US coach Bruce Arena looks out at his team during a team training session in Gelsenkirchen on June 11.
Getty Images US goalkeeper Kasey Keller.
Posted on 06/11/2006 7:33:41 PM PDT by Atlantic Bridge
Long unknown at home and ridiculed abroad, the United States isn't being written off in the soccer world anymore. But the Americans will need to pull together as team to get past their tough World Cup group.
A motorcade of police cars with flashing blue lights and a massive, unmarked FIFA bus has announced the arrival and often rapid departure of the US soccer team in Hamburg over the past week. But when the American players are on their own, it's a different story.
On Friday, star midfielder DaMarcus Beasley sat, blissfully anonymous, at a sidewalk café outside the Americans' well-guarded hotel in downtown Hamburg. A group night out by some of the team early in the week warranted only brief mention in the local paper.
The contrast is typical of the US soccer story. Individually, the players are unknowns, their limited impact on the top European leagues ensuring them the sort of privacy their opponents in their World Cup group matches can only dream of. But as a team, the US is slowly making the rest of the world sit up and take notice.
Their impressive showing at the last tournament in 2002, which began with a 3-2 win over Portugal and only ended with a defeat against Germany in the quarter-finals, raised eyebrows abroad. At home, it added to the profile of a sport that has struggled mightily for attention in a crowded field of spectator sports.
"We've gained some fans that didn't have anything to do with soccer and that's, obviously the hardest person to get," said Eddie Pope, one of the team's central defenders and a veteran of two World Cup campaigns. "I think before we weren't getting those guys at all."
(Excerpt) Read more at service.spiegel.de ...
US coach Bruce Arena looks out at his team during a team training session in Gelsenkirchen on June 11.
Getty Images US goalkeeper Kasey Keller.
So how did the U.S. end up doing in this year's WOrld Cup?
It's all about finishing, something the US has never been great at.
We played against Germany in the last WC, but they just didn't finish. That's my fear this time around, we can play with anybody, but will we make the most of the few opportunities we'll get.
The United States can let other countries, such as your Germany, be the leaders in soccer (although the Brazilians seem to have some animosity toward the United States).
The World Cup has just started recently.
We play tomorrow--keep your fingers crossed
You lot are in a tough group. Italy and the Czechs are favored to go through, and Ghana could surprise everyone. If the US fails to progress past the group stage it could be a step backwards for the sport in the US.
whats soccer?
I doubt that would hurt US Soccer at all! It is extremely popular in HS and college, and we are placing many players in the European leagues now too. But no one watches it on TV and if you go to an MLS game here in the States, the crowds are overwhelmingly Hispanic. Soccer will never break in because the Big Three of football-basketball-baseball don't leave any room. Hockey has been virtually frozen out (no pun intended!). Then add on golf and tennis. Soccer will continue to have a small hard-core following here but that's it.
If you told me 25 years ago that the US would have better showing in a world soccer tournament than one in basketball or baseball I would have called you a moonbat.
You numbskull, it is what plays at all those Mexican restaurants you go to on the tv in the corner. I don't think they play in for real, just like some sad hollywood wanna b's without a script and only a ball and a field to work with. Sorta like roller derby and WWF, it can't be real.
Who added the following keywords to this thread
"00; CAPRISUN; ITSSOCCERWHOCARES; NOSCORE; ORANGESLICES; WAKEMEUPAFTERTHIS; WORLDCUP; ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ;"
Shame on you, asshole!
LOL, I didn't do it, promise.
Has anyone seen my green sweater?
If that would be true, it would be a declaration of bankruptcy of all American sportsmen. Even our baseball-team (a sport that practically does not exist in Europe and is unknown by large parts of the Europeans) tries to win and I as a German will support them in doing that.
It is fun to compete with other nations in a fair and sportive manner. If someone surrenders in advance, it is simply a sign of decadence to me.
Anyway - I think that the US have a professional team that will bring good scores. This is nothing that has to be hidden away.
Take a look at my #16.
You know, comparing the Brazil and US teams in soccer is like comparing the top NBA teams and British Championship team in basketball (basketball is practically a non-existent sport in Britain). It basically is so much better tahn the US team that it doesn't care about how the Americans are doing.
US is ranked 5th in the world right now actually. (Brazil is #1)
Why do you say that? The US has a higher FIFA rating than Italy (#5 vs #13) and the Czechs have injured players (though they are rated #2). I'm guessing that we will come out #2 in this round and then get beat by #1 Brazil in the next round (unless they somehow come out of the first round as the runner up). I'm hoping that we come out #1 in this round and don't have to deal with Brazil for a while. It is a possibility due to the Czech injuries. If we don't have to face Brazil initially we have a strong shot for at least the semi-finals.
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