Official World Cup, Champions League, Premiere League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A, MLS Thread

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by McDman

This thread seriously needs to get to the second page. Don't post massive pictures.

I will do it every page from now on -- probably even five times per page.

[maven]

Originally Posted by elsid13

Forget Beckham, the signing of Lucas is more important. PSG is really spending the money to become a elite club.

well duh...

But, I think this an excellent signing. It will help raise PSG awareness as a club, sell jerseys, etc. He still can and will play. PSG is spending like gangbusters.

Allez les bleus!

2014

[maven]

Originally Posted by elsid13

Brek Shea moving to Stoke is also interesting. Shea needs that EPL experience and should help us on the national team.

He will get a chance to play and prove himself. It's a good move. He's still very young.

[maven]

Originally Posted by Requiem

I will do it every page from now on -- probably even five times per page.

We don't need to see a bunch of chokers on every page.

[s0phr0syne]

Just watched the US Canada game on Espn3...not too much to take away from it that I could find.


I don't watch any MLS, so it was interesting to hear the hype about Gonzalez. Looks like there will be some good blocks at CB with Cameron, Gonzalez, and Goodson. What's with the US looking for a new left back (per commentary crew)? I thought fabian johnson had looked really good there

Looking forward to seeing the WCQ start off next week.

[McDman]

The US v. Canada game was the single most boring game I have ever watched. I just don't get why Jurgen puts certain people in positions they clearly don't belong. He insisted on playing Danny Williams at RM for so long and it made no sense.

Also, why put Gatt on the left side?

I really hope Shea can develop into a solid LM. We have some hope if Gatt can gain some field vision and play on the right. We'd have to fast, strong wingers. Both have a long way to go though.

[McDman]

The US v. Canada game was the single most boring game I have ever watched. I just don't get why Jurgen puts certain people in positions they clearly don't belong. He insisted on playing Danny Williams at RM for so long and it made no sense.

Also, why put Gatt on the left side?

I really hope Shea can develop into a solid LM. We have some hope if Gatt can gain some field vision and play on the right. We'd have to fast, strong wingers. Both have a long way to go though.

[McDman]

Also, here is to hoping Holden can heal up quickly.

[DBruleU]

Originally Posted by McDman

The US v. Canada game was the single most boring game I have ever watched. I just don't get why Jurgen puts certain people in positions they clearly don't belong. He insisted on playing Danny Williams at RM for so long and it made no sense.

Also, why put Gatt on the left side?

I really hope Shea can develop into a solid LM. We have some hope if Gatt can gain some field vision and play on the right. We'd have to fast, strong wingers. Both have a long way to go though.

Yeah, that game sucked big time. Really no one of note playing in that game either.

I swear, the USSF has done a piss poor job developing players. We need to do what France does and just accept every high level talent from South America into the US and train them here. While we are at it, go to Africa and get the talent there before they go to France and Italy.

I'm starting to think the MLS should seriously look into changing their on season to match Europe. I know we have brutal winters, and it would be tough, but Europe has played in some pretty cold winters recently.

[Atwater His Ass]

The problem is the US doesn't have the infastructure to train and develop players like most all other countries in the world do. The investment required just isn't there currently. This was one of the main things Klinnsman wanted to change when he came on board. The MLS is modeled after American sports, with the draft, playoffs, etc., to keep interest in the American sporting public who just by and large doesn't understand promotion and relegation and I'm not sure MLS is a deep enough league to be ran in that fashion anyway.

MLS teams need to establish their own acadamies to develop young talent. Letting kids go through the current system and relying on colleges to develop them further will never achieve the results that people want. I know some MLS teams are doing this, but it needs to be a point of focus for the league to develop players for the national team, not colleges and youth club traveling teams.

About Shea...well I've never really been impressed by him. But I love seeing Americans pack up and head over to Europe. Anytime a young player can get some time in Europe is a great thing and to me is by far the best thing they can do to advance their game mentally and technically. Getting the experience of playing in the EPL and training with an EPL team will grow him quite a bit.

[elsid13]

Chelsea with all the talent they have and money should be so much better then they are. The Blues are playing like a mid level La Liga team.

[McDman]

My Magpies pulled off a huge one today. Sissoko looks like he is going to fill in very nicely for losing Ba.

