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="metsguyinmichigan":2khe8dkb]And the underdog US of A just beat Spain.[/quote:2khe8dkb]
Nothing to sneeze at that , just checked and Spain played all their big guns so it's not like they had a B team out there.
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LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Jun 24 2009 02:49 PM
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America... FUCK YEAH.
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LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Jun 24 2009 02:49 PM
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The past few times around (2002, 2005, this year), it has served as a logistical tuneup for the coming World Cup as well, using about half of the stadia which will be used during World Cup play.
Today's game had the tiniest swirl of redemption/vengeance in there as well, as Haitian-American Next Big Thing Jozy Altidore scored the first and deciding goal; Altidore-- under contract to Spanish first division's Villarreal/on loan to second-division Xerez-- has more or less gotten buried since transferring abroad to Spain a year ago.
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Nymr83
Jun 24 2009 03:26 PM
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didnt Altidore play for New York's soccer team? the name seems familiar
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Number 6
Jun 24 2009 04:13 PM
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I caught most of this. Spain had a 35-game unbeaten streak on the line and were taking the game very seriously. The US was just barely hanging on for most of the second half, although they did score their second goal on a fluky cross and a missed clear. Great play overall by the US defense; Spain had a ton of quality chances that never reached Howard.
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Frayed Knot
Jun 24 2009 05:07 PM
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The various tourneys and Cups that FIFA and England's FA put up often confuse me. I can barely keep them straight.
Obviously beating Spain is a big deal for the U.S. but I couldn't tell if beating them in this venue was a REALLY big deal or if part of this is ESPN hyping it into a bigger deal than it is simply because they're televising it.
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metirish
Jun 24 2009 05:15 PM
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I would wager that most of the players playing in this tourney wish they weren't , most have just had a long season. In the case of some of those players on successful teams like Barca they might have played more than 50 games and close to 60.
Most players are back in pre-season training by mid July.
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Elster88
Jun 24 2009 06:55 PM
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Yes, my main question was does this win mean anything as an indication of USA's overall ability.
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Frayed Knot
Jun 24 2009 07:51 PM
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It means that they're capable of beating a top team on a given day even if - as was stated above and elsewhere - they got out-played for much of the match.
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Elster88
Jun 24 2009 09:00 PM
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That's what I figured....it really doesn't mean all that much.
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Edgy DC
Jun 24 2009 09:16 PM
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="Elster88":3198farq]Yes, my main question was does this win mean anything as an indication of USA's overall ability.[/quote:3198farq]
Yes, they beat a high-end team starting their top players, with a lot to lose. Even in a lesser-contested Cup, teams in the finals play to win.
What makes this shocking was the way the US got into the final. In order to qualify, they needed to win their game 3-0, and a 3-0 loss in another game. And they got it.
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metirish
Jun 25 2009 04:45 AM
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They beat a team that had not lost since 2006 , Spain in this tournament had just broken the record for consecutive wins with their 15th on the trot against South Africa at the weekend.
The USA had lost their first two games in this tournament so this was as they say a good bounce back win.
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holychicken
Jun 25 2009 08:25 AM
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="metirish":8nkyi7pb]CONCACAF[/quote:8nkyi7pb]
That acronym needs an acronym.
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metirish
Jun 25 2009 11:19 AM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 25 2009 12:27 PM
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At times you got to wonder who dreams up uniforms....the thing is I remember liking some of these....check out the classic Coventry City shirts and togs......
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... opup&ino=1
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LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Jun 25 2009 11:57 AM
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| ="Nymr83"]didnt Altidore play for New York's soccer team? the name seems familiar |
Yep. Played as a 17-18 year-old. Sold into Spanish servitude last spring.
| ]Yes, my main question was does this win mean anything as an indication of USA's overall ability. |
We're definitely sitting at the adults' table; it'll be a while before we can lay any claim to the head of said table. There's been progress-- just the fact that the USMNT qualifying for the World Cup is more or less taken for granted these days (after not making it for 9 Cups from 1954 to 1986) is indicative.
