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I have the potential to get German citizenship. If given the chance, perhaps I'd have made a similar decision. Even so, I'd have made the decision knowing full well that any fans of the USMNT would rightfully hate me.
Jealous. Would have made my life in Spain a LOT easier.My grandparents moved from Italy in the 30s. The rule for Italy is that if you have a grandparent that left after 1945, you can get an Italian passport. My second cousin's grandmother (my grandmother's sister) left in 1946, and as such he now has Italian citizenship. He now lives in San Marino.
I just looked into this. I may qualify for German or Italian citizenship - it depends on the status of my grandparents, which I'm not sure about.
If memory serves, its probably Earnie Stewart back when they played the left side lock or whatever it was that let him roam free on the right without defensive responsibilities.
Battery win 1-0, Chivas coming to Charleston in two weeks.
I predict a 2- 0 Battery win.Battery win 1-0, Chivas coming to Charleston in two weeks.
I predict the Battery advance on PKs after a scoreless draw.Texas Football said:I predict a 2- 0 Battery win.Mjolnirs said:Battery win 1-0, Chivas coming to Charleston in two weeks.Mjolnirs said:
I guess the only way to do it is to try to go through position by position.We're much stronger now at GK than in 1994, but no stronger than in 2002. From Keller to Friedel to Howard, GK hasn't been a position of weakness for the US in a long time.I think it's difficult to evaluate the backlines. On one hand, American based defenders dominated the US backline up until at least 2002. It's tough to know how Eddie Pope or Marcelo Balboa would have measured up to Bocanegra and Gooch. And Alexi Lalas made the honorable mention all-tourney team in 1994, despite probably not being in the class of the guys we have now. I think we were deeper with experienced, heady defenders in the past. We don't really have a Dooley we can throw out there. Still, I think Agoos made three World Cup teams and he really sucked, IMO. Cherundolo just missed the 2002 team with an injury but was there in 2006. He's really the only outside back we've had who could really deliver crosses. Even if he gets healthy, however, I think he's declined. I thought he had some very rough outing in the first round of CONCACAF qualifying, before the hexagonal.Central midfield is a matter of what you want to evaluate. The Reyna/O'Brian midfield was certainly more composed and tidier than any combo we can put out now. Nobody caught more #### than Claudio Reyna, but we miss that aspect of his game. But I would argue that Michael Bradley's box to box dynamism is something we've never had in central midfield before. Assuming it's not a mirage, as he's only done it for about 18 months, Bradley is staking his claim to be our best center mid. The 94 team certainly didn't have Landon Donovan. We complain a lot about what he's not, but he's the greatest US player of all time, and really has an international resume that looks pretty good. Of course, the best of that resume was in the 2002 World Cup, so it's tough to say we're better now. In 2002, Beasley looked like a potentially game changing winger. He's done nothing but regress since. I think we lack the capacity to deliver crosses from the wings now, which is something Eddie Lewis could always do (he couldn't do anything else, but what the hell).At striker, I think we were much deeper in the past. Jozy is probably the most promising striker prospect we've ever produced (although I think Eddie Johnson's youth performances and physical abilities showed great promise too). Still, I don't think Jozy is as good as Brian McBride in 2002. And while Eric Wynalda was really limited, we could use someone with his free kick abilities.So I guess the upshot is that I don't know what was the "best" US team. Each team had strengths and weaknesses. I think either team could win assuming the right tactics and breaks. I do think we're much better than 1994. On goaltending and Donovan alone. I think the current team probably has as much talent as the 2002 team, but I wouldn't say it has more. 2002 probably gets the nod based on chemistry. With that said, the 2002 team didn't win games in Guatemala. It didn't win games in Costa Rica. And it certainly didn't win games in Mexico. So it's tough to hold those failures against this team if we're comparing teams.
If these guys would start their own team, they could compete in any League in Europe.
