Your worst nightmare.............

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:06 pm

Is an American show of strength.

I have been asked to provide a preview of the US team, and if it's not too late, I will get around to it soon. More than anything I wanted people's unbiased feelings on the US chances. Yes they have it easy in CONCACAF, but they are a good team.

Another question, do you think people will have trouble admitting that the US can play football well?

picaro · Post by **picaro** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:54 pm

americantrotter wrote:Is an American show of strength.

I have been asked to provide a preview of the US team, and if it's not too late, I will get around to it soon. More than anything I wanted people's unbiased feelings on the US chances. Yes they have it easy in CONCACAF, but they are a good team.

Another question, do you think people will have trouble admitting that the US can play football well?

truly unbiased opinion ... the US may make it into the second round, but will lose in the 2nd. the problem will be that they would face Brazil and though their CONCACAF partners Mexico have only lost to Brazil once in 7 years, the US aren't prepared to match-up to Brazil yet.

mofgimmers · Post by **mofgimmers** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:00 pm

It's easy to deride the US team, but, after a string of succesful qualifications, why should they be looked upon as a mickey mouse team? If South Korea can get to the quarters, then with the luck of the draw, maybe the US can.

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:22 pm

Brazil scares me least for the US. It would certainly be a good game for the neutral. It is the Czech's and Italy that worry me.

picaro · Post by **picaro** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:45 pm

mofgimmers wrote:It's easy to deride the US team, but, after a string of succesful qualifications, why should they be looked upon as a mickey mouse team? If South Korea can get to the quarters, then with the luck of the draw, maybe the US can.

don't think the refs like the US as much as they did the Koreans in the last WC

Batman · Post by **Batman** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:12 pm

An English victory at the WC.

This already unbearably faux-patriotic nation would go on overload, and we would give out Knighthood's and all sorts to bloody sportsmen.

FOOTBALLERS SHOULD NOT RECEIVE KNIGHTHOODS.

(except Nat. If that nice person Brooking has one, so should Nat)

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:31 pm

Batman wrote: FOOTBALLERS SHOULD NOT RECEIVE KNIGHTHOODS.

(except Nat. If that tw*t Brooking has one, so should Nat)

We dont agree on a lot re: the World Cup my Dark Knighted friend.

That however, was hilarious.

chris · Post by **chris** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:38 pm

I think they are a very competent team. However, they are in what I perceive to be a group just as difficult as the chosen 'Group of Death', and can only see them going through in second behind Italy, and as someone has mentioned above, will meet Brazil. Unless they can top their group, they won't do well in this particular tournament.

notlob · Post by **notlob** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:58 pm

americantrotter wrote:Is an American show of strength.

I have been asked to provide a preview of the US team, and if it's not too late, I will get around to it soon. More than anything I wanted people's unbiased feelings on the US chances. Yes they have it easy in CONCACAF, but they are a good team.

Another question, do you think people will have trouble admitting that the US can play football well?

The US will need some luck to advance, to be sure, but they are not as overrated as many seem to think. Unfortunately, they have a tough draw. Given that the group lacks any pushovers, they could conceivably finish anywhere between 1 and 4, but I think they'll finish third with three or four points.

I'll leave the preview to you, but I'll just say what a shame it is that Landon Donovan didn't stick it out in Germany. Had he done so, he might have become the emerging world class player the U.S. could really hang its hopes on. It's amazing what a year in the Championship has done for Bobby Convey.

The only way that the world will admit the U.S. can play good football is by making it through a group like this, and for that reason, I'm happy with the draw. Look at last world cup -- made it to the quarterfinals, and lost to the eventual runners-up -- and people slagged our group as soft, and claimed we had the surprise factor, etc.

I do hope we at least have a good showing against Ghana -- this will force people into slagging an African team -- helping to counterbalance the CAF's ridiculous overrating, no small thing.

At any rate, it's a great time to be an American and a football fan. We're only getting better, and we will be perrennial top seeds starting in S. Africa or Brazil. We may just have to win the bloody thing in Eng-er-land 2018.

boltonboris · Post by **boltonboris** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:28 pm

They seem a good side, full of pace and enthusiasm, but they look a little lightweight and after watching the germans demolish them I have to say the defensive part of their game is shambolic, I also think you will be too reliant on your two strikers and they could easily be kicked/hounded out of any game

CrazyHorse · Post by **CrazyHorse** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:55 pm

I'm sure that the US will do ok. Let's face it; there is no such thing as a shite team in the world cup finals.

picaro · Post by **picaro** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:04 pm

worse nightmare is attempting this a missing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5dIIw6b ... o%20pineda

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:25 pm

The Germany game was a tune-up for the US. They didnt have any of their best players. Where as the Germans were trying to save their coaches job. Meaningless friendly, like losing to Belarus.

keveh · Post by **keveh** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:58 pm

picaro wrote:worse nightmare is attempting this a missing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5dIIw6b ... o%20pineda

And being on a hat trick

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:12 am

I just submitted my US preview. Hopefully the mods will be able to polish the turd well enough for all to see.

Mar · Post by **Mar** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:18 pm

mofgimmers wrote:It's easy to deride the US team, but, after a string of succesful qualifications, why should they be looked upon as a mickey mouse team? If South Korea can get to the quarters, then with the luck of the draw, maybe the US can.

The string of successful qualifications can't be a precursor to whether a team should be seen as a good team. In fact it would be a major underachievement if the American national team didn't manage to qualify considering the level of opposition they face.

I think the only way we're going to consider them anything other than a mickey mouse team will be if they manage to give a good representation of themselves in this years world cup.

The last World Cup gave the US and Germany the easy run and although the US did manage to progress it wasn't really impressive.

(As for South Korea, well i'm sure a little backhander wouldn't have gone amiss for them, heck Italy and Spain would have something to say about their route to the quarters).

communistworkethic · Post by **communistworkethic** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:26 pm

CrazyHorse wrote:I'm sure that the US will do ok. Let's face it; there is no such thing as a shite team in the world cup finals.

Togo?

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:40 pm

the US had poland, Portgugal and S.Korea (Home Nation. Then they beat Mexico before they were robbed by a second goalkeeper against Germany. That is not an easy route.

Mar · Post by **Mar** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:43 pm

americantrotter wrote:the US had poland, Portgugal and S.Korea (Home Nation. Then they beat Mexico before they were robbed by a second goalkeeper against Germany. That is not an easy route.

Comparitively speaking it is. Spain, Italy, Brazil, England, Argentina, Germany. Out of all the teams they could have face they met some of the weakest teams in the tournament.

americantrotter · Post by **americantrotter** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 5:12 pm

Argentina was out, and they played Germany. South Korea (who they drew) emilinated Italy. You'll never be satisfied until they win the thing will you? I mean by your standards England has sucked for 40 years.