Is America good at anything anymore?

[SkippyjonJones]

It's hard to say exactly where the U.S. soccer team went wrong, but it was probably when Bruce Arena decided his starting goalie would be Bode Miller.

 

The U.S. is out of the World Cup. Adios, as they say in some of those countries that truly care about soccer. And I doubt this will cost most Americans any sleep. Even U.S. soccer fans would be fine with it, except that all the Americans had to do was beat Ghana, and they couldn't even do that.

 

To be fair, the Americans got jobbed by the refs at times. Arena said so himself. But see, Arena has complained about everybody but the team chef. He has complained about soccer authorities, his own players, and now the officials. I'm trying to put myself in Arena's cleats and imagine how hard it must be to be the smartest man in the world. But I'm not getting very far.

 

So the American soccer team goes the way of the American Ryder Cuppers and the American skiers and the American basketball team and ... man alive, isn't there anything that Americans do better than everybody else?

 

Why, yes.

 

A list:

 

 

1. Play football. I can hear you now: Of course we're the best! We're the only country that plays football! Hello? Ever hear of a place called "some parts of Canada?"

 

2. Play baseball. No, wait ? Japan just won the World Baseball Classic. Yeah, it was a contrived non-event event, but it was America's pastime organized by Americans and played mostly on American soil, and the Americans couldn't even make the semifinals. And that brings up ...

 

3. Marketing.

Yeah, baby. Americans rock at marketing. We can sell wool sweaters to Ecuador. We can sell high-definition television with a Braille remote control. We can sell Sylvester Stallone as an actor.

 

We can sell our athletes as the best in the world, despite all evidence to the contrary.

 

And this, of course, is part of the problem.

 

See, the American soccer team is No. 5 in the FIFA rankings, which would indicate that the U.S . had a real shot at winning the World Cup. That's what we were told. Hey, England is 10 and Italy is 13. The U.S. has finally arrived as a soccer power! Etc.

 

But the FIFA rankings are famously inaccurate ? they are compiled with two BCS computers, a dartboard and a fifth of scotch. You can't fault the American players for believing in themselves. But with all the hype around them, they were probably going to fall short of expectations.

 

Just like Bode Miller. He was supposedly going to win five Olympic gold medals in skiing; it was written in the Book of Nike. Nothing in Miller's most recent ski season indicated he could pull that off. But hey, the marketers said he could do it. He didn't win a single medal. (It didn't help that he treated Turin like he was stuck on a stopover ? I haven't seen an American that unhappy in a foreign country since Midnight Express.)

 

It's appropriate that the latest American flameout occurred on the same day the Knicks finally fired Larry Brown, who was hired to coach the Knicks for five years and decided instead to sabotage them for one. Brown, after all, presided over one of the biggest U.S. failures on an international stage ? maybe the biggest U.S. failure on an international stage.

 

 

Clint Dempsey and Oguchi Onyewu react after Ghana bounced the U.S. from the World Cup. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP / Getty Images)

 

 

In Athens in 2004, the Americans lost the one thing Americans always win, except for that one time the refs cheated for the Russians: the Olympic men's basketball gold medal. They lost it because Brown whined about the roster (which he helped assemble) instead of coaching moderately talented guys like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire.

 

It's one thing to lose, especially with the ever-increasing quality of hoops around the globe. But Brown whined. Just as Arena is whining. And let's not forget that at the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, the Europeans easily won over the American fans, with exotic techniques like signing autographs and not frowning.

 

I think most Americans can handle a loss in international competition as long as the loss happens in a country with really good food and some high-end shopping. Sasha Cohen let nerves get to her (again) and most of us felt for her. Hey, at least she gave it her best.

 

So did the American soccer players. They just got some bad breaks, played some inconsistent soccer and are out of the World Cup. There is no shame in losing.

 

No Shame In Losing.

 

Let's see the marketing guys do something with that.

 

 

Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg is a contributor to FOXSports.com.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5723136

 

 

 

 

hahhahahaa

[wildcatlh]

I much prefer Eric Wynalda's rant against Arena. He was on Mike & Mike in the Morning this morning on ESPN Radio... he was (rightfully) brutal.

 

Arena's gotta be one of the bottom 5 national team coaches in Germany right now. He has to have coached his last game for Team USA. He coaches like the game is American Football -- one team on offense, then the other team on offense, etc. He's made it so that the strikers are afraid to shoot.

 

Plus he's way too much in love with Landon Donovan, who really isn't any good. He's actually scared Freddy Adu off (Adu isn't sure now whether he'd play for Team USA or Ghana in 2010)

[Bootle Buck]

I think if Klingsmann continues to have a good World Cup he could well be the man to lead the US in the future. He is based in California and is a big enough name to attract some attention from Corporate Sponsors and overseas players to make the MLS a much more competitive and commercially appealing league.

