That was today?

.....congratulations to team USA for a fantastic game......

.......US soccer has arrived......

So close....
Hopefully the boys can keep up the solid work and soccer can get on the map in the US.

I didn't like that 10 man defensive shell that team USA played in the second half. When everyone is responsible then no one is responsible. We used that same stategy against Spain in the second half and almost lost that game too if Howard didn't come up big so many times. However it all looks good for us in next year's world cup. Our game has moved up several notches since 2006.

U.S. played better than I could have imagined, but they let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. I can understand why Clint Dempsey cried all over his trophy at the end.

Do you think that Europeans and South Americans understand that the US has four magor sports and several minor sports that draw more interest than soccer? If we took soccer seriously we would kick all those soccer pussies in the ass.

Brazil's stragety, it seemed, was to absorb the brunt of the US attack in the first half. Then, in the second half, they opened it up against a team that had overtired themselves early.

Appearing in this final is a great stride for the United States. But it was evident from about the 50th minute onward that it was just a matter of time before Brazil's brilliance and flat-out desire for the trophy simply outshone us.

It can only be viewed as a succesful tournament for us, not just for the moments of chemistry and obvious potential that our team demonstrated, but for our chances in 2010. Assuming we can maintain this level of play through CONCACAF and Gold Cup, we should get the World Cup seed that FIFA keeps giving Mexico instead of us.

magor sports?

So what is this "food-ball" I always hear illegal aliens touting? Is that as dull as soccer?

Can anyone name 10 people that even know about the US soccer team? If you can, then name 5 people that give a shit about sissy sports on TV. The rating would improve, like beach volleyball, if they played in jock straps only. The dick smokers would all tune in, just like the dykers for women's golf and beach volleyball. Maybe they will make a pervert channel to air all of these faggot-attracting events--Keith Olberman and Cutey Chris Mtthews from PMSNBC would fit right in for the, well, you know, play by play.....--pun intended.... :-)

Zzzzzzzzzzz

US loses at soccer?

Kind of a given, really.

Spud's still getting over the fact that you kids actually led 2-0 at halftime.

Against Brazil?

That's impressive.

Be Well.

Soccer is to sports what double entry accounting is to oral sex.

----Einstein-----*

*ernie einstein that runs the paper stand on the corner.

But for Howard in goal, the final score would have been 6-2.

Sure does smell a little like Eau de Rope-a-dope. Snoofs is on the money in his analysis that the Brazilians let us gas ourselves out in the first half. What was their first goal in the second, something like 56 seconds in? Plus they got robbed of a goal, making that second half schooling even more excruciating to watch.

It may rankle those prone to episodes of habitual provincial kneejerking, but soccer is the world's game and we're still playing catch up. We're going to keep winning the Rodney Dangerfield trophy until we eventually bag a World Cup--and even then, we'll still get the stink eye when it comes to soccer.

soccer? Huh? Is that that sport where the brazilian women wear those buttfloss bikinis?

soccer? Huh? Is that that sport where the brazilian women wear those buttfloss bikinis?

#16 | Posted by Unclesam

No, soccer is that sport where you can get an injury time-out and an academy award for the same play.

Googled 'brazilian women wear those buttfloss bikinis' and got these:

egad

Damm you Zat, you just ruined my Sunday.

"you just ruined my Sunday"

Maybe these will help ...

"If we took soccer seriously we would kick all those soccer pussies in the ass."

While I respect other soccer clubs and by no means would ever refer to them as pussies, I agree with the gist of FWTHOM's post. Give us 10 years and an aggressive high school soccer recruiting program along with increased exposure and salary for pros. We could dominate.

Foodbal, mon, foodbal. Hey, Yanqui want ingles? Foodball, mon, foodball.

"If we took soccer seriously we would kick all those soccer pussies in the ass" posted by Fucking tWit Thom.

If we took your dumb ass post seriously we would kick your fucking ass in.

Crisis

The aptly named Bumbkin thinks that American Football must be a macho sport.

Yep. Those sissies need to wear protection, get substitued when they need a breather and do a a gay dance when its time to celebrate.

Crisis

Not finished yet.

"Is that as dull as soccer?" posted by Diablo.

You must be confused.

