IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
I can't believe I woke up to this. Awful.
I do understand the frustration of fans of the USMNT, however, this is just off base. Are you trying to tell me that no other countries have to deal with poor stadiums, bad refs and disgusting play? This is prevalent pretty much throughout WC qualifiers (and yet another reason why International soccer is just a poor form of soccer to watch). But, half of the games are played in the US, no? Happen to catch the Ghana game the other day with the great officiating? You think Brazil or Argentina look forward to playing at La Paz?I've said this before, but one of the many paradoxes that the US program will always face and must figure out is that there is an identity and style of play that can be successful in the World Cup, and then there is an identity and style of play needed to get you into the World Cup.
And I hate to say it, but in CONCACAF, with the ####ty stadiums, ####ty refs, ####ty, dirty hacks on all the other teams, these styles as far as I can tell are NOT compatible.
Not here it isn'tI can attest to fact that sun is coming out today albeit a little on foggy hazy side
Hello darkness, my old friendNot here it isn't
ETA. Eternal ####### darkness
Continual lack of winning second ball speaks to lack of commitment, heart, desire and proper tactics throughout the hex. All new things for the US... So I guess they're learning something.Morning after sez: lack of a dominant goal keeper, sloppy field, bad luck (own-goal, miracle strike, post and the not-a-goal in Panama), sense of entitlement.
But the US is still the same team it's been for awhile, just with a better/growing pipeline.
He was just a caretaker. From day 1 it was known that his last game this cycle would be the end of his run, its just that everyone hoped/expected it to come next summer. Maybe it’s not fair, but I blame Sunil for not having a better succession plan in place. Klinsmann was on the hot seat for a year or so.How long until Arena gets fired?
Quick aside - just discovered Disturbed's cover of Sounds of Silence -Hello darkness, my old friend
Even Iceland would throw down Thor's hammer on this joke of a region.
We know what those fields will be like, they are pretty sad though. I can't say I've seen every field in all of the other qualifiers, but those UEFA matches I have seen where they play at a minnow (San Marino, Faroe Islands and the likes) usually have pretty good pitches. Small stadiums yes, but the fields look decent.But this is like the Dutch losing to Borats home country.
Their B team.
On a wet and bumpy field.
Try being a Chiefs fan.I honestly can't remember ever being this gutted from sports before -- step aside missing the 3pointer at the buzzer of the regional finals - there's a new leader in the disappointment clubhouse.
Start, no...compounded, yes. It shouldn't take a U18 training match for Schalke to find McKennie. I have a bunch more thoughts, but I'm too depressed, tired, and disappointed to make a full argument.You really think the problems start at age 17?
@The Gator - I found the title of your wife's autobiographyI can't believe I woke up to this. Awful.
This was painfully obvious after the CR match that got Klinsmann booted when Jones was gassed from the getgo and even more painfully obvious the second time we played them when Arena didn't even give him any help. In today's game you cannot give up space in from of the backline. You simply can't. It's why the preffered formation for most everything team these day is a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2. What's the one thing they both (more often than not) have in common. 2 ####### DMs.Continual lack of winning second ball speaks to lack of commitment, heart, desire and proper tactics throughout the hex. All new things for the US... So I guess they're learning something.
Pay to play is the #1 problem imo. There are many youth clubs in New England making alot of money off of a horrific product. Everyone is competing against each other for the cash, while they should be working together for the development. Unfortunately that's not how capitalism works, so I don't expect much improvement in our youth product unless its through cities and town programs directly.So much money poured into this sport at the youth level and so little development.
https://twitter.com/themikefoss/status/918075791434571776Pay to play is the #1 problem imo. There are many youth clubs in New England making alot of money off of a horrific product. Everyone is competing against each other for the cash, while they shpuld be working together for the development. Unfortunately that's not how capitalism works, so I don't expect much improvement in our youth product unless its through cities and town programs directly.
For me it's Buckner, and URI basketball being robbed of the final four in 98.I honestly can't remember ever being this gutted from sports before -- step aside missing the 3pointer at the buzzer of the regional finals - there's a new leader in the disappointment clubhouse.