[Mediator12]

Originally Posted by Atwater His Ass

The problem is the US doesn't have the infastructure to train and develop players like most all other countries in the world do. The investment required just isn't there currently. This was one of the main things Klinnsman wanted to change when he came on board. The MLS is modeled after American sports, with the draft, playoffs, etc., to keep interest in the American sporting public who just by and large doesn't understand promotion and relegation and I'm not sure MLS is a deep enough league to be ran in that fashion anyway.

MLS teams need to establish their own acadamies to develop young talent. Letting kids go through the current system and relying on colleges to develop them further will never achieve the results that people want. I know some MLS teams are doing this, but it needs to be a point of focus for the league to develop players for the national team, not colleges and youth club traveling teams.

About Shea...well I've never really been impressed by him. But I love seeing Americans pack up and head over to Europe. Anytime a young player can get some time in Europe is a great thing and to me is by far the best thing they can do to advance their game mentally and technically. Getting the experience of playing in the EPL and training with an EPL team will grow him quite a bit.

This!

MLS does have the developmental Academy attached to it, but that is the worst run pile of BS I have ever seen. I have friends who run the one in INDY with Carmel United SC. The structure is so freaking terrible for the players and PARENTS pay the costs to have their kids play, instead of the teams bringing the Kids into their academies like Europe.

The biggest problem with the USMNT, is we have third tier Athletes competing with other countries top level athletes. It means the US never has a chance to win the one v one battles across the field to make a difference. Hell, the USSF had the audacity to print T-shirts that said "outwork them" last year admitting they had no chance of beating them with talent, athleticism, and Skill. They appealed to the American sense of hard work, but for goodness sake don't embrace that as our redeeming trait!

As a multi-sport Coach, Soccer and Football, I see the difference in the level of athlete from 8 years old-high school playing the sports by a long shot. I also watch the "Semi-Pro" Baseball teams Like the Indiana Lids who produce Major League Prospects every year and have like 10 MLB's on active rosters. The level of commitment and the level of athlete that Football, Basketball, and Baseball youth sports have is far superior to the Elite Soccer athlete in this country.

That is where The US fails. It is a testament to the US that they can still compete at all with this failing. It is because they are tactically aware and proficient, plus they have ZERO superstars (yes Dempsey is the closest thing ever), and play a total team game that they can compete. Watch the skill level difference between the US and ANY other National team and you can see how technically deficient our best really are.

I still support them, but there are no longer any players there I played with professionally or against in the mens Open Cups. I had played with and against the Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna, Harke, Cobi Jones, Chris Klein etc. I also Coached Demarcus Beasely and others on the regional teams growing up. I have put four kids into MLS right now and Dozens into college soccer.

I still go to England and learn training methods from greats like Rene Meulensteen who is Manchester Uniteds Academy and first team technical director under Sir Alex Ferguson. What they do to develop athletes at a young age differs dramatically in scope with what Americans allow their young soccer players to do. The critical years are 7-12 years old and most Kids playing soccer are playing rec style with dad as a coach and learning all the ways NOT to play soccer. In fact, they get Zero effective technical development at all playing rec soccer.

So, I left coaching higher level kids and started working with this age group on purpose. I work almost exclusively with training the youngest the right way to play. We train 4 times as much as we play games. Parents just are not trained that kids need to practice and get 800-1000 touches on the ball as many days as possible versus winning a U8 rec game where their kid may get 40 touches if he is the best player on the field. They believe it is good if their kid scores 5 goals against kids who would rather not even be there, versus having their kid learn how to master the ball and be able to kick it more than 10 yards without using their toe with both feet.

Until the level of training matches that of countries abroad, where some of these poor kids do not have xbox, Ipads, or nintendo DS's and they play pickup soccer to pass the time, the US will continue to be good enough to compete, but Never close to being an Elite team internationally despite the stupid FIFA world rankings. They will be a team good enough to draw results against Mediocre competition, but never good enough to beat 3 elite teams in a row in an international competition.

[elsid13]

Yeah I never can see a La Masia style academy ever in the US.

[McDman]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

This!

MLS does have the developmental Academy attached to it, but that is the worst run pile of BS I have ever seen. I have friends who run the one in INDY with Carmel United SC. The structure is so freaking terrible for the players and PARENTS pay the costs to have their kids play, instead of the teams bringing the Kids into their academies like Europe.

The biggest problem with the USMNT, is we have third tier Athletes competing with other countries top level athletes. It means the US never has a chance to win the one v one battles across the field to make a difference. Hell, the USSF had the audacity to print T-shirts that said "outwork them" last year admitting they had no chance of beating them with talent, athleticism, and Skill. They appealed to the American sense of hard work, but for goodness sake don't embrace that as our redeeming trait!

