Futbol/Soccer thoughts

hutch wrote:
17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience…I think I read

Good.  If he's playing for the future….

vansmack wrote:

hutch wrote:
Altidore makes the cut but not Donovan..come on now.

Altidore plays and trains every week against the pace the US is more likely to see in Brazil.

not buying it… the great players don't need that pace.. their experience and skill compensates as they age..

Riquelme at Boca Juniors is a great example… He's slow and old sure…but he can still make that key pass etc… (much as I hope Boca doesn't renew his contract…)

Look I'm not saying I would build my team around Donovan today…but not in the 23?…. I just don't see it…

vansmack wrote:

hutch wrote:
17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience…I think I read

Good.  If he's playing for the future….

Huh? The World Cup starts in a few weeks.. that is the future… you have to field the best team to do as well as possible NOW…. not in four years…

You obviously want a mix of experience and fresh blood….  this ain't it…..

I don't know I guess a majority of the starters will count with experience….still team seems thin on experience….

Playing in the World Cup is not the same as playing the Gold Cup…

You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen… he's a rare player…and the only such player the United States has ever produced….

I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player….

Luis Suarez may be out of World Cup for Uruguay…some knee operation yesterday…he may still make it..

I hate to see a WC without people like Falcao and Suarez…

i enjoy threads, where two people talk sports.  brent musberger, is enthralled.

I know, get a f'n room already boys

i thought i was talking to myself

vansmack knows his sports….

i'm the first to admit that but i guess i just have trouble with these decisions….donovan may be on his last legs but he still can make magic happen….and magic is in short supply on the US team.. some players are like that: they might be in poor form and suck for the club teams and then in the big stage they come alive… not every player can be measured in terms of "fitness" or a bunch of statistics….with some players good things just tend to happen…

my guess is klinsmann never intended to have him in the final 23…..from the minute donovan went on his sabbathical i think he has no chance of making the team

Robbie Keane:

"If I were in Landon Donovan's shoes, I'd be pissed off.  But I'll be totally honest, I don't care if you had Lionel Messi, that team is going to struggle with that group."

Soccer is terrible and I hope the US loses quickly so I have to hear as little about this as possible in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully we will de-fund the USMNT and trade the MLS to France for some nice matched luggage or something.

These constitute my Futbol/soccer Thoughts.

hutch wrote:
You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen… he's a rare player…and the only such player the United States has ever produced….

I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player….

I don't think it matters who the US national team has on its team.  Portugal and Germany seem like sure loses. 

hutch wrote:

vansmack wrote:

hutch wrote:
as if Eddie Johnson wasn't enough

I would have taken Goodson and Parkhurst ahead of Johnson.  I don't think that was a crazy move.

I believe in taking the people who get you there…I believe Eddie was the second highest goal scorer with like 5.

and Donovan off the team is crazy..

Klinsmann is nuts …never liked the hiring in the first place.

wait, you want to take the people that got you there and the guy that took a sabbatical during qualifying?

zusi starts right, fabian johnson or bedoya starts left. plus you have green. may not even have a sub role for a 32 year old guy that doesn't get along with the manager

atomic wrote:

hutch wrote:
You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen… he's a rare player…and the only such player the United States has ever produced….

I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player….

I don't think it matters who the US national team has on its team.  Portugal and Germany seem like sure loses. 

us beat a superior Portugal side in 2002 and the last match might not matter to germany.

interesting documentary on ESPN about the US team….


I definitely hoping for the best even with the bad luck on the draw…..

I didn't realize Kyle Beckerman was a local product….just saw him wearing "Bowie" and "Laurel" shirts when he was a youth level player..

Thoughts on soccer huh?  Well lets see… You have to 1) run and 2) kick a round ball.  While some of what these guy do is (shall I say) entertaining, it is a boring game with a very low level of action and except for a few fleeting plays each game it is just a ball being kicked from one end of the field to the other.  Aside form that if you have nothing better to do I guess it is an OK way to kill time.

I don't understand leaving Landon off either.  Seems like the perfect player to bring in in the 70th minutes needing a goal.

Anyway, Portugal is not the same as years past.  The key is getting the 3 points vs. Ghana.  Obviously, they are thinking the same thing, but the loser of that game has no shot.  Win vs. Ghana, tie vs. Portugal and hope the goal differential carries you through…

so its Bruce Arena….

look it is not the worst choice but it is really not an inspired one either..


at least Klinsmann is gone… he is all talk.. he knows how to give a good spiel, press conference, BS but his strengths are motivation, organization and physical fitness…. (oh and finding Germans that can play for the US)…. but as far as tactics/strategy/adjustments he is terrible… Loew did that for Germany in 2006 not Jurgen…

vansmack wrote:

hutch wrote:
17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience…I think I read

Good.  If he's playing for the future….

the future is here…