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Post by AztecTom on May 29, 2010 21:22:26 GMT -8
USA with a nice 2-1 win over Turkey today.
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Post by AztecWilliam on May 30, 2010 10:11:45 GMT -8
Do you agree with me that it's only a matter of time before the USA soccer team makes a real challenge for the World Cup? When I was in high school (late '50s) kids occasionally played kick ball, but never regulation soccer. Now it's everywhere, and of course we have many immigrant kids who are in tune with the sport.
I can't see it replacing American football, but I can see this country becoming a serious player in the sport on a world wide level.
AzWm
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Post by aztectodd on May 30, 2010 13:14:27 GMT -8
If the team as it stands now is any indication, I dont see it happening for at least 20 years. We play very undisciplined and inconsistent and Turkey outplayed us for much of the game yesterday. We need ALL of our players playing overseas against the best competition...not against MLS quality players.
I HOPE we get there though...it would be great to see.
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Post by monty on May 30, 2010 15:38:05 GMT -8
I doubt it - the best athletes will continue to play football, basketball, baseball - I think we'll stay around where we are, that is to say qualify for the world cup every 4 years and have difficulty making it out of the group phase on a regular basis. If we were to ever win the world's game they should all be forced to call it soccer.
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Post by AztecTom on May 30, 2010 18:12:42 GMT -8
Do you agree with me that it's only a matter of time before the USA soccer team makes a real challenge for the World Cup? When I was in high school (late '50s) kids occasionally played kick ball, but never regulation soccer. Now it's everywhere, and of course we have many immigrant kids who are in tune with the sport. I can't see it replacing American football, but I can see this country becoming a serious player in the sport on a world wide level. AzWm Yes, I do agree with you William. We are getting better and better every year. We beat the #1 team in world last year and should have beat Brazil last year but ran out of gas and lost late in the game. I think the best we can hope for would be #4 taking over hockey. It is getting bigger and more popular here every year.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 6:24:30 GMT -8
Do you agree with me that it's only a matter of time before the USA soccer team makes a real challenge for the World Cup? When I was in high school (late '50s) kids occasionally played kick ball, but never regulation soccer. Now it's everywhere, and of course we have many immigrant kids who are in tune with the sport. I can't see it replacing American football, but I can see this country becoming a serious player in the sport on a world wide level. AzWm It is only a matter of time. How much time is the question. For one thing, our league needs to invest in player development. once they understand they can make money by developing kids, we'll see improvement in our national team by leaps and bound. I am looking forward to this Saturdays friendly against Australia. It'll be my first to see live here in OZ and with fellow US fans to boot
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 10:44:23 GMT -8
Do you agree with me that it's only a matter of time before the USA soccer team makes a real challenge for the World Cup? When I was in high school (late '50s) kids occasionally played kick ball, but never regulation soccer. Now it's everywhere, and of course we have many immigrant kids who are in tune with the sport. I can't see it replacing American football, but I can see this country becoming a serious player in the sport on a world wide level. AzWm It is only a matter of time. How much time is the question. For one thing, our league needs to invest in player development. once they understand they can make money by developing kids, we'll see improvement in our national team by leaps and bound. I am looking forward to this Saturdays friendly against Australia. It'll be my first to see live here in OZ and with fellow US fans to boot I think in 20 years we should be a top 5 team in the world. I am also hoping that in that time span that soccer can jump to number 4 in our country and knock hockey out of that spot. I agree with you that MLS needs to spend a lot more money in developing players and we will see a huge improvement.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 10:48:51 GMT -8
It is only a matter of time. How much time is the question. For one thing, our league needs to invest in player development. once they understand they can make money by developing kids, we'll see improvement in our national team by leaps and bound. I am looking forward to this Saturdays friendly against Australia. It'll be my first to see live here in OZ and with fellow US fans to boot I think in 20 years we should be a top 5 team in the world. I am also hoping that in that time span that soccer can jump to number 4 in our country and knock hockey out of that spot. I agree with you that MLS needs to spend a lot more money in developing players and we will see a huge improvement. 20 years is too soon. I say maybe 50 years to be a consistent top 5 squad. In 20 years though we should be a consistent top 12 team
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 11:19:06 GMT -8
I think in 20 years we should be a top 5 team in the world. I am also hoping that in that time span that soccer can jump to number 4 in our country and knock hockey out of that spot. I agree with you that MLS needs to spend a lot more money in developing players and we will see a huge improvement. 20 years is too soon. I say maybe 50 years to be a consistent top 5 squad. In 20 years though we should be a consistent top 12 team We are currently ranked 14th in the world right now. So you think in the next 20 years we are only going to improve and jump up two spots?