I had the ghastly experience of attending a Miami - Buffalo match several years ago. Well the cheerleaders were quite nice. Then there were those two lovely lasses making all kind to lewd gestures at the players which drew my attention in a kind of droll way. Quite noticeable was the dreadful American male attire that these so called fans put on. Show up in your underwear, you're over dressed.

With all those stoppages of play, fine way to waste 4 hours.

Should of stayed with my wife and taken in some of that great Miami sun.

Crisis

With all those stoppages of play, fine way to waste 4 hours

no kidding,the last two minutes take 1/2 an hour

And not only that,they only work 16 days a year and we build them stadiums?

You are of course right Bruce. That two minute warning is just that - two minutes to get the hell out of there with your sanity intact.

Crisis.

"Yep. Those sissies need to wear protection, get substitued when they need a breather and do a a gay dance when its time to celebrate"

Well that's just the thing, they "need" to wear protection. If they didn't, people would get even more seriously hurt then they already do.

As for a "gay dance" celebration, I think you might want to review what was going on after Brazil's 2nd and 3rd goals yesterday. From the highlights I saw, there was a lot of kissing.

As to his original point, I don't know how we would fair against the world, but it is undeniable America's best athletes play football/basketball/baseball/
hockey. We just don't like soccer her in this country, but if we did and those athletes moved to soccer, I would have to think US Soccer would be a far better team.

Do you think that Europeans and South Americans understand that the US has four magor sports and several minor sports that draw more interest than soccer? If we took soccer seriously we would kick all those soccer pussies in the ass.

#6 | POSTED BY FWTHOM AT 2009-06-28 06:58 PM | REPLY |

There's a knee jerk reaction to sports? Who knew.

Give us 10 years and an aggressive high school soccer recruiting program along with increased exposure and salary for pros. We could dominate.

As much as I wish this were so, it will never happen.
1) Institutional barriers. The stupid rules/laws we have regarding amateur athletes, college eligibility, and "pro" status will keep kids from progressing. At 13 yo if you haven't found an academy, and aren't playing everyday against other talented kids, it's too late. The really good players in this country are already 5-6 years behind kids in other countries when they are finally (if ever) exposed to professional training regiments. Some won't get a decent coach until they are in college. Talented kids in other countries are in the starting 11 of a pro team by the time they are 17. Look at Josep Rossi: born in New Jersey, went to school in America. Once he turned 13 he had nowhere to go. Playing against other 13 year olds was a waste of his time. His family had to move to Italy to find a decent academy. He put two past us the last time we played Italy....he is Azzuri now, but should be wearing red, white, and blue.

2) We are too rich. Throw 11 guys who grew up in grassy suburbs against 11 guys who grew up on the street with football as their only escape and the street kids will wack the burb kids everytime. Brazil v US is like some prep school from New Hampshire playing Hoover, Ala. in throwball, better make sure you have plenty of EMTs around.

The best we can ever hope for in football is to play competitively and win the occasional upset. The US will never win the World Cup.

Yep. Those sissies need to wear protection, get substitued when they need a breather and do a a gay dance when its time to celebrate.
....#25 | Posted by CrisisStills

......you must be talking about baseball, our drug-fueled national pastime.......

.....talk about boring......the game lasts for three hours and half the players are sitting down trying to stay awake......

There's a knee jerk reaction to sports? Who knew.

Pretty much everyone. Say "New York Yankee" to a non-New Yorker or "Dallas Cowboy" to a non-Texan and see what happens. *grin*

....or American Football....the ultimate homosexual pastime......

....tight pants,
.....butt cracks showing through their see-through ballet tights,
....the quarterback shoves his hands up the center's butt, fondling his balls,
....and when they huddle, pat each other on their curvacious asses...

..now that's a GAY sport....

.......US soccer has arrived......

#2 | Posted by skizziks at 2009-06-28 06:22 PM

Sure it has.

How many people do you know that say " Damn, only two more weeks before MLS starts"?

Goatman:

My husband is a major cowboy fan, I am a Packer fan. It's interesting in my house during football season!

And not only that,they only work 16 days a year and we build them stadiums?

#28 | Posted by bruceaz at 2009-06-29 02:57 AM |

Yeah.

Only 16 days a year.

Go watch some ballet.

