Posted on 06/11/2006 7:33:41 PM PDT by Atlantic Bridge
Soccer is the game the rest of the world plays because they don't have enough brains to invent really good games like baseball, basketball, and football.
Italy hasn't lost in around 14 games, although it tied several in there. There last loss was to Iceland 2-0.
Not to mention that in head-to-head encounters in the past year, England's C team beat you guys; you also received quite the spanking from Germany about a month ago.
Nigeria, for example, is ahead of Italy according to FIFA. And they're not even in the WC! What a farce.
Italy lost to South Korea in 2002, and if I remember correctly drew with the Cameroons in 1982 in Spain.
Aye, we performed poorly in 02 with a moronic coach who has luckily been replaced. I won't delve into the refereeing of that match, however (except to point out that the ref was soon afterwords involved in a bribery scandal).
We won the WC in 82, so we could've drawn with Jamaica for all it mattered. If you had won it all the loss to Iran wouldn't have mattered. But you didn't, haven't, and won't, this year anyway ;)
Well we did better than Italy in 2002. At least we got to the quarters. Italy didn't.
True, and you may very well beat us this year in our head-to-head match-up. On paper our squad outclasses yours by quite a bit, but matches aren't played on paper, so we'll see, and hopefully have an enjoyable match.
Great question!. In the U.S. it's a game that your children play. You may have to bring oranges and Trail Mix occasionally to their games, and yell, "Score!!".. once in a great while. But after your kids move on..for Americans, it's the most BORING sport in the world!!
Actually I think our last loss was a 1-0 defeat against Slovenia. In our last 22 games we've won 12, drawn 8, and lost 2.
I am a little worried about the WC squad. Totti's at 70% fitness, though that may be a Lippi misdirection for the press to chew on. Some of his squad selection has been suspect, and it could come back to haunt us when we face the USA and the Czechs.
You have to feel sorry for the kids who "star" in soccer. The parents are saddled with going to those boring games year round for years on end. And for that pleasure they generally spend 5-10K per. Makes Hades not look so bad??
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Yup you're right, Slovenia was the last loss. Iceland was shortly before that. Those are the only 2 'recent' losses and both are from 2004.
Most parents really enjoy it. Some moreso than their kids.
He was suspended from playing in the Italian league for the scandal, which he has always professed his innocence, and therefore the suspension was reduced from 3 years to 2. The idea that he had no business playing at all is ridiculous. He served the suspension he was given.
Pablito was then surprisingly called up to the WC squad of 1982, despite being in poor form (look at the awful group stage matches we put on). But then, the magic took over, and we hoisted the cup for a 3rd time.
Most people have never watched more than 1 soccer game in their whole life here in the states, much less really understood it (required to enjoy any type of game). Also, most people only get into a sport where they have a 'team' to pull for. Well, there aren't too many storied soccer teams in the US, and fewer with any television exposure since there are no commercial time outs like in other sports.
I think the Czechs pose us the biggest matchup issues of the group with giant Jon Koller in front and crafty, controlled midfield general Pavel Nedved running things for the team. That's one battle I think will determine the match... which team can dictate things in the middle of the field.
What is it with you and trying to attack my (perceived) nationality? First it was jabs at Canada, now Europe. Just because I put some critiques of the US team doesn't mean I have some personal vendetta against them. I actually want the sport to succeed in the States, and to do that they'd have to have some sort of success. Stop trying to turn this into some sort of personal attack.
Winning a match agisnt Jamica doesn't give the same ranking points, for example, as wining a mtach against England.
No, but when you play more often, you get more points. Having the Gold Cup happen so bloody often helps this. Personally I think the Gold Cup itself is a bit of a joke (the USA and Mexico dominate it; Canada's win was an abberation).
There's a reason even the US players were surprised when the US was at one point ranked as high as 4th (despite having just lost to Germany 4-1); the system is flawed.
Much more respected amongst soccer fans is the Elo ranking system, but even that has its problems. We'll see after the WC what FIFA's 'improved' system has to offer.
Holland did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup, and they werwe one of the best teams on the planet
Well, they are Dutch, perennial underachievers LOL
Pretty much everyone was surprised that he was selected for the squad. If the FIGC was so pro-Rossi to be in the WC the idea that they'd have him not be able to play for two years prior to the tournament is ridiculous. Why would anyone want a striker who's gone two years without playing? Only the coach, who had selected him in 78, took a gamble because he needed a box striker.
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