It always comes down to the quality of players. Soccer has never been our countries number one sport. I see basketballs, stick balls, skateboards, etc., being played by our youth, never soccer. As in other countries.
I haven't seen the numbers, dstdz, but I understand that football is the most played sport by US youth, so I guess that you just haven't seen those youth come through sufficiently yet, without being pulled off into the more established US sports. As for Arena, the 4-5-1 is fine, but not in the second half of a game you're losing, where only a win is good enough. The sight of your extra forwards sitting on the bench to start the second half of the Ghana game said it all about Arena. After the game, Arena was complaining about the penalty, (which still looks like a penalty to me when viewed at full speed, (even though it doesn't when viewed slow-mo)), saying that the goal lead gave the Ghanaians the opportunity to sit back and soak up pressure, but his response to this was to send out one forward to start the second half. For my own two cents, I think you should go find an established European coach, (I vote for Scolari), then pluck some young and promising coach from MLS and pay him to sit in Scolari's pocket for the next four years, while still working in some club role in MLS. Cue 2011 and you have a young American coach for your national team, exposed to European, (and with Scolari, South American), ideas and methods, who is still recognisable to domestic fans.
Mr Bismarck, that's some of the most valuable two cents I've read in a while. So true. Because no matter how much Arena stank up the place, the US has no one better (by far).
I agree with Mr. B. I don't agree with the article's statement that the team showed heart. In fact it seemed more like they couldn't give a rat's patootie about playing the Ghana (or Czech) matches. As Mr B said, Arena should have started the second with another striker (Eddie Johnson by default) paired with McBride. But even when Johnson did enter the game, he looked unprepared and uninterested; getting beat to balls by players who had played significantly more minutes. Time for Arena to try something else. I'd like to see if he could hold his own in a league outside of the US. He did well at UVA, DC United and in 2002 at the World Cup. Maybe he needs to experience the game in another country. His players could use some of that experience as well. Dempsey was the only MLS-based player who I thought played well in all 3 games, and his goal was brilliant. Donovan needs to quit being a whiny homesick little boy and try to make a squad in Europe again. He is only 24, and the big fish in a little pond isn't going to win anything but the MLS trophy, and how long is that going to be enough for him? Today's matches should be interesting. See some of you around the campfire.
There's a rumor that the German national team coach is going to take over for Arena in the near future. Someone should.
"As for Arena, the 4-5-1 is fine, but not in the second half of a game you're losing, where only a win is good enough."
Not to be a stickler but couldn't you argue that all 3 matches were this way? Group of death and whatnot.
I was actually pretty happy with how he publically called out the players after the Czech match, however, coupled with his words and attitude after the Ghana match made me sick. I've known he's arrogant ever since I went to his soccer camp as a kid but I never thought he was a complete prick.
I think Bruce may be the best coach we have ever had. However he has been on the job too long and his tactics have become stale. The most discouraging thing to me as a coach was his body language and handling of players. First he called out some of his players after the Czech game, you dont do that in the press. During every game whenever a call went against the US Bruce would throw his hands in air in disgust and spew profanities at the ref (I can read lips)...not the way to get future calls to go your way. He also would throw his hands up and turn around in disgust whenever the team made a mistake, not how to develop confidence of your players during a match. Finally he criticized the officiating from the onset and that is not smart going into the most important game of the cup...no surprise the US had a marginal call go against them.
I agree with Terrapin about Dempsey. However Donovan is not even close to being a big fish in a small pond. He is a marginal MLS player, he has never dominated in MLS or been a clear cut stand out player. He is in the press because US Soccer wants him to become the US version of Beckham...a marketing tool...anyone who knows anything about the sport knows why Donovan didn't make it in Europe his first two tries- he is simply not very good. His performance in the cup just reinforces that.
Surprised nobody has mentioned our captain yet. Claudio Reyna had his pride injured so much he needed a stretcher. It made me sick that he did not even try to recover and defend after making such a horrendous error. Hiding mistakes behind injuries instead of taking responsibility and playing with pride, another reason the US failed miserably.