No, soccer is that sport where you can get an injury time-out and an academy award for the same play.

#17 | Posted by Lipzoidial

Bullshit you see the same histronics in basketball all the time. You'd probably see it in baseball if it were a contact sport.

US has four magor {sp} sports

#6 | Posted by fwthom

And two of those major sports involve mostly standing around: football and baseball.

Football, out of over 3 hours TV time and 1 hour official game time, actual play on the field is around 10 to 15 minutes. Don't believe me? This NFL season, get your stop watches out and time from the snap of the ball to when the player is down. The Official time is not a real indicator of actual play.

Baseball involves mostly standing around with the exception of the pitcher and the catcher. And even they don't move around much. Hard to calculate actual time playing because baseball is not a timed game. Only activity is when a ball is hit. The ball is in play a few seconds.

Basketball and hockey however are constant movement throughout the game. These boys must be very fit.

Those who decrie soccer as some sort of wussy game ought to try running up and down a field at full tilt for two 45 minute periods while kicking a ball. Endurance. No fat boys out there.

With all those stoppages of play, fine way to waste 4 hours.

I didn't start following soccer seriously until the last World Cup. The best thing about soccer, compared to the big U.S. sports, is the uninterrupted play. Football and basketball have sold out so heavily to commercials that it's a drag, particularly in person when you have to wait through all the TV timeouts. I love baseball, but a game can take 5 hours to play because the pitcher and batter take so much time between pitches.

When you sit down to watch soccer, you're done in a little over three hours almost every time. And the play isn't broken up by commercials.

Soccer also has the most dedicated fans I've ever seen, aside from college football.

As much as I wish this were so, it will never happen.
1) Institutional barriers. The stupid rules/laws we have regarding amateur athletes, college eligibility, and "pro" status will keep kids from progressing.

The best we can ever hope for in football is to play competitively and win the occasional upset. The US will never win the World Cup.

#32 | Posted by r8rh8r

And as a follow-on to your commentary, the Super Bowl being a World Championship is a joke, being that the rest of the world is not allowed to play in this particular sandbox. Or maybe they don't want to, with the possible exception of the Canadians, who are play by slightly different rules, disallowing them from competing.

And all these American sport teams proudly flying the Stars and Bars are importing sports stars from other countries. How American is that?

The game was awesome... exciting as hell, but frustrating. The US can make some dangerous counterattacks, but we're still a long way from having the technical and tactical panache of the Brazilians.

What the US does in 2 or 3 touches, the Brazilians do in 1. They make better decisions on the ball, combine to penetrate, and also don't hesitate to bring the ball back and possess it. I didn't see the US do much of that yesterday.

Still, the national team held their own against one of the best teams in the world (big thanks to Howard!). I'm proud of them, and I hope they build from here as they prepare for 2010.

.......US soccer has arrived......
#2 | Posted by skizziks

Sure it has.
How many people do you know that say " Damn, only two more weeks before MLS starts"?
......#36 | Posted by jerrytarkanian

.....US soccer has arrived in terms of achievement....

.....they defeated the first ranked country (Spain) in the world & gave serious black eye to the soccer magicians from Brazil .......

......there are 160 countries playing soccer, and only one can be champion in any given year, but the US Men's Team has now moved into the top 12 in the world along with the perennial champions like Brazil, Italy, Germany, France, Argentina, Holland, .......

....no one will ever take it for granted that on any given day, they can beat the US team again....

yes soccer is finally popular here. little do people know, our women's team wins almost every year. think about why and the reason is obvious.

but this is my generation finally peaking in this sport. club soccer started changing in the 80's in the US, esp california. we are now seeing the fruits of what the club players through the 90's worked so hard to achieve. i'll never forget marking donovan, even at u17, he was balding and doing circles around everyone. that goal he scored was very impressive, just as his overall work ethic is. 1/3 of those guys on the national team were on his same club team in burbank ca. in the mid-late 90s. needless to say, they were the best club team around, easily competed with the mexican clubs like corona del mar etc.

The earlier game was fucking amazing.

The USA has a LONG way to go in the soccer world. When the Terrell Owens' of the US start to play the game, then we might compete on the international stage.

Great showing by our squad but don't be fooled.

This was a fluke and a big one at that.

