It's time to quit calling it soccer

[someofusisturningnasty]

I don't really get your post, Shaw. If America had beaten Ghana, they'd have played Uruguay, and if they'd won that they'd have been in the semis. They certainly could have gone that far. Ghana didn't actually demonstrate they were superior. They got lucky. And they had a player laying on the field delaying the game after they scored to go ahead.

Ghana only missed the semis because they lost in penalty kicks, and I think we were as good as Ghana despite the loss, and we were as good as Uruguay. So, America was a hair from the semis. Just bad luck kept us out. And we won our group over England despite FIFA refs trying to sabotage us every step of the way, and robbing us of multiple goals and a victory.

Like I said, the only team that seemed clearly better than America was Spain, the team that won the whole thing. And I found it pathetic when I heard the commentators during the final game state that Holland was just trying to kick the ball around and get to the penalty kicks. They were trying to get lucky, instead of going for a real victory. Thank God Spain beat them.

Spain looked like the best team, so they deserved the cup. America, however, showed they had so much heart, and have as much talent as any team, so they very well might take the cup next time.

England didn't play with heart. England seemed like a team of over-hyped stars who were choking.

HAHAHAHA

I'm sure!!!!

 

[malvachat]

Okay, so like, I could be off on disparaging Wayne Rooney. I guess I'll have to study some tapes of other matches to work out why he's supposedly better than Landon Donovan.

Here's some to start you off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfx91LK4YOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFQg6Z4gLE

Surprising Wayne Rooney is not known to be an out and out goal scorer.
He's more of an all round team player.

 

[Theo]

They also hope Barack Obama successfully transforms America into just another stupid country.

"What is odd is to have a president so convinced of his own magnificence -- yet not of his own country's." -- Charles Krauthammer

 

[Theo]

Here's some to start you off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfx91LK4YOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQFQg6Z4gLE

Surprising Wayne Rooney is not known to be an out and out goal scorer.
He's more of an all round team player.

Well, okay, those are highlight reels. And impressive, too. But I dunno, everyone looks great in their highlight reels. I sat through some England games in the World Cup and didn't see any highlights for him to add to the collection. Would he have made Spain's team?

If you google "Wayne Rooney is overrated", "Wayne Rooney is hype", and searches along those lines, it seems a lot of people in England think he's not so great despite the highlight reels.

I'm not in a position to judge, since I know f***-all about soccer. I just thought Landon Donovan was fantastic for the USA. While Wayne Rooney was a choker, and ugly too. I saw a list from ESPN claiming Rooney was the #3 player in the world and Donovan only #50. Certainly that can't be correct.

 

[malvachat]

You have to understand how the media works in the UK.Fans also,are very fickle at times.
There is not one Football manager anywhere in the world who would say Wayne Rooney is overrated.
Is he good enough for the Spanish team?
I myself have no doubts.
The thing is,sometimes,players just don't perform.No reason it's just happens.
People expect too much sometimes.
After all he is still only 24.

 

[Shaw]

Spain looked like the best team, so they deserved the cup. America, however, showed they had so much heart, and have as much talent as any team, so they very well might take the cup next time.

You've admitted you don't know anything about "soccer" yet come out with bold statements like this, which is complete codswallop.

Sure, USA played with passion, so did a lot of other teams. As for talent? How does a team like USA who has a centre-back pairing of Jay DeMerit, recently released on a free by Watford and Onyweu, dogged by injuries but when he has played has been woeful, have as much talent as any team? How does a team with the likes of Jozy Altidore, who got what, one goal in 30 games for Hull last season have as much talent as Brazil for example. This is too funny

USA are a decent outfit but there are loads of teams better, I don't think anyone who actually knows anything about football would disagree with that

 

[DAVIE]

Yeah, but I read something about this on the internet in the last 24 hours, from sources that could be suspect. So I'm here to educate people about things I just learned myself. Apparently the foot in football was cuz they played these commoners' games (rugby, soccer) on foot as opposed to rich folk games that were played on horses. And, apparently, the dominant sport in each country that fell under this general category of "football" became the sport that that country referred to as their "football". Do I have that right?

Even if I don't, Dave should thank me for making his thread have some value and success. I'm just happy to see more posts around here. No one will give me credit for trying to save the forum while the mods were happy to see it die away.

But, needless to say, it would be a waste of time trying to get Americans to stop referring to their football as football. Americans are drunk on, and totally in love with, American-style football.

To give you an idea of just how NFL-focused America is, during the last NFL draft I actually heard an ESPN sportcaster state (I forget the exact context, but it was referring to how popular the sport is) that this proves once again that NFL football is the biggest sport IN THE WORLD. He definitely said "in the world". I have to admit that was an example of an American who thought America is the world. But, yeah, Americans are totally in love with American-style football, and no way no day will they stop calling it their football.

I think progress is being made, though, on getting Americans to stop thinking of soccer as "gay". And, the one and only team in this World Cup that seemed better than America's soccer team was Spain. I saw no team that played with more heart than America. The Americans showed they could battle back from behind, and would not be discouraged when anti-American FIFA refs were trying to sabotage them. America lost a close one to Ghana simply because luck was not on their side, and America could very easily have gone to the semis or beyond. It's just a matter of time till that World Cup is owned by America. And Landon Donovan is definitely a better player than Wayne Rooney.

Theo summed it up for me!

 

[Theo]

You've admitted you don't know anything about "soccer" yet come out with bold statements like this, which is complete codswallop.

Sure, USA played with passion, so did a lot of other teams. As for talent? How does a team like USA who has a centre-back pairing of Jay DeMerit, recently released on a free by Watford and Onyweu, dogged by injuries but when he has played has been woeful, have as much talent as any team? How does a team with the likes of Jozy Altidore, who got what, one goal in 30 games for Hull last season have as much talent as Brazil for example. This is too funny

USA are a decent outfit but there are loads of teams better, I don't think anyone who actually knows anything about football would disagree with that

Wait a minute. Didn't America beat Spain last year in the Confederations Cup, and had a lead on Brazil in the final before choking?

From FIFA.com:

"USA caused another sensation at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009, beating European champions Spain 2-0 to book a place in their first-ever world final."

First-ever world final. Beat the European champs. Sounds like American soccer is on the rise!

America was up 2-0 on Brazil in the final at one point.

Link

"Bob Bradley's side confounded their critics in emphatic fashion, though, overwhelming an in-form Egypt team 3-0 to snatch a place in the semi-finals, before inflicting a first defeat in 36 games upon Spain. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, both of whom excelled during the competition, then gave the US a two-goal lead against Brazil, before the aforementioned comeback."

The first defeat upon Spain in 36 games. That's the team that just won the World Cup. FIFA's web site says we confounded the critics! That would be haters like you! And it says that Landon Donovan excelled during the competition. Hmm, Donovan seems to excell in the big events, unlike Wayne Rooney. And we very nearly beat Brazil. So, we showed we can play with the top teams in the world, no? (I guess I shouldn't say "we" since I only started paying attention last month, but whatever!) And we won our group in the World Cup over England despite being robbed of several goals and a victory by refs out to sabotage us.

So why is America's team second-rate to anyone? We could've won this whole World Cup if a couple breaks had gone our way. That World Cup is gonna be ours next time, just you watch. People across the world will be burning inside when they see us take over.