This is pretty much exactly my thoughts. No question in my mind that the current team is better than the '94 team....but the 2002 team, I'm not so sure.It's a damn shame that John O'Brien's career turned out the way it did. I didn't really realize it as much at the time, but looking back on his playing days, he really was a great player - when healthy, of course. People tend to forget that O'Brien is the only player who played every minute of the 2002 WC for the US.Take a look at the team that played in the 3-2 win over Portugal, and compare that to the team we fielded against Italy (with minor adjustments).GK: Howard > Friedel. It's close, Friedel was a great GK, but Howard is probably the best we've ever had at GK.Outside backs: Sanneh and Hejduk vs. Cherundolo (when healthy) and ???. I'd be willing to call this one a toss-up. I was a big fan of Sanneh, and 2002 Frankie is probably a bit better than the resurgent 2009 Frankie. But Spector looked good last game and Cherundolo is solid.Center backs: Pope and Agoos vs. Gooch and Boca. I might give the edge, slightly, to the 2009 guys on this one. I really have no complaints with either of the two we have back there now. I didn't have any problems with Pope and Agoos at the time, but Gooch's size is what we need in the back, and he/Boca work well together.Midfield: 2002 >>> 2009, IMO. This might be the turning point in this comparison, I think. 2009 features Feilhaber, Clark, Bradley, Donovan, along with other guys like Kljestan, Adu, Edu, Beasley, etc. The Portugal starters in 2002 were Stewart, O'Brien, Mastroeni, and Beasley, but had guys like Reyna and Cobi Jones on the bench. I think in terms of depth, the 2009 team might win out, but in terms of starters, it's gotta be the 2002 guys. Donovan (who started as a striker against Portugal in 2002) vs. himself is negligible. Bradley is solid, but he's not as good as either Reyna or O'Brien yet. And the rest, while they all seem to have potential, don't match up to Stewart or the 2002 Beasley, who was a monster. I've left Mastroeni out....he was probably better in 2002 when he was a lot younger than he is now, but meh.Forwards: McBride in his prime vs. Jozy/Ching - McBride wins this one, obviously. The best striker I've ever seen in the red, white, and blue. Jozy could be the best when we get to 2019, but it's all up in the air right now.I really don't think the 2009 team is that much better than the 2002 team, if at all. It's always evident, both in watching games as a fan and when playing in them, that when a team wins the battle for the midfield, they control the game. I'm not saying that the guys we have now aren't good, but the 2002 team was just better....better chemistry, a bit more experienced, etc. There's definite promise in the MF, but it's not "there" yet.
LOVE the breakdowns you guys have done- I"ll post back when I get a little bit more time.
Tabaré Ramos Ricciardi, known as Tab Ramos (born September 21, 1966 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a retired U.S.Olympic and National Team soccer midfielder.wow....LOVE the breakdowns you guys have done- I"ll post back when I get a little bit more time.One player not mentioned- and he is IMO the best player the US has ever produced- Tab Ramos. I would argue that he single-handedly put the US through to the 2nd round of the 94' WC by showing skill and vision in the MF the US hasn't seen since.Goos and Balboa were decent- but horribly inconsistent and prone to real howlers in the back. I'd give the edge to Gooch and Boca.
Why I oughta...Tabaré Ramos Ricciardi, known as Tab Ramos (born September 21, 1966 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a retired U.S.Olympic and National Team soccer midfielder.wow....
Nah. Even though he was born in NJ, both parents are Italian and he moved to Italy when he was 13.
You keep saying this, but he moved to Italy when he was 13.I wonder if he'd be anywhere as good as he is had he stayed in the US?
There's no doubt we don't scare anyone with our forwards right now.
Yes the 94 USMNT squad could definitely beat the current squad. In terms of talent and teamwork, that 2002 game against Portugal was as good as I've ever seen from the USMNT. Sanneh to McBride was one of those simple plays that two great teammates executed perfectly.
That's a pretty bold statement. On talent alone, I'm not sure there is a single player other than Ramos that would be starting on today's squad. That said, the 94 team had a lot more heart than this current squad does. I have a lot of respect for how guys like Harkes, Lalas, Stewart and Dooley played the game. Balls to the wall. I think that sort of attitude is contagious and we need a real leader type to bring that to us. I think Bradley is the only field player that plays that way today and he is too young and inexperienced. Will he get there in another year? Will Jones bring this sort of leadership?Also let's not kid ourselves, as much as we fondly look back at that 94 squad, that team was at home (and we all know the history of home teams at the World Cup) and still only got out of the first round as the 3rd team, something that is no longer possible. 2002 was a much, much better squad than 94 and while we haven't improved since then IMO, we haven't necessarily regressed.
I think the defense on the 94 team would matchup well against the current team. And the talent on the current team is mostly potential talent, not proven, consistent talent. Yes they are more talented on paper but are they "much" more talented? I really don't think they are at least not yet.