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 11:21:30 GMT -8
20 years is too soon. I say maybe 50 years to be a consistent top 5 squad. In 20 years though we should be a consistent top 12 team We are currently ranked 14th in the world right now. So you think in the next 20 years we are only going to improve and jump up two spots? Yup. We aren't even a consistent top 15 team right now. We fluctuate between 14-20. It'll take the next 20 years to develop the players and instill the tactics of a consistent top 12 team.
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 11:40:13 GMT -8
We are currently ranked 14th in the world right now. So you think in the next 20 years we are only going to improve and jump up two spots? Yup. We aren't even a consistent top 15 team right now. We fluctuate between 14-20. It'll take the next 20 years to develop the players and instill the tactics of a consistent top 12 team. I don't agree with your time table at all and you aren't giving the team the credit they team deserve. Just look at how much improvement we have made the last ten years. Do you remember us beating the #1 team in the world last year that had not lost in 34 straight games? Do you remember us almost beating Brazil last year where we led almost the whole game and ran out of gas at the end of the game? When we are healthy we can compete and beat anyone in the world right now.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 19:06:55 GMT -8
Yup. We aren't even a consistent top 15 team right now. We fluctuate between 14-20. It'll take the next 20 years to develop the players and instill the tactics of a consistent top 12 team. I don't agree with your time table at all and you aren't giving the team the credit they team deserve. Just look at how much improvement we have made the last ten years. Do you remember us beating the #1 team in the world last year that had not lost in 34 straight games? Do you remember us almost beating Brazil last year where we led almost the whole game and ran out of gas at the end of the game? When we are healthy we can compete and beat anyone in the world right now. Your timetable is too ambitious. We need to develop players who have the technical and tactical sense of the football power houses. That won't happen in 20 years time because the youth soccer culture in the US is changing but at a really slow pace. Can't expect the senior team to be a consistent top team until we are churning out tons of youth players are top notch
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 19:58:47 GMT -8
I don't agree with your time table at all and you aren't giving the team the credit they team deserve. Just look at how much improvement we have made the last ten years. Do you remember us beating the #1 team in the world last year that had not lost in 34 straight games? Do you remember us almost beating Brazil last year where we led almost the whole game and ran out of gas at the end of the game? When we are healthy we can compete and beat anyone in the world right now. Your timetable is too ambitious. We need to develop players who have the technical and tactical sense of the football power houses. That won't happen in 20 years time because the youth soccer culture in the US is changing but at a really slow pace. Can't expect the senior team to be a consistent top team until we are churning out tons of youth players are top notch I don't think my timetable is too ambitious at all. All you have to do is look at all the players we have playing in Europe now and how many use to play in Europe. Our players are developing quicker now. Just look at how young Altidore and Davies are and they will be one of the top forward combo's in the world for the next World Cup. We have a lot of good young players on the national team right now. I am telling you right now, that you better look out for team USA in 2014 in Brazil. We will be top 10 in the world by then, you can bank on it right now. You must have been living down under for sometime now. Your info is a little out dated.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 20:03:08 GMT -8
Your timetable is too ambitious. We need to develop players who have the technical and tactical sense of the football power houses. That won't happen in 20 years time because the youth soccer culture in the US is changing but at a really slow pace. Can't expect the senior team to be a consistent top team until we are churning out tons of youth players are top notch I don't think my timetable is too ambitious at all. All you have to do is look at all the players we have playing in Europe now and how many use to play in Europe. Our players are developing quicker now. You must have been living down under for sometime now. Your info is a little out dated. Our players playing in Europe have little to no effect on where we will be in 20 years. Anyways, we already have a confirmed friendly with Brazil in August. It will be interesting to see who is in charge of the team then.
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 20:11:14 GMT -8
I don't think my timetable is too ambitious at all. All you have to do is look at all the players we have playing in Europe now and how many use to play in Europe. Our players are developing quicker now. You must have been living down under for sometime now. Your info is a little out dated. Our players playing in Europe have little to no effect on where we will be in 20 years. Anyways, we already have a confirmed friendly with Brazil in August. It will be interesting to see who is in charge of the team then. Our players playing in Europe absolutely have an effect on where we will be in 20 years. Kids look up to them and want to be like them, plus they continue to develop and get better and the U.S. gets better and climbs the rankings and the influences the kids of the future. So you are wrong again on that front. Yes, we will be playing Brazil here in the States. I hope we bring in our 1st team players for that game. If the coach isn't Bradley, I hope it's Klinsmann.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 20:24:05 GMT -8
Our players playing in Europe have little to no effect on where we will be in 20 years. Anyways, we already have a confirmed friendly with Brazil in August. It will be interesting to see who is in charge of the team then. Our players playing in Europe absolutely have an effect on where we will be in 20 years. Kids look up to them and want to be like them, plus they continue to develop and get better and the U.S. gets better and climbs the rankings and the influences the kids of the future. So you are wrong again on that front. Yes, we will be playing Brazil here in the States. I hope we bring in our 1st team players for that game. If the coach isn't Bradley, I hope it's Klinsmann. This will be my last post on the subject because you obviously don't see the correlation between developing a good team and having the correct infrastructure in place to support that team. Let's say those kids who want to be like Demps and Howard are 10 right now. They go to their parents and want to play soccer and become great, where to do they go? An MLS academy? Sure, if you live in one of the cities with an MLS team..but wait...they don't support U-12 teams yet. So maybe a good youth club team. OK, but what if you can't afford the pay to play scheme that most good club teams are (or maybe you just don't live close enough to one). What next? You can't just hope that you are a natural and haveyour parents send out a youtube video and in the hopes that a top pro club sees the video and signs you. So where I am going with this? We don't have enough quality youth coaches, youth academies and just plain exposure yet.
