.

 

[CasusBelli]

Money is on Germany or Spain. France and England haven’t convinced me. The Dutch haven’t impressed me.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Paris 2024: Alex Morgan left off USWNT Olympics roster

U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes has omitted Alex Morgan from the USWNT's roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Cheering for England seem a natural fit as a Ranger fan. So many expectations, such limited delivery. Canada on the other hand gets to knockouts in Copa!

 

[nyrmetros]

Tall task for the USMNT on Monday vs Uruguay.

 

[nyr2k2]

Tall task for the USMNT on Monday vs Uruguay.

As much as I want them to win and do good shit the rest of the tournament, it's probably better if they embarrass themselves further and get rid of Greggggg.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Cheering for England seem a natural fit as a Ranger fan. So many expectations, such limited delivery. Canada on the other hand gets to knockouts in Copa!

England are more similar to the Leafs.

Hope Souvlakia can hang on

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Helluva tying goal for England!

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

And another beauty!

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

what a shit tournament for the USA.



Speaking of shit tournaments, the Euro has been horrible, loads of 0-0, 1-0, own goals, just terrible quality.

 

[nyr2k2]

Pretty sure the goal was off-side. But at the end of the day, it doesn't even matter. They couldn't score a goal. They were relying on f***ing Bolivia to throw them a lifeline. Pretty pathetic. The team continues to shoot itself in the dick.

Gregggg has to go. He's not solely to blame, but too often the players look disorganized and like they're not sure what to do. Or whatever tactic they're employing, it doesn't match the flow of the game or the tactic they're facing.

 

[JCProdigy]

Pretty sure the goal was off-side. But at the end of the day, it doesn't even matter. They couldn't score a goal. They were relying on f***ing Bolivia to throw them a lifeline. Pretty pathetic. The team continues to shoot itself in the dick.

Gregggg has to go. He's not solely to blame, but too often the players look disorganized and like they're not sure what to do. Or whatever tactic they're employing, it doesn't match the flow of the game or the tactic they're facing.

Man I have so much to say about this disappointment of a team/program. I'll try to be succinct.

On the player pool. Looking at the starting 11, you have some good to pretty good players there. No superstars but definitely some talent. Problem is there are a few positions where the talent is barely passable at best (looking at the defense in general) and more importantly the player pool is very shallow. The drop off after the starters, except for one extra midfielder, pretty brutal.

So what are the realistic expectations? Should they be beating the top teams consistently? Hell no, but should they be counted on to put in an honest effort? Compete and not look outclassed while pulling out a result here and there? Should they be consistently beating up on teams that objectively have less overall talent and honestly look cutthroat and good in doing so? I don't think these latter points are unrealistic expectations. Yet they've continually failed to meet them.

Tony Meola had a point when he said, looking at the big picture, has this team/federation progressed at all in the last two years since the last WC? They are still wholly inconsistent across the board. They make excuses and look for "bright spots". That's where they are, looking for friggin "bright spots". Every federation can find bright spots. Have fun finding a bright spot if you become only the 3rd host nation to fail at making it out of the group stage in a WC.

After last nights game McKennie said that they love Berhalter and would run through a brick wall for him. Well, you had a brick wall in front of you in Uruguay and you went "nah". Hell, they had a particle board wall in front of them in the form of Panama and they knocked themselves out running into it.

Results matter. Changes are needed...

 

[Brief Candle]

Man I have so much to say about this disappointment of a team/program. I'll try to be succinct.

On the player pool. Looking at the starting 11, you have some good to pretty good players there. No superstars but definitely some talent. Problem is there are a few positions where the talent is barely passable at best (looking at the defense in general) and more importantly the player pool is very shallow. The drop off after the starters, except for one extra midfielder, pretty brutal.

So what are the realistic expectations? Should they be beating the top teams consistently? Hell no, but should they be counted on to put in an honest effort? Compete and not look outclassed while pulling out a result here and there? Should they be consistently beating up on teams that objectively have less overall talent and honestly look cutthroat and good in doing so? I don't think these latter points are unrealistic expectations. Yet they've continually failed to meet them.

Tony Meola had a point when he said, looking at the big picture, has this team/federation progressed at all in the last two years since the last WC? They are still wholly inconsistent across the board. They make excuses and look for "bright spots". That's where they are, looking for friggin "bright spots". Every federation can find bright spots. Have fun finding a bright spot if you become only the 3rd host nation to fail at making it out of the group stage in a WC.

After last nights game McKennie said that they love Berhalter and would run through a brick wall for him. Well, you had a brick wall in front of you in Uruguay and you went "nah". Hell, they had a particle board wall in front of them in the form of Panama and they knocked themselves out running into it.

Results matter. Changes are needed...

Every issue with the USA stems from management down to the youth programs.

Berhalter should have never been rehired. I mentioned in another thread that what they have here is an old boy's club rather than a meritocracy. Couple that with the absurd youth system here, and as much as football here has progressed since the 90's, it's no where near where it should be, and it's at no fault of the players (except Weah, terrible red card and could have changed the face of the game yesterday).

My family is from Argentina. Consider this: If they had the same system there as they had here, Scaloni would never have been given the interim and eventual job. Not only that, virtually every player on the national team, Messi and DiMaria ESPECIALLY, would never have been discovered because their families wouldn't have been able to afford the academy teams.

A lot needs to change here for the USA to ever truly be competitive.

 

[JCProdigy]

Every issue with the USA stems from management down to the youth programs.

Berhalter should have never been rehired. I mentioned in another thread that what they have here is an old boy's club rather than a meritocracy. Couple that with the absurd youth system here, and as much as football here has progressed since the 90's, it's no where near where it should be, and it's at no fault of the players (except Weah, terrible red card and could have changed the face of the game yesterday).

My family is from Argentina. Consider this: If they had the same system there as they had here, Scaloni would never have been given the interim and eventual job. Not only that, virtually every player on the national team, Messi and DiMaria ESPECIALLY, would never have been discovered because their families wouldn't have been able to afford the academy teams.

A lot needs to change here for the USA to ever truly be competitive.

In total agreement. It was a problem before the '18 WC debacle and is still the same now. Only in the good old US of A do they take a poor everyman sport and turn it into an upper-middle class sport. Im Ecuadorian on my mom's side so i feel ya. I wonder if Kendry Paez would be what he is at 17 if he was born here.

Ya know what's the most hilariously sad/infuriating thing regarding Berhalter? Claudio Reyna and wife tried to screw him over and it backfired as I believe it was a major optics reason for his being rehired for this cycle. I don't think they wanted it to look like the Reynas "won".

As much as what the Reynas did was disgusting/wrong and what Gio did in throwing a pout session at the WC was wrong too. Ultimately, it was Greg who talked about his player to the semi-public like a friggin idiot. That alone should have gotten him fired. Also, the fact that he was over on the sideline last night pointing two fingers up yelling tie, tie in relation to the Panama game should f***ing seal his fate. Clown show.

Much like Quinn, I like the person, but he's not a good leader of men.

Oh and that save at the end of the Turkey/Austria game was chef's kiss. When it's not the USMNT, I love watching the Beautiful Game.

 

[nyrmetros]

This group of USMNT players is the most individually skilled ever playing at top Euro clubs..... But give me the heart of a MLS USMNT team any day!