No words necessary
Posted on 03/02/2009 1:18:07 PM PST by frankiep
U.S. players can't crack Europe's glass ceiling
Monday, March 2, 2009
It was another lost weekend in Europe for the three most talented players the United States has ever produced. With the World Cup just 16 months away and Bob Bradley, like most managers, reluctant to call on players not receiving regular minutes at the club level, this situation could become a problem for the national team really soon.
But I suspect the bigger issue for U.S. fans at present is the simple lack of respect afforded their biggest stars. I've never bought into the theory of a bias against American players overseas, but I must confess these are three of the most bizarre cases I can ever recall.
-snip-
This country has made enormous strides at the international level, but the success hasn't boosted the reputation of U.S. players in Europe all that much. To date, no American outfield player has left any kind of mark with a top club overseas. (Sorry, Fulham doesn't qualify.)
U.S. fans yearn for that validation, whether they like to admit it or not, which is what makes the plight of these three so galling. It's been a long time coming, but the feeling now is that the United States possesses good enough players to have more of a presence in the top European leagues. All they need is a fair shake.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be coming anytime soon. So what U.S. fans must hope for is the emergence of an American soccer Jackie Robinson. All it would take is for one player to rise above the prejudice, if you will, and do something special on a really big stage. But that, as we know, is easier said than done.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
***except if your opinion is that soccer is a stupid sport. If that is all you have to say then just keep it to yourself.
My lips are sealed.
Soccer is a pretty stupid sport.
:) just because someone had to say it and get it out of the way.
Soccer may not be a stupid sport, but it’s not an American sport, either.
There are too many other sports for our yooots to get into instead of it.
No words necessary
Neither is hockey.
So what’s your point?
Really, is this what we’re doing here now? Hijacking threads because they are about something that you personally are not interested in
Landon Donovan has played for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but they dissed him in line with the article. But last year Bayern Munich was working very hard to grab him for at least a few months, so respect may be coming.
We simply will not have respect in soccer until we have world-class players. Europe isn’t so awed by big contracts and a flashy lifestyle, they care what you do on the field. And they’ll drop you like a hot potato if you lose it, just ask Ollie Kahn. He was once one of the greatest goalies and the German team captain, a national hero, but he lost it and they only let him play the third-place game in 2006.
Pardon me, but is it even possible for a single player to dominate a soccer game on a consistent enough basis to be compared to "Jackie Robinson"? The game is so subtle that it isn't obvious to me who the really good players are without the help of the analysts. So it comes down to opinions, and they can be manipulated for good or ill.
I always thought Kahn was over-rated (being an ex-keeper, myself). Not that I disagree with the overall point of your comment or use of Kahn as an example. Your right on in that respect.
Someday soccer will be as popular as baseball and football...blaah blah blah. I have been hearing this since i was 7.
I will watch soccer as soon as we are forced to use the metric system
I agree.
So what’s your point?
No real point. You post. I comment. That's how this thingie works.
If you're interested, I always notice when people post odd sporting news. I like diversity. I like knowing that there is a world out there that is not exactly like the world I inhabit every day. Europe and the 3rd world have their soccer, we Americans have our sports. Of course, there is the attitude of many American soccer fans, whose love of that game is a not-so-thinly-disguised contempt for stupid provincial Americans who are too dense to appreciate the beauty of the "world's most sport."
I guess I feel the same way about American's playing soccer as I do about my HS alma mater playing lacrosse.
Now for some ACTUAL pictures that are not "cleverly" photo shopped
Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane. To name a few.
It may still be a little early for Adu, but you wouldn’t consider Donovan a world class player? Or at least talented enough that play regularly outside of the US?
LOL. *Yawn*
It’s not okay for the Euroweenies to openly hate Jews but it is fashionable for them to hate Americans.
No need to worry about them, though, the Muslims will bring them to heel in 5-20 years.
I guess I can see where you are coming from. I never understood that mentality, but I know it’s there.
Baseball is, and always will be, my favorite sport. However I also think that soccer is a pretty good sport as well. Trust me, there are plenty of people who like soccer as a sport and not as a not-so-thinly-disguised contempt for America.
Article is a load of bunk. Frankly I suspect journalistic trolling.
All football fans care about is winning. Just take a look at any Premiership side....there are people from all over the world. The reason the big European sides aren’t all over the USA buying up quality players is because there aren’t any good enough to compete, with the odd exception (we have a couple of US goalies who are well respected.)
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