Nate Silver's ESPN SPI follow ELO and I find them to be among the best. FIFA changes their formulas so much to fit whatever narrative they want. Germany is number 1 and should be 1 until Euro 2016. Argentina lost the Copa America now in the rankings it goes down as a tie because of PKs but they aren't better than Germany right now.
US v Honduras
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CanadianSU
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Nat gonna happen.
I will be shocked if the states doesn't win, it's a diluted tournament, especially this year.
CanadianSU
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Belgium is good but not that good, what's more of a joke is that Romania and Wales are in pool A for the World Cup draw, I hope Ukraine gets either, because my Ukrainians are better than both. Sure Wales is ok, but what dumb rankings. Portugal 7th?
Argentina leaked the new rankings prematurely. USA is 34th freaking Wales is 10th and is going to be seeded for Euro WC qualifying which is crazy. Gareth Bale is a stud, but Wales is not a top 10 team in the world or probably in Europe.
All friendlies count but they are considered class B matchups. Class A matchups are competitive matches like WC qualifying or in Europe Euro qualifying. The reason CONCACAF has been dinged is since the WC they have had zero Class A matchups and the Gold Cup will be Class A competitive matches and will go towards the rankings. Asia had the Asian Cup in January, Europe has had Euro qualifying matches, and South America had the Copa America. We will go up with a GOld Cup title, but will need to win it to get back up to the 20's.
Italy and France got jobbed being in pot 2 over Romania, Croatia or Wales. All teams will want in their groups for sure.
UEFA POT 1
Germany
Belgium
Holland
Romania
England
Wales
Portugal
Spain
Croatia
UEFA POT 2
Italy
Slovakia
Austria
Switzerland
Czech Republic
France
Iceland
Denmark
Bosnia-Herzegovina
*Italy will be in Pot 2 if they draw or lose against Portugal on Tuesday, June 16. A win for Italy will put Croatia in Pot 2.
UEFA POT 3
Poland
Ukraine
Scotland
Hungary
Sweden
Albania
Northern Ireland
Serbia
Greece
UEFA POT 4
Turkey
Slovenia
Israel
Republic of Ireland
Norway
Bulgaria
Faroe Islands
Montenegro
Estonia
UEFA POT 5
Cyprus
Latvia
Armenia
Finland
Belarus
Macedonia
Azerbaijan
Lithuania
Moldova
UEFA POT 6
Luxembourg
Kazakhstan
Liechtenstein
Georgia
Malta
San Marino
Andorra
CanadianSU
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Holland, should not be in pot 1 either. I'd like them as well, there old.
Orangezoo
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Incredible how flawed it is. Puts a ton of emphasis on the confed cup for us then.
IthacaMatt
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Jermaine Jones and Morris are hurt. Johanssen didn't impress me last time out vs. Netherlands. I don't think he played in the Germany game.
CUSU
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Wondo never impresses me, I've only seen Johanssen play once for the USMNT.
CanadianSU
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Embarrising performance from the Canadians tonight, just brutal... The whole program needs to be teared down starting at the u15 levels and worked back up, just brutal, idk why I bother wasting time with it...
A weak Canadian team for some time now has hindered CONCACAF significantly, if Canada was ever able to get there program together it would strengthen the continent football wise, like that will ever happen though... Pfft.
The diving from the El Salvador team has been some of the worst I have ever seen in my life...
A weak Canadian team for some time now has hindered CONCACAF significantly, if Canada was ever able to get there program together it would strengthen the continent football wise, like that will ever happen though... Pfft.
The diving from the El Salvador team has been some of the worst I have ever seen in my life...
Canada-El Salvador game was burtal. Canada needed 3 points to advance. These CONCACAF teams and diving to get yellow cards on opponents is so dishonorable. Honduras did it against the USA and that ref let all the physical play go and these teams just freaking flop.
Canada should be a HEX team in CONCACAF with their population and resources, but they have been passed by Jamaica and T&T. Costa Rica/USA/Mexico have been consistent and Honduras/Panama have been competitive.
Canada should be a HEX team in CONCACAF with their population and resources, but they have been passed by Jamaica and T&T. Costa Rica/USA/Mexico have been consistent and Honduras/Panama have been competitive.
PeteCalvin
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It's amazing how much better the Canadian Women's program is than the Men's. I have friends in Canada that play soccer competitively in Men's leagues, so I know there is popularity for the sport up there. I just don't understand why their Men's team is so putrid. Is it because of hockey? Are all the young athletes sticking with the skates? Down here youth baseball and football are under siege because more and more youth soccer and lacrosse opportunities are popping up. Sports are so competitive now that kids are dropping the "multi sport" moniker so they can excel at one, maybe two, and that is causing youth leagues to have to go out and recruit players just to keep numbers up.
