The Soccer Thread

[wolf stansson]

If Mexico can keep embracing professionalism off field and this kind of heart, confidence & humility on the field...yikes.

[bukie]

Mexico fielding a World Cup winning caliber roster can only mean good things for the US program.

[Guest]

Mexico fielding a World Cup winning caliber roster can only mean good things for the US program.

I certainly hope so.

 

Too many damn Mexican jerseys here.

[wolf stansson]

It's a little soon to put them in that conversation just on a talent basis alone. Factor in the hundred or so year track record of ego, complacency and political infighting derailing their potential and I don't think they'll ever win a Workd Cup.

[USSoccer]

-This shows what happens when you focus on competent youth development. We need Mexico pushing us, and vice versa.

 

-Hahahahaha suck it Show Pony.

[Magnetic Curses]

It's a little soon to put them in that conversation just on a talent basis alone. Factor in the hundred or so year track record of ego, complacency and political infighting derailing their potential and I don't think they'll ever win a Workd Cup.

 

If the Zapatistas were the ruling party, Mexican soccer would be rivaled by few.

[wolf stansson]

http://www.noshortcorners.com/2012/08/ajax-2-2-jozy-ft.html

Jozy treated the Ajax center backs very roughly today. 2 goals and who knows how many bruises on the guy marking him.

[wolf stansson]

No Bradley, Dolo, Boca, Jozy or Deuce for Azteca on Weds. Very green back line, some head shakers (Beasley, Orozco, Castillo) but I love the Shea call up. He gives Mexico fits. I expected DeMerit & Pontius based on form but JK doesn't rate them. A lot of consideration for club situations. Clearly a result is secondary to experience scenario.

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/08/Klinsmann-Names-Roster-for-Aug-15-Friendly-Against-Mexico.aspx

[shnsajax]

Strangest Man of the Match interview ever. I do love seeing Jozy in Holland right now.

[USSoccer]

No Bradley, Dolo, Boca, Jozy or Deuce for Azteca on Weds. Very green back line, some head shakers (Beasley, Orozco, Castillo) but I love the Shea call up. He gives Mexico fits. I expected DeMerit & Pontius based on form but JK doesn't rate them. A lot of consideration for club situations. Clearly a result is secondary to experience scenario.

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/08/Klinsmann-Names-Roster-for-Aug-15-Friendly-Against-Mexico.aspx

 

5-0....i don't see how this kind of experience is useful for anyone. Getting ass kicked in Mexico City while trotting out the B-est B-team possible isn't going to prepare us for anything.

[Banedon]

From Bill Simmons' mailbag.

 

Q: Can you write something about how men's soccer players need to sack up and play like the women do? The women literally beat the stank out of each other, get up without a tear shed (maybe a black eye here or there). You don't see any of this "lying around pretending my leg is broken now I'm gonna run around on it for the next 90 minutes no problem" crap I've never been more interested in watching women's soccer in my life and care less about men's soccer.

— John K., Jersey B

 

SG: You're preaching to the choir, my friend. Abby Wambach is tougher than anyone in the MLS — she runs around like a cross between Troy Polamalu and Clint Eastwood circa 1973. Totally fearless. When she gets knocked down, she gets up … and if she doesn't get up right away, you know she actually got hurt. For this and a couple of reasons (success + likability + Alex Morgan), you could make a pretty good case that our U.S. women's soccer team is as popular as, and maybe even a smidge more popular than, our men's soccer team. Who could have imagined that one??? We need to schedule both teams playing important qualifiers at the exact same time and see which one gets a better TV rating. I really want to know. I have the women's team as a 0.5-point rating favorite. And that might be low.

[Guest]

Oh my goodness Simmons, just shut up. I know this phrase gets overused in hyperbole, but in all seriousness, there is literally nothing in his answer that is correct. Nothing. No points, God have mercy on your soul, etc.

[Banedon]

I'll agree with the guy that sent in the email on one point though. For someone that's never really been into soccer at all, I've followed the women's team quite closely, both during last years World Cup and this years Olympics.

 

The whole injury/fake injury factor is irrelevant to me.

[jersey cubs fan]

I find the women's team much more enjoyable to watch than the men's.

[USSoccer]

Simmons is an idiot for writing that. Not only is it not true in any sense, but it's such a hyperbolic, knee jerk reaction that it's barely worth getting worked up about. You could make the point that they are more popular, but it would be basically a WSR point-wrong, ignorant and ridiculous.

 

If there were a men's game and women's qualifier on at the same time, on ESPN & ESPN2 respectively, the women's game would get ratings equivalent to a darts tournament. Like they do every time they play a game not linked to the World Cup/Olympics.

 

The injury thing is asinine. None of the US men roll around like they've been shot after a foul. And if Simmons had watched an MLS game, ever, he'd know that the league isn't exactly a finesse, pansy league.

