Just shows you how far away we actually are to compete. The 3 other teams that are left are miles better than us.
Never had a chance with Wondo up front and Bradley at deep mid. Bradley never fails to come up small in big games.
I mean how far away are we actually though? Soccer has caught on a lot in the past decade here and with a ton of parents likely shying their kids away from football we'll see better athletes playing soccer. Is it a stretch to say that within the next 25 years we could be contenders for a World Cup?
Sorry, but FAR away. It's not even the score, it's the small things. Notice when Argentina players get a pass, they drop it nice and soft, right in front of them. Almost like they caught it with hands and dropped to the convenient side. Our guys get a pass and the ball bounced off their legs like it's a wall. This is the fundamental difference in quality, it's like you can't expect a QB to be good if footwork is not there. Or when OT doesn't position correctly, you know DE will blow past him. Same here. This is just poor fundamental technique. You know they are gonna be fucked as soon as you see those "small" mistakes.
I think it is fair to say within 20 years we will be a top 10 in the world though. More and more kids are shying away from Football in the Fall and focusing on Soccer. I don't think it's crazy to find our Messi or Ronaldo in 20 years.
Well... the first time I heard this was after LA World Cup, 1994, I think? The problem is that there is little $$ in soccer. So if your kid is athletically gifted, chances are you'll push him toward something else, like baseball.
Brutal starting line up for usa... i was so pissed. I went to the first two metlife games and will be going to the final. At least I get a chance to see Messi in a competitive finale fighting for his first country title with him in it. Should be a great finale
For sure. Baseball is the bread winner with those fully guaranteed contracts, but the biggest difference between '94 and now is how a lot of people are realizing the dangers of football. Kids are literally being funneled towards soccer in the Fall. I could be completely wrong so don't quote me on this, but one of the biggest things that is hurting American soccer at a youth age is how they aren't allowed to use their head. I remember hearing on the radio (I think it was last summer) how players under the age of 16 were only allowed to use their feet. I heard this on the radio and not actually sure if it came to light, but what a disadvantage that is vs other players around the world who are allowed to utilize every facet of the game.
It's possible you right about football, time will tell. Never heard about "no head" rule. I coached soccer - never heard of it. IMO, the biggest thing is that the kids don't watch it and thus don't try to imitate. When I was growing up, we had half dozen games based solely on ball handling, for when you only have 2-3 kids outside. I can't run for shit anymore, but I can receive the ball and make accurate pass better then some of our pros did today. This sort of thing is like riding a bike: you get it down to non-thinking level, and you never forget.
That's pretty accurate. I think the cutoff is middle school ish age and below though at 13 or so. I doubt they'd ever restrict something like that in varsity competition. It's not even so much the kids as it is the parents. Everyone needs to save their kids from big bad football, and hears professional athletes like Lebron say he never wants his kids to play. "Not my son either," is what I'm sure they all think. We're getting European players come over here to play (like Pirlo for NYFC) for the first time ever. Granted he's at the end of his ropes. But is it perhaps only a matter of time before the MLS becomes the top league in the world just like how we basically house every major sports league that isn't soccer (yet)? Maybe I'm wrong. I'd think you start to see a ton of good athletes (that would be your best RB or WR) start to play soccer because of their parents wishes.
Was at work while the game was on...so I had ass on stage and ass on TV.. While it's easy to say I was pissed...I would have loved to see us with a full squad. Argentina is a Giant and while they beat us , we made it to the final four. Not bad for a bunch of gringos... made up of different countries.
Quoted for truth. It's mostly about technical ability in youth development. First touch, ball control, dribbling, pass accuracy and touch. Watch a European league game. Every single pass, from long arcing crosses to short hard passes, is taken smoothly like their feet or chest are hands catching the ball. Our kids still aren't getting enough of the right training. We are much further ahead than we were 20 years ago. But still a ways to go.
Not Euro, but Argentina dismantled the U.S. last night in the Copa semifinal. We couldn't even get a shot on goal. Messi's free kick was astonishing.
we aren't top 10 in the world already??? also- I didn't watch yesterday but is it true we didnt even get a shot on goal last night? how embarrassing
Men's team is definitely not top 10 in the world. Off the top of my head I think they were somewhere around 20 - 23, maybe even higher. The men's team is ASSS compared to these other teams. Also, you heard right - we didn't even get a shot off.
31st?? I admittedly don't know anything about the game but with all the money with have in this country being ranked 31 is just sad. How the hell does Bosnia have a better soccer team than us for example?
