World Cup thread
- Thread starter Catman100
- Start date
Surprised you watch our football team. Its about the same as far as chance to ever win anything that matters.
Those are all excellent points. It would seem the Japs are built better to do stuff like dig tunnels and slice coconuts in half with swords and that we would be better in stuff like soccer, you would think? Maybe they see better in the sun and all the games are played in the daylight somehow is to their advantage?
Japan didn’t have many, but they scored on their few attacks. They had 18% possession and scored in 2 of 3 shots against Spain. Pretty much the same thing against Germany, 26% of possession and scored on 2 of 4 shots.
Then they turned around and lost to Costa Rica, probably the 2nd worst team in the World Cup behind Qatar.
Counter-attacking teams like Japan are dangerous. But they have zero margin. They’re basically what the US was 8yrs ago; sit back, defend well, and use speed to score on the break. That’s why Landon Donovan was dangerous. He could outpace defenders and get to balls played in behind the defense.
The US sets up like a top team. Plays on the front foot, tries to keep the ball, and win it back quickly. They out-possessed every team but England, which was pretty even. The problem is the US didn’t have the quality to break down set defenses. The lack of a quality CF/ST really hurt the US in this tournament. You need that player to keep a high line and force the opponent’s CBs to defend him; which opens more space in the MF and wide. Without that, the US was pretty easy to defend, despite all the possession.
At this level, it’s really hard to break down good teams when they’re organized in defense. Part of the US’s problem was tactics and substitutions (Gregg sucks ***). But as mentioned above, the lack of a true CF was the death knell.
^^^ More to the above.
Look at Germany. Tons of talent in defense and across the MF. But Kai Havertz isn’t a CF. He’s proven ineffective in that role at Chelsea. Without that, they struggled massively to break down Spain and Japan.
Look at Germany. Tons of talent in defense and across the MF. But Kai Havertz isn’t a CF. He’s proven ineffective in that role at Chelsea. Without that, they struggled massively to break down Spain and Japan.
Clearly Kennedy_UK doesn't know anything about soccer.
I have a fascinating cutting edge theory on soccer. I call it my "body hair" theory and it states that a country's success in World Cup soccer is directly proportional to how much body hair the average woman in that country has under their arms. Never fails. Eerily accurate.
I have a fascinating cutting edge theory on soccer. I call it my "body hair" theory and it states that a country's success in World Cup soccer is directly proportional to how much body hair the average woman in that country has under their arms. Never fails. Eerily accurate.
Or maybe 99% of us lifelong adult sports fans … don’t give a flying FITB about this ***** sport that became huge elsewhere in the world because those people didn’t have other options and/or couldn’t afford the equipment most other sports require. A group of 60 kids can surely come up with enough money to buy a soccer ball. They don’t even need shoes.
Nah, Dutch are 17M people, WV 1.7M, so Dutch 20x size of WV & 1/20th size of US.
I still think it's US kids not playing street ball/pickup to develop individual ball control skills that type of thing encourages. Just like street hoops. That's the point Blue3M makes above whether he realizes it or not. One soccer ball or one basketball, same thing. And street soccer doesn't even take a raised basket.
Don't care you if care about it or not, but soccer way tougher game than hoops or baseball. Football & hockey, OK, tougher yet.
Thanks for the update. We were all wondering.
Mainly, our best athletes by far are playing football, basketball and baseball. As just one of 10,000 examples, Billy Hamilton could not hit the ball out the infield to save his life, but had he grown up in another country, may have been a phenomenally fast soccer player. Think of any number of really fast, athletic high jumping 6'5" basketball players that were just tweeners and couldn't make it in the NBA, but could have been a hell of a goalie for some soccer team.
athletes aren't our problem. we have athletes. in these other countries soccer is everything. it is our football basketball baseball combined. that is all they play from the time they are walking. we move on from sport to sport from season to season. kids will dedicate 3 or 4 months to one sport then move on to another. little league to basketball growing up.
not in these other countries. its all soccer all year. we just don't dedicate our entire sports infrastructure to one sport where our kids only passion is soccer.
not in these other countries. its all soccer all year. we just don't dedicate our entire sports infrastructure to one sport where our kids only passion is soccer.
This^^^^
And that's why I don't think our youth is going to make a big difference on the world stage. We have been talking about soccer becoming more popular in the USA for 30-40 years, but the truth is it's not as popular as it is for kids in other countries.
In South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, they are kicking a soccer ball when they are still in their diapers. And that is pretty much all they do until they graduate high school. Not the case in the USA at all, and it shows on the world stage.
Pretty simple if you ask me, if you have two kids from two different countries who are the same age and skill, and one of them plays soccer 12 months of the year with coaching, and the other plays soccer 4 months, then basketball, then football, the kid from the other country is going to be fundamentally better.
