Am I the only one bummed about USMNT missing the World Cup?

[KSB2424 3,082]

Not a huge fan, but I always enjoyed the World Cup and the Americans being in big international games. Sorta sucks.

 

Trinidad and Tobago has roughly the population of Raleigh, NC. And we lost.

[kutulu 1,541]

Thanks Trump

[posty 2,296]

Probably... I doubt the players even care...

[drobeski 3,061]

Zzzzz

[Alias Detective 1,179]

It's obvious they didn't deserve to be part of the big stage.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Was disappointing.

[jerryskids 5,169]

I stumbled into the game on TV yesterday, caught the second half. It's not like we dominated and the ball just wouldn't go in, although we had a few close calls. And apparently Trinidad and Tobago sucks.

 

I'm no big soccer fan but it will suck when the World Cup comes along and I go from passing interest to zero interest.

[WhiteWonder 2,171]

Prbably the only one yeah.

[Cruzer 1,992]

IDK, what's the World Cup?

[TD Ryan2 314]

For the past 30+ years, this has been the story for USA soccer. Sure, once or twice they made it and advanced a round or two in WC play... and then suddenly there was a proclamation that soccer has finally arrived in the USA... but it hasn't.

 

US soccer is the Cleveland Browns of their sport... different coaches, different players... year after year... and yet there is always something dysfunctional about them and they tank.

 

To me, it must be something more organizational - institutional - this isn't just on the players, it's the entire organization and whoever has been there the longest with the most clout deserves the most blame... and I really have no idea who it is.

 

US soccer is a loser's bet - and I wish it wasn't so - but it is - and it becomes a self perpetuating cycle of failure... because if you're no good, nobody will watch, and if kids aren't watching, they are not learning the game and developing a passion for it - so kids play soccer when they're little and then when they really become sports fans, they move on to the sports they watch with the sports heroes they admire.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Someone in the press was trying to make the case that this is 'the worst US sports loss in history'.

 

Yeah, um, wouldn't go nearly that far. However TDR is wrong too;

The USMNT has made it (to the first round I'm guessing?) the past 31 years running.

That's a hell of a streak to bust up.

 

Also - Soccer has one big thing going for it - Demographics.

It's a plain fact that we're getting more Messican every year.

If Houston's any indicator, Pro Soccer is here to stay. (granted, they might be a tad more messican than Boston)

Hell, some 17 y.o. white boy from the NE or somewhere was just on 60 Minutes as the greatest thing since Pele.

 

So, not going to slash my wrists, but for fock's sake, as had been said, compared to some of these other 4th world micro-nations,

we should make it into the running accidentally.

Apparently, whatever series we play in to get there is hella easy too.

Not like we have to go thru ManU to get there.

[supermike80 1,284]

Bummed too...this is a shame.

[Reality 2,710]

Sort of care once every 4 years about soccer. So, next year when the WC is on I'll be sort of bummed that we aren't participating.

 

I'll quickly move on though.

 

The team that beat us is trash, we aren't good at soccer. We don't work and posses the ball as a unit, countries that care about soccer are infinitely better than we are. It's not an issue of our best athletes playing other sports, the athletes that play are as gifted athletically as players in other countries. To steal a phrase from boxing.. We are terrible at the "sweet science" of soccer.

[DankNuggs 305]

Im happy. Needed something to break the cycle of mediocrity.

[TD Ryan2 314]

cycle of mediocrity.

exactly.

 

just being allowed to play in the wC shouldn't count as any sort of "streak"... woop-dee-doo, they were good enough to play with the big boys... are we really celebrating that?

[edjr 5,547]

I will watch the World Cup, as always. I am glad the US isn't in it. They'll never win it, they should give it up.

[Strike 3,944]

Sports radio on the way in talked a little bit about this. The sentiment of both hosts - "Now I don't have to pretend I care about soccer." Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel except I never pretend to care about soccer. it's the most boring "major" sport out there. Don't get why anyone finds it entertaining.

[NorthernVike 2,079]

Prbably the only one yeah.

 

 

This

[posty 2,296]

Did they get their participation trophy?

[TD Ryan2 314]

Did they get their participation trophy?

no.

that's the horror of this all

their streak of being allowed to play and get a participation trophy has ended.