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 20:31:44 GMT -8
Our players playing in Europe absolutely have an effect on where we will be in 20 years. Kids look up to them and want to be like them, plus they continue to develop and get better and the U.S. gets better and climbs the rankings and the influences the kids of the future. So you are wrong again on that front. Yes, we will be playing Brazil here in the States. I hope we bring in our 1st team players for that game. If the coach isn't Bradley, I hope it's Klinsmann. This will be my last post on the subject because you obviously don't see the correlation between developing a good team and having the correct infrastructure in place to support that team. Let's say those kids who want to be like Demps and Howard are 10 right now. They go to their parents and want to play soccer and become great, where to do they go? An MLS academy? Sure, if you live in one of the cities with an MLS team..but wait...they don't support U-12 teams yet. So maybe a good youth club team. OK, but what if you can't afford the pay to play scheme that most good club teams are (or maybe you just don't live close enough to one). What next? You can't just hope that you are a natural and haveyour parents send out a youtube video and in the hopes that a top pro club sees the video and signs you. So where I am going with this? We don't have enough quality youth coaches, youth academies and just plain exposure yet. You don't get it. I have been following the national team for the last 20 years. Do you know how far they have come in those 20 years? The key is keeping quality kids playing soccer instead of all the good athletes switching over to football, baseball and basketball.
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 20:37:41 GMT -8
This will be my last post on the subject because you obviously don't see the correlation between developing a good team and having the correct infrastructure in place to support that team. Let's say those kids who want to be like Demps and Howard are 10 right now. They go to their parents and want to play soccer and become great, where to do they go? An MLS academy? Sure, if you live in one of the cities with an MLS team..but wait...they don't support U-12 teams yet. So maybe a good youth club team. OK, but what if you can't afford the pay to play scheme that most good club teams are (or maybe you just don't live close enough to one). What next? You can't just hope that you are a natural and haveyour parents send out a youtube video and in the hopes that a top pro club sees the video and signs you. So where I am going with this? We don't have enough quality youth coaches, youth academies and just plain exposure yet. You don't get it. I have been following the national team for the last 20 years. Do you know how far they have come in those 20 years? The key is keeping quality kids playing soccer instead of all the good athletes switching over to football, baseball and basketball. Whatever. While what you say is part of the issue. It isn't the main issue, in fact its a very small part of it. Just because ESPN says its a big issue doesn't make it so. BTW. Have you tried to answer my issues your self? Think about it then see if I don't "get it"
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Post by AztecTom on May 31, 2010 20:49:36 GMT -8
You don't get it. I have been following the national team for the last 20 years. Do you know how far they have come in those 20 years? The key is keeping quality kids playing soccer instead of all the good athletes switching over to football, baseball and basketball. Whatever. While what you say is part of the issue. It isn't the main issue, in fact its a very small part of it. Just because ESPN says its a big issue doesn't make it so. BTW. Have you tried to answer my issues your self? Think about it then see if I don't "get it" I thought you said your last post was your last on this subject? Are you confused just like your posts? I answer all your issues myself mate. Do yourself a favor and myself a favor and just follow the Aussies. I have to give you a serious WTF!
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Post by aztecinoz on May 31, 2010 21:04:13 GMT -8
Whatever. While what you say is part of the issue. It isn't the main issue, in fact its a very small part of it. Just because ESPN says its a big issue doesn't make it so. BTW. Have you tried to answer my issues your self? Think about it then see if I don't "get it" I thought you said your last post was your last on this subject? Are you confused just like your posts? I answer all your issues myself mate. Do yourself a favor and myself a favor and just follow the Aussies. I have to give you a serious WTF! It was your blatant ignorance on what it takes to field a top team that made me respond. If you truly can't see the correlation there it will be my last post on the subject. I tried to offer insightful info on subject not just talk about our top pros know (who won't offer anything to future generations unless they go into coaching or finance academies).
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