This morning I congratulated the Brazillian lady who cleans the offices here. I didn't quite expect so much enthusiasm for her team. She proceeded to tell me more than I ever wanted to know about the games. It is pretty obvious that to Brazillians this was a very big deal, I don't think our Super Bowl would excite too many folks more, especially the women.

When I got my coffee this morning, the lady said;

"Today we are serving Brazillian."

I just glared.........

When I walked into my local strip club this morning, the lady said:

"Today we are sporting Brazillians."

I just stared...

When the Terrell Owens' of the US start to play the game, then we might compete on the international stage.

If Italy can field a World Cup-champion team from a nation of 60 million people, we should be able to field one from a nation of 300 million, even if 4-out-of-5 future Terrels choose different sports than soccer.

Ahhhh Brazil ...

If Italy can field a World Cup-champion team from a nation of 60 million people, we should be able to field one from a nation of 300 million, even if 4-out-of-5 future Terrels choose different sports than soccer.

Everyone good at soccer in America is here illegally.

When the Terrell Owens' of the US start to play the game

Imagine playing this team:
(back to front in a 4-3-3)
-K. Garnett
-M.Vick, L. James, R. Lewis, D. Wade
-S. Smith, D. Jeter, L. Tomlinson,
-K. Bryant, Calvin Johnson, R. Bush

If Italy can field a World Cup-champion team from a nation of 60 million people, we should be able to field one from a nation of 300 million, even if 4-out-of-5 future Terrels choose different sports than soccer.

#50 | Posted by rcade

My US Dollar Sign calls Bull Shit RCADE.

When China wins the World Cup, we can talk........

Everyone good at soccer in America is here illegally.

#52 | Posted by kanrei

Hey...........Tu madre.......

The US played like crap in 2nd half. I took a nap after the refs blew that call on what should have been Brazil's 2nd goal and I knew that when I woke up, Brazil would have won the tournament.

I understand you play defensively when you're up 2 goals against a great offensive team but you don't just let them control the entire field and wait until they are right outside your eighteen yard line before you challenge. That's not defensive play, its just stupid. Add in the sloppy play - at times it looked like they were just giving the ball away - and the 2nd half was just an abysmal, unwatchable performance.

The win against Spain was great but I don't see how yesterday's game speaks well for US soccer at all. The refs essentially spotted them a goal with that missed call and they still squandered a big lead and looked horrible doing it.

Mi Madre no es bueno y legal.

Cool, Sully knows soccer.

Yeah, I don't understand the game plan of letting the superior team control the ball for the entire game.

The US goals were flukes and that isn't going to get them very far on the international stage.

It would have been great for them to surprise the world with a victory over Brazil as I don't see the US team in another FIFA Championship game for another 20-30 years.

We are that far behind the soccer elite today.

It would have been great for them to surprise the world with a victory over Brazil as I don't see the US team in another FIFA Championship game for another 20-30 years.

We are that far behind the soccer elite today.

Posted by Manypaths at 2009-06-29 01:27 PM |

That is why we will never try...the "Underdog America" is dead. We no longer strive to come from behind, but rather to dominate what we are good at instead.

A challenge is G-d's way of telling us not to bother- the Average American

When you start seeing kids in America playing soccer in the streets with oranges, then you can raise your hopes.

I played Soccer in high school...well, one game. I was a full back and got my kneecap smashed by a scared wing. My first and last game. I still can't run today, almost 25 years later.

"I don't understand the game plan of letting the superior team control the ball for the entire game."

The Brazilian players were bringing up the ball without even having to break stride until they were right outside the box. It looked more liked a practice drill then a game.

"It would have been great for them to surprise the world with a victory over Brazil"

I was shocked to learn that the US had actually defeated them on one occasion.

The US goals were flukes

Hold on...

13 tackled the ball from Kaka (80 million pounds) on the halfway line, passed it up and found Donavan (14 quid) who shredded Micion (20 million pounds). How is that a fluke? The first goal was won by Spector (500K) in his own half, played a 1-2, got the ball back, and sent in a beautiful cross taken on the half volley by Dempsey (2 million pounds)....how is that a fluke?

Every goal is savable. Every score comes from a defensive mistake. You're just being a snob.

game plan of letting the superior team control the ball

like they had a choice...

