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Post by shanksta13 on Apr 17, 2006 15:26:06 GMT -6
What do yall think?
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Post by pompey on Apr 17, 2006 15:42:21 GMT -6
Yes..........will lose to Czech Rep., but beat Italy. You heard it here first:)
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Post by deridderforward#23 on Apr 17, 2006 18:34:24 GMT -6
i think both italy and the czechs will beat them by a nice margin. i reckon usa will give a good fight but were the unlucky ones to be put in a group with 2 leading footy nations that can beat any other team .
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Post by acmilan on Apr 17, 2006 19:57:17 GMT -6
The only team they really have to worry about is Italy, and maybe Czech, if Czech is having a good day.
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Post by levski6 on Apr 17, 2006 20:07:31 GMT -6
USA is going to win two games and tie Italy
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Post by d1d5fan on Apr 17, 2006 20:39:16 GMT -6
no. HELL no. czechs will murder us, and then italy will beat us with their experience. Ghana have "the bison" in essien who will tear us a new one in midfield.
these are my predictions based on the POOR showing vs jamaica. Despite the fact that our european players werent there, the other 4 or 5 players that will round out our starting lineup will not be up to italian or czech level. Those guys were fighting for spots on the WORLD CUP team and they only tied 1-1 with a mediocre and young Jamaican side. If we depend on our 6 or 7 quality players instead of having 22 quality players like italy and the czechs, we will be ANNIHILATED.
Now i WANT the US to do awesome and i will be screaming my arse off at home, no matter what the hour, when they play, but seriously guys, be real. if this is all we can bring to the table on the worldwide stage, it should be a LONG 3 games for the US :-\ just trying to be real guys.
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Post by pompey on Apr 17, 2006 22:30:40 GMT -6
Good points above, but getting similar vibe to 2002, did ANYONE truly think they would beat Portugal?? And they were only team other than Germany to score on S. Korea.
Do think Czech's are way superior, but friendlies count for nothing. WC qualifying England 0 N Ireland 1, few months later Eng beat Argentina 3-2, does this mean N. Ire would beat Arg by two clear goals? Of course not.
Think USA's Euro contingent is necessary to succeed, but also see some games without them as a good thing too. All good.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Apr 17, 2006 22:52:38 GMT -6
The USA has shown in the past that it can get cranking and produce some good results.
The problem here is that the USA has always done poor in Europe.
Arena has sort of kept that euro streak respectable, but still, the USA never plays up to their potential in European play.
Still, I think the USA can squeak out a win and tie in this group.
The USA also has a problem with losing games by 1-0 to powerhouses. 1-0 Italy 90 to Italy, 1-0 USA 94 to Brazil, and 1-0 Japorea 02 to Germany. I foresee another game such as this one, where the USA could play up to the Italians and still lose.
Team USA has not gotten the monkey off their back by beating a solid giant in a World Cup competition.
I think it might happen this cup.
Team USA has something they never had before in the modern game, Experience. I think that experience of playing in the past cups will propell them through this difficult group.
Team USA has to finish 1st or play more than likely, Brazil.
All things do not point to a good showing. But I am optimistic, because I know Bruce Arena is coach that europeans have not given credit, and I think he is the reason why team USA can beat a team like Portugal fairly easily. And I believe he will change the mojo that works against us in Europe, because he understands what he is up against more than anyone.
I think Beasely and Donovan are going to show themselves, and maybe even Bobby Convey.
Arena has his boys. You guys who follow the USA now that he has his favorites. Those guys are going to be the players he is going to use. These include players like Reyna, Donovan, Beasley, and Mc Bride.
But I think Arena is going to have to think about letting the younger players have a shot.
I think the USA has some players that may suprise other countries who they may not know about.
The USA are going to have to have a Stellar opening game to beat the Czechs.
Keller can handle the action.
He knows he will be the starter so he will primed to do what needs to be done. Although, I would love it if Freidel said, Screw it, I want to play. Who would you throw off? Hahnemann, Friedel, Keller, or Tim Howard??
Bad news today about Spector going down with a shoulder injury. I hope he can make it back. He is not a dead lock for making the team anyway. Although a Spector backing up a Cherundolo, Bocanegra wing defender seems pretty nice. Just get rid of the Heydude Hedjuk. He is another one of those favorites Arena seems to play too long with.
Others may include and have included, Eddie Lewis, Jeff Agoos, Cobi Jones.
I think it is time to bust american soccer wide open and make a statement to the world that we are here for Good now, and no longer will soccer be a minor sport in america.