[KSB2424 3,082]

I'm not a huge Swimming or Track and Field fan either but I'd be bummed if the Olympics were canceled or the US pulled out. Sort of the same thing. I really enjoy it for those few weeks, once every four years.

[KSB2424 3,082]

Did they get their participation trophy?

 

Not sure what that means.

[TD Ryan2 314]

I'm not a huge Swimming or Track and Field fan either but I'd be bummed if the Olympics were canceled. Sort of the same thing. I really enjoy it for those few weeks, once every four years.

me too KSB - don't get me wrong - I'd love to see them compete... but they're always over-hyped and for literally DECADES we've been force-fed the story of how great US soccer is going to be... and they always tank.

Neither track and field or swimming continue to claim that they're making great strides and breakthroughs and emerging... and they win sometimes too.

 

that's why I'm pointing at US soccer organizationally... maybe even culturally... WTF is wrong with these jackasses who are constantly being touted as the next great thing and promptly falling on their faces?

[KSB2424 3,082]

me too KSB - don't get me wrong - I'd love to see them compete... but they're always over-hyped and for literally DECADES we've been force-fed the story of how great US soccer is going to be... and they always tank.

Neither track and field or swimming continue to claim that they're making great strides and breakthroughs and emerging... and they win sometimes too.

 

that's why I'm pointing at US soccer organizationally... maybe even culturally... WTF is wrong with these jackasses who are constantly being touted as the next great thing and promptly falling on their faces?

 

It's a poor mans sport in the rest of the world. A rich mans game in the U.S.

 

My kids play soccer. By the time they are 9 or 10 years old you have to be on a travel team to get the best coaching / leagues / games. It's over two thousand dollars for the year plus travel expenses. Baseball is starting to also follow this model.

 

The model stinks. Schools and Rec leagues are where kids should be playing. All together, opposed to spread out between rec - select - travel - aau - etc.

 

The model is wrong.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

We lost on purpose because it is a Communist sport. MAGA!

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Worst part was missing out on a goal that was not a goal.

[IGotWorms 3,297]

I'm worried we just suck as a country now (no, not just because of Trump) and it's infected everything. But there's a slight chance I'm overreacting

[TD Ryan2 314]

I'm worried we just suck as a country now

"now"??? no... see you're missing it entirely worms...

 

Kennedy Administration - US mens soccer tanked

Nixon - ditto

Ford - ditto

Carter - ditto

Reagan - ditto

Bush - US qualifies for the WC! goes 0-3.

Clinton - soccer is coming! We keep qualifying with 31 other countries and then losing - we're 32! we're 32!

Bush - holy crap, US qualified and won ONE game! BOOM! Soccer rules!!!

Obama - qualified twice! a total of 2w2L3t... fire up the Duck Boats! It's parade Time! We're 32! We're 32!

Trump - World. Cup. Soccer... is bad... I mean... very, VERY bad. I know some people who were there... it's very bad.

 

same old, same old if you ask me.

[Jesus Chrysler 29]

I'm worried we just suck as a country now (no, not just because of Trump) and it's infected everything. But there's a slight chance I'm overreacting

They actually have a 19 year old forward who may be the best player this country has ever produced. He was signed by Dortmund (A German club team) when he was only 16 years old. He's well known on the international circuit. So that is a definite plus for the US. Failing to qualify for the World Cup is a monumental disappointment for the perceived progress of the national team/program. Especially after the way they destroyed Panama 4-0 just a week ago. Sad thing is, two of the national team's stalwarts, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, will most-likely both be retired before the next World Cup. I guess now they regroup and try to make a good showing at the Olympics in a couple of years.

[Reality 2,710]

"now"??? no... see you're missing it entirely worms...

 

Kennedy Administration - US mens soccer tanked

Nixon - ditto

Ford - ditto

Carter - ditto

Reagan - ditto

Bush - US qualifies for the WC! goes 0-3.

Clinton - soccer is coming! We keep qualifying with 31 other countries and then losing - we're 32! we're 32!

Bush - holy crap, US qualified and won ONE game! BOOM! Soccer rules!!!

Obama - qualified twice! a total of 2w2L3t... fire up the Duck Boats! It's parade Time! We're 32! We're 32!

Trump - World. Cup. Soccer... is bad... I mean... very, VERY bad. I know some people who were there... it's very bad.

 

same old, same old if you ask me.