Yup...I don't know about the other MLS academies, but at least NYCFCs is free, they do have 6 different teams (U19, U17, U 15, U14, U13 U12), and have already proven they can develop players. The Red Bulls filter you up and through at $1400 a year for the program (plus travel costs) before you get to their free Academy.Pay to play is the #1 problem imo. There are many youth clubs in New England making alot of money off of a horrific product. Everyone is competing against each other for the cash, while they shpuld be working together for the development. Unfortunately that's not how capitalism works, so I don't expect much improvement in our youth product unless its through cities and town programs directly.
I personally think we have only one more qualifying cycle to be concerned with and that is for 2022. After that we host in 2026 and after that qualifying will be almost meaningless with the 48 team WC.I just hope it isn't another 40 year break to qualify.
It sucks. The leadup will be disappointing but watching them flail around helplessly won't be missed.I just dont know what to say or think. On one hand I’m really depressed and hate that I’m feeling this way. It’s just a game. But damn it, I truly love this #### and really hate seeing what I saw last night. I couldn’t even stomach coming in here during the game. The anxiety and negativity is off the charts.
The World Cup is gonna suck so hard with no real rooting interest. :( :( :( :( :( :(
I’ll likely be pulling for him too, but it won’t be the same.It sucks. The leadup will be disappointing but not watching them flail around helplessly won't be missed.
All-in on Argentina. Best jerseys, best player and love their catchy songs. Would like to see Messi win one. Also will be behind my German heritage.
and a collective spirit that won't let a second ball bounce, let alone be won unchallenged.I personally think we have only one more qualifying cycle to be concerned with and that is for 2022. After that we host in 2026 and after that qualifying will be almost meaningless with the 48 team WC.
2022 will be the same challenge qualifying has always been. I do not believe we will see any real changes in the system, but even if by some miracle we do, they won't have time to make any affect on 2022 qualifying in just a couple of years.
We need to hope Pulisic stays healthy and that a handful of the various seeds planted in Europe and in the academies blossom to a decent level.
Next cycle I want back what we have always had since 1990. A solid goalkeeper and consistent (not world class, just consistent) pair of CB's.
Our partnership MLS Academy (step below free one at stadium) teams costs about a grand a year per kid. I have had a heck of a time keeping the cost that low. I cut corners and subsidize certain parts of that number where ever possible. That includes me spending a grand out of pocket to buy kids uniforms this fall. We are lucky we have a great town who takes care of our outdoor fields and supports our efforts at least.Yup...I don't know about the other MLS academies, but at least NYCFCs is free, they do have 6 different teams (U19, U17, U 15, U14, U13 U12), and have already proven they can develop players. The Red Bulls filter you up and through at $1400 a year for the program (plus travel costs) before you get to their free Academy.
horrible. and T&T crew actually did a good job with coverage... bein just ####ed up with the incessant cut-ins- for ####### conmebol.And #### you too bein sports. The in game updates of all the other games were cute. Except your stupid ####### picture in picture nonsense made the US game the tiny picture every ### #### time. The camera never even showed the proper subs. I had no clue Acosta even subbed in for Villafana.
####
Geoff Calkins @geoff_calkins I thought we were going to be great again.
CA is commercial appeal a dying local paper.Savard @msavard
#### you. Trump aside, politicizing US result? Will dance on your fiscal grave when CA cuts have you living on 45k in radio.
orCan't decide if I'm more or
What is this? People were mad he made a funny and threatened him? I don't get it.Local Newspaper guy - come - radio personality fired this off immediately after the game:
Geoff Calkins @geoff_calkins I thought we were going to be great again.
I was not pleased:
CA is commercial appeal a dying local paper.
It went on from there. He deleted a LOT of tweets.
Keep up the fightOur partnership MLS Academy (step below free one) teams costs about a grand a year per kid. I have had a heck of a time keeping the cost that low. I cut corners and subsidize certain parts of that number where ever possible. That includes me spending a grand out of pocket to buy kids uniforms this fall. We are lucky we have a great town who takes care of our outdoor fields and supports our efforts at least.
Bottom line is unless you are a prodigy at ten years old, nobody is noticing you unless your family has a grand to get you in the system. In most other places it's actually two or three grand a year for an inferior product fwiw. Something major needs to change at the top of the federation before anything changes.
Not a funny. I don't ####### like trump, but politicizing last night's result minutes after our national team was eliminated from the world's largest sporting event rubbed me the wrong way.What is this? People were mad he made a funny and threatened him? I don't get it.