 

To add to that, the women's team has played some garbage soccer over the past 4 years, and has won games by virtue of sheer luck, refereeing incompetence and opponent incompetence/inferiority. That luck will at some point run out, the opponents have already passed the US in skill and will eventually even up the athletic advantage.

[jersey cubs fan]

.

If there were a men's game and women's qualifier on at the same time, on ESPN & ESPN2 respectively,

 

That wouldn't be a very fair comparison. The ESPN2 option is always going to get hammered by the mothership option.

[USSoccer]

.

If there were a men's game and women's qualifier on at the same time, on ESPN & ESPN2 respectively,

 

That wouldn't be a very fair comparison. The ESPN2 option is always going to get hammered by the mothership option.

 

 

Fine, NBC and ESPN. The channels are irrelevant. No one cares about women's soccer-at all- unless it's a major international tournament. Not so with the USMNT.

[Banedon]

.

If there were a men's game and women's qualifier on at the same time, on ESPN & ESPN2 respectively,

 

That wouldn't be a very fair comparison. The ESPN2 option is always going to get hammered by the mothership option.

 

 

Fine, NBC and ESPN. The channels are irrelevant. No one cares about women's soccer-at all- unless it's a major international tournament. Not so with the USMNT.

 

I don't know if you're in an unbiased place about this though. Neither I, nor anyone I work with had any idea, for example, that the US Men weren't in the Olympics until after the games started. It was total news to us. Among soccer enthusiasts, you may well be right....the interest in the US men is probably much, much higher. But I'm not sure that's true among the general public. I think they're equally disinterested in non-major tourneys for both women and men. And with the women's success over the last couple of years (and the stars they've developed), I think it's closer than you may think.

[USSoccer]

.

If there were a men's game and women's qualifier on at the same time, on ESPN & ESPN2 respectively,

 

That wouldn't be a very fair comparison. The ESPN2 option is always going to get hammered by the mothership option.

 

 

Fine, NBC and ESPN. The channels are irrelevant. No one cares about women's soccer-at all- unless it's a major international tournament. Not so with the USMNT.

 

I don't know if you're in an unbiased place about this though. Neither I, nor anyone I work with had any idea, for example, that the US Men weren't in the Olympics until after the games started. It was total news to us. Among soccer enthusiasts, you may well be right....the interest in the US men is probably much, much higher. But I'm not sure that's true among the general public. I think they're equally disinterested in non-major tourneys for both women and men. And with the women's success over the last couple of years (and the stars they've developed), I think it's closer than you may think.

 

It's not remotely close. Look at the ratings, both friendly, qualifiers and World Cup, the fact that the USMNT actually has a TV contract for their games, including friendlies and qualifiers, etc, the way NBA Sports is treating its USMNT platform. This is like comparing the Cubs and the Peoria farm team and saying Peoria is more poplular because they play more exciting games. Not even in the same stratosphere.

 

The reason you didn't know about the men is that FIFA treats the men's Olympic tourney as a U-23 affair; most nations don't give a crap about it. Great Britian couldn't have cared less about it's hybrid team.

[Banedon]

Ok, well obviously you know a lot more about the subject than I do, so I'm not going to argue with you about it. I admit, I'm going purely on subjective experience here, and interest among people I work with, friends and family.

 

All that said, if nothing else, watching the women's tourney has sparked a soccer interest, but between MLS, English Premier, Champions, and who knows what other leagues, I feel a bit overwhelmed in really knowing where to start.

[jersey cubs fan]

Fine, NBC and ESPN. The channels are irrelevant.

 

Well there's a big difference there too.

[shnsajax]

So now Everton might be looking at Dempsey too. Not exactly the step up he has been looking for. Guess its pretty much a very small notch below Liverpool without the history. Still I would rather see him on a squad that doesn't already embrace American's.

[wvcbxl]

The reason you didn't know about the men is that FIFA treats the men's Olympic tourney as a U-23 affair; most nations don't give a crap about it. Great Britian couldn't have cared less about it's hybrid team.

 

Not to mention the fact that two preliminary CL rounds were played during the Olympics, as well as pre-season preparations for almost every soccer league in Europe,

 

To avoid a real disaster (like Barcelona winning a court case in 2008 for the right to withhold Messi from the Beijng tournament - he was allowed to play anyway) Fifa had to rule in March 2012 that teams would be obligated to release players for the Olympics, prompting the FA to assure clubs that players that played at Euro 2012 would not be selected for the Olympics. That made the pecking order in international soccer quite clear.

[shnsajax]

The RVP transfer saga appears to be over, heading to ManU. Song could be sold to Barca by the end of the week too. :banghead:

 

Playing again for 3rd or 4th this season which is going to be very tough.

[Guest]

Mexico has apparently co-opted Roberto the stab-happy robot as its mascot.

 

http://ow.ly/i/QZt3

 

 

It's somehow fitting.