The U.S. sickened me with their lackluster performance the last 10 days. Today's display was absurd. A 4-5-1 when you HAVE to win. Stupid, utterly asanine.

The USA is an "attack-minded" country. Why do you think we have troops in Iraq/Afghanistan. Why have we stationed 80,000 American troops in Germany for 60 years. Why is the U.S. still protecting South Korea from North Korea? Why are we the only nation to drop an atomic bomb? Why?

Because we're attack minded and don't know how to stall, until we get to our MNT.

We should be playing a 3-5-2 at minimum and sending balls forward to wilt the defenses and then use our subs (2-3) for more front-runners and attackers. Not sit back and get a 4v3 and play the ball backwards [Mad] like we did on at least three occasions. Balboa referred to the Ghana defense as playing dangerous with their "high-line", but the U.S. could not exploit it due to getting a breakaway and then stopping the pressure by playing laterally or backwards (of all things). That's like Dwayne Wade (thanks Hurst66) getting a fast-break and pulling up after cross mid-court to let all five defenders catch up and go back in front.

Reyna was/is a joke and I'm glad he's finished with the national side. Donovan and Beasley are major league (no MLS pun intended) disappointments.

quote:
Americans cannot develop into quality, skillful soccer players to be able to compete with the world, if they are not first athletic. I don't think the ODP program considers that at all.
As for this statement, until our best athletes are directed towards soccer instead of football/basketball, the U.S. will continue to struggle on the global scene. What sport would Jan Koller play in the USA? Basketball (F). How about Michael Essien? Football (DB).

How do you direct our best athletes to soccer -- surely not through ODP (too expensive and narrow minded); not through club soccer (too expensive and scared to include minorities IMO). That leaves the school system, much like basketball/football rely on. Yes, I know of the AAU effect on basketball, but by and large kids get their first opportunities in low-cost youth leagues and their school teams. This is the path soccer must take if it truly wants to garner the best athletes in this country.

Not playing the race card, but I would like to point out some interesting data.

Why do African-Americans account for only 13% of the U.S. population (290 million), but makeup 65-69% of NFL football rosters (from 2002-04 reports)?

Major League Soccer in the 2004 season had 64% fo the league comprised of Whites; 17% of the rosters made up of African-Americans, 14% Latinos, and 1% Asian-American. MLS has addressed Diversity Education within the Hispanic populations via MLS Futbolito (Hispanic grassroots effort), MLS Budweiser Hispanic Nights, Hispanic Heritage Night (September).

The NBA has 77% African-American representation, while only 21% of the league is made up of whites (of which only 55% are American-born).

The NFL, like the NBA, is a sport with a black majority. Yet, according to Lapchick's most recent report card, the 65 percent black representation in the 2001 season was a four-year low. And the league's feeder system - Division I college football - was 49.4 percent white and 42.1 percent black in 2000-01. -- Jon Entine Online

Like soccer, baseball (the American pasttime) has met a similar fate as only 9% of opening day rosters in 2005 were comprised of African-Americans. Didn't the U.S. finish poorly in the spring World Baseball Classic too? While S.C. and most Sunbelt states do well in baseball, the national pasttime is certainly not that anymore as it has given way to the NFL, NBA and their college counterparts as the most popular team sports in this country.