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  1. #26
    PS: I love this thread too. Hopefully we can get it stickied. On another note - how about a dedicated Soccer/Football/Futbol forum?
    good idea.


    As for US football. I think your future is bright. You've showed this WC what you have got and you showed that you are not 'little' anymore. You have good players and the will to fight. Too bad you did not advance. US NT is still developing and is getting better every time.

    I like Donovan. He is a great player. A new favorite. He'll probably move to some big club.

  2. #27
    Win. Whatever it Takes Whisky Dog's Avatar
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    What the US really needs is to have more and more kids come up and make the best European leagues. Taking dudes from the MLS is like taking guys from the D League to play on the Olympics. The US needs the majority of their players playing in top European leagues to get that skill and guile of the best teams.

    For that matter the same is true of Mexico too.

  3. #28
    Aggieland Spurs Fan LoneStarState'sPride's Avatar
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    What the US really needs is to have more and more kids come up and make the best European leagues. Taking dudes from the MLS is like taking guys from the D League to play on the Olympics. The US needs the majority of their players playing in top European leagues to get that skill and guile of the best teams.

    For that matter the same is true of Mexico too.
    I know this has already been beat to death in other threads, but the above is PRECISELY why the US will be an also-ran (albeit a decent also-ran) on the world soccer scene for many years to come. Simply put, we Americans tend not to place our fervor for the sport over domestic success. Unlike basketball players from around the world who want with every fiber of their being to compete with the best in the world in the NBA, most of our youth are content to pursue (and excel) in the NFLs, NBAs, and MLBs of our country--the rest of the world be damned. It's a hard sell for the soccer movement in America: "Hey [insert athlete's name here], you're an amazing athlete, how'd you like to bring your talent to Europe and play for a team no one back home even knows exists and play a sport most of your peers in your country don't give a about save every 4 years?" compared to say, offering them an NFL contract and the near-instant recognition and respect it brings in the USA. The athlete would be extremely unlikely to pick the first one, even if he knew he could make more money internationally.

    I know this is changing, but the biggest hindrance to the US being compe ive in soccer on an international stage is not a lack of sport savvy or even the length of time in between WCs--it's the fact that the best leagues are outside the States.

  4. #29
    Veteran scott's Avatar
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    I agree - instead of pushing our best players to go overseas (while it does get them great experience), in the long run we need to up the level of MLS so that it gets our kids more excited about their local team and playing.

    I think Beckham was a good first start to the right strategy, getting high profile players over here. We simply can't compete financially with the top leagues right now, so I think going after guys who might be on the tail end of the careers is a good idea. They can obvious still compete physically with MLS players (enough to even be all-stars here), so they are upping the game here as well. Henry is already rumored to be coming, and I think guys like Ballack and Ronaldinho would also be good targets.

  5. #30
    bring back friedel!

  6. #31
    Klinsmann summed it up "Here the kids pay to go to camps to get better, everywhere outside of USA its the other way around". I say we give the reigns to him. See what he can develop. The only thing that kept him from coach over Bradley was wanting access to MLS players for national call ups. WTF is wrong with that and why TF would you question a legend, who is willing to help what the rest of the world considers the "devil" aka USA national soccer.

  7. #32
    The usa had a great striker whats his name the one the coach benched and never played? Oh yea that's right buddle, how are yall gonna say we didn't have great striker, we had one of the best on the bench thanks to dumb ass bradley

  8. #33
    The usa had a great striker whats his name the one the coach benched and never played? Oh yea that's right buddle, how are yall gonna say we didn't have great striker, we had one of the best on the bench thanks to dumb ass bradley
    The USA great striker was out partying and almost killed himself the night before an important match. ( you charlie davies)

  9. #34
    Veteran scott's Avatar
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    Tristan Bowen could be one name to keep an eye on. 5'11" striker for LA.

    There is also this kid Bobby Wood who is on the squad for 1860 Munich, but I've not heard much about him.

  10. #35
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Rumors are that Man City and Chelsea are both interested in Landon. I think the Galaxy can pretty much kiss him goodbye at this point.

    Will be interesting to see what teams go after Bradley as well. I think Howard's performance this cup will leave him in Everton.
    I would be shocked not to see a top team go after Bradley. Donovan made the big splash with the big goals, but Bradley just dominated the mid in nearly every game. In retrospect he was pretty god damn good.

    I'd heard the Man City rumor but not Chelsea. He'd probably do much better with play time at Man City.

  11. #36
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    You guys need to realize that Klinnsman HAD the reigns four years ago but turned them down due to MLS not wanting to guarntee player availability for the gold can copa america. Now US Soccer is saying no chance of us playing in Copa America in 2011 (mistake, IMO - even if we didn't get invited I'm sure we could weasel our way in). These in guys need to play top flight tournaments and I'm sorry but the Gold cup just seems like a bunch of bull until the US and Mexico meet in the final.

    The Confed cup is better but its not huge either. And there isn't exactly a lock of us getting in.

    Obviously the team is getting better and the project 2010 was a huge success even if its goal was a pipe dream but they have to find a way to build on that program and the current US academy and not just be satisfied with status quo.

