Pretty good day for US soccer yesterday.
- Thread starter patdog
- Start date
They do count towards FIFA world rankings. The U-23 match was the last tuneup before Olympic qualifying and the men's match was a tuneup for Italy for Euro 2012, which is a huge tournament, and an early tuneup for the start of World Cup qualifying for the USA (the 1st year of qualifications is probably the easiest 2 matches the USA will play in the 4-year cycle though). The Woman's match was in one of the bigger tournaments outside the World Cup and Olympics. </p>
it was a huge win for the US. A win over a highly rankedItalianside wouldpropelus closer to the Top 25 of the FIFA rankings (We are currently 31st).<div>
</div><div>http://www.fifa.com/world.../...table/index.html (There is a cool ranking prognosis tool there to see the points gained)</div><div>
</div><div>We need to keep working towards a Top 10 ranking by the time of the groupings for the 2014 WC (We were a Top 10 team in 05/06 and barely missed getting a top seeding for the 06 WC and ended up in the crappy Group of Death with Italy and got bounced out early). Get one of the top 8 seeds, we can be assured of arelativelyeasy entry to the 2nd round (IF we don't end up in a Group of Death). Tons of chances to move up the rankings in the next 1-1.5 years, especially if we can get a good WC qualification run going.</div>
</div><div>http://www.fifa.com/world.../...table/index.html (There is a cool ranking prognosis tool there to see the points gained)</div><div>
</div><div>We need to keep working towards a Top 10 ranking by the time of the groupings for the 2014 WC (We were a Top 10 team in 05/06 and barely missed getting a top seeding for the 06 WC and ended up in the crappy Group of Death with Italy and got bounced out early). Get one of the top 8 seeds, we can be assured of arelativelyeasy entry to the 2nd round (IF we don't end up in a Group of Death). Tons of chances to move up the rankings in the next 1-1.5 years, especially if we can get a good WC qualification run going.</div>
While neither side was at full strength (and we were missing probably as much as them...arguably our best player in Donovan and other would be starters) this was no B side game for either. Just giving a little more of a feel to those who wouldn't know.
the Euros are about 3 months away, which means every Italian player is playing for a spot on that roster right now. Plus, the Italians don't play futbol half ***. For them it's a matter of pride to be on the pitch and giving up a goal(even in a win) is a hit to their pride as well.coach66 said:
it was a stellar win. one of the best ever by the USMNT. i'd put it up there near beating Spain in the Gold Cup acouple years ago. the first half, we looked pretty good....good movement with the ball including working it out of the back(which we never did under Bradley). Once we got the goal we settled in to play defense and looked to counter. Once Italy started pressing it was a matter of defending for our lives. They are so good...
Soccer friendlies between national teams are usually hard fought contests as the members are not only playing for national pride but since there are relatively very few slots open and many players to fill those spots...you have to earn youspotevery game or risk being benched or removed from the active roster.
I thought every soccer game in Europe was always a sell out, especially with an Italian national team game. A quick google search said attendance was 15,000 in a stadium with a capacity of 36,700.<div>
</div><div>I just thought that was very surprising.</div>
</div><div>I just thought that was very surprising.</div>
Here's the attendance stats for the Italian Series A league, which is the top league in Italy and one of the top leagues in the world.