That is why with this massive population, the USA is at best, a group stage team, with the occasional one knockout round victory. I will be very shocked if that improves in the next 5 World Cups.
And that's why I don't think our youth is going to make a big difference on the world stage. We have been talking about soccer becoming more popular in the USA for 30-40 years, but the truth is it's not as popular as it is for kids in other countries.
In South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, they are kicking a soccer ball when they are still in their diapers. And that is pretty much all they do until they graduate high school. Not the case in the USA at all, and it shows on the world stage.
Pretty simple if you ask me, if you have two kids from two different countries who are the same age and skill, and one of them plays soccer 12 months of the year with coaching, and the other plays soccer 4 months, then basketball, then football, the kid from the other country is going to be fundamentally better.
That is why with this massive population, the USA is at best, a group stage team, with the occasional one knockout round victory. I will be very shocked if that improves in the next 5 World Cups.
The greatest player in the last 30 years is 5'7 and a buck fifty.
Same measurements for the best defensive midfielder of the past decade (N’Golo Kante).
There are definitely positives to having size in some spots (CB, striker). But this idea that we’re just not big and strong enough and that’s the problem misses the plot.
I mean, here’s Brazil’s roster: https://www.espn.com/soccer/team/squad/_/id/205/brazil. Their best, most creative players are all 5’9 or so. And that’s not unusual.
I mean, here’s Brazil’s roster: https://www.espn.com/soccer/team/squad/_/id/205/brazil. Their best, most creative players are all 5’9 or so. And that’s not unusual.
Harry Kane is an inch or two taller than some of our players, therefore we will never be any better at soccer? What ridiculous logic. Previously, the US has had taller strikers, more athletic center backs, lightning fast strikers, etc. It all comes down to skill.
-twas just an observation, don't get your panties in a twist...also your reading comprehension is faulty, never said we would never be any better.
^still, the reality is that our best athletes don't play soccer. Our 3rd/4th tier athletes are playing the rest of the world's 1st/2nd tier athletes.
^should this even matter with 300 million folks?
^still, the reality is that our best athletes don't play soccer. Our 3rd/4th tier athletes are playing the rest of the world's 1st/2nd tier athletes.
^should this even matter with 300 million folks?
I don't see how anyone could watch either the US/Netherlands or US/England games and come away with the idea that we were "out athleted". That is not and has never been the US's problem. This particular US team did lack target guys in the box on set pieces, but that is a function of this particular group of players and their skill set, not a general inability to attract taller athletic guys.
All of these "Tyreek Hill would be the best soccer player in the world" posts ignore the obvious fact that soccer players can't use their hands. How do you know whether Tyreek Hill or any other African American football or basketball player you can name would have an innate ability to control a ball with their feet?
All of these "Tyreek Hill would be the best soccer player in the world" posts ignore the obvious fact that soccer players can't use their hands. How do you know whether Tyreek Hill or any other African American football or basketball player you can name would have an innate ability to control a ball with their feet?
We got kids that grow up practicing balls skills and playing pickup soccer.
The problem is from what I gather the best of them all want to play for Mexico or whatever.
There’s the problem. Need these damn Latinos to fall in line with ‘Murica.
Hell I remember that one kid who was pretty good like 10 years ago said “nah man I’m going to go play for Italy cause my grandad is from there”. WTF!?
The problem is from what I gather the best of them all want to play for Mexico or whatever.
There’s the problem. Need these damn Latinos to fall in line with ‘Murica.
Hell I remember that one kid who was pretty good like 10 years ago said “nah man I’m going to go play for Italy cause my grandad is from there”. WTF!?
I guess it is somewhat conjecture, but if Tyreek Hill had grown up in Brazil playing soccer, instead of football, I bet he would be pretty good at it.
It is all raw talent, but in a country the size of US, if you put enough Tyreek Hills, Julian Edelmans, Billy Hamiltons and Wes Welkers in the soccer pool instead of football, I will bet you could find 11 pretty amazing soccer players.
Kept thinking if Harry Kane had been born in the right country, the USMNT would still be playing. He is who I would say you're describing as our big need.
We have the athletes but some of the worst players on Brazil would be our superstars. All of their guys on the front line can technically dribble to create space and finish.
Martinelli isn't even a starter for Brazil and he's better than anyone we have up front right now. They're a Pele factory. Even their defenders are unreal. They had Militao playing RB vs SK because they have so many top CB's and two of the top ten GK's in the world to choose from between Ederson and Alison.
From what I saw, our best dribbler is Dest but he can't finish well. Didn't see enough of the Medford Messi to form a solid opinion but the glimpses he shows dribbling are pretty insane.
Teach some cross country runners how to kick a ball
Glad Portugal played that well minus shitbag Ronaldo. They may be better without his team cancer influence.