Brian Goff and Skip Sauer have a couple of clear-headed takes on the US difficulties at The Sports Economist. A particularly relevant quote from Goff (emphasis his):
The lack of "emotion, energy, and urgency" that developed over the course of the game is the result of a team that can only counterattack in wide spaces limited to having to attack in limited space -- something that it is painfully obvious the U.S. cannot do well nor can any team with few (or no) players who can beat someone one-one-one in tight spaces.
I said the other day Arena has to go and ought to be replaced with a European/Brazilian coach and yesterday's effort changed nothing fo rme. Reyna is retiring from international play, okay. Donovan was a dominant MLS player, urall, I watched him play during the years in San Jose and he was the team's engine, but since his second, strange adventure with Bayern Leverkusen he's been a different player. He needs to think back to 2002/2003 and remember what made him the best American player, and then take that back to Europe. Otherwise we need a new midfield leader for 2008.
I see basketballs, stick balls, skateboards, etc., being played by our youth, never soccer. As in other countries. Today, however, according to FIFA (Fdration Internationale de Football Association), the United States has more official soccer players than any other nation in the world - almost 18 million.
That should be taken with a grain of salt, though, grum. First, the US has a large population -- about 60% larger than Brazil's, and twice the size of Russia's. The next South American or European country in population is Germany, at ~85 million, which is about 30% of USA's. They get smaller from there. Second, the US is extremely good at counting ... what I mean is, that a very high percentage of people who play soccer in the US are registered in some local organization, which is part of some state organization, which is part of the national organization ... and because of that formal structure it is relatively easy to count all the soccer players. That may also be true in many other countries, but it's probably not the case in the developing world. This report from the SGMA says that among Americans 6 and older, outdoor soccer is the 24th most popular "Sport/Activity," at 15.8 million participants. Many things on the list are not what I would consider sports (*ahem*) but soccer does come in behind basketball and inline skating (marginally).
I think most of the activities in that report could be lumped together under exercise though. For example, number 6,7, and 8 are running/jogging, day hiking, and fitness walking respectively. There is also a place for hand weights and another for dumbells.
I agree, 24th is not a really meaningful number. But the point is that the original comment (approximately "soccer is not as popular as other sports") is factual.
I see basketballs, stick balls, skateboards, etc., being played by our youth, never soccer. Clearly, you're not in the 'burbs, where soccer reigns supreme. Where are you seeing stickball? Do you have access to some kind of time portal that goes back to New York City circa 1950?
I agree, 24th is not a really meaningful number. But the point is that the original comment (approximately "soccer is not as popular as other sports") is factual. I think perhaps a better phrasing of soccer's popularity in the U.S. is that soccer is (or is one of) the most popular organized sport(s) in the U.S. As noted by others, the list in the SGMA report includes all manner of recreational activities. I bet the bowling number, e.g., takes a big hit if you take only organized bowling (i.e., those in leagues). Same can be said for other activities on the list that are more in line with what we would consider "sports," such as basketball. Whereas soccer in the U.S., for the most part, is not a "pick-up" sport.
The reason for my link was for the tail end of the original quote: "..never soccer." I just wanted to point out that if dstdz has never seen kids playing soccer, he's living in a different place than most Americans.
Stick ball is in now that the price of these has gone through the roof. I blame Bush. Of the 18 million Americans who play soccer, 78% are under the age of eighteen. That would mean @ 14 million. If you apply the age filter to bowling, I am guessing that the number of bowlers under 18 is not even close to 14 million. Actually, if you apply the age restriction to every "activity/sport" on the SGMA list, my hunch is that soccer would be second only to basketball.
Quick questions, what are some alternative formations to the 5-4-1? Do additonal strikers come at the expense of mid fielders or defensemen?
There's nothing wrong with 4-5-1, as you can adjust the formation to 4-3-3 very easily by pushing up the wide midfield players to support the lone striker. What you do need with this system is a striker who can hold the ball up until support arrives - which patently Brian McBride is not, as his strengths are mainly in the air. As others have pointed out, when you need a win, you have to abandon the formation and put more strikers on. It's a risk, but if a loss or draw puts you out, why not try it? Australia put four attackers on the pitch against Croatia, going for the second equaliser. They got it and then had to play the last 10 minutes with players in some very strange positions!
