The Official US Soccer thread

[Mulli]

Stout, didn't you know that Arenas is/was wonderful?

 

[English on tour]

Costa Rica 3 USA 1 final

If it hadn't been for a stoppage time PK we would have been shut out. Terrible effort all around.

If the level of play doesn't improve we will get destroyed in the Confed Cup in 2 weeks.

Just been watching the highlights.

Awful start to the game and just looks like you couldnt get into it after that.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Bradley needs sacked. It's a bad time to get a new coach, but this guy needs to go before he authors any more damage.

Bottom line is you're lucky you didn't watch it. Our squad got dominated, and continues to show little progress, if not regression. I understand the field conditions aren't great, and it's a tough place to play, but everybody was aware of this before the game started.

Where to start? Watching the Champions league final really makes you realize how far US soccer has to go. The simple effort of stringing together a few passes seems like an unmanageable feat for this group, and forget even thinking about scoring opportunities. Dempsey and Donovan continue to underwhelm, and the only two players that show anything to me offensively are Altidore and Adu. I know Freddy is a defensive liability, but he needs to be on the field.

 

[Milgod]

Bottom line is you're lucky you didn't watch it. Our squad got dominated, and continues to show little progress, if not regression. I understand the field conditions aren't great, and it's a tough place to play, but everybody was aware of this before the game started.

Where to start? Watching the Champions league final really makes you realize how far US soccer has to go. The simple effort of stringing together a few passes seems like an unmanageable feat for this group, and forget even thinking about scoring opportunities. Dempsey and Donovan continue to underwhelm, and the only two players that show anything to me offensively are Altidore and Adu. I know Freddy is a defensive liability, but he needs to be on the field.

There has to be a way to get Dempsey more involved. He is clearly a good player (Donovan is too, although we won't go down that route today). Demps has been great the last few months.
What would you consider a success for the national team? Second round in the WC is surely the target.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

There has to be a way to get Dempsey more involved. He is clearly a good player (Donovan is too, although we won't go down that route today). Demps has been great the last few months.
What would you consider a success for the national team? Second round in the WC is surely the target.

Good question...you probably get to see quite a bit more of Dempsey, what is his role overseas? Bradley played him up top against Costa Rica and he was for the most part non-existent. Donovan is hard to understand...sometimes he dominates games, and then other times he completely disappears.

In terms of success at the WC, I think I was probably spoiled by Korea, where we really had a legit chance to beat Germany. (If the handball was called) Second round seems like a realistic target, I'd more than anything just like to get the feeling that the group is progressing. I'm not really seeing that these days.

 

[Stout]

Trust me, I do know this kind of soccer frustration. I'm a fan of (relegated) Newcastle United, so I know it all too well.

I don't want to hear anything out of US soccer (the federation) other than that Bradley is fired and a suitable INTERNATIONAL replacement is being sought. It is so painfully obvious that we need the leadership of a true professional that it's silly.

 

[Zeno]

I agree with you Stout, its become a pattern with our less than inspired away form...1-0 away wins to Barbados, Guatemala & Cuba were due to poor opponents rather than quality US play and the 3 - 1 loss to Costa Rica should be the final nail in his coffin. The US has too many talented players to look like that so consistently.

Unfortunatley though I think unless he doesn't get us to the WC he'll be here through 2010, USSF is not going to do anything as long as Gulati is in charge.

We are going to get beaten soundly in the Confed Cup against Brazil & Italy for sure and I wouldn't be surprised if Egypt outclassed us as well....and we better watch out for Honduras this weekend too.

 

[Stout]

I agree with you Stout, its become a pattern with our less than inspired away form...1-0 away wins to Barbados, Guatemala & Cuba were due to poor opponents rather than quality US play and the 3 - 1 loss to Costa Rica should be the final nail in his coffin. The US has too many talented players to look like that so consistently.

Unfortunatley though I think unless he doesn't get us to the WC he'll be here through 2010, USSF is not going to do anything as long as Gulati is in charge.

We are going to get beaten soundly in the Confed Cup against Brazil & Italy for sure and I wouldn't be surprised if Egypt outclassed us as well....and we better watch out for Honduras this weekend too.

Unfortunately I think you're right, and I also think that excuses will be made WHEN, not IF, we lose to those teams. This is disgusting. This idiotic hire that almost everyone saw as a bad idea (except USSF) will set us back a further 4 years. I had once predicted a WC win by 2018. Boy, is that unreachable now!

