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Restructuring US soccer needs to be done on both ends of the spectrum. You can open up the lowest levels of youth play to everyone, but you'll still run into problems as they age up into high school and have to pick sports. You'll continue to have athletes look at the realm of possibilities beyond youth play and go, "Well, I can be Lebron James the soccer player...and hope I make it onto a 23 person national team or get selected overseas to play...or I can be Lebron James of the NBA and make billions of dollars, cos darn if I'm not good at that too." Statistically speaking, the more kids you get involved young, the more kids you'll have choosing soccer over American football, baseball, and basketball, but strategically speaking, you're still missing out on the kids who will choose against the sport because they're not likely to make a future of it.

We need to be opening up the game to younger, underfunded kids AND making sure we have good funnels to the upper levels of play (like pro club associated academies) and make sure that when we do get kids who are good enough, we do well with marketing them to overseas clubs where they can get good training and experience and money that they could bring back to the US.


Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; [it] is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
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Well....its not so much a question of restructuring...I think its an issue of just opening up more opportunities.....which can be done right now by going into communities and reaching out to kids as CRSA does......

This comment posted after the article in question (above) speaks to the manner in which other countries are more open and more receptive and more intent in providing better opportunities to their respective relatively disadvantaged youth -

"......the reality is that eveyone may be equal, but some are more equal than others, which is why higher education, for example, is dominated by the children of highly educated parents and the professions are dominated by the children of professionals. In other words, those from relatively privileged backgrounds are likely to put there efforts into these more assured payoffs. What is clearly evident is that when one compares our players to those from Brazil, Argentina, England, Scotland, Italy, etc., those countries draw much more heavily from their relatively disadvantaged."

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and now.......back to the World Cup........Ghana/US game largest viewed soccer game

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-quick-20100629,0,7923000.story

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/sports/soccer/29sandomir.html

Can you imagine the viewer numbers had we got to the Quarters or Semis......?

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You gotta love the Brits call a match...




