OT: Premiership Forum

[jstewismybastardson]

It's Spain and Germany as the clear favorites and then a gap between the rest of the competition. If one of these teams don't win it something went wrong along the way.
Maybe a South American team can ride the hometown crowd momentum toward an upset?

or they played Italy

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Yes and no about the MLS. It obviously helps that homegrown talent have better competition, but a bunch of the A Team guys for the US aren't MLS guys and their games seemed to have improved tremendously (Altidore, Bradley, Fabian Johnson).

I don't think it's one factor that's contributing to the US success but a couple of things. I think Klinsman's personality and style help, improvement in the MLS helps, couple of key guys now entering their prime etc. Regardless of why they're getting better, the bottom line is the US has become unbelievably fun to watch. I'm excited for the next round of WC qualifiers (unfortunately I don't think any will be in my area) and I think they could make some noise in Brazil.

the USMNT have a rotational depth of about 30 to 40 players right now and its because of MLS, PDL and NCAA ... serious depth ... AND YES ... the frenetic attacking pace is stressed at every level of US Soccer now as part of their LTDP ... you dont get to the top without a strong base on the development pyramid ... just dont see it as Klinsy

 

[dash]

2 months ago i would have said 4 - 3 USA

U.S. Men?s National Team Defeats Germany 4-3 in Centennial Celebration Match in Nation's Capital - U.S. Soccer

No Ozil, Kherdira, or Muller for the Germans in that match - Those are three pretty big omissions.

/just sayin'

 

[jstewismybastardson]

No Ozil, Kherdira, or Muller for the Germans in that match - Those are three pretty big omissions.

/just sayin'

hence the

/and yah ... Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler in the back 4 ... some mls scrubs amiright???

 

[dash]

hence the

gotcha

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

No Ozil, Kherdira, or Muller for the Germans in that match - Those are three pretty big omissions.

/just sayin'

Or Lahm. Or Schweinsteiger. Or Gomez. Or Neuer.

I definitely got the but the fact that the USMNT had so much trouble hanging on against what would be considered the German B- squad at best (ter Stegen for instance) says a lot about how far they have to come yet.

 

[dash]

Or Lahm. Or Schweinsteiger. Or Gomez. Or Neuer.

Yeah, them too

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Or Lahm. Or Schweinsteiger. Or Gomez. Or Neuer.

I definitely got the but the fact that the USMNT had so much trouble hanging on against what would be considered the German B- squad at best (ter Stegen for instance) says a lot about how far they have to come yet.

alternatively ... they went up 4 - 1 and coasted after 65

no-one has said (at least not me) that the USMNT is gonna win the world cup next year or that they are side by side with perennial-losers-to-Italy, Germany ...

but their entire program is in the ascendency and Im really hoping they continue to grow grassroots soccer in north america ( ... cause it can only help canada )

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Yeah, them too

Really makes you realize just how good that team can be.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Obviously other teams have changed as well since the last world cup but I think this current US team top to bottom is much better than the 2010 version that got to the knock out stage and probably should've won against Ghana. Depending on the draws they receive etc. I think the US could pull an upset over one of the world super powers.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

alternatively ... they went up 4 - 1 and coasted after 65

no-one has said (at least not me) that the USMNT is gonna win the world cup next year or that they are side by side with perennial-losers-to-Italy, Germany ...

but their entire program is in the ascendency and Im really hoping they continue to grow grassroots soccer in north america ( ... cause it can only help canada )

The US definitely needed that game for their confidence and they were hanging on for dear life at the end. And don't forget that one of those 4 was one of the most pathetic own goals ever.

And I get that you're not saying they're going to win, that's just the pessimist in me pointing out that, despite the impressive progress these last few months, they still have a VERY long way to go if they want to be considered in the same class as teams like Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina, the Netherlands, etc.

 

[dash]

no-one has said (at least not me) that the USMNT is gonna win the world cup next year or that they are side by side with perennial-losers-to-Italy, Germany ...

