Is that true? And how did he get access to 280 character tweets
World Cup Qualifiers | October 2017 | Play off draw on Tuesday
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Is that true? And how did he get access to 280 character tweets
Well, if it was about actual quality, you could cut down CONCACAF to 2 places, AFC to 3 and a play off place which would go against OFC, AFC to 4. Leaves 22, which you could give to Europe with 16 and COMNEBOL with 6.
Not how the world works though.
Mexico and US have both reached the quarterfinals of the WC.
Yep, Euro/South American snobs would prefer a WC of 22 UEFA nations and 10 South American sides. Everyone else doesn't deserve to be on the big stage. Those lesser rans should form their own global cup.
Yeah, I know about the extension but giving it to someone with 870 followers is a bit weird.
And if we go back throughout history, the US has made it to the SFs and yes that was nearly 90 years ago and the game has evolved since, unless history only counts when it fits your argument.
The US also eliminated Mexico in the only WC matchup between the two sides, and in modern times.
I have no doubt of that, and you're lucky that you live in a place like NY where you get people from all walks of life (my extended family is on Staten Island).
I experienced a bit of that for Euro '08 because I was in Chicago for a few days during the tournament. There was an awesome place (ESPN Zone, which is now closed) we went and caught a game and there were people there supporting several different nations. Very cool atmosphere.
However, I live in East Jesus Nowhere, Indiana. It's a miracle if I can find friends who are willing to tolerate soccer, let alone find groups of people who love watching it and bars and such that actually televise it.
Absolutely. The Dutch narrowing missed out on GD in a group featuring France and Sweden, the US couldn't even finish above Panama or Honduras FFS.
Why is this suddenly about Mexico?
Donald?
Donald?
USA
Hope Mexico did indeed lose on purpose just as a giant middle finger to them.
If that's because Trump then I can tell you most of the football fans in US are Hispanic, European (me included) and not Trump voters, actually he will not give 2 shits if US was going to Russia next year.
But, it wasn't a surprise this time.
How far from Indianapolis, if you don't mind me asking?
There are currently 20 European teams and 6 CONMEBOL teams in the top 32 of the FIFA ranking. Goes without saying that these two continents are head and shoulders above the others and are getting heavily undervalued with only 13 (plus Russia) and 4.5 spots. In an ideal world the 32 best teams in the world would qualify for the World Cup irrespective of continent.
This group should be between Mexico and US and the rest of the games would be shooting practice.How bad you have to be when you dont even make the WC in the easiest WC qualifier group - says a lot when 4 out of 6 teams in the SAME group get the chance to play in the WC
haha, cheers lads. I mean the poster was enquiring about "now" and it's been this way for over 35 years but yeah, I'll be sure not to write always in future just incase the rule was passed since the second World War.
Costa Rica are no mugs these days though
Maybe at the youth level. But any youth that actually has professional sport athletic potential will end up playing something else in America every time. The college development structure in American sports also hurts youth soccer development; by the time they reach college age, they are already too old to really consider and again, by that time if they had top tier athletic ability, they'd be playing something else long before.
MLS has also hurt in some ways. For example, the best American players (Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, to a lesser extent Altidore, etc.) all come back to MLS instead of bettering themselves in Europe because MLS can pay them more with the DP rule. I understand why they do it, they aren't good enough to make those wages in Europe, but they are good enough to play for low to mid-table clubs in the top European leagues which would develop them as players so much more. I give Dempsey a bit of a pass though, he did spend quite some time in England before bailing out. Having a guy like Cameron on the bench for the last 2 matches is unforgivable. Yes, he's shit in the overall sense of club football, but he's the best defender on the US squad and he doesn't get a sniff because Arena has a bias towards MLS players.
Lastly, CONCACAF qualifying isn't the cakewalk many of you think. Yes, the teams can be poor, but the poor conditions and gamesmanship that must be played through can be quite challenging. Still though, no excuse for a team like the US not qualifying. Some of you seem to think that this last group was the only qualifying phase; it's just the last of several phases.
Thanks.
Mexico almost did not qualify last cycle and USA did not qualify this cycle. American and Mexican fans need to stop acting like they are too good for CONCACAF
I saw them playing and they play to the limit of "almost violent" which works fine when they play against US and Mexico (small vs bigger syndrome) and we will see in the WC a few red cards if they decide to play like that.
Anyone who thinks we'll be able to finish in the top half of our sister confederation below the Equator is clueless. That would have applied even if we qualified for the WC.
Absolutely. It's not club football or football manager. That's what Tabárez got right. Since 2007 all NTs train to a sustainable tactical blueprint. It's not pretty but the priority is cohesion, being hard to beat and everyone knowing their role (or many roles, eg Cavani on the wing) inside out.
We can't bank on world class talent as we will only ever have 1 or 2, 3 at a push. We can't and shouldn't build around Suárez much like we didn't around Diego. The individuals can get you out of a tight spot and win you a game, but the system is what gives you consistency regardless of injuries, suspensions or individual form. International football has too much spacing between meets to completely rely on X, Y or Z.
And had the draw been kinder to the Dutch they may have ended up in the group that Belgium drew featuring some of the weakest UEFA nations. The 2002 Dutch side was better than the current side but performed terribly in 2002 considering the talent at hand.
