Last year we had a rather good thread where people who were interested, could post various soccer related topics, news, etc.. that didn't quite fit into some of the other threads we have. Lets use this thread for that again. (Lets keep transfer stuff out of this as well. There should be a thread for that).


So with that in mind, I would like to pose an interesting question.

What do people think of the future of the US national team. I personally think our squad will be quite good in the near future based off of our teams recent performances, including the U-20 team, and our U-23 team. Also more and more players are playing in Europe, and MLS is getting bigger. I think right now, the US team is poised to blow up at the 2010 WC.

Ok, thats it. Please feel free to comment on my question. Also, I would like to know which other NT are on the up and coming, or which of the major players have some upcoming talent.


So once again, use this forum to post random stuff from around the world. Have a video of some crazy supporters in Chile, or an interesting story from Denmark, etc... post it here. I'll probably post news about various US stuff here, in case people are interested.

TSC, others-

Have you watched Queen of the South vs. Aberdeen, Scottish Cup match? Highly entertaining especially if you haven't seen the results going in.

I agree completely wrt the USMNT's prospect's for the upcoming years and esp. the WC in 2010.

If we look at recent history we see the 2002 World Cup that saw a solid US performance with big wins over Mexico and Portugal. We played Germany in the quarterfinal in a game in which we probably had the better of the play, had a goal taken off the line by a handball that was fairly clear, and really were rather unlucky to not come away from with a result.

I remember there being a quote from a few German players after the match saying that we had gotten the better of the play against them.

If we had won that very winnable game we would have had a vulnerable Korean side in the semifinal and who knows what may have happened.

Fast forward to the 2006 WC and there was the inexcusable debacle against the Czech Republic.

Setting apart that though there was a tough, gutsy, draw against eventual Champions Italy (in which we were down a man for a long stretch) and the game against Ghana. Against Ghana we had Claudio Reyna uncharacteristically give a ball away in a dangerous position that led to a breakaway goal and a dubious-at-best penalty called against us in a match we lost 2-1.

In the end we didn't escape from a group that was very, very difficult, but we surely weren't embarrassed either.

I grant that the view I've taken of the last 2 tournaments is a little biased and perhaps a bit of sugarcocating on my part, but the fact remains that we've performed fairly well of late with a youngish team.

There's no reason to think that we shouldn't perform well in 2010 and I for one, am extremely excited.

This seems to be the last chance for the group of Donovan, Beasley et al. that burst on the scene in 2002 to make a run on the world's stage. Infused with young talent they hopefully will be motivated and hungry to prove that the 2002 performancce was no fluke. I can say realistically that a quarterfinal or even a semifinal appearance is easily foreseeable in two years.

Stak

We can also use this thread for talk of the upcoming Olympic soccer tournament that should be exciting...

No I haven't. Its worth watching? I could prolly DL it.

Also, I heard that a number of the players on Gretna are likely to move, some to MLS as well.

I recommend it as highly as possible. I'm sure it's still being seeded somewhere.

Beasley maybe. Donovan, no effing way. He'll play in 2014, and could well still start.

Donovan doesn't have the stones to play up front in big games IMO. I'd rather see Joze and Deuce up there.

Yes. My impression of Donovan last WC was "afraid to take the big shot".

Eh, I suppose that criticism isn't without merit.

When he was young, fiery, energetic Landon running around the 2002 WC and scoring goals he didn't look afraid at all.

It seemed after that the expectation was heavy on him to be a superstar. He had to be our world-class playmaker and goalscorer and everyone expected so much of him that it must have played heavily on his mind.

I'm hoping now that he'll settle into a more veteran leadership role and, with some of the pressure of the heightened expectation off, be able to shine again.

Plus he's been in good form with the Galaxy so here's hoping.

Stak

Nakamura vs Rangers, what a hit....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWpmNFljKTE&feature=related

I remember discussing USAs chances in futures WCs years ago and the popular consensus was that if the sport ever got popular over there, with the money that country has, they could dominate the game forever.

Whats holding you guys up?

whats the pop? about 300 million or so? Surely there`s room for another major sport over there.

I think with a few Americans seeing the financial potential of the big european clubs and investing in them it may speed the process up so that we see more development of the american leagues.

Not much of an indicator i know but "soccer" is mentioned a lot more in imported american tv shows than it ever used to be. 20 years ago you lot were still calling it kickball.

That has described pretty much every forward in US history since Wynalda save McBride.

It looks like Eddie Johnson's too mind****ed to develop like he could, so he's out. I think Kenny Cooper will get another look here real soon in his place. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Ching doesn't last through 2010. He hasn't looked good at all in international or club play.