 

There is no doubt that the US has a great pool of youngsters playing the games. however, the lack of World Class coaches and academies is sorely lacking. With the likes of Charlton, Chelsea and ourselves investing in the US youth sytem we could see the likes of Ajax and other clubs who are renowed for developing top class young players open academies over here.

[Nebraska Red]

It is a joke to hear the likes of Wynalda complain about Bruce Arena.

 

The manager picked what looked like the best 11 he had to start the game against the Czechs. How is it his fault that his left back is caught 50 yds out of position and that his keeper makes a woeful clearance. add to that the lethargic approach to the game from the so called stars of US Soccer (Donovan and Beasley) and you are screwed from day 1.

 

Against Italy, he had the team prepared, but you cannot legislate for a to$$pot of a referee who turns a decent game into a farce.

 

I have said it before that the display against Ghana was shameful. The effort was pathetic from many of the players and again a referee screw up does not help.

 

I listened to the guys on XM Radio say that the USA has the players to compete at the highest level. He has to be joking. The MLS has the potential to be a good developmental vehicle for US soccer, but the teams have to start playing American born players in more positions and allow them to improve their game.

 

We can put out 11 good players, but not a good team.

 

That is the story for many of the teams in the World Cup and the number of foreign players in domestic teams has to be controlled or we will be seeing poorer World Cups in years to come.

 

With regards to the thread title, we have World Champions in baseball, basketball and gridiron football. HEHEHE

Edited June 23, 2006 by nebraska red

[£440,000]

Apparently Everton have decided that, if they ever build a new stadium, they're going to call it the Bruce Arena.

 

It's always good to have heroes whose achievements you can aspire to emulate, isn't it?

[Hassony]

to be honest no one really was expecting the US team to get out of their group

[Spike]

in answer to the question - is it starting wars they can't finish?

[growler]

i refuse to rate any country that calls it 'soccer'. whats the f for in fifa, uefa, fa etc?

 

the aussies starting to call it football and they qualified. coincidence?

[Nebraska Red]

to be honest no one really was expecting the US team to get out of their group

 

i thought they could if they avoided defeat in the first game.

 

they screwed that up.

 

"I refuse to rate any country that calls it 'soccer'. whats the f for in fifa, uefa, fa etc?"

 

soccer, footy, togger. so what , it's still the same game.

[Hassony]

i thought they could if they avoided defeat in the first game.

 

they screwed that up.

 

"I refuse to rate any country that calls it 'soccer'. whats the f for in fifa, uefa, fa etc?"

 

soccer, footy, togger. so what , it's still the same game.

 

the US are not a bad team, but obviously they are not the 5th placed team in the world.

 

they were unlucky against italy i thought

[CaptainXabi]

i refuse to rate any country that calls it 'soccer'. whats the f for in fifa, uefa, fa etc?

federation

Edited June 23, 2006 by CaptainXabi

[Archangel]

Team US ?

 

Physically strong, well organised and committed. Will usually qualify due to regional grouping but will rarely progress outside the group stages without developing tactically and embracing a bit more creativity.

In fact you could say a carbon copy of Team Ingerlund circa 1970 to 2003

 

now in terms of starting wars they cant finish and voting in congenitally insane presidents they are certainly in a league of their own

[live]

heard on one of the radio sports shows about why the US team didn't do well in the world cup. their reasoning was that simply america's best athletes do not play "soccer". they might play in high school but those who want the big bucks will concentrate on the big 4 sports. so essentially the US soccer team is made up of B level athletes. whereas in europe or south america, where this was the number sport - the best / most talented athletes end up playing football - sport with the most money.

 

another point for the failure of the US team was, the lack of creativity. american success is built on physciality. the US team did not try to turn the matches around to suit their strengths. the radio hosts admitted as much, if there is no chance for physicality, there is no chance for success.

[harpoon]

agreed. I think what the US showed in this WC is as good as they are. There's no football culture inherent, no upper tier of players. We here in Canada have the same problem, our best hope is to get players doing really well in Europe and hope to gel them into a team when they play for their country.

 

Or send Canada's hottest women to seduce some Spanish and Italian guys. I should see if Alves is single, I might have a cousin...

 

But yeah, Arena's a bad coach but his players aren't honestly much better.

[_00_deathscar]

heard on one of the radio sports shows about why the US team didn't do well in the world cup. their reasoning was that simply america's best athletes do not play "soccer". they might play in high school but those who want the big bucks will concentrate on the big 4 sports. so essentially the US soccer team is made up of B level athletes. whereas in europe or south america, where this was the number sport - the best / most talented athletes end up playing football - sport with the most money.