  12. #37
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Also, although I really do think Bradley did a great job I do think his errors were very noticeable.

    I don't blame him with trying to play Gooch. I just can't blame those efforts and they never really killed us. But I can blame him for going back to Clark for no perceptible reason. That selection was magnified by Clark's mistake that led to the big goal, but really Clark should never have been in considering the play of Edu and Fieldhaber.

    Also, I mentioned the lack of Ching as upsetting to me before the tournament. I felt that in a way they owed it to him to bring him and it was tough seeing it come at the expense of someone who I don't feel earned their spot in the cup in Findley. Once they played the games Findley did nothing to change my perception of him coming in and while Gomez and Buddle didn't do much Gomez at least had a hand in Bradley's amazing goal and Buddle wasn't really given much of a shot. Leaving Ching off for Findley was a huge mistake.

    Other than that, you have to wonder how well the team was prepared for the Ghana game. Given the shorter turnaround and the enormity of Donovan's goal I'm not sure if Bradley or anyone else could have gotten them past that and focused faster but I think the running theme as we all know was the early lack of focus leading to goals.

    Still, every coach will make mistakes and unfortunately Bradley's get magnified by the lack of forward talent on this team, injuries, and unprecedented emotional levels.

    PS Anyone who mentions nepotism in the Bradley father son situation on this team needs to go find out what nepotism actually is.

  13. #38
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    A daily recap of the Dan Patrick Show ...
    Q&A with Bob Bradley

    DP: How long did it take to get over the loss to Ghana?
    BB: I'm still going through the process. When a team has put a lot into it and it ends quickly, I think it takes a little while.
    DP: What was the locker room like after the loss? How long was it before you said something?
    BB: I went around to each individual when they were sitting there and thanked everybody. We didn't actually talk to the whole group until the next day.
    DP: If I could give you a mulligan, what would you do differently with your lineup against Ghana?
    BB: I don't think I'd change the lineup as much as I'd change the way we've started some games. We just put ourselves in the hole too many times. Ultimately, we kept fighting back, but when we did it again to start the overtime, it just seemed to be too much.
    DP: Do you think you were better than Ghana?
    BB: I think we are, yes.
    DP: Is there one aspect you have to improve if you're going to remain head coach?
    BB: When you look at all the games, we created a good number of chances. That's always something you're trying to do. But at the end of the day, I don't think we took our chances as well as we needed. Particularly in the Ghana game, I think we gave up three chances, and they scored twice. We probably created five or six good chances, and our only goal came off a penalty kick.
    DP: How would you rate this World Cup appearance for the U.S.?
    BB: It's hard for me to say. We certainly felt very good about the way we went through the first round. We responded well every game, and I think we felt good about that. We had visions of taking that and doing something pretty special. When it ends quickly, it's not always that easy to assess. The one thing that we're proud of is that we had four strong performances as far as giving everything we had. That's always a starting point, but that doesn't always win games by itself.
    DP: When will you find out about your future as U.S. soccer head coach?
    BB: I think it will be a normal thing, that at the end of a World Cup there's a process. That's on both sides, in terms of figuring out the future. There's a lot that goes into the four-year effort. From the U.S. Soccer side, there's an assessment of not only the World Cup but also of everything that has gone on for four years. Do they think it's a good thing for a coach to do a second cycle? And from my side, whenever seasons end you take a little time to assess where you are and what other challenges and opportunities there might be.
    DP: Do you want to stay on as head coach?
    BB: I certainly would be honored to continue, because I don't think we've written the final chapter of this group. But like I said, it's a period of time in which I think on both sides, people take a step back and assess things. We'll see what happens.
    DP: Have you or your agent been contacted by the MLS or teams in Europe to coach?
    BB: At this point, there have been some rumors flying around, but I think it's too early to say what any of it means.
    DP: Where do the rumors start?
    BB: I think the rumors typically start with the media, where when somebody might be available, they connect some dots. But I think at this point, it's too early.
    DP: Have you been offered an MLS job, or the Fulham job?
    BB: No. Not at this time.
    DP: Finish this statement: "When I look back at the 2010 World Cup ... "
    BB: In the moment, I still feel a little bit gutted. We had something going that we thought could go further, and it didn't.
    DP: After what the U.S. did, what do you think is the follow-up or end result of this?
    BB: On the inside of the team, the follow-up is the sense of good work that has gotten us to a point where we felt we could do more, and how you have to build on that over the next four years. From the outside perspective, it's harder to say. We certainly heard that there was a tremendous amount of excitement throughout the United States. We've received a lot of nice compliments for what our team was all about. But I don't have a good enough feel for that, because obviously we're focused just on our job.
    DP: Did you meet President Clinton? How did that go?
    BB: I did, a couple of times. He was tremendous. He came in after the game, showed a tremendous amount of respect for the players and understood how much they had put into it. I've always heard that he's a very, very charismatic person. Having been around him a few times now, that's absolutely true.
    DP: I saw him slugging down a few beers with you guys.
    BB: After the Algeria game, there was a good level of excitement and emotion. He came in and was really just one of the guys for a while. Everybody absolutely appreciated that and felt honored by that.
    DP: Did you ever get any clarification on the call against Slovenia?
    BB: No. Typically, you don't, so that's not a surprise.
    DP: Shouldn't you at least get some clarification for your gamesmanship and so you don't do it again? Isn't it ridiculous?
    BB: Yes, that's true. But we're very used to a situation like the NFL, where if there is a missed call they're going to come out with a detailed explanation and let everybody know what happened. I don't think FIFA operates quite the same way.
    DP: What about replay on goals? Are you for that?
    BB: I am. I've always said that goals are hard to come by in soccer. I'm 100 percent for [replay] for balls over the line. That should count.
    DP: Do you realize how many Americans were watching?
    BB: I've heard, and I've gotten a good feeling. I'm excited about that.

    Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/dan...#ixzz0sHdGBp91
    Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

  14. #39
    Derrick White fanboy FkLA's Avatar
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    The USA has the population, diversity, technology, and money to be a world power in soccer...unfortunately the interest isnt there. If even one or two kids out of every ten of these freak athletes we see in American sports chose soccer over football, basketball, baseball, etc they'd be set. The interest level just isnt there and the strides being made are still too small. Its going to take alot to get there and ESPN showing clips of LT's rape instead of Donovan's goal sure as isnt helping the case. The sports media needs to give soccer more coverage so young kids can be exposed to the sport, not just once every four years.

  15. #40
    Veteran scott's Avatar
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    Rumors circulating that Clint Dempsey could be going to Serie A club Napoli. The club is also rumored to be intereted in Altidore.

    http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1614/...national-clint

    Rumors also that Bob Bradley could be pegged as the next Fulham coach if he is not staying the the USMNT.

  16. #41
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Fullham is so American.

  17. #42
    The cat won symple19's Avatar
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    Okay, I'm done mourning and ready to move on, great thread, btw, Manny

    Other than the Clark gaff, I thought Bradley did a pretty damn good job. For whatever reason the team just couldn't figure out how to start a game competently, with the exception of Algeria. If it had been only one game, I'd say Bradley may have been the problem, but in 3 of 4 games I think you have to look to the players, specifically the defense. Most of the allowed goals were due to mental lapses and not errors in strategy/tactics. The players suc bing to long-ball in the England game was certainly not BBs fault.

    I would still prefer JK, but if BB stays I'd be okay with the decision.

  18. #43
    Veteran Libri's Avatar
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    Bill Hamid is another top prospect. He's a 19 year old goalkeeper of DC United.

    http://www.dcunited.com/blog/2010/05...-7-500-pm-news

  19. #44
    Veteran velik_m's Avatar
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    US soccer needs to step away from the traditional american way of letting the schools teach kids to play and adopt the more efficient european model of clubs developing the players.

  20. #45
    Veteran scott's Avatar
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    Rumors now that Dempsey is being eyed by AC Milan. I like that he has drawn that type of attention, but I don't know if he'll get that much playing time.

  21. #46
    Drive For FIVE Spurologist's Avatar
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    Rumors now that Dempsey is being eyed by AC Milan. I like that he has drawn that type of attention, but I don't know if he'll get that much playing time.
    yeah....Fulham is the ideal type team for him if he wants consistent playing time. Gooch is there but he's hardly played and if he doesn't impress in the few times he'll be on the pitch, he'll be going to a smaller club.

  22. #47
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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  23. #48
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Galaxy Sounders match was the highest rated match of the season - much as I expected. The MLS is basically saying they're not going to let Donovan go anywhere because he means too much to the league. We'll see how it plays out.

  24. #49
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Damn Brazil sending the D team.

    Brazil National Team Roster by Position
    GOALKEEPERS (3): Jeferson (Botafogo), Renan (Avaí), Victor (Gremio),
    DEFENDERS (8): André Santos (Fenerbahçe), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), David Luís (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester Utd.), Rever (Atlético Mineiro), Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
    MIDFIELDERS (8): Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Ederson (Lyon), Hernanes (São Paulo), Jucilei (Corinthians), Lucas (Liverpool), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Ramires (Benfica), Sandro (Internacional)
    FORWARDS (5): Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), André (Santos), Diego elli (Atlético Mineiro), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (Santos)

  25. #50
    Drive For FIVE Spurologist's Avatar
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    Damn Brazil sending the D team.

    Brazil National Team Roster by Position
    GOALKEEPERS (3): Jeferson (Botafogo), Renan (Avaí), Victor (Gremio),
    DEFENDERS (8): André Santos (Fenerbahçe), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), David Luís (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester Utd.), Rever (Atlético Mineiro), Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
    MIDFIELDERS (8): Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Ederson (Lyon), Hernanes (São Paulo), Jucilei (Corinthians), Lucas (Liverpool), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Ramires (Benfica), Sandro (Internacional)
    FORWARDS (5): Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), André (Santos), Diego elli (Atlético Mineiro), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (Santos)
    I like the coach giving the youngsters a chance to impress. That lineup is still a good.

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