But, still, a sizable talent gap persists-- maybe the best overall player on the team is Everton's Tim Howard; the only regular position player playing in a top-flight international league (EPL, La Liga or Serie A) is Clint Dempsey, who-- yesterday's goal aside-- been pretty shitty when he puts on a US jersey.
Think of us, right now, as Eckstein at his best-- a max-effort squad with the ability to do damage situationally, but not much else. Folks who know a lot more than I do about such things hint that Bob Bradley may not be the best guy to have running the show (and its talent scouting/development, which while improved, isn't near top-flight).
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metirish
Jun 25 2009 02:42 PM
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This is silly , yes/no?
Maybe if the Republic of Ireland had played and beaten Spain in a "major" tournament I'd think different.
This was not a major tournament though......
[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/jun/25/usa-spain-confederations-cup-semi-final:248xezlt]Miracle on grass?[/url:248xezlt]
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LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Jun 26 2009 07:21 AM
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="metirish":t8sb0dbm]This is silly , yes/no?[/quote:t8sb0dbm]
A bit. This isn't Eruzione versus Tretiak. And this isn't a "major tournament."
But it's a real win-- as you pointed out, Spain started the Villas, Torreses and Fabregases, and the Yanks weren't playing Chelseaball here (think Blues-Barca at Nou Camp this year... or the soccer equivalent of those early-90s Knick playoff squads). If they beat or reg-time draw Brazil, it'll feel a little less fluky.
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Nymr83
Jun 26 2009 10:24 AM
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that had best not be an attempt to belittle or insult my beloved early 90's knicks.
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LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Jun 26 2009 12:23 PM
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="Nymr83":s9y8zlqq]that had best not be an attempt to belittle or insult my beloved early 90's knicks.[/quote:s9y8zlqq]
Spoken out of love.
(I have one basketball jersey in my closet... and it's an Oakley.)
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Frayed Knot
Jun 28 2009 01:41 PM
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Brazil scores just seconds into the 2nd half to cut the 2-0 US lead in half.
But on to more important questions ... what da fuck is creating that constant buzzing noise you hear at these games? Is it artifically piped in? Fan created?
It sounds like the stadium has been invaded by a swarm of bees.
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Triple Dee
Jun 28 2009 02:06 PM
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They're long horns with the occasional trumpet and they're fan created . If you think they're annoying, you should try listening to them at 4am (when I'm usually watching these type of games.)
ON EDIT: They're usually given away or sold outside stadiums to encourage fans to create "atmosphere".
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Frayed Knot
Jun 28 2009 03:02 PM
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So the fans just constantly blow on them for 90+ minutes?!? I hope they hyperventilate and die!
OK, so that's a bit harsh - but the singing is much more entertaining.
Meanwhile, nice try by the American boys, but Brazil prevails 3-2 (should have been 4-2)
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metirish
Jun 28 2009 03:28 PM
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FIFA are looking to ban them , I have read a few articles trashing the annoying things....are they native to that region?
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Elster88
Jun 28 2009 06:44 PM
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Wow where did you find that metirish? I hope they do ban them. I really thought US was going to win this one.
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Nymr83
Jun 28 2009 06:48 PM
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="metirish":hjhkyky9]FIFA are looking to ban them , I have read a few articles trashing the annoying things....are they native to that region?[/quote:hjhkyky9]
whether thy are native to the region is debateable, some claim they are based on traditional village horns, others claim they are just toys imported from here that became popular with soccer fans, either way it was extremely annoying and made me decide i'd rather flip channels than stay on soccer
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metirish
Jun 28 2009 08:19 PM
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="Elster88":yinsahb1]Wow where did you find that metirish? I hope they do ban them. I really thought US was going to win this one.[/quote:yinsahb1]
I heard something about it on Irish radio last week , here is a link form a quick search
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 1960.story
actually that article says Blatter is not looking to ban them
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Triple Dee
Jun 29 2009 05:45 PM
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="Frayed Knot":3lquwjf3]
the singing is much more entertaining.)[/quote:3lquwjf3]
If you heard some of the songs that were sung at English grounds last season you may have a different opinion.
But I don't think those particular horns are native to that specific region. They were heard to the point of delerium at every World Cup qualifying game Australia played in the Middle East this year. They're also pretty widespread in South America and during the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.
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