And you know what's funny about the diving BS...all the South and Central American WOMEN'S teams do it too!! Brazil and Columbia are totally bush league when it comes to diving for penalties. And the Brazilian Women's team wearing the 5 stars on their jerseys is laughable. They act like they are the best team in the world, but they haven't won anything! There was nothing better than the U.S. v Brazil game in Germany 2011. The fans had had enough of the injury theatrics and diving on the part of Brazil and just whistled them to death for most of the match, particularly Marta. She's talented enough not to have to take a dive, but she did and received a PK for it. Wambach's goal was poetic justice for all the diving and stalling Brazil did in that match.
On the women's issue all it takes to have a successful women's team is to actually give the women's game respect and treat it right. The USA/Canada/Japan/China/Germany/Norway/Sweden/Australia/New Zealand federations do that and now France have treated the women's game with the respect it deserves. Hopefully England will now that their women's team showed some real fire.
The Brazil federation doesn't support its women's program and they have some talent. That 2011 game was embarrassing with all the flopping they did. They did school us in 2007 though. Brazil would be better if their federation got its head out of its behind and cared about the game.
Canada should be better. The MLS has put franchises in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Each of these teams have to have a certain amount of Canadian players on their rosters. The MLS is trying to get Canada to be a top 6 team in the region which should be no problem with their population over these small island countries or Latin America.
USA/Mexico are legit top 25 teams in the world. Costa Rica is a World Cup Caliber country each cycle the rest of the region is there for Canada to surpass. A scoreless draw against El Salavdor is a bad result.
CanadianSU
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Canada is Hockey. I love hockey and I like it better than soccer, but I also like soccer a lot. But Hockey has nothing to do with our brutal soccer team/program. We straight up suck. Like bad. For a few years now, one day we will get it together. But comparing the women's teams with men's teams isn't fair, totally different playing field.
Lol, I noticed the stars on the Brazil jersey as well it's quite funny. I actually cannot stand Brazil soccer as well, I also cannot stand Neymar, and David Luiz. Both divers and just annoying players. the women's team has the same diving problem as well lol
PeteCalvin
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I'm surprised that Pele hasn't shamed the younger generation and told them to man up and stop the theatrics. It really ruins the game. It's like flopping in basketball. Everyone hates it.
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creatorsgam
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And in turn makes it hard for some to take the sport seriously. Soccer will have a hard time earning true respect in America (and possibly Canada?) when people associate it with diving and theatrics. It's embarrassing.
On a side note, and maybe it's cultural, but as a man I couldn't take a "knock" and act like I've been maimed by my opponent in order to influence an official. Get up as quickly as possible and let players, coaches, and spectators know that you aren't made of glass.
Not being perceived as fragile should be important to any athlete, and that is regardless of gender.
PeteCalvin
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One of the things I like about our American players, and something that probably hurts them at times, is that they do stay on their feet and fight through contact. They don't dive. I feel like the reason why other soccer powers respect us is because we do play the game right, and we always fight to the end. We may not be the best technically, but no team will ever outwork us. Italy has always been known as a diving team, but I don't know which other Euro teams do it as a strategy. The South American teams seem to do it as a strategy, and Brazil is the worst. That always struck me as odd because with their talent level they shouldn't have to resort to tactics like that.
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creatorsgam
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Good post.
The 2006 World Cup match, USA vs. Italy, may have been the most frustrating international game I've ever watched. American appeals were denied, any time an Italian raised their hand the whistle blew. McBride gets drilled with an elbow, easy red. Loved the officials then giving out two reds to the Yanks. Should have had that game.
Italian theatre and the officiating enabled it. I'm still very bitter over that.
The 2006 World Cup match, USA vs. Italy, may have been the most frustrating international game I've ever watched. American appeals were denied, any time an Italian raised their hand the whistle blew. McBride gets drilled with an elbow, easy red. Loved the officials then giving out two reds to the Yanks. Should have had that game.
Italian theatre and the officiating enabled it. I'm still very bitter over that.
Toga
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IthacaMatt
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There are cultural differences in how soccer is played. If you watch MLS, Premier League and Bundesliga, there is very little diving and exaggeration of contact. In Italy and South American countries it's the worst; in Spain, it's also pretty bad.
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creatorsgam
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I agree with your league assessment.
In the context of social and gender roles for males in this country (referencing the leagues you mentioned, perhaps this is also true in England and Germany), athletics are closely tied to traits of masculinity. Having never traveled to Italy, Spain, or South America I don't know if the same social connections are as culturally engrained. But it is interesting in looking at cultural patterns in the practice of "diving."
I could probably re-write part of this, or at least re-word a couple things. Because our women certainly don't dive either. Incredibly tough group of women, both physically and mentally.