It's amazing I'm not divorced yet. You guys have no idea, lol. Thirty hours a week on average, fifty two weeks a year I do this for free. It's been my personal mission to improve the local product for the last four years or so.Keep up the fight
Meh, I guess I just don't care about politics anymore. I thought it was funny when I read it fwiw. But I personally think Trump is destroying our country, so I guess it wouldn't upset me because I agree. US soccer gives ne plenty more to worry about then some random comedians tweet.Not a funny. I don't ####### like trump, but politicizing last night's result minutes after our national team was eliminated from the world's largest sporting event rubbed me the wrong way.
meh. as I was writing last night, I don't entirely disagree.But asked how U.S. Soccer should respond to the defeat, Arena answered in a manner that is likely to infuriate American fans everywhere.
"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," he said. "Certainly as our league grows, it advances the national team program. We have some good young players come up.
"Nothing has to change. To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish. We're building a good system in our professional league. We have players playing abroad of some quality.
"There's enough there. There's no excuses for us not qualifying for the World Cup."
Yes, exactly. All of the "premier" clubs are for profit. The owners make big money too. The coaches at those clubs run too many teams in the club to get their piece of the money pie. There is a bunch of player movement on a yearly basis. Family's are also following those coaches who are switching clubs and chasing paychecks from year to year. "Premier" kids have to get used to a different coach and many different teamates on a yearly basis. It's so broken but people are getting paid.so the academies are free?
but the feeders are increasingly more expensive the further away from academy level you get?
do I have that right?
I like the first part. and I can see- at an ideal- how the capitalistic imperative is there to drive the talent to the top. but it's the kids who can't even get started or continue because they can't afford the 3k and fall/play outside of this system. I mean- this is something that was being discussed when I played a hundred years ago.... more directed towards inner city kids that weren't in the standard suburban, white methodology of state run soccer organizations. hispanic kids were overlooked. black kids weren't even playing.
and the money coming in sounds like it's for profit rather than development? minimal scholarships (which would be a good way of using some of the profits- in a less capitalistic way).
huh. I guess this goes towards my academy thing last night.BTW, if you want to know why this isn't really changing, take a look at say they latest U16 national team roster. 20 kids (i.e. far too few to get any measure of where they really stack up in training) from basically 5 programs (FC Dallas, Galaxy, NYCFC, Weston FC, San Jose). Maybe these are the best 20 kind U16, but I somehow doubt it.
Hey Bruce...the system is so good we have on average 0.5 U23 US players playing regular minutes in MLS this year and 2 of the 13 are GKs. When it's cheaper to bring in someone like Struna (28 year old RB NYCFC just brought in that immediately supplanted an OK-sh 26 year old American) can be brought in and paid 75K a year or you can bring in Rodney Wallace @ 220K a year who supplants a 20 year old American first round pick, well Bruce, something's wrong with the system. And NYCFC is one of the good teams at developing and playing young guys. I shudder to think what's happening at some of the other clubs.But asked how U.S. Soccer should respond to the defeat, Arena answered in a manner that is likely to infuriate American fans everywhere.
"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," he said. "Certainly as our league grows, it advances the national team program. We have some good young players come up.
"Nothing has to change. To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish. We're building a good system in our professional league. We have players playing abroad of some quality.
"There's enough there. There's no excuses for us not qualifying for the World Cup."
I'm fine with them taking the academy kids, I'm not fine with only bringing in 20 at a time. One of the big takeaways from the Belgium's should be you cast a wide net and have some ability to compare kids in a training setting. We simply don't do that.huh. I guess this goes towards my academy thing last night.
ideally, the cream really should be rising to the top inside the academies which should be representing the highest (and professional) level of youth soccer (for me).
but yeah- seems a little fishy too. dunno. it's what I'm asking for, but still doesn't smell right.
I get not being able to collect all these kids in the same place for a long period of time- even tougher to do in a country this big. but I'm curious about how well and wide the net is thrown?I'm fine with them taking the academy kids, I'm not fine with only bringing in 20 at a time. One of the big takeaways from the Belgium's should be you cast a wide net and have some ability to compare kids in a training setting. We simply don't do that.
I mean we apparently don't have the resources to bring 100 (pick your number) U15s (pick your age groups) together for a month (pick your length of time) in the summer (or something like that).