3-0
The US defeat to Czechoslovakia should come as no real surprise to anyone. While the US has tried to position itself as a strong team that's clearly among the best in the world, the truth is that it's not. The Czech team has an all-star cast featuring some of Europe's best players (even if they are a tad old), and is currently ranked #2 in the world behind Brazil. Were people seriously expecting the US to come out and beat down these guys? Now, that's not to say that the thrashing we received today was a reflection of skill -- I'd venture to say that if we'd lost by 1 point, it would have been a more accurate reflection of reality. Going down by 3 points was the result of shoddy play by USA. There was a distinct lack of hustle, some really bad passing, and a number of lost opportunities for shots on goal.
You see, I think US soccer fans (i will not call it football) are trying to prove something. They know that soccer is the one sport where they routinely get trounced by those decadent European powers whom they disdain so much. It's the one sport where you can't buy a winning team (although that's changing)......unlike the Olympics, you can't just invest in individual athletes and have the Gold medals that are doled out reflect your power standing in the world. Yes, US soccer has something to prove. But they aren't there yet. All they proved today is that they have a long way to go.
But I'm a soccer fan, and I'm rooting for USA. I'd love to see us beat Italy and Ghana and proceed out of our Group. And hey, it's possible, after all I'd say both of those teams are easier to beat that the Czechs. But even if we do that, we still might not move out of our group with the 3 point deficit we earned today.
Next game is this Saturday. I'll be watching somewhere in SF. Let me know if you'd like to join.
The US defeat to Czechoslovakia should come as no real surprise to anyone. While the US has tried to position itself as a strong team that's clearly among the best in the world, the truth is that it's not. The Czech team has an all-star cast featuring some of Europe's best players (even if they are a tad old), and is currently ranked #2 in the world behind Brazil. Were people seriously expecting the US to come out and beat down these guys? Now, that's not to say that the thrashing we received today was a reflection of skill -- I'd venture to say that if we'd lost by 1 point, it would have been a more accurate reflection of reality. Going down by 3 points was the result of shoddy play by USA. There was a distinct lack of hustle, some really bad passing, and a number of lost opportunities for shots on goal.
You see, I think US soccer fans (i will not call it football) are trying to prove something. They know that soccer is the one sport where they routinely get trounced by those decadent European powers whom they disdain so much. It's the one sport where you can't buy a winning team (although that's changing)......unlike the Olympics, you can't just invest in individual athletes and have the Gold medals that are doled out reflect your power standing in the world. Yes, US soccer has something to prove. But they aren't there yet. All they proved today is that they have a long way to go.
But I'm a soccer fan, and I'm rooting for USA. I'd love to see us beat Italy and Ghana and proceed out of our Group. And hey, it's possible, after all I'd say both of those teams are easier to beat that the Czechs. But even if we do that, we still might not move out of our group with the 3 point deficit we earned today.
Next game is this Saturday. I'll be watching somewhere in SF. Let me know if you'd like to join.
posted by slithytoves at 9:16 PM
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