 

But football doesn't rely on physical prowess as much as some of those other sports.

 

So I don't think that argument holds that much water.

[CaptainXabi]

The U.S. just had a bad World Cup. The Czechs had a bad one too as did the Argies in Japan/Korea. There is no need to over analyze it.

[Guest lucabrasi]

The U.S. is crap.Can't put it any other way.

[Tosh]

One of your lot started it

[SkippyjonJones]

oh look, another "let's bash America" thread.

Dave,

 

The post was an article from an American writer who pointing out that America isn't good at any sport that they play on a "world" stage. Even the games that are mainly played in the USA.

 

 

Are they wrong?

[Nebraska Red]

Dave,

 

The post was an article from an American writer who pointing out that America isn't good at any sport that they play on a "world" stage. Even the games that are mainly played in the USA.

Are they wrong?

 

 

The initial post with the article was a fair reflection of what is happening with US sports that are played worldwide.

 

The sports played within the USA are a different deal. In most of those, the only thing that matters is the viewing figures and revenue. Major League Baseball could care less about Japan winning their World Cup, they have created a vehicle to generate money. The NFL is a license to print money and don't give a toss about how their game is perceived outside of the USA, but will profit outside of America when the time is right. The NBA is playing to corporate America and is happy doing so and selling shirts all over the place.

 

Soccer will always struggle over here unless it gets to be a mainstream TV sport.

 

What gets my back are the "The U.S. is crap.Can't put it any other way." and "America is good at spending (& printing) money!" posts that appear to have nothing to do with the original theme.

[growler]

What I can't understand though, is how they are so high in the rankings. I mean, Mexico are actually a good team in the same region, but somethings wrong when america are in the top 10 of the world.

[Nebraska Red]

What I can't understand though, is how they are so high in the rankings. I mean, Mexico are actually a good team in the same region, but somethings wrong when america are in the top 10 of the world.

 

it all depends on how the rankings are calculated.

 

it is probably done purely on games played, not taking into account the quality of the opposition.

 

if they are not going to go by quality, then they should not bother with rankings.

[CaptainXabi]

What I can't understand though, is how they are so high in the rankings. I mean, Mexico are actually a good team in the same region, but somethings wrong when america are in the top 10 of the world.

 

The USA's recent record against Mexico is very good (but never mind facts getting in the way, eh?). If the USA doesn't deserve to be in the top 10 - and they don't - Mexico doesn't either, considering they play almost the same set of opponents.

 

Date Score

--------------------------------

13-Mar-99 USA 1-2 MEX

01-Aug-99 MEX 1-0 USA

11-Jun-00 USA 3-0 MEX

25-Oct-00 USA 2-0 MEX

28-Feb-01 USA 2-0 MEX

01-Jul-01 MEX 1-0 USA

03-Apr-02 USA 1-0 MEX

17-Jun-02 MEX 0-2 USA

08-May-03 USA 0-0 MEX

28-Apr-04 USA 1-0 MEX

27-Mar-05 MEX 2-1 USA

03-Sep-05 USA 2-0 MEX

Edited June 24, 2006 by CaptainXabi

[Hassony]

The USA's recent record against Mexico is very good (but never mind facts getting in the way, eh?). If the USA doesn't deserve to be in the top 10 - and they don't - Mexico doesn't either, considering they play almost the same set of opponents.

 

saudi arabia have a beter record in asia than south korea, they beaten them home and away in wc qualification, yet south korea still a much better team when ever the world cup comes.

[CaptainXabi]

saudi arabia have a beter record in asia than south korea, they beaten them home and away in wc qualification, yet south korea still a much better team when ever the world cup comes.

USA did better than Mexico last World Cup...

 

Not to say USA is better than Mexico, but they aren't worlds apart. CONCACAF is an easy region, that's an undeniable fact. In my opinion though, it's just a case of the US team being looked down upon so that their failures are accentuated and their triumps attenuated. USA isn't great at football, but they aren't the worst team in the world. Like most of the teams in the World Cup outside of the traditional powerhouses, they have a decent chance of getting something out of most matches and it just sort of comes out to what happens on the day.

 

Just for comparison:

 

1994 - Mexico and US both knocked out of the round of 16

1998 - Mexico out in round of 16, US fail to qualify for knockout stages

2002 - USA beats mexico in round of 16, USA loses in qtr finals

2006 - Mexico out in round of 16, USA fail to qualify for knockout stages

 

I think USA have done a decent the World Cups in recent years and Mexico haven't been that much better.

Edited June 24, 2006 by CaptainXabi