 

Yea, we've been consistently bad for some time.

 

We were just under the impression that this was supposed to be something we were getting better at, clearly not the case..

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,566]

man if only this country had some other sports that were going on right now

 

MLB Playoffs

NFL

NBA

NHL

 

there are probably more trannies in the country than legal people who care about Soccer

[edjr 5,547]

 

Trump - World. Cup. Soccer... is bad... I mean... very, VERY bad. I know some people who were there... it's very bad.

 

 

Bigly bad

[Jesus Chrysler 29]

 

Yea, we've been consistently bad for some time.

 

We were just under the impression that this was supposed to be something we were getting better at, clearly not the case..

We will never be a power on the world stage. The model simply doesn't lend itself to success. KSN2424 touched upon it earlier. You simply can not succeed at the top level of soccer in this country if you are poverty-stricken or even lower middle class. There are 9 year-olds playing on $5000/yr club teams and travelling/staying in hotels week after week at tournaments. In Brazil, the poor kids are playing soccer in the street at age 5. They are improving against one another all through their youth. In this country, go to the basketball court where they can play ball all day without it costing them a penny. Plus, soccer is in the fall. And the best athletes generally play football or fall baseball. Everything is spead too thin here.

For years, Landon Donovan was the best player in the country. And he wasn't even good enough to be a starter in the English Premier League.

[edjr 5,547]

soccer is in the fall.

 

youth soccer is 2 seasons (fall and spring) where I live.

 

That's why I never played anything else at the youth level.

 

That being said. Your right about the rest.

 

If Lebron and others started playing soccer when they were 6, we would have won a world cup

[TD Ryan2 314]

We will never be a power on the world stage. The model simply doesn't lend itself to success. KSN2424 touched upon it earlier. You simply can not succeed at the top level of soccer in this country if you are poverty-stricken or even lower middle class. There are 9 year-olds playing on $5000/yr club teams and travelling/staying in hotels week after week at tournaments.

 

but this isn't just soccer... club sports, AAU, elite, select... whatever you want to call it has taken over in EVERY sport.

If this is why we're bad at soccer, we should suxor at all the sports.

[Reality 2,710]

We will never be a power on the world stage. The model simply doesn't lend itself to success. KSN2424 touched upon it earlier. You simply can not succeed at the top level of soccer in this country if you are poverty-stricken or even lower middle class. There are 9 year-olds playing on $5000/yr club teams and travelling/staying in hotels week after week at tournaments. In Brazil, the poor kids are playing soccer in the street at age 5. They are improving against one another all through their youth. In this country, go to the basketball court where they can play ball all day without it costing them a penny. Plus, soccer is in the fall. And the best athletes generally play football or fall baseball. Everything is spead too thin here.

For years, Landon Donovan was the best player in the country. And he wasn't even good enough to be a starter in the English Premier League.

 

That's not really exclusive to soccer though here in the US.

 

Son plays AAU basketball, see it all the time. Same way with baseball.

[KSB2424 3,082]

 

If Lebron and others started playing soccer when they were 6, we would have won a world cup

 

Nah, its not really about that. Soccer is about skill. The best player in the world is 5'8 165 lbs.

 

America has 350 Million people, we should be one of the top 5-8 teams in the world. Even if Soccer is like the 5th or 6th most popular sport. We do well in things like Swimming and Track and Field.

[Jesus Chrysler 29]

 

but this isn't just soccer... club sports, AAU, elite, select... whatever you want to call it has taken over in EVERY sport.

If this is why we're bad at soccer, we should suxor at all the sports.

And what sport are we most dominate in on the world stage? Basketball. You know why? While there is AAU, it isn't a necessity. You can get better by walking to the playground every day.

[Reality 2,710]

And what sport are we most dominate in on the world stage? Basketball. You know why? While there is AAU, it isn't a necessity. You can get better by walking to the playground every day.

 

Yea, that's not really the way it is anymore. Top talent is honing their skills on travel teams that play all over the country.

[edjr 5,547]

 

Nah, its not really about that. Soccer is about skill.

 

 

so a 6'8 250 lb crazy athletic guy standing in front of the net on a corner kick wouldn't have an advantage over a 5'9 165 pound guy.

 

stop the focking insanity

 

and that's one example.

 

give Justin Gatlin a long ball and see if the defense can keep up with him