 

[Mulli]

Unfortunately I think you're right, and I also think that excuses will be made WHEN, not IF, we lose to those teams. This is disgusting. This idiotic hire that almost everyone saw as a bad idea (except USSF) will set us back a further 4 years. I had once predicted a WC win by 2018. Boy, is that unreachable now!

WC Win? As in win it all? Really?

 

[Stout]

WC Win? As in win it all? Really?

After the '02 WC I definitely saw that. Why not? We played quite well, our talent level was starting to rise a bit, and we have just as many resources as the rest of the world, though they hadn't been utilized in soccer to that point. I figure that soccer would get more exposure, our program would continue to grow and, though it would still take plenty of time, we'd be able to win one in the not-so-distant future.

Of course, I figured that all without knowledge of just how awful and inept the USSF really is. Oh well. We took a ton of momentum and really killed it.

 

[Milgod]

After the '02 WC I definitely saw that. Why not? We played quite well, our talent level was starting to rise a bit, and we have just as many resources as the rest of the world, though they hadn't been utilized in soccer to that point. I figure that soccer would get more exposure, our program would continue to grow and, though it would still take plenty of time, we'd be able to win one in the not-so-distant future.

Of course, I figured that all without knowledge of just how awful and inept the USSF really is. Oh well. We took a ton of momentum and really killed it.

I really don't think it was a bad prediction. It should have been semis in 2002. Thing is, A LOT can still change in just a few years. Not saying that we'll win but I don't think anyone in the World would have predicted a France win in 1998 a few years previously.

I think the US suffers from who it has to play in qualifying. If it had a few more good teams to compete against it would be forced to raise its game. Alas, that won't change anytime soon so an International magaer with experience abroad would seem like the best option.

 

[Zeno]

Predicting us to win is really hard especially when you consider the Dutch & Spanish have never won.

I'd be happy if we were consistent 2nd round/quarterfinal WC teams. The f-ing Mexicans can at least claim that...we can't do squat on the big stage with 1 exception in '02. It is frustrating.

 

[Mulli]

After the '02 WC I definitely saw that. Why not? We played quite well, our talent level was starting to rise a bit, and we have just as many resources as the rest of the world, though they hadn't been utilized in soccer to that point. I figure that soccer would get more exposure, our program would continue to grow and, though it would still take plenty of time, we'd be able to win one in the not-so-distant future.

Of course, I figured that all without knowledge of just how awful and inept the USSF really is. Oh well. We took a ton of momentum and really killed it.

Oh yeah 2002. I remember now.

 

[Zeno]

Well we beat Honduras and Mexico lost...thats good. We are now firmly in second place but I still don't have a lot of confidence in the team. Almost all of our shots on goal came from set pieces, I know a goal from set pieces counts just like any other but it'd be nice if we produced a few chances from the run of play.

 

[Stout]

Well we beat Honduras and Mexico lost...thats good. We are now firmly in second place but I still don't have a lot of confidence in the team. Almost all of our shots on goal came from set pieces, I know a goal from set pieces counts just like any other but it'd be nice if we produced a few chances from the run of play.

We played like ass against a team that isn't that good. I am further convinced that Bradley needs sacked. As I said to someone in RL that caused a good laugh and an admission of truth, Bradley's the former assistant of the guy who couldn't get it done. Buh-bye. It won't happen, sadly, but we should say buh-bye Bradley.

 

[Zeno]

We played like ass against a team that isn't that good. I am further convinced that Bradley needs sacked. As I said to someone in RL that caused a good laugh and an admission of truth, Bradley's the former assistant of the guy who couldn't get it done. Buh-bye. It won't happen, sadly, but we should say buh-bye Bradley.

I'll give Honduras some credit, they may not be a great team but they aren't a bad team either. They are at least as talented as Costa Rica...they should finish no lower than 4th and have a chance to go to the WC. We didn't play as well as we should but I'll be honest I can't cheer for this team to lose just so Bradley is fired...I want to go to the WC even if I know we won't go far.

Bradley wasn't the assistant to Arena with the National team...he was assistant to him in College and in MLS and they teamed up for championships at both places. He isn't a bad coach he just isn't an international level coach, its obvious he is in over his head.

I think people are too quick to dismiss what Arena did, our program was AWFUL when he took over for Steve Sampson (a truly awful coach) after the 1998 WC and he built a solid base that obviously peaked in the '02 WC. I think most national teams should replace coaches after every WC cycle anyway, Arena got complacent and started to rely on players past their prime rather than trying to develop replacements. Still the best mens coach the US has ever produced...but it was apparent that isn't good enough.