Can't you hear Bradley in the locker room at half time, "listen boys, we are gonna let Brazil keep the ball until they take the lead".

The US played the best they could. Brazil brought in Danny Alves (the best right back in the world) and Elano off the bench! Either of those guys would be the best player for ANY team other than Brazil. Our most skillful player, Dempsey, would not even make the bench for Brazil's SECOND TEAM.

It was a fluke in the sense that they got a lucky break away.

Granted it was pretty, and I called the cutback/shot by Donovan before it happened, but they got lucky and caught Bazil flat-footed in the back.

You take 4 shots on goal and score 2 of them, well, that's a fluke. Great goals, but to even think they are in the same class as that Brazillian team is a fucking joke. Our best player, (aside from Howard who would make any team) wouldn't make the Brazillian roster.

I used to coach soccer up in Minnesota and we held a HUGE soccer tournament, the USA Cup.

Teams would come from around the world to play.

One year, the under 12 and under 14 boys Brazillian National Teams came to play.

The games were 20 minute haves.

The 2 games I watched these kids play, they won 22-0 and 26-0.

40 minute games mind you.

In all of those goals, I saw exactly 1 (one) that would have been considered a SHOT. The rest, 47 of them were all PASSES into the back of an empty net. And the kid that scored on a rocket shot from outside the box? He got benched for the rest of the game by his coach.

And I don't hate the Raiders.

I just know that they suck.

they won 22-0 and 26-0.

LOL

Back before Ronaldinho became fat and lazy Nike ran this commercial with old footage of him at an indoor tourney as a kid. He scored 37 goals in one 40 min game and earned the title "little Ronaldo" a.k.a Ronaldinho.

Like I said up-thread, talented kids in the US at 13 yo have nowhere to go to train full-time. At the age they should be hitting their stride, 16/17/18, they are years behind other countries.

I remember my best season being 42 goals in 20 games.

I did lead the league in goals as a Senior in H.S. playing Center Mid.

In VA, I played in a Semi-Pro league and D.C. United was in our division. (pre MLS days) A guy by the name of Bruce Murry was their star at the time.

i played the u17 Argentine national team in the haarlem cup in holland. except these guys were all 6'3'' and had beards... i'm sure their birth certificates were as verifiable as some little league baseball DR players are in the US. the most impressive was the u16 ajax national team.. those kids were giants. they practiced soccer for the amount of time we went to class and they went to class for the amount of time we practiced soccer. we lost to hungary, sweden and argentina only... probably helped get us soccer some respect!

My US Dollar Sign calls Bull Shit RCADE. When China wins the World Cup, we can talk...

I'm tired of hearing the excuse that the U.S. can't be the best at soccer because our athletes choose other sports. We don't have to settle for that. The U.S. produces great goalies and some players at other positions good enough for the Premiership. We can put together a cup winner.

I did lead the league in goals as a Senior in H.S. playing Center Mid.

In another country your story would be much different. By 15 you would have known if you had the talent to attempt a career in football. You would have been a full-time player living at an academy. You wouldn't have a firm position, regularly playing every spot on the pitch. You wouldn't play an 11 v 11 format until you were old enough to drive.

Look at Onyewu. Played 11 v 11 on gigantic fields from the start. Some knucklehead baseball coach probably decided when he was 6, "he is a defender" and that was that. Forced into the NCAA. He went to Clemson and was a star. By rule he could only "play" 20 hrs per week --counting practice, games, film sessions, and travel. By the time he graduated he had played a fraction of what a 15 year old kid at West Ham has. Now he is 22 years old, ancient.

The U.S. produces great goalies and some players at other positions good enough for the Premiership. We can put together a cup winner.

Yeah, the Gold Cup. One outfield Premiership starter does not a team make.

I was also on the very fist American soccer team to beat a Mexican Team in Mexico.

We went down to Mexico City and won twice.

This was back in the day of Rodney Marsh and when 7 year olds ran around the field with Anheuser Busch across our chests.

One outfield Premiership starter does not a team make.

We were one half from beating Brazil in a FIFA Final. It's time to drop the excuses and go into these tournaments believing we can win, just like the other top-tier soccer-playing countries.

Should we go into the cup next summer as favorites? No. Should we go in believing that getting out of the group stage is the best we can hope for? Hell no.

