I think Owlhouse's point stands - he's saying, (well, we're saying), that it's not a failure to be sent home from that group, partially because the US is "not that good" compared to the teams you ended up against. I know that you're a realistic football fan and, although you felt the US would progress, you probably weren't astonished that they didn't, but the web has been packed, from Soccernet to Hattrick to the BBC to Sportsfilter itself with Americans who earnestly believed that their team would canter through their group. The Czechs were too old, the Italians were going to be distracted by their domestic match fixing problems and the Ghanaians, well, no one was talking about them. The team had been hyped up as the fifth best team in the world, when in fact, you weren't that good. Now, despite finishing bottom of the group the talent is there, in the team. I like what I saw of Gooch and Mastroeni looks like a half decent holding player in midfield, although he needs to work on his distribution. You need a natural goal scorer, (see Italy's fourth-string forward, Pipo Inzaghi for a team with depth there), but that's hardly a sin; England start tomorrow relying on an ambulatory tree, a player who didn't score a single goal in qualifying and a kid who the manager hasn't even seen play for goals. You also need some creativity in midfield. ESPN seemed to think that Landon was the second coming, but whether he does have the talent and is just allergic to German air or really doesn't have the talent, he just was a complete non-factor. With a new coach, new ideas and another four years to develop the US will be back for South Africa, where the Europeans won't have any homefield advantage. You probably still won't be the fifth best team in the world, but, as Ghana have shown, you don't have to be.
Yeah, what Mr B said. You do have the talent, but you're not that good AS A TEAM. Playing in CONCACAF, beating up on El Salvador and with only a few players having played regularly outside the MLS, the US team is short of experience in tough games and in tough leagues. I think it showed.
I don't think the tough group excuse is operational, given how the U.S. could have advanced with a win over Ghana. Ghana may be a great team, but this is their first World Cup. At this stage in our development, the U.S. should have been able to handle them, or at a minimum given them a strong challenge.
I think our excuse is simply "We played a bad tournament"...Never have I believed we're the number 5 team in the world, same as I now don't believe we're as bad as our showing in Germany. Had we played the way we did during qualification, I think we would have done much better. I know the teams in qualification aren't as good as the Czechs and Italians (and maybe not even as tough as Ghana), but we did finish ahead of the mighty Mexicans so regardless of competition, we played better than one round of 16 team. We simply didn't show up for 2 games much like Argentina and France in 2002. And I think Bruce Arena has been an amazing coach for the US and should stay and have another chance (who else are we gonna get anyway). He had a bad tournament much like Donovan and Beasley and many of the other US players. I'm not sure what was different in the Italy game that we couldn't have done in the other two games (maybe start Mastroeni and Dempsey in both), but I think it will be sorted out.
Mastroeni couldn't start in the Ghana game because of the Italy game.
I know that you're a realistic football fan and, although you felt the US would progress, you probably weren't astonished that they didn't Even for the cynical, a group in which I include myself, many Americans are still hopeful and optimistic, which is why I believe the above statement is correct. We (I'm inlcuding SpoFi regulars here, not the johnny-come-lately-bandwagon jumpers) hoped we would make it out of the group, which is far from believing it. Of course I'm disappointed, but more from the sense of entitlement and lack of heart and steel some of our key players displayed than the fact we didn't advance. I've been as critical of this team in the build-up as anyone, probably moreso, but that doesn't diminish the feeling of being kicked in the gut. That being said, I think we outplayed Ghana and should have gone through, but, again, our key players didn't have the mettle at the decisive moments. The issue I have with owlhouse's comments...well, I was picking nits. It's like having someone call your brother an asshole; he is an asshole, you know he's an asshole, EVERYONE knows he's an asshole, but have someone call him out outside of the family and it's going down!:-) And Ricardo, while I agree that Arena has done a lot for this team, I don't think he has the ability or respect from the players to take it any further. I think more on this will come out in the near future, but it seems his relationship with the players has taken on that of familiarity breeding contempt.
The issue I have with owlhouse's comments...well, I was picking nits. It's like having someone call your brother an asshole; he is an asshole, you know he's an asshole, EVERYONE knows he's an asshole, but have someone call him out outside of the family and it's going down!:-) No offence taken, Tex. I actually want the US to have a good team, too. It would be great for the game, and of course great for all the long suffering fans like you. And it would stick it up the US mainstream media (we get them down here, as well). Think about this: Neither the Czechs nor the US got out of the group. Landon Donovan and Tomas Risicky are comparable talents, with Donovan perhaps being the more gifted. Over the next 4 years, Risicky will be under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger, playing in the EPL and the Champions League, and helping the Czech Republic qualify and play in Euro 2008. Donovan will be back at the Galaxy. That's what worries me more than anything.
