FIFA 2014 World Cup all-purpose thread

[Toga]

Why?

Safe haven for neer do wells trying to hide their money plus sitting out WWII ... and seeming quite pleased with themselves on both counts.

 

[IthacaMatt]

While I agree with you, Comparing NA soccer to European soccer is like comparing The NHL to the European leagues. Top European teams from the domestic leagues don't exactly fold that often either. Yes Galaxy a few years ago could have competed very well in the CL.

Or, more accurately, they could have competed in the Europa League.

 

[IthacaMatt]

MLS needs to win the CONCACAF Champions League out MLS teams always choke to Mexican teams when they reach the finals. Once the MLS is dominating that competition like the Mexican teams are the MLS would send a team a to the FIFA club team World Cup and our teams would get a chance at the UEFA champion.
MLS is still double AA in my opinion not enough quality being raided from Europe for my liking. Their are good players but they aren't EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundeagusa quality yet.

I say AAA instead of AA because Jozy Altidore wouldn't score 30 goals in MLS like he did in the Dutch league. My opinion, anyway. Also, with the big influx of $$ (new TV deal pays out 5X as much per team), we are going to see average salaries rise by a significant amount, and maybe an extra designated player or two being permitted.

 

[Alsacs]

I say AAA instead of AA because Jozy Altidore wouldn't score 30 goals in MLS like he did in the Dutch league. My opinion, anyway. Also, with the big influx of $$ (new TV deal pays out 5X as much per team), we are going to see average salaries rise by a significant amount, and maybe an extra designated player or two being permitted.

Dutch League is notorious for being open and friendly to scoring. I think its still a better league than MLS. Jozy wouldn't score 30 goals because the MLS teams aren't as technically advanced offensively as the Dutch league. The service in the final third in American soccer is our biggest weakness both on the national team level and MLS level. MLS has potential to grow but its not even close to Europe because the talent isn't on European level. We overpay guys from Europe/South America in the 30s we haven't developed a Jozy Altidore in MLS since he was sold to Villarreal and that is a problem for our national team. Its part of the reason Klinsmann gave Julian Greene Landon Donovan's spot on the 23 roster because Greene could be Dempsey's replacement in 4 years if he continues developing at Bayern Munich.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I wish the USA had a Joel Campbell type player. He has been awesome for Costa Rica maybe he gets a shot with Arsenal now and is returned from loan. Jozy Altidore is suppose to be our Campbell but this season really struggled at Sunderland.
With Costa Rica thru CONCACAF has a legit chance to get 3 of the last 16 in the World Cup if Mexico and the USA come thru. This should end the tall about taking a spot from CONCACAF from 3.5 spots to 2.5 and giving an extra to UEFA. If any region should lose it should be Asia. As Australia, Japan, S.Korea, Iran don't have a win among them in some winnable spots this far.

We did. His name is Charlie Davies.

Not the same player after the accident.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Well, the mountain of he's taken is a result of him biting an opponent, calling another opponent a Spanish equivalent of the N word, for serial diving, intentional handballs, etc. He used to be a terrible cheater, but has really cleaned up his act in the last year.

He didn't call Patrice Evra anything like that... the rest, yeah he did all that. He cleaned up the diving this past season and scored more goals as result. I still don't get the handball flak though. I we're playing Portugal this weekend and tied late, I would hope the US player would do the same. The biting thing... who does that?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Dutch League is notorious for being open and friendly to scoring. I think its still a better league than MLS. Jozy wouldn't score 30 goals because the MLS teams aren't as technically advanced offensively as the Dutch league. The service in the final third in American soccer is our biggest weakness both on the national team level and MLS level. MLS has potential to grow but its not even close to Europe because the talent isn't on European level. We overpay guys from Europe/South America in the 30s we haven't developed a Jozy Altidore in MLS since he was sold to Villarreal and that is a problem for our national team. Its part of the reason Klinsmann gave Julian Greene Landon Donovan's spot on the 23 roster because Greene could be Dempsey's replacement in 4 years if he continues developing at Bayern Munich.

Good post but the problem is not MLS, it is our youth system or, more accurately, the lack thereof.

Google "De Toekomst" or "La Masia".

 

[Forza Azzurri]

He didn't call Patrice Evra anything like that... the rest, yeah he did all that. He cleaned up the diving this past season and scored more goals as result. I still don't get the handball flak though. I we're playing Portugal this weekend and tied late, I would hope the US player would do the same. The biting thing... who does that?

Mike Tyson.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Safe haven for neer do wells trying to hide their money plus sitting out WWII ... and seeming quite pleased with themselves on both counts.

I love France and have never had anything but great experiences there. Of course, I speak French and that helps a lot...

Switzerland is a gorgeous country.

Exactly how courageous should Switzerland have been considering that, one wrong move a,nd they would have suffered the same fate as Poland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Belgium, Holland etc.?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I think he sees it as a chance at redemption. He was unceremoniously dumped as national team coach, and all the modern stuff that they made fun of (or most of it, anyway) has remained in place, with his assistant taking over national team duties. I'm sure he'd love the payback. Don't forget, we did beat a Germany team in that friendly last summer, 4-3. I don't Klinsmann will lose any sleep if he beats Germany.

He wasn't dumped. He stepped down voluntarily. He was a hero in Germany after the 2006 World Cup.

He was, however, dumped by Bayern Mumich which was his next job.

 

[Alsacs]

Michael Ballack on World Cup Tonight was really slurping Klinsmann. He said after their disatrious Euro 2004 in Portugal Klinsmann took over the Germany national team and rebuilt them. Ballack was the captain of that team. I don't think Klinsmann is hated at all by the German fans or soccer federation he is boys with Loew their current coach and that is why Germany gave us that friendly last year.