Half-time in a cagey encounter. It's been interesting, but remains scoreless. Spain are struggling to create chances and Portugal are defending obdurately.
45+1 min: Iniesta tries to pick out Torres with a pass, but not for the first time, the striker looks off the pace.
45 min: There'll be one minute of added time.
44 min: Coentrao turns provider again, hoisting up a cross from the left. Tiago gallops into the box and leaps into the air, flashing a header across the face of goal and wide.
41 min: With Ramos and Puyol jogging back into position after a sortie into the Spain penalty area, Coentrao plays a through-ball for Almeida to chase. Iker Casillas sprints off his line and out of his penalty area to hack the ball clear ando nly just beats the Portugal striker to the chase.
39 min: Portugal attack down the left flank. Simao sends in a marvellous cross to Almeida and Ronaldo who are queuing up at the far post, with only Carles Puyol to mark them. Almeida leaps highest, but his header is only glancing and the ball skims wide. He really should have scored.
38 min: Spain are playing into Portugal's hands here. The Portuguese are sitting back, happy to defend as Spain repeatedly try to play through them, rather than around them. The only other way is over them, which they haven't tried yet.
35 min: Ramos on the rampage again, up the right wing. He pulls the ball back to Iniesta on the edge of the penalty area, but he's robbed of possession before he can pull the trigger. Moments later, the ball is rolled back to Xabi Alonso a few yards outside the Portugal penalty area, but his shot his blocked by one of three defenders who throw themselves in front of him when he shapes to shoot.
34 min: I forgot to mention earlier, by the way, that Spain are wearing their usual colours tonight, while Portugal's players are kitted out in white shirts, green shorts and white socks.
33 min: In the Portugal right-back position, Iniesta dinks the ball towards Xavi, who tries to divert it into the path of a Torres run. It's blocked by a defender.
31 min: Spain try to play their way through the centre, as is their wont, with Pique passing to Xavi between the lines of midfield and defence, then Xavi helping it on its way for Torres to chase. He puts his boot through the ball a bit too hard, leaving Torres with too much to do.
28 min: Xavi has a shot from about 30 yards. Close, but no cigar.
27 min: Despite the distance, Ronaldo has a go. The ball takes a horrible wobble at the last moment, forcing Iker Casillas to punch clear uncertainly. Luckily for him, it doesn't break kindly for any of the lurking Portuguese.
27 min: Xabi Alonso is late with a challenge on Coentrao, left of centre about 45 yards from the Spain goal. Spain have all eleven players back to defend, as Cristiano ronaldo stands over it.
24 min: Free-kick for Spain about 45 yards from goal, right of centre. Xavi pings the ball into the middle of the penalty area, but it's half-cleared. Assorted Spain players ping the ball to each other around just outside the left hand side of the penalty, waiting for a space to open or a team-mate to dart into the box. Xavi eventually makes his move, but the through-ball is too meaty and rolls wide.
24 min: The camera cuts to Iker Casillas, who exhales in the traditional "Phew, that was close," style-e.
20 min: Portugal go close with the chance of the game after Ronaldo and Coentrao combined marvellously down the left. Ronaldo, who has swapped wings with Simao, took out two defenders and played the ball inside two the left-back, who back-heeled it to Tiago, who had a pop. Casilla palmed that effort up in the air and it looked to be dropping over his head and into the goal, but he managed to fist it clear under pressure from Almeida, who was charging in on top of him.
19 min: From about 40 yards from the Spain goal, out on the right flank, Ronaldo stands over the free-kick, before failing to trouble Iker Casillas despite hitting the target.
15 min: It's all Spain at the moment, tiki-taka-ing the ball around the midfield to little effect. Portugal earn some respite when Sergio Ramos fouls Fabio Coentrao wide on the left flank, moments after Cristiano Ronaldo had threatened to burst with indignation after not getting a free-kick for being kicked by Carles Puyol.
14 min: Sergio Ramos gets forward, sending an inswinger of a cross towards the far post of the Portugal goal. It's too high for Torres and the ball sails out of play.
12 min: Xabi takes a shortish corner to Fernando Torres, standing with his back to goal just inside the Portugal penalty area. He swivels and hits the ball first-time, nearly catching Eduardo and his defence napping. The ball loops over the bar.
9 min: Whether by accident or design, Pepe clips Sergio Ramos's heels as he tries to run the ball out of defence, but the referee waves play on, tacitly suggesting Ramos was diving. The Spain full-back is unimpressed at having his good name traduced in this manner.
8 min: Portugal win two corners in a row, but nothing comes from either of them, bar a free-kick for Spain after Cristiano Ronaldo is penalised for offside during an impromptu bout of head tennis in the Spain penalty area.
6 min: Another good save from Eduardo, who is forced to block at his near post when David Villa cuts inside from the left, with Ricardo Costa backing off him, before unleashing a low, diagonal drive.
5 min: Xavi pings the ball out wide to Torres on the right flank and the striker cuts inside, before going down after a coming-together (so to speak) between he and Fabio Coentrao. Spain's fans appeal for a penalty, but it was something and nothing.
4 min: Corner for Spain, which Xavi takes from the left. Eduardo charges off his line to pluck his inswinger from the air. Good goalkeeping. It's been a lively start.
4 min: David Villa tries his luck and he too is on target. Eduardo makes his second save of the game.
3 min: Portugal are playing a 4-3-2-1, with Raul Meireles , Pepe and Tiago making up the three, Ronaldo and Simao on the right and left respectively, just behind Hugo Almeida.
1 min: They're off, and within a minute Fernando Torres brings a smart save from Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, with a swerving shot from outside the penalty area.
How they'll line up: For Spain, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busdquets will form the shield in front of the back four, with Xaiv on the right wing, Andres Iniesta on the left, with David Villa playing in behind Fernando Torres, who claims he is fully fit tonight for the first time in this tournament.
The teams are out and the national anthems are being played: Many of the Portugal team will be a bit too young to remember the famous day in 1139 when their country won independence from Spain, but Bruno Alves has probably told them all about it. They'll be up for this.
Pyramid Inverter Jonathan Wilson writes from South Africa: "Actually I thought that Japan v Paraguay game was rubbish," he protests. "When I say goals are over-rated it doesn't necessarily follow that every 0-0 is exquisite. Paraguay had one idea: let Morel cross it; but that was one more than Japan. Because of that they deserved to win, and it wasn't as bad as Ukraine v Swizterland four years ago, but it was dire." I don't know - if it was a woman he was talking about, you'd think he was protesting a bit too much.
On BBC, Alan Shearer is going out on a limb: "I just think Spain will edge it," he says. It's been tipping down with rain all day at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, which should make for a nice greasy surface.
Craven plea: With tonight marking the end of the last 16, I want to hear what your favourite moments of the tournament have been to date, so I can recycle them and pass them off as my own when James Richardson asks me for my favourite moments of the tournament to date in World Cup Daily tonight. So far I've got France, England crashing out to Germany and that bird taking up the vantage point on the Algeria goal-net to watch their scoreless draw with England.
Team news we've culled from the wires: Portugal striker Hugo Almeida and winger Simao Sabrosa are back in the starting lineup for the second round match against Iberian neighbours Spain.
With coach Carlos Queiroz having chopped and changed the team three times in the group stage, forward Almeida made one start, scoring in Portugal's 7-0 rout of North Korea.
The tall striker's inclusion, ahead of poacher Liedson, means Cristiano Ronaldo, who played in the middle of the attack in the final group game against Brazil, can move back to one of the flanks.
The other wing will be occupied by Simao. He replaces Danny, who has been struggling with the thigh injury he picked up late in the 0-0 draw against Brazil.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque sends out the same starting team as in the 2-1 win over Chile. Midfielder Xabi Alonso has recovered from the sprained ankle he picked up in that match to start against the Portuguese.
Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 6-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets; 9-Fernando Torres, 7-David Villa.
Subs: Valdes, Albiol, Marchena, Fabregas, Mata, Arbeloa, Pedro, Llorente, Javi Martinez, Silva, Jesus Navas, Reina.
Portugal: 1-Eduardo; 2-Bruno Alves, 21-Ricardo Costa, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 23-Fabio Coentrao, 16-Raul Meireles, 15-Pepe, 19-Tiago, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 11-Simao Sabrosa, 18-Hugo Almeida.
Subs: Beto, Ferreira, Rolando, Duda, Mendes, Liedson, Danny, Miguel, Veloso, Ruben Amorim, Deco, Fernandes.
Referee: Hector Baldassi (Argentina)
Good evening everybody, particularly those of you who may be a little dazed and confused after waking up from the narcoleptic episode that led to you collapsing face down on your keyboard during Japan 0-0 Paraguay earlier today, the kind of match that would put most right-thinking people to sleep, but send guardian.co.uk/sport tactics correspondent Jonathan Wilson to bed with a smile on his face and what looks like a canoe in his pocket.