I would love to see the US open up the bank vault for Guus Hiddink and allow him to build the staff from the youth ranks on up...but I know that won't happen. If he is willing to do the job in Australia, South Korea & RUssia I see no reason why he wouldn't want the US job.

I'm not sure what Int'l coaches out there that would be a good hire that would want the job...I want no part of SGE and I'm not a huge fan of Scolari either. Maybe Donadoni, Van Basten or Rijkaard. I'd suggest Klinsman but USSF already proved they can't get that deal done.

 

[Stout]

I'll give Honduras some credit, they may not be a great team but they aren't a bad team either. They are at least as talented as Costa Rica...they should finish no lower than 4th and have a chance to go to the WC. We didn't play as well as we should but I'll be honest I can't cheer for this team to lose just so Bradley is fired...I want to go to the WC even if I know we won't go far.

Bradley wasn't the assistant to Arena with the National team...he was assistant to him in College and in MLS and they teamed up for championships at both places. He isn't a bad coach he just isn't an international level coach, its obvious he is in over his head.

I think people are too quick to dismiss what Arena did, our program was AWFUL when he took over for Steve Sampson (a truly awful coach) after the 1998 WC and he built a solid base that obviously peaked in the '02 WC. I think most national teams should replace coaches after every WC cycle anyway, Arena got complacent and started to rely on players past their prime rather than trying to develop replacements. Still the best mens coach the US has ever produced...but it was apparent that isn't good enough.

I would love to see the US open up the bank vault for Guus Hiddink and allow him to build the staff from the youth ranks on up...but I know that won't happen. If he is willing to do the job in Australia, South Korea & RUssia I see no reason why he wouldn't want the US job.

I'm not sure what Int'l coaches out there that would be a good hire that would want the job...I want no part of SGE and I'm not a huge fan of Scolari either. Maybe Donadoni, Van Basten or Rijkaard. I'd suggest Klinsman but USSF already proved they can't get that deal done.

Honduras, schmonduras. Costa Rica, schmosta rica...not teams we should be embarassed by. Even though we beat Honduras, they did show us up a lot. We just lucked out in the final result. I'm sorry, but our team should be better and, in CONCACAF, saying that another team isn't all that bad should never be an excuse for a poor US performance.

As for Arena, you are quite correct. He took us just about as far as a standard American coach could. He dragged us out of the humiliation of that horrific 1998 WC, and he led us in the glorified 2002 Cup. Unfortunately, in the 2006 debacle, he proved that it was time to move on. I hadn't realized Bradley wasn't Arena's assistant with the NT, but that makes it even worse IMO. He should never, ever have been seriously considered for the job, much less hired. We need better leadership, both on the pitch and at the USSF (Gulati needs to GO!).

 

[FArting]

Can someone explain to me how the players are chosen for the US National team?

 

[Zeno]

Can someone explain to me how the players are chosen for the US National team?

Players are watched and scouted and then chosen by the US National Team coaching staff. A lot of the players came up through the youth ranks with the team (Onyewu, Pearce, Donovan, Beasley, Bradley, Dempsey, Altidore, Adu, Spector etc) others are found from pro leagues abroad(Demerit) and MLS (Mastroeni, Kljestan, Bornstein).

Most players will have a camp invite before they get a chance to play, that sort of serves as a tryout.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

add me to another in the sack bradley bunch

project 2010 has become a joke and is probably now closer to project 2026

same ol' story for US soccer .......... at least we have good goaltending, eh?!

 

[FArting]

How do they select players for the MLS All Star Team?

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

How do they select players for the MLS All Star Team?

Same way they do for every other sport. Fans and coaches vote for the players...not sure if players can vote, but it's possible.

 

[slinslin]

Jermaine Jones has filled a letter of intent to play for the US instead of Germany after having played for the German U21 and three times for the national team in friendly matches.

He made that decision after being left out of the Euro squad and now being left out of the team doing the Asia tour which had a lot of key players missing.

His father is American and his mother German, he has dual citizenship and new FIFA rules allow him to switch national teams as long as he hasn't played in an official game for a country.

He is a defensive central midfielder, plays very hard and aggressive, very vocal. I assume he will be a key player for the US team immediately.

 

[Zeno]

I heard that about Jones. He won't beat out Michael Bradley (even if he does deserve too) for the defensive midfielder spot but he should beat out Mastroeni & Clark for sure.

 

[English on tour]

looking forward to seeing you guys against Italy tonight.

From the bits i have seen and the chat on here i guess you dont think you will get a result...stranger things have happened though