Football (Soccer) Thread

[Valmy]

USA reminds me a bit of England. They're like the England of CONCACAF. They think they're a lot better than they are, and feel entitled to win everything and cry when they don't.

Well that is just not true. We are pretty shocked when they win anything outside of CONCACAF.

But CONCACAF is not Europe. Not qualifying is a huge embarrassment. I mean I know we are not some elite soccer country but surely team USA can beat countries 1/100th of our size on a consistent basis.

[celedhring]

Panamá has decreed a national holiday. That's what the World Cup is about. 

[Valmy]

Don't worry, we all qualify for the 2026 WC.

Well hopefully the USA can bounce back for 2022 and not have to wait that long.

Basically what happened to us is what almost happened to Mexico four years ago. Fuck.

[Maladict]

surely team USA can beat countries 1/100th of our size on a consistent basis.

[FunkMonk]

Panamá has decreed a national holiday. That's what the World Cup is about. 

I'm glad Panama got in. That owns. They definitely deserve it more than this current US squad.

FIFA and Fox must be distraught that the US didn't qualify. The Hexagonal is basically contructed so that the Mexico and the US can always qualify. How the US failed spectacularly this time will be remembered for a long time.

Klinsmann was a bad coach who tried to transform the team into something it's not yet capable of but he at least had a vision and he's right that the current American youth and league system are shit and are holding American players back. Arena is still living on past glories and shouldn't have been appointed as a replacement. He's an unimaginative and condescending dick.

This current US team is bad, obviously. Its only good player is a 19-year old kid. Howard and Dempsey are way past it and Bradley has actively regressed so much since he left Italy for MLS. Our center backs are a joke. Playing a medicore Bradley alone in front of a defense that bad is moronic. He badly needs someone to pair up with in front of the defense, like how Jones used to.

I laughed when I saw the news last night. I didn't expect the US to lose to TnT but it also didn't surprise me that it did.

[alfred russel]

Don't worry, we all qualify for the 2026 WC.

Well hopefully the USA can bounce back for 2022 and not have to wait that long.

Basically what happened to us is what almost happened to Mexico four years ago. Fuck.

We should have lost that match to keep them out. I said at the time that they would have done us that way. And here we are.

[Valmy]

surely team USA can beat countries 1/100th of our size on a consistent basis.

They did it for thirty years. I don't think that is an unrealistic expectation.

[Valmy]

We should have lost that match to keep them out. I said at the time that they would have done us that way. And here we are.

Yeah I said that at the time. But this is not Mexico's fault. Team USA's wounds were self-inflicted.

However Mexico only qualified last time due to Team USA's charity. So I guess it happens even to the best of us. Still pretty pathetic.

[Maladict]

surely team USA can beat countries 1/100th of our size on a consistent basis.

They did it for thirty years. I don't think that is an unrealistic expectation.

There are probably a dozen countries 1/100th the size of the US that could beat them on a regular basis.

[celedhring]

Depends if we're talking population or land mass.

[Maladict]

Depends if we're talking population or land mass.

True, but there are probably still a couple population-wise 

[Grey Fox]

The best American young athletes don't play soccer. Do they in Germany? France? They do in Brazil or Argentina.

[HVC]

Panamá has decreed a national holiday. That's what the World Cup is about. 

Would have been better if it was Puerto Rico... do they have their own team?

[celedhring]

Panamá has decreed a national holiday. That's what the World Cup is about. 

Would have been better if it was Puerto Rico... do they have their own team?

Yes, but they're crap. They failed to get anywhere near the Hexagonal.

[katmai]

Panamá has decreed a national holiday. That's what the World Cup is about. 

Would have been better if it was Puerto Rico... do they have their own team?

Yes, but they're crap.
I'd guess it is third in popularity behind baseball and basketball  on the island.