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Just as Klinsman suggested at half.......get it to Villa

83 min: Spain get the ball out to Villa on the left wing again. Ricardo Costa is a study in concentration, staring at the Jabulani as his nemesis jinks this way and that. He eventually sticks his foot in and wins the ball, prompting Villa to fall over and appeal for a free. None is forthcoming and Costa waltzes out of defence to safety.

82 min: "I've got an easy way for you to describe the goal: 'offside'," writes Dale K Privet. "Interesting how this time we didn't get the replay showing whether it was definitely onside. Sepp obviously had a word after the fiasco in the Mexico game."

67 min: Say what you like about the long ball game, but doing a minute-by-minute report on a match involving Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool is a lot easier than writing one on a match involving Spain, Barcelona or Arsenal. I've seen that goal about four times now and I still can't figure out a way to describe it properly.

GOAL! Spain 1-0 Portugal (Villa 62 ) Spain finally tiki-taka their way through the Portugal defence, with Andres Iniesta, among others, ping-ping-pinging a series of short passes through a thicket of five or six defenders on the edge of the penalty area. Xavi slid the ball out wide to Villa on the left-side of the penalty area. The talismanic striker's first effort was saved by Eduardo, who could only parry the ball into Villa's path. Second time lucky, off the underside of the bar.

61 min: A shocking miss from Fernando Llorente with his first touch. Diving to convert a cross home from five or six yards out, he heads straight at Eduardo when a steer a couple of feet either side of the goalkeeper would almost certainly have resulted in a goal.

59 min: "Portugal was ruled by Spain from 1580 to 1640," writes CONor Dean. "It was called the Iberian Union but it was the sort of 'union' Ireland got roped into
with Great Britain and Portugal had to fight to get its independence back. Which it got - one of the reasons this game is spicier for the Portuguese than Spanish. Which might explain Colin Bolster's girlfriend getting bothered." I reckon the reason's Colin Bolster's girlfriend is getting bothered are more to do with Colin Bolster than Portugal's time under the heel of Spanish oppression.

58 min: Portugal substitution: Almeida off, Danny on. Spain substitution: Fernando Torres off, Fernando Llorente on.

56 min: Portugal go forward, Meireles pings a cross in towards the Spain goal and Casillas punches clear.

55 min: Spain try to go over-the-top, with a bomb from deep dropping in towards Torres in the penalty area. Carvalho heads clear.

54 min: Xavi and Ramos combine down the right wing, but the former's return pass to the latter has too much welly on it and trickles through to Eduardo.

52 min: After breaking down the right with the ball at his feet and Cristiano Ronaldo haring down the centre, Hugo Almeida cuts inside Pique and unleashes a shot. With Carles Puyol aware that Ronaldo is lurking behind him, he sticks out a leg and the ball loops up in the air, over Iker Casillas's head and bounces inches wide of the post. Casillas thought that was heading into his goal - he's not the only one.

50 min: Sergio Ramos crosses from the left, Portugal clear. Iniesta dinks a ball over the top for Torres to chase, but Coentrao hacks clear. Portugal attack on the break and almost score.

49 min: Xavi tries to pick out Iniesta wandering in the narrow strip of no-man's land between the two banks of four defending the the Portugal penalty area. The pass goes astray and Portugal break, only to see their counter-attack fail due to lack of numbers.

48 min: The second half has picked up where the first half left off, at a snail's pace with Spain pressing and probing, trying unsuccessfully to find an opening, with Portugal defending patiently and resolutely, content to attack on the break.