I know Donovan isn't like setting the world on fire overseas, and it's always easy to knock him as he's the most recognizable US soccer player to the casual fan in the USA, but I'm not sure what else people are really expecting out of him. He's got 113 caps at the age of 27 and he's far and away the leading scorer in USMNT history. When he makes a mistake, it seems like people hit him harder because he's expected to be the best player on the field at all times. But IMO, he often is....he's not all overhyped like the Eddie Johnsons of the world....he's a good player, and as trendy as it might be to knock him....either he or Tim Howard is the best player on the team. I understand what you're saying about the team maybe expecting more out of him....but if anything, I think the problem is that no one else ever made it to his level, not that Donovan never became an international superstar.If we had a team full of Landon Donovan-caliber players at every position, we'd be pretty damn good. I mean look at the people from the first class of the soccer academy of Bradenton: Donovan, Beasley, Gooch are the only players who still get real PT with the national team. I can't remember the last time Convey was capped, and other than fringe players like Kyle Beckerman, I've never even heard of the other 15 players. Take a look at the 2000 class too: Heath Pearce is alright, Eddie Johnson's questionable...and then who? Former USMNT superstars Justin Mapp (5 caps), Santino Quaranta (11 caps), and a bunch of people I've never heard of.I think we've built the team around Donovan (and to a lesser extent DMB) not because we expected them to explode after 2002, but because they were the only legitimate talents to build the team around. If some of the other guys from those early classes of the academy would've panned out better, the team wouldn't be completely reliant on Donovan today.That's just my opinion though
I don't actually know offhand, but I wouldn't think South Korea would be in the bottom pot. I think usually they try to keep 2 teams from the same confederation out of the same group though. Doesn't always work, but I think they go for that.
I think you may be thinking of post-94. 94 starters (at time of Cup):TwinTurbo said:
No doubt. I didn't mean he isn't good at all. What I meant is that people were expecting development from him that never came. He played so well at the 2002 world cup that if he continue to progress he could have been Messi. But people develop at different times and different speeds. Donovan just bloomed early. It happens in every sport. The guy who is the best player at 19 isn't always the best at 25. Claudio Reyna continued developing until later (I think he was 20 in the 94 world cup and made the squad but didn't play). Donovan really didn't. He was almost as good as he was going to be at 19.EDIT: to complete this thought, we have 6 guys that are passable today at a young age. If 2 or 3 develop like Reyna did, we will have a very, very good midfield. I mean, just look at the progress Bradley has made. If he continues like this, what will he look like at 26 for WC2014? Maybe a lot like Michael Ballack (ok, that's probably overboard but possible)Steve Tasker said:
But it's not always about talent. It's also about attitude and team chemistry. This team doesn't seem to have an identity. Maybe it comes from Bradley constantly tinkering with the line-up. And the most important part of the team, the two center backs and defensive midfielder, always seem like a mistake waiting to happen.
I'm not saying that the '94 team was made up of proven consistent talent either. I'm just saying that the current team is not a quantum leap ahead of the '94 team. And I like Jay Demerit and he carved out a nice little career at Watford. But the guy is going to turn 30 this year. There is a reason he's not up for a starting gig now. Howard is our best player and would probably be England's #1 keeper if he were English, but the rest of the team is not going to strike fear into the hearts of top level international competition. The reason the 2002 team was better was because we had guys like McBride and a healthy John O'Brien.
I hate to come off like tinfoilhat guy, but as long as I have been following the world cup, it seems that FIFA never fails to take advantage of a rivalry, whether sport-related, political or otherwise. As neither will likely advance, I expect they will be drawn in the same group if possible under the rules.Texas Football said:
What could go wrong with trying to replace your entire team in a year?
I don't want to bash the 94 team. Their performance was monumental in the growth of soccer in this country. But let's be honest with ourselves: the 94 USA squad was the single worst performance by a host country in the history of the World Cup (even Korea and Japan both won their group). Sidenote: I'll be curious to see if South Africa becomes the first host to not advance.I hail them for what they did for US soccer but I'm realistic in that they were what they were - an overachieving team that fed off the home crowd to get a miraculous win over an imploding Colombia squad. Put them on the road and we likely never remember that group (other than as a footnote like 90 and 98).
I think we all kinda agree on that. The depth we have now and the young talent we have now blow away the 2002 team. But I think that right now, if you were to put the 2002 team vs today's team, the 2002 team is better....although only slightly.
Bayern München could be happy about that, van Gaal knows and likes dutch players. From what I read they showed interest in Sneijder and Robben a month ago.
i was not impressed at all. i only watched about 65 minutes, so i might have missed some of those chances.big difference between how they could approach the game and how the us could approach its games. iraq can play for 2nd behind spain. the us would have had to upset either italy or brazil.
The first round of the finals consists of 8 groups of 4. With only one confederation having more than eight teams (UEFA) teams from other confederations will not be drawn into the same initial group. Five of the Eight groups will contain two European teams.Texas Football said:
Donovan's changed quite a bit
