I'm no soccer fanatic (definitely not an expert), but even I was disappointed when I saw that Brazil took Team USA behind the woodshed for a beating Thursday. So I turned to my former roommate and long time friend, AC, for a little insight. Not surprisingly, I wasn't disappointed. Check it out:
On Thurs, Jun 18, 2009, Debo wrote:
Ace! What the hell!? I thought Team USA was supposed to be "ready to contend" on soccer's largest stage. I thought we were ranked fairly high and some experts/fans were calling for us to make a splash at the upcoming World Cup. But I see Team USA got blasted by Brazil today. What gives? Is Team USA ever gonna be able to compete? What do they need to do to improve before the 2010 World Cup? Do soccer fans even care about Team USA?
-debo
On Fri, Jun 19, 2009, AC wrote:
Well Debo it is a good thing that the Confederations Cup is only the dress rehearsal for the World Cup. Team USA has a lot of kinks to work out of their system. There is no way for our men to spare their blushes now in the current tournament, and I fear that an extra year of growth before the big dance will do little to stop a future embarrassment.
I feel that the US are falling into the same trap that their previous “dream” teams have experienced. The trap is hope. We are a nation of optimistic fans, who have the audacity to continually hope for the best. You can’t fault the fans for having confidence in their team when they see success in the years between World Cups. America is the dominant power in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and that is the problem. We can beat the teams inside our region that’s why we are in the Confederations Cup representing CONCACAF. Our biggest competitors have been Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica, so when we come face to face with a world super power like Brazil we get our butts handed to us.
The Brazil game showed the world that Team USA and by extension Major League Soccer is still weak. The talent pool our country is deeper than ever, but only in quantity not quality. Amateur mistakes were abundant during the match. The first strike through the heart was the 6th minute goal that came off a free kick awarded after a silly foul in the defensive third of the field. Giving up early goals is like shooting yourself in the foot – it leaves you wounded.
The game was packed full of wasted passes and poor decisions. The simple things went wrong- for example, an easy short corner lead to a lightning quick counterattack goal when the US player looked away and allowed the ball to roll under his foot into the path of a Brazilian defender. The lack of composure was not only displayed in the ball skills, but also in the number of fouls committed. Once the Brazilian Samba Boys began dancing around our players, we resorted to hacking at their legs. For the second game in a row, we have been reduced to 10 men as a result of reckless challenges producing straight red cards. If you thought Brazil was hard to play when the teams were even, then you would know that playing them a man down is pure agony.
What needs to be done to improve the state of American soccer? I would offer two suggestions.
First thing: The US needs more exposure to world-class soccer countries. The best way to achieve that is to schedule as many “friendlies” as possible. A friendly is a competition between two teams that has nothing at stake except for reputation. In all actuality, they tend to be tough games taken very seriously. This is the best way to build experience. Let’s pack our bags and load a bunch of planes and have a freaking world tour. It will take plenty of cash, but we have to do whatever it takes to make our team a threat. The CONCACAF will never produce enough high-caliber countries for us to justify staying home for good football. Gotta get up and go!
Second thought: Play the men who are in-form. I have never liked Bruce Arena, the former US National Team coach, but in the beginning of his career as manager he held close to one good rule of thumb. He stated that he would only call upon players who were consistently proving their merit on the pitch for top-flight club teams. That meant no benchwarmers and no guys taking a hiatus from all competition. Brucie had that one right for most of his tenure. Now Bob Bradley is in charge, and big name stars are getting picked ahead of hard working youngsters. It is a big accomplishment for an American to be selected for a European team. However, if they ride the bench more times than they play, then they are not in top match fitness and should not be placed in the US starting lineup.
To finish up I would say that the fans do need to care. Giving unwavering support for the US system is the simple answer to revitalize the heart of American soccer. Let’s get more people in the stands. When the national team plays within reasonable driving distance to your home, buy a ticket and attend the game. If you can’t do that, then flip on the tele and show ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel or GolTV that there is a growing population of Americans interested in the world’s game. The same goes for MLS teams. All of these organizations need cash to strive. The funds brought in from ticket sales, TV rights, and merchandising allow teams to hire quality management personnel, to purchase new players, and to afford travel. Perhaps unwavering support is not simple - it may take more of an investment than the average fan can produce. You will know the US soccer system is strong enough to compete in the world arena when the day comes that every common sports fan has a soccer fanatic in his circle of friends.