As a multi-sport Coach, Soccer and Football, I see the difference in the level of athlete from 8 years old-high school playing the sports by a long shot. I also watch the "Semi-Pro" Baseball teams Like the Indiana Lids who produce Major League Prospects every year and have like 10 MLB's on active rosters. The level of commitment and the level of athlete that Football, Basketball, and Baseball youth sports have is far superior to the Elite Soccer athlete in this country.

That is where The US fails. It is a testament to the US that they can still compete at all with this failing. It is because they are tactically aware and proficient, plus they have ZERO superstars (yes Dempsey is the closest thing ever), and play a total team game that they can compete. Watch the skill level difference between the US and ANY other National team and you can see how technically deficient our best really are.

I still support them, but there are no longer any players there I played with professionally or against in the mens Open Cups. I had played with and against the Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna, Harke, Cobi Jones, Chris Klein etc. I also Coached Demarcus Beasely and others on the regional teams growing up. I have put four kids into MLS right now and Dozens into college soccer.

I still go to England and learn training methods from greats like Rene Meulensteen who is Manchester Uniteds Academy and first team technical director under Sir Alex Ferguson. What they do to develop athletes at a young age differs dramatically in scope with what Americans allow their young soccer players to do. The critical years are 7-12 years old and most Kids playing soccer are playing rec style with dad as a coach and learning all the ways NOT to play soccer. In fact, they get Zero effective technical development at all playing rec soccer.

So, I left coaching higher level kids and started working with this age group on purpose. I work almost exclusively with training the youngest the right way to play. We train 4 times as much as we play games. Parents just are not trained that kids need to practice and get 800-1000 touches on the ball as many days as possible versus winning a U8 rec game where their kid may get 40 touches if he is the best player on the field. They believe it is good if their kid scores 5 goals against kids who would rather not even be there, versus having their kid learn how to master the ball and be able to kick it more than 10 yards without using their toe with both feet.

Until the level of training matches that of countries abroad, where some of these poor kids do not have xbox, Ipads, or nintendo DS's and they play pickup soccer to pass the time, the US will continue to be good enough to compete, but Never close to being an Elite team internationally despite the stupid FIFA world rankings. They will be a team good enough to draw results against Mediocre competition, but never good enough to beat 3 elite teams in a row in an international competition.

Good post.

I think soccer is going to get bigger and bigger here. Especially with all of the CTE stuff in football.

Along with restructuring, there needs to be some sort of inner city development as well. All of the ridiculous athletes that live in those areas play basketball.

[McDman]

http://m.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-Nati...Qualifier.aspx

New roster for Wednesday's game. No big surpises.

I think we do something like this. (I'm on my phone so I canmt make a good chart)


G: Howard
RB: Chandler
D: Cameron
D. Bocanegra
LB: Johnson
RM: Zusi
M: Bradley
DM: Jones (Maybe Williams here as Jones hasn't played recently)
LM: Johnson
F: Dempsey
S: Altidore. (I want to say Gomez bc Jurgen likes him a lot but Jozy has been in great form as of late)

[ludo21]

Gus Johnson to call World Cup games in 2018!

pretty sweet move by FOX

[maven]

US soccer kits leaked:

http://todosobrecamisetas.blogspot.c...home.html#more

[maven]

Article on Bob Bradley in Egypt:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soc...bradley-egypt/

[McDman]

Originally Posted by maven

US soccer kits leaked:

http://todosobrecamisetas.blogspot.c...home.html#more

They look nice.

I took work off tomorrow for the game.

[maven]

Originally Posted by McDman

They look nice.

I took work off tomorrow for the game.

Yah, also in the link are some other countries. Portugal looks awesome. The Dutch went back to red white blue(don't like).

I'll be watching as well. It's going to be a difficult qualifier, but I expect a win versus Honduras. We will see.

[McDman]

Originally Posted by maven

Yah, also in the link are some other countries. Portugal looks awesome. The Dutch went back to red white blue(don't like).

I'll be watching as well. It's going to be a difficult qualifier, but I expect a win versus Honduras. We will see.

I'm not expecting a win really. We have no speed or wing play with this roster. If they bunker down we have no weapons to beat that.

[maven]

bicycle kick. heh

1-1

UP the possession and get up another goal.

[Smiling Assassin27]

patented US defensive lapse and down we go...

[SonOfLe-loLang]

****in US