Best thing about Sunday's game was how our players looked crushed afterwards. They could have been celebrating another moral victory. You'll never get a better chance to beat a team like Brazil in a FIFA final than when you're up 2-0 on them at the half.

We can put together a cup winner.

#71 | Posted by rcade

You need to watch more soccer. The US isn't in the same league as the Super Powers of the sport.

It was only 3-2, but if you watched the game, it was clear that the US was severly outmatched.

If it wasn't for the US keeper and a bad call by the ref, the US would have lost 6-2 and that score would have been a much better indication of how the game went.

I love soccer and want the US to win very much, but at NO TIME yesterday did I give them half of a chance.

just like the other top-tier soccer-playing countries.

That cart is a mile ahead of the horse their RCADE.

We were one half from beating Brazil in a FIFA Final.

No we weren't. The game is 90 minutes and at no time did it look like the US was going to win.

The only shocking part of yesterday's game is that the US managed to score twice.

Everytime I disagree with RCADE, the site goes down for 15 minutes.

Against Brazil?

That's impressive.

Be Well.

#12 | Posted by dethspud at 2009-06-28 08:30 PM | Reply |

Even more laughingly they let in the ring with Spain. I mean wth is that all about? Isn't torture banned by Geneva Conventions? Does spain have no shame?

You need to watch more soccer. The US isn't in the same league as the Super Powers of the sport. It was only 3-2, but if you watched the game, it was clear that the US was severly outmatched.

I watch a lot of soccer. Brazil's a better team. Brazil will likely be a better team for the next 20 years. But the U.S. is good enough to go into these games believing it can steal some of them like we almost stole that final.

The game is 90 minutes and at no time did it look like the US was going to win.

When we went up 2-0, we were outplaying Brazil. They didn't start to show up until 10 minutes before the half.

"The USA has a LONG way to go in the soccer world. When the Terrell Owens' of the US start to play the game, then we might compete on the international stage."

I'm tired of hearing this from soccer snobs. We beat spain and made it to the championship game. The only "fluke" goals I keep hearing about were IN the championship game, so what about all the wins they had before that, including against Spain? Fact is, if you make it to the finals you did something right. You don't beat Spain if you aren't a real contender.

"I'm tired of hearing the excuse that the U.S. can't be the best at soccer because our athletes choose other sports. We don't have to settle for that."

The issue is that most Americans don't look at this as "settling". They truely don't give a shit.

Given the opportunities for Americans in other sports, anyone who tells a tremendously gifted American athelete to spend all his time playing soccer from a young age would be doing that kid a huge disservice.

"You don't beat Spain if you aren't a real contender."

You also don't give up a 2-0 halftime lead, get a huge gift from the refs that negates an opposing goal and still manage to blow it because your entire team is playing on its heels for the last 45 minutes of the game if you're a serious contender.

I don't know how you reconcile the win against Spain with the 2nd half against Brazil.

When we went up 2-0, we were outplaying Brazil.

We scored on our only 2 shots to that point. Brazil had 9 or 10 shots by then.

Brazil was on the attack most of the have and Howard made 2 HUGE saves in that first half.

Without those saves and a smoothering defense for most of that half, it would have been a whole different story. And I for one knew that the US defense wouldn't be able to keep that up for 90 minutes against a team like Brazil. And they couldn't.

But did you EVER think that you would see a World Class Team like Brazil get THAT excited over a goal against the US? That was a moment in US Soccer history by itself.

I'm tired of hearing this from soccer snobs. We beat spain and made it to the championship game. The only "fluke" goals I keep hearing about were IN the championship game, so what about all the wins they had before that, including against Spain? Fact is, if you make it to the finals you did something right. You don't beat Spain if you aren't a real contender. Posted by JOE

It's why they play the game.

The US team was out shot over 2 to 1 for the tourney.

I'll rescind my 'FLUKE' comment the moment they make another championship final of any kind.

Hold your breath.

We scored on our only 2 shots to that point. Brazil had 9 or 10 shots by then.

We're always outshot by the top teams. At the point we were up 2-0, only one or two of Brazil's shots was a real threat.

I'll rescind my 'FLUKE' comment the moment they make another championship final of any kind. Hold your breath.

