World Cup 2022

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(11-30-2022, 11:14 PM)hollodero Wrote: Are US-Americans actually rooting for other Concacaf teams? If so, I find that to be strange. Like rooting for the Steelers when the Bengals are out (or the other way round, of course), which hardly anyone would do, certainly not me.

I for one seldomly root for the European teams.

Well, if I wasn't reminded by almost every European that I talk Footy Mundo with that it's cute that we like our team but we're really not that good or our region is weak or we'd never qualify as often out of Europe so quit thinking that we're good, I probably wouldn't root for the Konka Cafe' teams. But, since that almost never happens, yes I root for teams from CONCACAF, who Roger Bennett so expertly called "The Footballing equivalent to a Star Wars bar".

My personal opinion? The USA has had a good first team for over 20 years now but the rest of the world HATES that it's happened so they refuse to openly accept it. They've gotten out of the group stage four of their last five World Cups, four out of the last six if you count missing in 2018, which was a blessing in disguise. We wouldn't have the 2nd youngest team at this WC if they didn't throw out the old guard after that disaster.

But my biggest fear is that we've plateaued and we'll be like Mexico the last 30 years before failing to get out of the group yesterday. "Yeah, you're good enough to get out of the group but that's it." The growth of MLS is crucial to breaking that cycle. It's far from a retirement league . . . it's a feeder league full of young players and has been for about 10-12 years now. You need to be fit to play in MLS, ask any Designated Player(big contract). This league plays through the Summer heat with three teams in Texas, two in Florida and three in California. 

(11-30-2022, 11:25 PM)hollodero Wrote: Oh I see, I apparently misread your emoticon. I might have internet alexithymia.

Rooting for Germany though? OK I get there's a personal connection, but think about myself for a second there. I have to actually deal with Germans, so I am the one that would have to bear the insufferable German world champion talking points again. Four years of we rock the world and we're the greatest, it's not funny.


PS oh and the concacaf region probably gets one spot too many.

Yeah, I could see how that would be irritating.

As far as CONCACAF getting one spot too many . . . 2002 World Cup, the one you disliked the most, they had three spots. After the USA surprised Portugal 3-2 by just going after them from the start, Mexico won their group over Italy and Costa Rica just needed a draw against Brazil to advance. Everybody in the world knew that Costa Rica was going to park the bus and just bunker in . . . but instead, right from the first whistle it was one of the most end to end matches in World Cup history with Brazil winning 5-2. Costa Rica missed two uncontested headers right in front of goal and hit the bar a couple of times. The press was abuzz about the exciting back and forth match and Sepp Blatter said afterwards something along the lines of "We should reward the regions that play attacking football instead of having so many teams with one lone striker and five defenders."

Here's highlights of the match
Brazil 5-2 Costa Rica

And that is how CONCACAF earned 3.5 spots in the World Cup 20 years ago. Remember, 2002 was only the 2nd 32 team World Cup, so they were still finding out the depth to the lesser confederations. I think that they got it right with the 3.5 spots.