English just don't get it...

Originally posted by 1WhiteKnight
Indeed my friend! Amazing what a common cause such as lambasting the yanks about football (that’s soccer you guys, got it?) can do!!

One thing I’d like to straighten you out on though Jay Joos, they TRY to play rugby, they don’t really play it. Without the pads and helmets they are scared of getting hurt!

LMAO!!!!

Oh stop it😵 your killing me !!!!!

They cant do anything but eat burgers and get fat....hahahahaha...make that a sport and you have your world champions!!!!! 😵😵😵

Originally posted by mtthw
2006: Italy, Germany, France in the semis. Brazil and Argentina in the quarter-finals. Normal service is resumed.

I would agree that England may not win one for a long time. The World Cup is very competitive. But in the near future they're more likely to than the US. I think it will need a cultural change in the US for them to become likely contenders. ...[text shortened]... have is qualification. North American teams have the easiest qualification ride at the moment.

Sorry...I sort of shot back at you a reponse maybe intended for the forum.

Portugal? Australia? Who picked Italy to win going in? There was a lot of variability in this one.

Here are my thoughts on the US:

1. We produce an ever increasing number of world-class players.

2. We produce some of the best keepers in the world. (A good goal keeper can make quite a bit of difference...just ask Gordon Banks.)

3. We are really not expected to win...we won't play under the pressure that other teams play under. This time we came in ranked 5th in the world and I think that put a lot of pressure on our side.

4. England, Brazil, and some of the others are often pressured by public opinion to play some of their aging stars. We won't have that pressure. Younger teams like Italy and Portugal made mince meat out of the teams with aging stars. (The same thing happens to the USA in basketball. We feel compelled to send an all-star team.)

5. Regarding a "cultural change" Don't take what you read here as indicative on American attitudes about Football/Soccer. It is a growth sport here in the states and increasingly popular. That growth will continue particularly in light of immigration from Football crazy latin and south americans.

Originally posted by Red Night
Sorry...I sort of shot back at you a reponse maybe intended for the forum.

Portugal? Australia? Who picked Italy to win going in? There was a lot of variability in this one.

Here are my thoughts on the US:

1. We produce an ever increasing number of world-class players.

2. We produce some of the best keepers in the world. (A good goal keep ontinue particularly in light of immigration from Football crazy latin and south americans.

1. We produce an ever increasing number of world-class players.
Who would that be then and do they have a regular place in the top clubs in the world?(i.e. Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich etc….) NO. You have second rate players playing for second rate teams….i.e. Brian McBride for who…err Fulham, relegation material.

2. We produce some of the best keepers in the world. (A good goal keeper can make quite a bit of difference...just ask Gordon Banks.)
Really, so apart from Brad Friedel for a second rate team Blackburn who are mid table mediocrity in the premiership, where are this long line of goalkeepers? One other thing, brazil are regarded as probably the greatest world cup side, they have so many famous names from Pele to Kaka, not so many goalkeepers in that list of so honoured players. Think about it.

3. We are really not expected to win...we won't play under the pressure that other teams play under. This time we came in ranked 5th in the world and I think that put a lot of pressure on our side.
Really, I would say the worlds best world cups sides are Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, France (England border on) out of those five teams most have won it more than once in the last 60 years, some 3 times, but you know what….no one else in 50 years has won it. Why? Well because football over so many years has become a part of their culture, they have fantastic domestic leagues and at every world cup at least one of them has a world class selection of players playing at their top game. Sorry mate but underdogs don’t win world cups, its just to big and hard.

4. England, Brazil, and some of the others are often pressured by public opinion to play some of their aging stars. We won't have that pressure. Younger teams like Italy and Portugal made mince meat out of the teams with aging stars. (The same thing happens to the USA in basketball. We feel compelled to send an all-star team.)
Shut up shut up shut up. Argentina, Brazil, Germany England have some of the most amazing young players coming through the ranks, Kaka, Rooney etc… oh how many American players star in the final stages of the champions league…err, that would be a NONE. Why? Because they are not good enough.

5. Regarding a "cultural change" Don't take what you read here as indicative on American attitudes about Football/Soccer. It is a growth sport here in the states and increasingly popular. That growth will continue particularly in light of immigration from Football crazy latin and south Americans.
Typical Americans. Football is Europe and Europe is football, the culture has been there for over 100 years and that means a lot in football, you just don’t understand.

In summary.... (and I really could take you more apart but dont have the time).... please shut up, you have no idea what you are talking about, please just face the FACT, you ARE and you will be for along time to come just a second rate footballing nation with second rate players. Please just except it.

