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World Cup Match Thread- Round of 16 Day 4

robertgoulet

SC Resident Crooner Extraordinaire
Jul 23, 2013
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For all MLS has done right, they negate it by playing a summer schedule, not adhereing to FIFA's calander, refusing to release some players to their national teams when they are called up, and playing during the World Cup with a quality of play equivalent to league 2/conference.

Haven't heard of any instances where MLS teams refuse to let their players go on national team duty...but even if they have, it's not like it's just an MLS problem, it happens in other leagues as well.

Regarding the FIFA calendar: while I would like to see them adjust and go along w/ FIFA, the problem is that you've got cities where it may be impossible to play Nov-Feb. Playing in the heat of the summer > playing in 5 degree weather and/or heavy snow in Chicago/NY/Colorado/Columbus. Makes it tough.

There has been talk that they will indeed switch over to a schedule closer to FIFA's though. As dumb as some think the MLS heads are, I think they're doing much more right than they are wrong. This league is still in its infancy, relatively speaking.
 

robertgoulet

SC Resident Crooner Extraordinaire
Jul 23, 2013
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Wrong on nearly all accounts. They play a summer schedule so they aren't competing against nfl, college football, and NBA quite as much (though the last few weeks of the season and playoffs do run into that problem). It was a wise move to start the league off. They also avoid pretty nasty weather and don't have to take a midseason break, which to me is another strange concept Americans will never get behind. Plenty of American leagues play a summer schedule, at least both Mexico and Brazil do, and they seem to do just fine.

I've never once heard of a player not being released for call ups. Normally their clubs just suffer without their best players for a few games. Not releasing players would be a terrible league policy, especially since more and more of the central american national teams are drawing from MLS nowadays. If it's a Fifa official date, the club has to release the player. While the same isn't true for friendly scheduled on other dates, I've never heard of that happening.

To say the quality of play is conference level, when I imagine you have never actually watched the conference (not like its readily televised here in the states) and you admitted that you don't watch the MLS, is rather unnecessary. The quality of play is mid-level championship, though some of the worst teams in the league might struggle with that, and its getting better each year. The better teams would be as good as recently relegated PL clubs; Sporting KC and RSL both would have put up more of a fight than QPR or Reading two seasons ago.

The only thing you come even close to being right on is the need to stop play on international breaks. They need to build the international dates into the schedule, even if that means extending the season a week or two on either end. They took a big step this year by suspending play during the group stages of the WC, which is something they've never done before. I fully expect, especially as the number of internationals in the league increases, that this change will happen sooner rather than later.

Spot on with nearly all of this.
 

Spurs 1961

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Aug 31, 2012
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Hats off to the USA and to Switzerland. They made the knockout stages and pushed all the way for a quarter-final place whereas Italy, Spain and of course England full of £30-£40 million pound valued players failed miserably. I have no idea of the system for developing players in the USA but it looks to me like they are making good progress. Unlike England who I doubt will ever win anything
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Okay that's it. I'm fed up with this adoration of the USA team. Apparently Obama has called them today to say how proud he is of their efforts.

Now is it just me...but they only won one game right?
 

De-BearYid

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Jun 16, 2014
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Okay that's it. I'm fed up with this adoration of the USA team. Apparently Obama has called them today to say how proud he is of their efforts.

Now is it just me...but they only won one game right?
Loads more than England did


Besides the point anyway
It's a team that wasn't supposed to make it out of the group plus the fact that football/soccer in America isn't overwhelmingly popular like most other countries... So this kind of act from Obama would perhaps add to what the team did in America and maybe see it grow both in popularity + monetary gains for the country is the outcome * shrugs *
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Loads more than England did


Besides the point anyway
It's a team that wasn't supposed to make it out of the group plus the fact that football/soccer in America isn't overwhelmingly popular like most other countries... So this kind of act from Obama would perhaps add to what the team did in America and maybe see it grow both in popularity + monetary gains for the country is the outcome * shrugs *

England have nothing to do with it, although I would argue that one isn't loads more than none.

Just all seems very over the top. Costa Rica should be proud. The USA are just lucky that Portugal were shit.
 

De-BearYid

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Jun 16, 2014
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England have nothing to do with it, although I would argue that one isn't loads more than none.

Just all seems very over the top. Costa Rica should be proud. The USA are just lucky that Portugal were shit.
Yeah Costa Rica should be proud.
Tiny country yet very exciting football

But for you to just shit all over USA because they are proud about where they got to for really a non footballing nation is something.
And I would say England have something to do with it as it seems that this could be jealousy creeping in.
Unless of course you actually aren't in fact English in which case I apologise for making that assumption.
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Yeah Costa Rica should be proud.
Tiny country yet very exciting football

But for you to just shit all over USA because they are proud about where they got to for really a non footballing nation is something.
And I would say England have something to do with it as it seems that this could be jealousy creeping in.
Unless of course you actually aren't in fact English in which case I apologise for making that assumption.

I am English although I don't really care about the International team.

Obviously I'd rather England got further but it's as if the US team are being treated as plucky underdogs when that really isn't the case.

I just find it all a bit baffling.
 

De-BearYid

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Jun 16, 2014
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I am English although I don't really care about the International team.

Obviously I'd rather England got further but it's as if the US team are being treated as plucky underdogs when that really isn't the case.

I just find it all a bit baffling.
Like I said its due too football hasn't ever been as popular in USA as it is at this moment. More and more Americans are starting to watch and enjoy it. And not only that but it seems more Americans watch EPL than the MLS.. So many supporters groups out there for many different teams...
Whereas with England it's practically in the blood and viewing America because of its size compared to England could make it seem like USA is taking things too far with the praise for where they got to.
It may very well be a world power / and a very big country and even though football is getting more and more popular it's still going to always be behind NFL,MBA, and MLB... So all the top athletes are already going into and competing for 3 major sports from a young age due to popularity.. Leaving slim pickings for football as a result will probably be seen as under dogs for a while yet compared to the top powers in world football.
Being American in England I can see both sides of the coin. And can see your points but I am also proud how far we got. * I support both countries during wc and was oddly not mad at where England came because I felt it was going to happen *

Another factor into all this could be because this World Cup featured a few teams going out nobody thought would so early Italy England Spain. I feel I'm missing someone.
And USA being put into the so called group of death. Just made it seem a good wc campaign

I apologise for rambling.
And apologise if my previous posts were rude.
 

fortworthspur

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Nov 12, 2007
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I am English although I don't really care about the International team.

Obviously I'd rather England got further but it's as if the US team are being treated as plucky underdogs when that really isn't the case.

I just find it all a bit baffling.

they weren't underdogs? you expected them to advance? I didnt.
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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they weren't underdogs? you expected them to advance? I didnt.

I actually said I thought they would go through because I thought Portugal would be crap (which turned out to be true).

The fact is that the US managed to beat Ghana (just) and then went through by virtue of not being spanked by Germany by as many as Portugal did. They then lost in the next game having been pummelled for most of the 120 minutes.

It just seems a massively OTT reaction to a relatively mediocre campaign and the way it's been hyped is ridiculous.
 

BringBack_leGin

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Jul 28, 2004
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I actually said I thought they would go through because I thought Portugal would be crap (which turned out to be true).

The fact is that the US managed to beat Ghana (just) and then went through by virtue of not being spanked by Germany by as many as Portugal did. They then lost in the next game having been pummelled for most of the 120 minutes.

It just seems a massively OTT reaction to a relatively mediocre campaign and the way it's been hyped is ridiculous.

In their group they had the fewest household names (by far) and the least footballing history, yet got through. Then, even if they were the worse team, they acquitted themselves with pride and passion throughout their last 16 game, had some good spells and played pretty decent football too when given the chance.

Sorry TSH but this just smacks of jealousy at a nation who's players did them proud despite being allegedly inferior to England and other major European nations who performed poorly, much like the bile and vitriol aimed at Greece.
 

fortworthspur

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Nov 12, 2007
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I actually said I thought they would go through because I thought Portugal would be crap (which turned out to be true).

The fact is that the US managed to beat Ghana (just) and then went through by virtue of not being spanked by Germany by as many as Portugal did. They then lost in the next game having been pummelled for most of the 120 minutes.

It just seems a massively OTT reaction to a relatively mediocre campaign and the way it's been hyped is ridiculous.

well good call if you had them going through beforehand. I figured we'd get a point off of Ghana or Portugal.

I disagree that it was a mediocre campaign. I think it was a phenomenal job by Klinnsman to take a group of technically inferior players and get them to one scuffed shot of the quarterfinals. And the players deserve credit for doing the hard work necessary since they lack the talent to outplay any of the opponents they faced.
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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In their group they had the fewest household names (by far) and the least footballing history, yet got through. Then, even if they were the worse team, they acquitted themselves with pride and passion throughout their last 16 game, had some good spells and played pretty decent football too when given the chance.

Sorry TSH but this just smacks of jealousy at a nation who's players did them proud despite being allegedly inferior to England and other major European nations who performed poorly, much like the bile and vitriol aimed at Greece.

Surely you've seen me talk about the England team enough to know I don't really care about them and their performances...certainly not enough to be 'jealous' of any other nation.

If trying hard is all that people are measuring their expectations against then fair enough the US were amazing.

But other than running around a lot they were at best okay.

I actually don't think they'd have got out of any of the other groups (although they would almost certainly have beaten England).
 

BringBack_leGin

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Jul 28, 2004
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Surely you've seen me talk about the England team enough to know I don't really care about them and their performances...certainly not enough to be 'jealous' of any other nation.

If trying hard is all that people are measuring their expectations against then fair enough the US were amazing.

But other than running around a lot they were at best okay.

I actually don't think they'd have got out of any of the other groups (although they would almost certainly have beaten England).

I was perhaps a touch harsh with my wording, but I do think (and I won't level this at you) that a lot of England fans have bemoaned the success of the less fancied nations (Algeria, Greece, USA, Costa Rica) as they are envious of the fact that these sides, with meagre resources, are inspriring far more pride than England have at any point in recent history.
 

talkshowhost86

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I was perhaps a touch harsh with my wording, but I do think (and I won't level this at you) that a lot of England fans have bemoaned the success of the less fancied nations (Algeria, Greece, USA, Costa Rica) as they are envious of the fact that these sides, with meagre resources, are inspriring far more pride than England have at any point in recent history.

I can't speak for other England fans but I have been a lot more impressed with Algeria and Costa Rica than I have been with the US.

Algeria properly took it to a full strength Germany team, whilst the US were largely outplayed by the same team that was only operating at about 70%. And Costa Rica have just been phenomenal.

As for Greece, I simply don't think they deserved to get through. They weren't very good, were boring at the same time, and basically completely fluked it. At least the US deserved to go through from their group.

And as for 'meagre resources' I don't think that can really be applied to the US. It's also hardly their first time at this particular rodeo. Lest we forget they actually won their group in the last World Cup.

I just find it strange that they are being treated like minnows when 1) they aren't and 2) they didn't really do that much anyway.

Bah. Maybe I'm just secretly a raging Communist.
 

Coyboy

The Double of 1961 is still The Double
Dec 3, 2004
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Completely agree with TSH. For me there have been two sorts of 'underdogs' in this World Cup.

Greece are just dull, don't play good football and don't seem to want to. Envy is completely irrelevant for me as well because I don't 'support' England. I enjoyed watching the first two games, especially the second, for the atmosphere in the pub and sense of anticipation but I am glad in many ways they are out.

The US are just lovable triers with a fantastic keeper, at best. Belgium could and should have hammered them. As they didn't the US got a fluky goal and to be fair almost scored a very well worked free kick but the game should have been dead long before then.

I'd also put Nigeria somewhere in that bracket.

On the other hand, teams like Algeria, Costa Rica, Switzerland (to some extent), Colombia, Chile and actually Ghana- whose poor finishing prevented them going through- have actually tried to play exciting football and attractive football rather than just stop the other team playing. I find that much more commendable.
 

BringBack_leGin

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Jul 28, 2004
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I can't speak for other England fans but I have been a lot more impressed with Algeria and Costa Rica than I have been with the US.

Algeria properly took it to a full strength Germany team, whilst the US were largely outplayed by the same team that was only operating at about 70%. And Costa Rica have just been phenomenal.

As for Greece, I simply don't think they deserved to get through. They weren't very good, were boring at the same time, and basically completely fluked it. At least the US deserved to go through from their group.

And as for 'meagre resources' I don't think that can really be applied to the US. It's also hardly their first time at this particular rodeo. Lest we forget they actually won their group in the last World Cup.

I just find it strange that they are being treated like minnows when 1) they aren't and 2) they didn't really do that much anyway.

Bah. Maybe I'm just secretly a raging Communist.

RE Algeria and Costa Rica, agreed.

RE Greece, even accounting for my complete bias, who deserved second spot more? Japan, who failed to win a single game, or Ivory Coast, who Greece completely outplayed (before completely outplaying Costa Rica).

As for USA, I think they're receiving as much praise as they are because their performance is contrary to the perception of them as a nation who don't give a shit and don't really understand football or what it's about.
 

BringBack_leGin

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Jul 28, 2004
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Ugh, I give up arguing for the Greeks, people can say what they like, anybody who watched the Ivory Coast and Costa Rica games will have seen fluid passing football which deserved a greater goal tally than it reaped in either case.
 
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