USA at the FIFA Confederations Cup
So, let’s start with this: I feel really uninformed about this topic, and yet, I want to talk about it… so don’t mind the flaws. In fact, please correct me!
I am of the opinion that the United States does not have a good soccer team. We have a poorly organized Major League Soccer division, with horrendous attendance levels (compared to other sports in the United States). A quick search shows the United States’ MLS attendance level of 2005-06 was roughly half of that of the English Premiership and the Spanish La Liga [source]. I even feel that our players are no where near on par with the rest of the world’s national teams.
It is just surprising at how much the rest of the world loves FOOTBALL, and yet, the United States trails so far behind. What caused this in the first place? I remember playing in Youth Soccer in the early 90’s, and it was very popular, or so it seemed to me.j
Anyways, back on topic. I am always surprised to see the United States qualify so easily for different tournaments (like the World Cup). I just feel that the team is so mediocre that I don’t see how they actually make it to these competitions. And even when they make it to the tournaments, I’m even more surprised if they manage to make it past the Group Stage…
A perfect example of this is the FIFA Confederations Cup, which is happening right now. I checked up on the wiki entry to make sure I understood how teams are chosen. For those that don’t know, 6 teams are chosen by being the respective winner in their regional divisions, followed by the most recent World Cup Champion (Italy) and the Host Team (South Africa).
United States, South Africa, Spain, and Brazil made it past the Group Stage. The first Semi final game was played yesterday (United States vs Spain), and the second one will be today at 2:30 EST.
However, yesterday, United States shocked me (like always), by beating Spain, 2-0. We’re talking about a couple of the greatest teams out there (Spain and Brazil), both of which have a very impressive player list for the competition. What in the world happened to Spain to let them lose to the United States out of all teams? A friend of mine suggests that Spain wasn’t focused on this game as they were more concerned with a future opponent (Brazil) if they face each other in the final.
Really, just answer me this: Am I wrong about my impression of the United States National Football Team? Are they actually capable of truly being a good team on the World Stage, even though MLS is far from the spotlight in American minds?
Short of David Beckham, you never hear of players actually interested in playing for MLS (atleast, in major news, I guess?). Meanwhile, overseas, teams are constantly trading players from all across the world. Players from La Liga and Spain playing in the Premiership, and vice versa. Meanwhile MLS sits there, stagnating from not having any real competition.
Tags: FIFA, Football, La Liga, MLS, Premiership, Soccer, United States
i have a neighbor whose son plays pro soccer. unfortunately, not in the U.S.; he plays for the Dutch National team. thus backing up your supposition. ive met him before and he says that besides the fact that the women are hotter over there, theres just a general lack of interest here in the U.S. in soccer. a lot of parents who want to push their kids into some professional sport usually steer the kids toward the NFL or MLB because thats where they can “get paid.
thus i have the feeling that “weekend soccer is just a place to take the kids and drop them for a few hours so that mom and/or dad can go enjoy their Starbucks in peace.
Of the 54 players on the US National team, 26 play for European or Mexican teams, not MLS teams. Thats probably why the National team seems better than you would think from MLS.
Well, yesterdays game proves that you have to go out and get the job done because any team can lose on a given day. If these teams play a home and away series, the US is losing the next game 5-0, but that isnt the format, and they did what they had to win. The US had nothing to lose, and showed this by going all out. The press in Spain had given the game, and tournament to the national team once the draw was announced. I purposely didnt watch because I didnt want to root against either team (I also had to work, but thats besides the point!).
Are far as the MLS is concerned, it has come a long way from its inception following the 94 World Cup. The idea was to setup a proper league so that the players could get the necessary experience they needed to compete at some level on the world stage. Prior to the 90 World Cup the US hadnt qualified in something like 40 years. The 1990 team did it with a few players overseas, some in college, and some that just practiced with the national team.
Now is MLS a top flight league? No, its a feeder league that is the equivalent to AA baseball. Any decent player is snatched up by a European club as soon as they show promise, case in point yesterdays goal scorer Jozy Altidore. He played a year for MLS New York Red Bull, and signed a record deal of $2,000,000 to play for Villareal to play along side Giuseppe Rossi (another NJ native) in La Liga. He was loaned out to Xerez for half of the season. If a player has talent theyre taken to the big leagues, just like any other sport. The current coach, Bob Bradley (another NJ native) was the first to decide that a player would need to play in Europe in order to battle for a spot on the national team. This would be the equivalent to playing in the NBA, NHL, MLB, or NFL. Why would you take a collage or minor league player to represent your country on the world stage? If a player is good enough, they arent going to be playing in an inferior league.
Can the US compete on the world stage? They showed yesterday that they can during any given match. As mentioned above though this feet will be difficult to repeat, but nothing is impossible!
Were one generation deep since the inception of the MLS, the goal all along was to field a team that would challenge for the world cup by the 2014 or 2018 tournament (the latter maybe held in the US again). Can they get there? I think they can, physically our players are some of the best when it comes to conditioning. Mentally? Were a few paces behind our European, and some South American counter parts. That said, the US team is closing the gap.