Not even a German pope was enough to change this fact.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

The US definitely needed that game for their confidence and they were hanging on for dear life at the end. And don't forget that one of those 4 was one of the most pathetic own goals ever.

And I get that you're not saying they're going to win, that's just the pessimist in me pointing out that, despite the impressive progress these last few months, they still have a VERY long way to go if they want to be considered in the same class as teams like Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina, the Netherlands, etc.

its a generational thing and Ill say that they (USSF) have everything in place NOW to build the sport into that class ... the MLS residency programs and u-17, u-23 leagues that they operate have been a revelation to me ... and these really have only taken hold in the past 3 years ... then you look at the US Open results with lower level teams doing so well ... Im real bullish on the MLS and what they have done to improve the game in north america

 

[dash]

Do you guys think they are going to move the World Cup from Qatar in 2022? You can't have guys playing in 40+ degrees Celsius heat, but moving the tourney to the winter time screws up all the European professional leagues.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Obviously other teams have changed as well since the last world cup but I think this current US team top to bottom is much better than the 2010 version that got to the knock out stage and probably should've won against Ghana. Depending on the draws they receive etc. I think the US could pull an upset over one of the world super powers.

Definitely true. Though, if I remember the facts right, had it not been for the horrible flub by the English keeper, they would have gone all the way to the final tie-breaker against Slovenia, the ever-popular drawing of lots and might not have even made it out of the group stage, so there wasn't really anywhere to go but up.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Do you guys think they are going to move the World Cup from Qatar in 2022? You can't have guys playing in 40+ degrees Celsius heat, but moving the tourney to the winter time screws up all the European professional leagues.

but lots of people using the Christian Benitez death yesterday as ammo to argue for a switch

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Do you guys think they are going to move the World Cup from Qatar in 2022? You can't have guys playing in 40+ degrees Celsius heat, but moving the tourney to the winter time screws up all the European professional leagues.

I don't think so. They swear they'll be able to keep the temperatures inside the stadiums to about 27 degrees with the cooling systems they'll develop. Keeping in mind that they've still got 9 years before the tourney - so about 8 before FIFA reaches a drop dead date for pulling the plug - and they've got plenty of time to make it work.

That said, I'd be honestly shocked if FIFA didn't have a contingency plan in their back pocket already. I would guess either Germany or England as the contingency since they would be the two countries with the best football infrastructure already in place to handle the tourney on short notice.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Do you guys think they are going to move the World Cup from Qatar in 2022? You can't have guys playing in 40+ degrees Celsius heat, but moving the tourney to the winter time screws up all the European professional leagues.

I hope so seeing as how the US is usually the fallback location in case something goes wrong. They have infrastructure to support something likes this with little notice. Example, look at the New York Metropolitan Area. World class subway system, as well as trains in and out, buses, plenty of hotel rooms and they already have Yankee Stadium, Citifield, Metlife Stadium, Red Bulls Arena and if need be the Rutgers Football Stadium. Give them 6 months and they wouldn't bat an eye.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Making an announcement on his Facebook page, AZ Alkmaar forward Aron Johannsson has decided to pledge his future to the USMNT, rejecting the nation that raised him, Iceland, despite playing for them in the youth levels

Iceland had virtually no shot at making the world cup out of uefa. Plus by Aron pledging to be american he will be a domestic player under quota rules of the MLS and almost guarantees he would be able to finish his career there

lol ... i guess i wouldnt be laughing if he was cdn

Iceland Is So Mad At Us, You Guys

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Aside from the fact that Qatar was clearly lining the pockets of the voting committee, what the hell is there to do in Qatar? Do they have a bar scene and restaurants? Are they really going to be able to handle the influx of people? Have to figure there will be more people than hotel rooms, hope the hospitals are prepared for scores of heat stroke victims that couldn't find a room.

-Also, add the stadium that will be build for the new New York MLS team that starts up in 2015 to the list of stadiums in the NYC Met areas.