If I had said 10 days ago the U.S. would reach the Confederations Cup final by beating Spain, you would have laughed me out of the room.

Was it a fluke when the U.S. reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and lost to Germany 1-0 after a ridiculous non-call on a handball at Germany's goal line?

Take any soccer-playing country at random that qualifies for the World Cup consistently. If that country reached the quarterfinals eight years ago and the Confederations Cup final one year ago, wouldn't they enter the World Cup believing they could win it?

What I'm arguing here is that the U.S. needs to raise its expectations. For all of the people who say Americans don't care, every World Cup gets bigger over here -- ESPN just announced that for the first time in the network's 30-year history, it's hosting all of its cup coverage with teams at the event.

If this country believed it could win a cup, how many more kids who are playing soccer today would choose it over the other sports as they got older?

What I'm arguing here is that the U.S. needs to raise its expectations.

Fair enough and next years World Cup will be very telling.

There wasn't much interest in the US back in 2002 going into the Cup. If the US team manages to get back into the quarter finals with the attention they have at this point, it would be HUGE for the sport here in America.

But if we really want to get our stronger athelets involved in Soccer, we need to be advertising the BABES that Soccer guys nail.

No sport has hotter girlfriends than Soccer. Sorry guys.......

"If this country believed it could win a cup, how many more kids who are playing soccer today would choose it over the other sports as they got older?"

To an American kid, the World Cup is no more presitigous than the World Series or the Super Bowl. In fact, its probably less pretigious because they don't care about the World Cup. And there is no reason why they should. We have our own culture and soccer isn't as big a part of it as in is in other countries. I don't think our World Cup chances have anything to do with why kids choose to play other sports.

I don't know how you reconcile the win against Spain with the 2nd half against Brazil.

#83 | Posted by Sully at 2009-06-30 10:36 AM

For all we know, Brazil would have dominated Spain too. The fact that nobody is as good as Brazil doesn't mean we aren't a real contender.

I grew up in Florida and played a lot of soccer. I remember watching the world cup in 1978 when Argentina won. I haven't missed a World Cup Finals game since.

The problem with getting people to watch soccer in this country is that our MLS is just not that good. Soccer is hard enough to pay attention to for the passive fan. Throw in a mediocre product and it's hard to sell tickets.

But put the best players in the world on the field at the same time and it's the most beautiful game on the planet. That just doesn't happen in the States. The NASL was as close the US has had and that was a long time ago.

To an American kid, the World Cup is no more presitigous than the World Series or the Super Bowl. In fact, its probably less pretigious because they don't care about the World Cup.

That generalization is not as true as it used to be. The ESPN2 broadcasts of the U.S. World Cup matches were the network's highest rated programs of the year in 2006.

Also, with the rapid growth of Hispanics in this country comes a lot of people who put soccer above all the other sports.

But put the best players in the world on the field at the same time and it's the most beautiful game on the planet.

Amen. I'm counting the days until the Premiership returns.

"The ESPN2 broadcasts of the U.S. World Cup matches were the network's highest rated programs of the year in 2006."

EPSN2 shows local racing events, strongest man competitions, reruns of poker, NCAA softball and baseball, bowling etc. That soccer's biggest event worldwide - which is only played once every four years - was relegated to EPSN2 tells you all you need to know.

"Also, with the rapid growth of Hispanics in this country comes a lot of people who put soccer above all the other sports."

That's a good point. It will be interesting to see if the love of soccer is passed down from the immigrants to the American born kids - who will grow up in a country where just about any other sport gets more coverage.

That soccer's biggest event worldwide - which is only played once every four years - was relegated to EPSN2 tells you all you need to know.

The Confederations Cup final was played on ESPN, as was the Champions League final. I think a lot of FIFA '08 was on the main ESPN last summer as well.

Slowly but surely, world soccer is invading the U.S.

"ESPN will have pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, shown on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2."

We'll have to see how many games end up on ABC.

The game was all about defending after we scored the second goal. Brazil will and always will put the pressure into the box. Thats what they do, its like how the Italins depend on the counter attack. Oh and Diablo, I saw 20 people at the bar and know more that love it. Soccer is a greart sport that porduces the most injurys out of any sport. Mexico sucks and they can wait unitl 2014.