As for the Olympics, I'm not expecting a good US showing. There are some big WCQ matches during that time period which good draw away any and all of the following: Jozy, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Johnathan Spector. Not to mention it keeps the US from using any of their big names for the 3 over-23 players allowed.

I saw Nakamura's goal last week. Very sick. That game is on my DVR to watch some time soon.

Well, until 12 years ago it was not having a major domestic league. MLS has taken care of that.

Now it's mostly coaching and player development. That's getting better too slowly but surely, but there still hasn't been that one guy or one program that can really flip the switch. The new youth academies that the MLS teams have started may help with that. Also, the fact that foreign clubs with better development programs are starting the take interest in young Americans (Dempsey, Johnson, Gooch, Bradley, Zizzo, Cherundolo, Adu, Jozy, etc.) will only make things better.

Time.

I just read this week that the USSF is setting up academies all over the country, several of which are tied to MLS teams. They expect every MLS team to have one soon.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...AiHQAD904JBG80

While the Ux teams have been successful, it's hard to imagine the national team moving much up or down from the current pretty good but not great status.

The US and Mexico are probably the two teams most likely to qualify for every World Cup Finals due to the relative weakness of the CONCACAF and how many spots we have. That will keep the US from falling off as at least the national team will play at the top level both in the tournament itself as well as friendlies in preparation.

The MLS is getting better, but it's not going to blow up over night. This, the NCAA system and that there appears to be no huge increase in Americans playing abroad (yes, relative to 10 or 20 years ago it's huge but it seems like the few that go to Europe are replaced by a few coming the other way any given year) will keep the US national team from entering the elite group anytime soon. There is promise from the late teens and early twenties guys, but the development gap hits right about there so I don't think the USMNT will get results that good.

As far as the World Cup finals go, I would say for the next two it will again depend on the draw. I think the US is a favorite to advance, though most often in second, from a random group of qualifiers. Give them a tough group like in Germany and the chances aren't great. It's not impossible (see Korea/Japan) but not likely. The nice thing about the US team now as opposed to the 90s is that in an elimination round game, while the US is still probably going to be a dog to most teams going that far, a win would be far from shocking. In 1994 the US seemed quite happy to be in the game with Brazil. While there were a few chances, a win there would have been a major upset. Now a win would over a top team would be an upset but not too surprising.

We're still worse than the top national teams at every single position, but because the gap is pretty small, a run to the final 8 is quite possible and even the semifinal could happen.

Salt, that all sounds like its moving in the right direction.

Does the game get played much in school or in the streets? Ive heard womens football is much more popular as a spectator sport. What in the world is that all about?

It has more youth participants than any other sport. It does not, however, have a huge "pick-up" population.

dirty, dirty lies.

Jared, I keep up with this stuff pretty closely, and I can't name anywhere near as many players coming back to the US from overseas as those leaving.

I'm not saying that the US is going to be a top 5 team, but they will be a top 15 team who will flirt with the top 10.

Womens soccer is not more popular. However, it has been one of the most popular sports for women to play here, so thats why the US has been successful.

Honestly, as an organized sport, soccer is relatively young here. The game has been played here for almost 150 years, but baseball and football have always been the most popuarl.

That game must've been so sick, stupid family business stopping me from going to Glasgow to watch it

Great thread TSC.

I feel that the US program is developing at a good rate in the last 10 years and it should continue to grow in the near future. I feel that they were unlucky with the draw in 06 but that in no way excuses them from their performance against the Czech and the brain fart known as Bruce Arena. The 2010 World Cup should be very exciting with the prospects of Altidore, Adu, Bradley, Edu, as well as Dempsey, Beasley, and Donovan (02 form plz).

Agree 100%. I am giddy with the prospects of Jozy's development and hope he can become to the great American striker on the international level.

QFT on Eddie, he has all the physical tools to succeed at the top level but it's just not there mentally. I am a huge Kenny Cooper fanboy and hopes he can nail down a place on the national squad.

This is the major problem I see in the US MNT's development into a serious contender. I believe that their needs to be a grass roots effort into the inner cities of America to promote soccer. In about every country except the US and Canada kids in the slums and middle class neighborhoods grow up with a football around them at all times, here in America it's a basketball because it's easy to shoot around. The development of the top athletes in the inner cities is key for the continuing development of the game in America.

Little O/T, but do any of you guys follow Series A at all? I've been getting into it a bit lately and have been enjoying it.

I just want to point out that this is not true. Kickball is a different game. It is a version of baseball in which the ball (a rubber ball about the same size as a soccerball) is rolled toward the batter, and instead of batting, he kicks it.

haters still call it kickball fwiw