Second half: In the BBC studio, Jurgen Klinsman reckons that Spain need to get the ball out to David Villa on the left flank and isolate Portugal right-back Ricardo Costa. It's a fiendishly cvlever plan that will almost certainly work, but one they've been unable to execute more than once or twice throughout the first half.

Keith Shaw writes: "The biggest problem for Spain is that Xavi has looked tired since March," he writes. "He might not play in the Best League in the World (TM), but Euro 2008, World Club Championship, and Confederations Cup have taken their toll."

Last edited by usasoccer; 06/29/10 08:16 PM.
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I expect this kind of commentating on the forum during next season's HS playoffs.......!

And just gotta say 'How Bout Them Gamecocks' !



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And now back to the Cup....kinda cool interactive calendar

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/world-cup-2010-day-by-day

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OK...well its kinda boring on here by myself.....no interest in the 2010 World Cup.....? Its a pretty big soccer tournament......ya know.......happening in South Africa....? Well.... anywho......here is an analysis of final 8-

World Cup Final Eight Power Rankings and Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 6/30/2010

The final eight has been set for the World Cup. Three-quarters of the field has gone home to pout and lick their wounds, while the remaining eight are harboring more or less realistic dreams of glory. Since we're down to the elite now (with a couple of notable exceptions) this is a good time assess the remaining teams and see how they stack up. Here's an updated power ranking for the final eight teams at the World Cup:

1. Brazil - I felt that the Brazilians were the best team in the tournament before it started, and everything I have seen since has only strengthened that. They have only played one very tough game - against Ivory Coast - and they couldn't have been more dominant. The draw against Portugal can totally be thrown out because it was meaningless and both teams knew it. Chile was an opponent that they should have crushed and they absolutely did. Brazil has ridiculous depth and talent, and they look like they can maximize the edge that that gives them. The path to the finals sets up very well for Brazil, and I expect them to follow that path.


2. Argentina - The Argentinians are one of just two teams that have won every game they have played. They've looked pretty dominant doing it as well. They have all sorts of talent, and they are definitely all playing on the same page right now. I still have concerns about the ability of the bizarre Diego Maradona to keep things together and coach this team well down the stretch, but he's certainly doing what he needs to now. Unlike Brazil, Argentina needs to win two very tough games before to get to the finals. So far, though, they look like they are up to it.

3. Spain - Spain was the pre-tournament favorites, and they are still a very popular choice, but they are making me uneasy. That opening loss to Switzerland showed that they are obviously prone to lapses in concentration, and that could be more and more costly as the tournament advances. Against Portugal in the Round of 16 they had countless opportunities to put the game out of hand, but they just couldn't convert and the game was much closer than it needed to be as a result. On paper they are good enough, but that's been the case in tournaments before this as well. Until they show they can turn potential into results I'm not sure I can believe in them.

4. Germany - Germany is a tough team for me to get my head around. In their opening game against Australia they looked as good as a team can look. But then they came out and lost to Serbia in their next game in a performance that was as flat and uncharacteristic that it was shocking. They did what they had to do against Ghana, and then destroyed England in a manner that was almost cruel. They are one of those teams that is really good unless they really aren't - the kind that makes my head hurt, in other words.

5. Netherlands - The Dutch probably deserve to be higher up this list - they have won every game they have played in this tournament and are riding a 22-game international winning streak. They are finally healthy after some early issues as well. They are primed to compete, and they know how to win games. There's just one problem, though, and it's a doozy - they are facing Brazil. That's not a good matchup for them, and it makes the task of going deep much tougher for them.

6. Uruguay - There is a whole lot to like about this team. Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez could play for, and star for, any team in this tournament. They are clearly the best team from beyond the elite upper tier in this tournament, and are probably under-appreciated. Their problem is a familiar one, though - they are lined up to face Brazil in the semifinals. They know from the qualification process how tough that is going to be, and in the qualifying they didn't give us much of a reason to believe that they can come out on top.

7. Ghana - I hope that people don't think that Ghana's win over the Americans was a fluke. They are a talented, impressive team that deserved to win. The only reason they are as low as they are in this ranking is that they just don't have the depth or talent to measure up with the teams ahead of them. One more win is possible. Two more would be a bit of a miracle - one that would finally have me believing in the African home continent advantage.

8. Paraguay - Paraguay gets credit for one thing - they were given an opportunity and they jumped on it. Italy faltered, so they stepped in an filled the gap by winning Group F. The problem, though, is that they just haven't looked very good. They tied Italy and New Zealand, and needed penalty kicks to get past Japan. They have looked reasonably solid against a flawed and uninspiring group of teams. They aren't facing flawed, uninspired teams anymore, though, so things could get ugly for them.

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Second day without WC soccer...going through withdrawal here...got spoiled having something to watch every day for a while there!


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Big-time game to start the Quarters...........

http://espn.go.com/espn3/

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