Originally posted by 1WhiteKnight
[b]1. We produce an ever increasing number of world-class players.
Who would that be then and do they have a regular place in the top clubs in the world?(i.e. Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich etc….) NO. You have second rate players playing for second rate teams….i.e. Brian McBride for who…err Ful ...[text shortened]... come just a second rate footballing nation with second rate players. Please just except it.[/b]

The world cup will get harder and harder to win. This time around many of the big African nations failed to qualify. China is witnessing an explosion of football. Korea, Japan et al are putting serious money into the sport.

Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy and France have been the first division of world football for the last thirty years.

It would take an great team/manager from the second division of which Spain, England and Portugal are amongst the top.

I'm afraid that USA are in the third division. The world ranking of 5 was never taken seriously. Capable of individual wins but success at the world cup requires three things:
Squad depth
Ability
Mental belief
Its hard to have that true inner belief when you are not playing regularly at the very highest levels.

It constantly amazes me how parochial the English have become.

Maybe it's a blessing that George Bush makes their foreign policy.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket


Cricket has been an established team sport for hundreds of years. It originated in its modern form in England and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is the most popular sport. It is also a major sport in places such as England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bermuda, and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal and Argentina, among others; there are over one hundred cricket-playing nations recognised by the International Cricket Council.[1] Cricket is arguably the second most popular sport in the world.

End of discussion , Baseball is but a poor imitation of cricket and reduced to playing in only US and Japan.

Originally posted by Red Night
It constantly amazes me how parochial the English have become.

Maybe it's a blessing that George Bush makes their foreign policy.

You are only amazed because you were too arrogant to notice.

We have always been that way, its part of our charm. "Fog in the Channel, Europe isolated" was a front page before "God bless America" was ever heard.

It could be worse, we could invent sports and call them World sports, play ourselves and tell everyone how great we are. But I suppose no nation could be that up themselves.

Originally posted by petrosianpupil
You are only amazed because you were too arrogant to notice.

We have always been that way, its part of our charm. "Fog in the Channel, Europe isolated" was a front page before "God bless America" was ever heard.

It could be worse, we could invent sports and call them World sports, play ourselves and tell everyone how great we are. But I suppose no nation could be that up themselves.

Goodness gracious me old bean, jolly well said ,If those reccomendations were not so vulgar I would award you one myself

Originally posted by Red Night
It constantly amazes me how parochial the English have become.

Maybe it's a blessing that George Bush makes their foreign policy.

Well at least now, due to the lack of any response, you seem to have accepted or rather conceded the fact that the USA are a nothing nation when it comes to the most popular sport in the world, football.
Your feeble attempt at a put down, which I presume was induced by the lack of any convincing argument in response to the posts here, was most pathetic, in fact indicative of the ignorance that a seemingly majority of Americans tend to live under.

For those reading this post and that may possibly take the opinion I have a vendetta against Americans this is not true. I entered into this post in debate about football and sport. Red Night is or was under the illusion (or should I say delusion) that the USA is a force to be reckoned with in football, I and others were willing to challenge that and have done with success. However it seems that the debate has run its course and having to concede the point Red Night has posted a very silly remark insinuating that George Bush makes British foreign policy, hence I refer to my earlier point about the ignorance of Americans, a perfect example.

Originally posted by 1WhiteKnight
Well at least now, due to the lack of any response, you seem to have accepted or rather conceded the fact that the USA are a nothing nation when it comes to the most popular sport in the world, football.
Your feeble attempt at a put down, which I presume was induced by the lack of any convincing argument in response to the posts here, was most patheti ...[text shortened]... n policy, hence I refer to my earlier point about the ignorance of Americans, a perfect example.

Bravo 1WhiteKnight... i couldn't agree more.... LMAO 😵

you fools are too moronic for me to debate with.

reading your posts does make me laugh.

have fun living in your little dream world.

wait.....Red Night are you scottish?

USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!....................................usa, usa, usaaaaaaaa..........😏

Originally posted by Red Night
you fools are too moronic for me to debate with.

reading your posts does make me laugh.

have fun living in your little dream world.

Yes Red Night, well done, instead of just resorting to name calling and petty put down insults you have engaged into a intelligent debate and put forward a very valid and backed up argument, clearly outlining your position and articulately presenting your case. You’ll have to give me some time to organise my thoughts for some counter argument, I will struggle to engage in such a debate at this level.

Originally posted by Dance Master MC
USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!, USA!....................................usa, usa, usaaaaaaaa..........😏

Loving your profile.