<table class="tablehead" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr class="colhead"><td>Team</td><td style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">Total</td><td style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">Average</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-103"><td align="right">1</td><td align="left">AC Milan</td><td align="right">611,643</td><td align="right">50,970</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-110"><td align="right">2</td><td align="left">Internazionale</td><td align="right">494,703</td><td align="right">49,470</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-114"><td align="right">3</td><td align="left">Napoli</td><td align="right">613,000</td><td align="right">47,153</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-104"><td align="right">4</td><td align="left">AS Roma</td><td align="right">340,845</td><td align="right">34,084</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-111"><td align="right">5</td><td align="left">Juventus</td><td align="right">316,385</td><td align="right">31,638</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-112"><td align="right">6</td><td align="left">Lazio</td><td align="right">374,000</td><td align="right">31,166</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-109"><td align="right">7</td><td align="left">Fiorentina</td><td align="right">250,249</td><td align="right">22,749</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3263"><td align="right">8</td><td align="left">Genoa</td><td align="right">282,927</td><td align="right">21,763</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-2923"><td align="right">9</td><td align="left">Palermo</td><td align="right">216,658</td><td align="right">21,665</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-107"><td align="right">10</td><td align="left">Bologna</td><td align="right">184,473</td><td align="right">18,447</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-3337"><td align="right">11</td><td align="left">Cesena</td><td align="right">180,389</td><td align="right">18,038</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-105"><td align="right">12</td><td align="left">Atalanta</td><td align="right">172,604</td><td align="right">17,260</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-118"><td align="right">13</td><td align="left">Udinese</td><td align="right">175,000</td><td align="right">15,909</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3258"><td align="right">14</td><td align="left">Catania</td><td align="right">134,123</td><td align="right">13,412</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-115"><td align="right">15</td><td align="left">Parma</td><td align="right">131,919</td><td align="right">13,191</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3954"><td align="right">16</td><td align="left">Novara</td><td align="right">146,958</td><td align="right">12,246</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-2735"><td align="right">17</td><td align="left">Siena</td><td align="right">140,750</td><td align="right">11,729</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-113"><td align="right">18</td><td align="left">Lecce</td><td align="right">92,478</td><td align="right">10,275</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-238"><td align="right">19</td><td align="left">Chievo Verona</td><td align="right">89,000</td><td align="right">9,888</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-2925"><td align="right">20</td><td align="left">Cagliari</td><td align="right">108,084</td><td align="right">9,825</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="mod-footer"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class="foot-content">Italian Serie A - Unofficial Average Attendance: 23,517 </div></div>
<table class="tablehead" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr class="colhead"><td>Team</td><td style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">Total</td><td style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">Average</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-103"><td align="right">1</td><td align="left">AC Milan</td><td align="right">611,643</td><td align="right">50,970</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-110"><td align="right">2</td><td align="left">Internazionale</td><td align="right">494,703</td><td align="right">49,470</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-114"><td align="right">3</td><td align="left">Napoli</td><td align="right">613,000</td><td align="right">47,153</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-104"><td align="right">4</td><td align="left">AS Roma</td><td align="right">340,845</td><td align="right">34,084</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-111"><td align="right">5</td><td align="left">Juventus</td><td align="right">316,385</td><td align="right">31,638</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-112"><td align="right">6</td><td align="left">Lazio</td><td align="right">374,000</td><td align="right">31,166</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-109"><td align="right">7</td><td align="left">Fiorentina</td><td align="right">250,249</td><td align="right">22,749</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3263"><td align="right">8</td><td align="left">Genoa</td><td align="right">282,927</td><td align="right">21,763</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-2923"><td align="right">9</td><td align="left">Palermo</td><td align="right">216,658</td><td align="right">21,665</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-107"><td align="right">10</td><td align="left">Bologna</td><td align="right">184,473</td><td align="right">18,447</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-3337"><td align="right">11</td><td align="left">Cesena</td><td align="right">180,389</td><td align="right">18,038</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-105"><td align="right">12</td><td align="left">Atalanta</td><td align="right">172,604</td><td align="right">17,260</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-118"><td align="right">13</td><td align="left">Udinese</td><td align="right">175,000</td><td align="right">15,909</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3258"><td align="right">14</td><td align="left">Catania</td><td align="right">134,123</td><td align="right">13,412</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-115"><td align="right">15</td><td align="left">Parma</td><td align="right">131,919</td><td align="right">13,191</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-3954"><td align="right">16</td><td align="left">Novara</td><td align="right">146,958</td><td align="right">12,246</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-2735"><td align="right">17</td><td align="left">Siena</td><td align="right">140,750</td><td align="right">11,729</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-113"><td align="right">18</td><td align="left">Lecce</td><td align="right">92,478</td><td align="right">10,275</td></tr><tr class="oddrow team-600-238"><td align="right">19</td><td align="left">Chievo Verona</td><td align="right">89,000</td><td align="right">9,888</td></tr><tr class="evenrow team-600-2925"><td align="right">20</td><td align="left">Cagliari</td><td align="right">108,084</td><td align="right">9,825</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="mod-footer"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class="foot-content">Italian Serie A - Unofficial Average Attendance: 23,517 </div></div>
is probably the EPL.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/attendance/_/league/eng.1/barclays-premier-league?cc=5901
All but a few of those averages, including the smallest ones, are pretty close to stadium capacity.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/attendance/_/league/eng.1/barclays-premier-league?cc=5901
All but a few of those averages, including the smallest ones, are pretty close to stadium capacity.
are mostly due to stadium size and you are right: bigger stadium = more money = more money to spend on players. It's not a direct correlation, but it's close. Fun site on English stadiums.......
http://www.footballgroundguide.com/
http://www.footballgroundguide.com/
I have wondered why he hasn't played any with the National team, and then I just saw that he played for the U-23s yesterday. What is his future looking like for the national team? He played really well I thought in the final two gold cup matches, but Klinnsman hasn't really given him a shot.