Posted on 02/10/2005 1:23:47 PM PST by 1rudeboy
For those of us who began avidly following the United States before 1990, Wednesday's 2-1 victory away to Trinidad & Tobago seems like something of a dream.
It wasn't just that the U.S. won their opening match in the Final Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualification, it's that they did it with such poise, confidence, and relative ease, in a pretty difficult place to gain a result.
[snip]
I'm actually bracing myself for the columns and comments of the soccer media who will proclaim that the U.S. wasn't dominate enough in that match; that the scoreline should have been more decisive. Perhaps they should be reminded of the years 1951 through 1988 when wins, home or away, were neither plentiful nor expected.
As the United States closes in on a fifth consecutive World Cup appearance, it's important to consider a time not that long ago, when even one trip to soccer's biggest event would have been regarded as a miracle. In fact, the berth in Italia 1990 was considered just that. Now a place in Germany 2006 is not only expected, it's demanded.
[snip]
The United States is now into its fourth year unbeaten by a CONCACAF nation. For this cycle of World Cup Qualification, the U.S. has outscored the opposition 21-6. Against the two biggest rivals in the Confederation, Mexico and Costa Rica, America has lost just two of its last 13 matches.
This country has players at clubs in the highest divisions in England, Germany, and Holland, some of whom can't even make the current squad. And yet, with all of this evidence, it still comes as something of a highly pleasant surprise to see the U.S. so comfortably handle a match like the one on Wednesday.
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(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
GO U.S. Metric Football Team!
I love soccer... I attended a Mexico USA game with my girlfriend and had a blast.. One country verses her country... I was wrapped in the American flag and she was in the Mexican flag.. Needless to say she paid for dinner.
Besides, it's good to see the underdogs win a few.
FIFA ranks the US Men at #11 in the world. We're hardly underdogs anymore. Based on the rankings, #7 Mexico and #11 USA should easily advance out of this group. One other will join them, and a fourth will play-in against the #5 finisher in the Asian qualifying.
The team was on strike but I am glad they got thier first win. I just found a local place to watch the games.
footie ping
Imagine what would have happened if we had beaten Germany in 2002. We were cheated out of that game.
"The other football" ping...
When it comes to qualifying, any win on the road is a good one, regardless of where it is.
A real injury is one thing, but if you can walk....get up!!!!!!
Very true. The European leagues run rampant with cheap shots and fake dives. You see very little of that from the US, although it happens occasionally.
A few years ago they started handing out yellow cards for diving. I was tired of the dramatics, especially from teams like Argentina, who would turn the whole thing into a 10 minute ordeal and then get up running.
Seriously speaking, if the US team beat any of the following nations the outcry would be great. The nations are: Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Spain and/or Great Britain. I really think there would be revolt in those nations (in particular if it happened in Britain or Brazil).
The thing is this. The US mens team is ranked at 11th place. That is a VERY good ranking for a game that was relegated to soccer moms for many years in the US. And the game is improving. Thus it is only a matter of time before a US team beats one or more of the above nations. It is very possible. Especially teams like Germany that have lost a lot of their former glory (infact Germany was very lucky). I'm sure if the US was to start defeating nations in soccer they would feel that the US was 'stealing' the only thing they could call their own. LOL.
As long as it stays away from defeating Britain and/or Brazil everything should be ok though. Defeat those two (especially Britain) and i am sure for the first time Manchester United fans will unite with Arsenal fans.
p.s: Arsenal rocks, and any MU fans in FR suck (i couldn't help it. Anyways who knows about the rivarly between MU and Arsenal, or anything about British soccer, would understand. Fans of British soccer are nuts. I regularly download games, or watch them on cable tv when i can).
That's the one thing soccer is missing here in the US, a professional league (don't get me started on the MLS) that has real rivalries. Even the old NASL, had a great rivalry between the hated Tampa Bay Rowdies (Rodney Marsh sucks) and my Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Now that was a rivalry.
I didn't know "Great Britain" had a side. There's Scotland and England, of course, both of whom are lower ranked than the US, but what is this "Great Britain" team you mention?
The beat us at our game "basketball" so we need to beat them at theirs...
I've watched uncounted soccer games over the last 15 years. I am amazed at what those highly skilled players can do with foot and ball.
It remains my least favorite sport.
BORING!!!!
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