Klinsmann is working on improving the American technical training. We suck at finishing on offense our youth system needs an overhaul. We need to find kids at a young age open up soccer academies like IMG does in Florida for tennis players and give the families of these kids financial security and grow the national talent like that. Then when the kids are in their teens let them sign with European teams or if MLS would develop them.

 

[Toga]

I love France and have never had anything but great experiences there. Of course, I speak French and that helps a lot...

Switzerland is a gorgeous country.

Exactly how courageous should Switzerland have been considering that, one wrong move a,nd they would have suffered the same fate as Poland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Belgium, Holland etc.?

Je parlez francaise un peu. Spent a college semester in Paris and going back in the Fall. Like France - love Paris. Point taken about WWII though one never hears of some Swiss guy joining the war effort. Banking still sucks.

 

[Alsacs]

We did. His name is Charlie Davies.

Not the same player after the accident.

Davies injury was very sad. Davies played 1 year of college soccer at Boston College before going pro. He was a young stud who played well at the 2009 Confederations Cup and his goal in 2009 at Azteca was special before we lost 2-1.

 

[CanadianSU]

Well, the mountain of he's taken is a result of him biting an opponent, calling another opponent a Spanish equivalent of the N word, for serial diving, intentional handballs, etc. He used to be a terrible cheater, but has really cleaned up his act in the last year.

Intentional Handball = GENIOUS Play.

Won them the game.

However, Suarez biting and constant name calling is bad and has got him that rep.

 

[CanadianSU]

Safe haven for neer do wells trying to hide their money plus sitting out WWII ... and seeming quite pleased with themselves on both counts.

Id like to here what you think of Germany than lol

 

[PeteCalvin]

MLS has a draft European leagues laugh at that. MLS works because of the cap and DP rule but it HAS WAYS to go to even be close to those leagues. Europe is a Capitalist type of leagues and MLS

We did. His name is Charlie Davies.

Not the same player after the accident.

I literally almost cried when I heard about the Charlie Davies accident. I knew we had just lost our next great striker. He was never going to be the same. He could have been a great one.

 

[Toga]

Id like to here what you think of Germany than lol

Well there's that.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Michael Ballack on World Cup Tonight was really slurping Klinsmann. He said after their disatrious Euro 2004 in Portugal Klinsmann took over the Germany national team and rebuilt them. Ballack was the captain of that team. I don't think Klinsmann is hated at all by the German fans or soccer federation he is boys with Loew their current coach and that is why Germany gave us that friendly last year.

Klinsmann is working on improving the American technical training. We suck at finishing on offense our youth system needs an overhaul. We need to find kids at a young age open up soccer academies like IMG does in Florida for tennis players and give the families of these kids financial security and grow the national talent like that. Then when the kids are in their teens let them sign with European teams or if MLS would develop them.

And those tennis academies are just pumping out American talent. Hopefully Klinsmann will have much better success with soccer academies. I think he will since soccer youth programs are so entrenched in many areas of the country. No one cares about tennis anymore.

 

[Alsacs]

And those tennis academies are just pumping out American talent. Hopefully Klinsmann will have much better success with soccer academies. I think he will since soccer youth programs are so entrenched in many areas of the country. No one cares about tennis anymore.

IMG is a sports agency not a USA developer almost every stud from the last generation before Federer,Nadal, Djokovic worked with Nick Bolletierri in Florida. IMG does develop talent they just get the players around the world and develop them that is what US soccer has to do with our youth with abity to be a world player.

 

[cmr27]

I'd disagree on that. MLS teams are more level with the English Championship League and MAYBE the relegation zone EPL teams.

This. I put them in the 15-20 range of Premiership teams or the best of the Championship. Then again, the Premier League is very deep. An MLS team could win the Scottish league, IMHO, which puts them on par with Celtic or Rangers.

 

[Toga]

And those tennis academies are just pumping out American talent. Hopefully Klinsmann will have much better success with soccer academies. I think he will since soccer youth programs are so entrenched in many areas of the country. No one cares about tennis anymore.

American interest in tennis died when Connors and McEnroe retired.

 

[CanadianSU]

This. I put them in the 15-20 range of Premiership teams or the best of the Championship. Then again, the Premier League is very deep. An MLS team could win the Scottish league, IMHO, which puts them on par with Celtic or Rangers.

Whoa. I think Celtic an Rangers still are better than Seattle etc.

This is a solid debate tho

 

[cmr27]

Whoa. I think Celtic an Rangers still are better than Seattle etc.

This is a solid debate tho

CelticRangers don't play anyone good in the Scottish League so the only measure is their UEFA and CL work. Watching CelticRangers play a Barcelona or Bayern is like watching the USMNT match up against Brazil or Spain. That said, people far more knowledgable than me have said CelticRangers would be mid-table in the EPL.

 

[ImperialOrange]

CelticRangers don't play anyone good in the Scottish League so the only measure is their UEFA and CL work. Watching CelticRangers play a Barcelona or Bayern is like watching the USMNT match up against Brazil or Spain. That said, people far more knowledgable than me have said CelticRangers would be mid-table in the EPL.

Celtic might avoid relegation In the EPL and he on par with West Ham. Rangers currently aren't the Rangers you remember them to be five years ago.If you stacked MLS vs SPL I would take the MLS to win more than half though, just not whomever was playing Celtic.

 

[longislandcuse]

To my untrained eye, Ecuador completely flopped on that high bounce resulting in a free kick just outside the box resulting in a goal.