-AC
On Thurs, Jun 18, 2009, Debo wrote:
Ace! What the hell!? I thought Team USA was supposed to be "ready to contend" on soccer's largest stage. I thought we were ranked fairly high and some experts/fans were calling for us to make a splash at the upcoming World Cup. But I see Team USA got blasted by Brazil today. What gives? Is Team USA ever gonna be able to compete? What do they need to do to improve before the 2010 World Cup? Do soccer fans even care about Team USA?
-debo
On Fri, Jun 19, 2009, AC wrote:
Well Debo it is a good thing that the Confederations Cup is only the dress rehearsal for the World Cup. Team USA has a lot of kinks to work out of their system. There is no way for our men to spare their blushes now in the current tournament, and I fear that an extra year of growth before the big dance will do little to stop a future embarrassment.
I feel that the US are falling into the same trap that their previous “dream” teams have experienced. The trap is hope. We are a nation of optimistic fans, who have the audacity to continually hope for the best. You can’t fault the fans for having confidence in their team when they see success in the years between World Cups. America is the dominant power in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and that is the problem. We can beat the teams inside our region that’s why we are in the Confederations Cup representing CONCACAF. Our biggest competitors have been Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica, so when we come face to face with a world super power like Brazil we get our butts handed to us.
The Brazil game showed the world that Team USA and by extension Major League Soccer is still weak. The talent pool our country is deeper than ever, but only in quantity not quality. Amateur mistakes were abundant during the match. The first strike through the heart was the 6th minute goal that came off a free kick awarded after a silly foul in the defensive third of the field. Giving up early goals is like shooting yourself in the foot – it leaves you wounded.
The game was packed full of wasted passes and poor decisions. The simple things went wrong- for example, an easy short corner lead to a lightning quick counterattack goal when the US player looked away and allowed the ball to roll under his foot into the path of a Brazilian defender. The lack of composure was not only displayed in the ball skills, but also in the number of fouls committed. Once the Brazilian Samba Boys began dancing around our players, we resorted to hacking at their legs. For the second game in a row, we have been reduced to 10 men as a result of reckless challenges producing straight red cards. If you thought Brazil was hard to play when the teams were even, then you would know that playing them a man down is pure agony.
What needs to be done to improve the state of American soccer? I would offer two suggestions.
First thing: The US needs more exposure to world-class soccer countries. The best way to achieve that is to schedule as many “friendlies” as possible. A friendly is a competition between two teams that has nothing at stake except for reputation. In all actuality, they tend to be tough games taken very seriously. This is the best way to build experience. Let’s pack our bags and load a bunch of planes and have a freaking world tour. It will take plenty of cash, but we have to do whatever it takes to make our team a threat. The CONCACAF will never produce enough high-caliber countries for us to justify staying home for good football. Gotta get up and go!
Second thought: Play the men who are in-form. I have never liked Bruce Arena, the former US National Team coach, but in the beginning of his career as manager he held close to one good rule of thumb. He stated that he would only call upon players who were consistently proving their merit on the pitch for top-flight club teams. That meant no benchwarmers and no guys taking a hiatus from all competition. Brucie had that one right for most of his tenure. Now Bob Bradley is in charge, and big name stars are getting picked ahead of hard working youngsters. It is a big accomplishment for an American to be selected for a European team. However, if they ride the bench more times than they play, then they are not in top match fitness and should not be placed in the US starting lineup.
To finish up I would say that the fans do need to care. Giving unwavering support for the US system is the simple answer to revitalize the heart of American soccer. Let’s get more people in the stands. When the national team plays within reasonable driving distance to your home, buy a ticket and attend the game. If you can’t do that, then flip on the tele and show ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel or GolTV that there is a growing population of Americans interested in the world’s game. The same goes for MLS teams. All of these organizations need cash to strive. The funds brought in from ticket sales, TV rights, and merchandising allow teams to hire quality management personnel, to purchase new players, and to afford travel. Perhaps unwavering support is not simple - it may take more of an investment than the average fan can produce. You will know the US soccer system is strong enough to compete in the world arena when the day comes that every common sports fan has a soccer fanatic in his circle of friends.
-AC
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment