(12-02-2022, 12:24 PM)Dill Wrote: Walker didn't lead his team to a superbowl victory as player and then then coach another one to victory.
A horrible dumb human could not do that. 

No comparison! 

Now that is some narrow criteria applied here. My point was a bit broader, I'd say, that there's no reason to idolize former sports superstars after their career and treat them as half-gods no matter what they do. I don't think it makes much difference how much exactly said superstar achieved. Had Herschel won a SB he'd still not deserve any more respect for what he does now. Or if he had two rings. Or three. I don't think that matters at all.

As For Franz, to be nice for a change, he probably is not as stupid as Herschel Walker. But he's morally corrupt on an equal level. Bribery and stuff. And saying there can not be work slaves in Qatar for he's only seen people run around freely is not exactly a smart thing to say. And it's not a singulary incident either. Not to mention his arrogance. Or how he was a lobbyist for Gazprom.

He had success as coach, I have to give him that. But winning a WC as coach imho is not automatically a superhuman achievement. He had the good players. He got lucky too - two english players scoring in a penalty shootout instead of failing in the semis, and Germany might have lost and Beckenbauer might have never gotten the image of being a genius coach. And a nation's head coach has limited options anyway, imho not even remotely comparable to a football coach. Nope, that to me does not make him untouchable either.

That he was a particularly gifted player, that I will not deny, of course.

(12-02-2022, 12:24 PM)Dill Wrote: Hmmm. Led Germany to 3rd place in the 2006 WC, was Concacaf Coach of the year in 2013. 

We're talking about JUERGEN Klinsman, right? The guy from Stuttgart, now a naturalized Ami living in CA?

Yeah. As coach failed with Bayern Munich, recently failed spectacularly with Hertha Berlin. He had one good year as US coach, later not so much, finally sacked after a 0-4 against Costa Rica. Had one good WC with Germany, sure. That's his resumé. Does that make him a brilliant coach, imho nope. Especially since he usually came with a ton of spectacular ideas and concepts that then backfired or never came to pass. In short, often over his head.

Good player, sure. Possibly not unlikeable, at least in comparison. I wouldn't have said much about him if you hadn't insisted anyway.

(12-01-2022, 11:44 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: I went skiing once. No thanks. Cured for life.

Well, I had to do it in my childhood, and skiing is essential for my nation's well-being, but I'm with you on that one. Never saw the appeal, will never again do it ever. I'm a bad Austrian.

(12-01-2022, 11:44 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: This may come as a shock but we've gotten lots of European youth players on loans over the years. Man City bought New York City and have had lots of Man City youth league players get minutes on loan, but most weren't good enough to make an impact on the MLS first team.

Not a shock at all. But loans are not the same as players persuing a career in the MLS. And make MLS teams appear like farm teams.
 

(12-01-2022, 11:44 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: I can tell you this though, I don't see any of your mid table or below teams waltzing through an MLS season.

No, of course not. We're a nation of 8 million people, not many big cities, there's not that many good soccer clubs to harbor. We have one good team, maybe 2-3 dcecent ones that have a good year every once in a while and a bunch of village clubs. We do pretty well with our youth, but again, 8 million, the supply is limited.
Our best team, however, yeah they would waltz through MLS probably. And I also do not believe MLS players have that much of a conditioning advantage. Your example with Koke is noted, but that's just one instance. I would presume that's rather an exception than the rule.

(12-01-2022, 11:44 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Casual fans mostly tune in only because their nation is playing. You watch Austria play because you're Austrian and a self professed soccer nerd. The lady across the road doesn't give two shits about the Austrian Bundesliga, but she'll tune in to watch the Austrian national team because she's a proud Austrian. Same thing for those five WC nations and most of their neighbors in Asia, those five WC nations and most of their neighbors in Africa and that's a lot of eyes watching your corporate partners ads.

I see the point. It is well taken.

(12-01-2022, 11:44 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: It's an exhibition in the form of a tournament. Look at the format of the Canada/USA/Mexico World Cup in 2026. 48 teams starting with 16 knockout games for 32 teams to join the other 16. It's going to be a shit show.

Yeah that's too many.

(12-02-2022, 11:59 AM)Dill Wrote: Yes. They don't play fair.

That's still in. Japan earned it . . . even if Spain took their foot off the gas so they could face Morocco instead of Croatia.

Not shocked Germany got knocked out. I'm half German but I had little excitement for this team and I have more respect for the both Japan and South Korea than most.

(12-02-2022, 12:24 PM)Dill Wrote: Hmmm. Led Germany to 3rd place in the 2006 WC, was Concacaf Coach of the year in 2013. 

We're talking about JUERGEN Klinsman, right? The guy from Stuttgart, now a naturalized Ami living in CA?

He did a lot of important small things and a lot of great things for the USA as coach but he also instituted constant chaos for the sake of chaos. He ran his players into the ground and he alienated Landon Donovan mostly in an effort to prove that he's the boss and that 'the team is bigger than the player'.

I do love the very simple fact that he assigned the numbers accordingly. It's great that Forward Clint Dempsey likes the #2 and goes by "Deuce", but he's now #9 because the Center Backs are #2 and #3. The LB and RB #4 and #5, D-Mid #6 etc, etc... Little shit like that did help with the structure of the team because we were still in the footy wilderness but he was out of his depth as a coach. While he was no tactician by any means, I will admit that he did have a pretty good feel for subs off of the bench and their impacts on the matches.

(12-02-2022, 01:50 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: That's still in. Japan earned it . . . even if Spain took their foot off the gas so they could face Morocco instead of Croatia.

Not shocked Germany got knocked out. I'm half German but I had little excitement for this team and I have more respect for the both Japan and South Korea than most.

Yeah, Japan has been a surprise, defeating two European powers.

I hope they go far--unless they end up playing the U.S. 
But I'd root for them over any of the remaining European teams.

(12-02-2022, 01:50 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: That's still in. Japan earned it . . . even if Spain took their foot off the gas so they could face Morocco instead of Croatia.

Not shocked Germany got knocked out. I'm half German but I had little excitement for this team and I have more respect for the both Japan and South Korea than most.

Yeah those little ninjas earned it alright. Excited to watch the USA vs Netherlands tomorrow morning. We are better than I 
initially thought after the first game. We played England really tough in the 2nd game and I think were the better team, but 
damn it is hard to score goals against these goalies now a days.

(12-02-2022, 04:07 PM)Dill Wrote: Yeah, Japan has been a surprise, defeating two European powers.

I hope they go far--unless they end up playing the U.S. 
But I'd root for them over any of the remaining European teams.

With Canada out, they have become my fall back team to root for if we lose tomorrow as well.

The Dutch have been my favorite International Team since the days of Dennis Bergkamp........but not today.....not today

Didn't start well but good luck guys.

(12-03-2022, 11:58 AM)bfine32 Wrote: The Dutch have been my favorite International Team since the days of Dennis Bergkamp........but not today.....not today

(12-03-2022, 12:23 PM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: Didn't start well but good luck guys.

US has had so many opportunities and just can’t capitalize.

Same shit, different World Cup.

US looking like amateurs leaving unmarked runners and paying the price.

Hell of a time for the defense not to show up. So disgusting and pitiful.

Find a true striker. Find a new coach. Lots of young talent for the USMNT. Looking forward to the next 4 years.

(12-03-2022, 01:55 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: Find a true striker. Find a new coach. Lots of young talent for the USMNT. Looking forward to the next 4 years.

You don't find world class strikers like that !

(12-03-2022, 01:59 PM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: You don't find world class strikers like that !

Not asking for an Mbappe/Ronaldo level striker. Just one that isn't invisible like they were for the US this World Cup. Shit, I'd take an uninjured Jozy Altidore level at this point.

Moving to the next round !

Allez la France.

France making it look easy so far. Hard to not have them as the favorites to win it all.

And they arent even 100%.

There are many games yet to play.

England v France. A quarterfinal fit to be a final.

I'm battling a very sore and stiff neck so after Holland scored the second goal just before the half, I took some Advil PM and just crashed out. I woke up with 5 minutes to go down 3-1 and said "Yep. About what I expected.", rolled back to sleep and woke up from the final whistle of the Argentina vs Australia match. So, I wanted to watch the match before chiming in.

Yeesh. The USA was out coached, but also out played. Our MMA midfield finally showed the effects of giving their all in the England and Iran matches and looked tired for the first time that I've seen.

USA needs an experienced foreign coach. It's nice that we have an American that doesn't look down on MLS but the National Squad needs an upgrade in the coaching ranks. I'm not that worried about not having a pure Striker if they can continue to produce quality midfielders.

All in all, I'm proud of my boys . . . they showed that we should be worthy hosts in 2026. Winning this game might have put unneeded, additional pressure to go further in 2026.