If the team can do well this world cup and stun all the doubters, then I could see soccer overtake Hockey in popularity.
MLS could use it too, and it would work nicely for the development of the game and sustain it till aging veterans like Beckham and Ronaldo come to the league.
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Post by shanksta13 on Apr 18, 2006 10:47:11 GMT -6
i think the U.S. has the POTENTIAL to show up and do some serious damage. I agree that some of our players will show stuff that some of the Europeans have not seen before. Simply put, we do not play the same style of football as the europeans. I think we could be a surprise team that comes out and plays some very good football. That said, the statistician in me voted "No" in the poll. LOL. guess we'll just have to wait and see.
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Post by pompey on Apr 18, 2006 11:31:25 GMT -6
Beating Potugal and Mexico was definitely beating two powerhouses.
Cooler weather takes warm weather advantage away from USA, like in 02.
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Post by deridderforward#23 on Apr 18, 2006 12:16:30 GMT -6
well italy and czech i think are too good for the usa. they will score against them it wont be enough
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Post by archiegemmill78 on Apr 18, 2006 12:39:32 GMT -6
I think the U.S. will have to attain at least 5 points to advance. Somehow, I just don't see this happening this time round. European teams on European soil with huge support will be difficult. Ghana will be strong and athletic but not as organized or disciplined as the U.S. Italy seem to be clicking at the right time as usual (God I hate the I-Ti's). The Czech Republic will be very good technically and well organized. The U.S. will have to beat one of the European teams. I hope it's Italy, but I say this with a lot of sceptism.
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Post by d1d5fan on Apr 18, 2006 14:14:13 GMT -6
HAHA i love the reference to Eurotrip. (I-Ti's) hahah that was great
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Post by deridderforward#23 on Apr 18, 2006 19:15:36 GMT -6
i dont think usa could beat italy after beating the team that beat you with the same score 4-1 and czech are better than italy so it might be a high scoring part on oppositions part
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Post by lvrpoolfan11 on Apr 18, 2006 23:10:46 GMT -6
I think the US got a tough and unfair draw, adn should be where Mexico is. However, they will not get out of the group stage and wil only get 3 points against ghana. Italy is in surprisingly great form, they have helthy players, adn inform players. The czhecs are an even better team with Milan Baros who always seems to score in international play (But never in club play, especially when he was with Liverpool, but thats another story) they also have Nedved, Rosicky, and tons of underrated players. The US will have to do even more than they did against Portugal, but I will still rout for them.
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Post by deridderforward#23 on Apr 20, 2006 19:38:54 GMT -6
the czechs captain is this huge bald guy who is solid. the czechs and italians are both solid teams who are both favoured to come out with the trophy so i think usa will go out but would have played really good games against the powerhouses and get a bit more respect
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Post by acmilan on Apr 20, 2006 20:20:44 GMT -6
People, this is our home country, we are supposed to be confident with our team, not say that they aren't going to make it past the group stage, all i've seen on this thread is how the U.S. isn't going to win, personally, I think that they will do just as they did 4 years ago, I mean look how terrible Italy did 4 years ago, they didn't make it past the group stage, then look how Czech did 4 years ago in the World Cup, wait a sec, were they even in the World Cup. Exactly, so I see U.S. going far, but i really don't see them winning it. But i'm still confident for them, unlike most of yall on this thread.
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Post by ronaldo11 on Apr 21, 2006 3:58:08 GMT -6
italy did make it out of the group stages in 2002
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Post by takeitdowntown1 on Apr 21, 2006 11:44:18 GMT -6
People, this is our home country, we are supposed to be confident with our team, not say that they aren't going to make it past the group stage, all i've seen on this thread is how the U.S. isn't going to win, personally, I think that they will do just as they did 4 years ago, I mean look how terrible Italy did 4 years ago, they didn't make it past the group stage, then look how Czech did 4 years ago in the World Cup, wait a sec, were they even in the World Cup. Exactly, so I see U.S. going far, but i really don't see them winning it. But i'm still confident for them, unlike most of yall on this thread. I am with you on this one. I think the USA is going to have another good showing in the world cup.
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Post by deridderforward#23 on Apr 21, 2006 12:17:13 GMT -6
but will lose to the czechs and the italians. you saying that the czechs were not in the world cup 4 years ago was 4 years ago they were not nearly as good as they are now and italy just beat last world cups runner up 4-1 so they are both really strong sides. i dont think the usa has any great players to match up to the czechs or italians.
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