UEFA has a massive region hence why it has nine groups; CONCACAF has a smaller region and the qualifying rounds eliminate many weak nations that trot out amateurs and part-timers (but all nations have a chance to compete). There's really on about 8-9 nations in CONCACAF that field professionals, hence why those nations often make it to final round of six. Four spots is probably too many considering the rankings and quality but that's FIFA not the fault of the competing nations.
The US was garbage this cycle, obviously. But they were head and shoulders above the other CONCACAF nations the past three cycles. I fail to see the correlation here.
US should be better (with a better manager) and Mexico definitely should be better when football is the king there and have a population of over 100 million.
Panama ballboy, what a legend
The fact that someone like Pulisic is our best talent ever sort of puts that to bed. We do not need Lebron/JJ Watt type athletes to succeed. More than enough kids play the game in this country. The problem is if you are not from a privileged background or near a major city it is going to be hard for you to get access to the higher levels of the game in this country. Who knows how many kids fall through the cracks with our pay to play model.
How was it not?
Because they just failed to qualify for a 24 team Euros.
I think that's half the problem. The other half is the top tier athletes play other sports so soccer draws from a lesser pool. You said it - plenty play the sport in the US. But the majority that play are 1) not destined to be top tier athletes, 2) coached improperly/do not fully understand the sport, and 3) the culture to be a future soccer player does not exist in the country.
USSF has failed in developing the game from the grass roots level, and the both the sporting culture and the media hasn't assisted/adapted (media is coming around to the sport somewhat). Kids grow up in areas that favor baseball, or basketball, or gridiron football and see the riches available and culture of. Those sports are ingrained in the minds of kids from their peers, their elders, the media, etc. In some areas soccer is still perceived as a girls sport, or one for under 12 kids.
#Riverbackhome
Unfortunately for us Americans that love the sport, the USMNT will never be competitive at the world level while it languishes in the 4th to 6th range of overall popularity. I came to post something about that but MrMarcello said it very well:
Two anecdotes:
When I was a little kid in the early 70's, nearly every kid in the neighborhood played soccer. At least until they were about 10, then none of my friends played. They were all playing throwball, baseball or basketball. In fact, playing soccer was shunned, not only by the other kids but by gym teachers and coaches of other sports. Not to mention some parents unrealistic ideas of their kids being the next Mantle, Hornung or Russell and refusing to let their kids play that sissy sport. I had a middle school teacher basically insinuate those of us who played soccer were gay (plays soccer cuz he gives good head, stupid shyte like that). A teacher! A grown ass man in charge of "molding the minds" of the kids. Which partly leads to...
On my ride in to work today, the local sports radio station spent about 3-4 minutes talking about the USMNT being eliminated. Know that this is the only 3-4 minutes I have heard them talk about the sport in months. No scores, no news, nothing. And, the only thing they really had to say was "who cares", "it's boring". They went on to saying that they only think of it on occasion, like the Olympics, and specifically brought up a comparison with 4-man bobsled. That they only found it slightly interesting at the time, as a novelty, and could care less the rest of the time. They then stuck the knife in to end the segment saying that if there was a 4-man bobsled league, they would probably watch that over soccer (as long as it only lasted about two weeks, between the Super Bowl and BB spring training). That will be the last I hear for probably the next couple years.
So, let me ask you, if you were a kid listening to that on your way to school, would you stand up to your friends and defend your love for the sport when you know what the grownups are saying? The answer, in most cases, is no. You conform to the popular opinion or be ostracized. Middle school/high school is tough enough to navigate without that to deal with and the other sports are fun to play too.
I wish that soccer was the main sport in America. I love it and I think the US has the athletes that we could in time have a legitimate shot at reaching the QFs in the big tourneys. And, within 50 years, maybe even compete beyond that! Sad that that will never happen in my lifetime.
Two anecdotes:
When I was a little kid in the early 70's, nearly every kid in the neighborhood played soccer. At least until they were about 10, then none of my friends played. They were all playing throwball, baseball or basketball. In fact, playing soccer was shunned, not only by the other kids but by gym teachers and coaches of other sports. Not to mention some parents unrealistic ideas of their kids being the next Mantle, Hornung or Russell and refusing to let their kids play that sissy sport. I had a middle school teacher basically insinuate those of us who played soccer were gay (plays soccer cuz he gives good head, stupid shyte like that). A teacher! A grown ass man in charge of "molding the minds" of the kids. Which partly leads to...
On my ride in to work today, the local sports radio station spent about 3-4 minutes talking about the USMNT being eliminated. Know that this is the only 3-4 minutes I have heard them talk about the sport in months. No scores, no news, nothing. And, the only thing they really had to say was "who cares", "it's boring". They went on to saying that they only think of it on occasion, like the Olympics, and specifically brought up a comparison with 4-man bobsled. That they only found it slightly interesting at the time, as a novelty, and could care less the rest of the time. They then stuck the knife in to end the segment saying that if there was a 4-man bobsled league, they would probably watch that over soccer (as long as it only lasted about two weeks, between the Super Bowl and BB spring training). That will be the last I hear for probably the next couple years.
So, let me ask you, if you were a kid listening to that on your way to school, would you stand up to your friends and defend your love for the sport when you know what the grownups are saying? The answer, in most cases, is no. You conform to the popular opinion or be ostracized. Middle school/high school is tough enough to navigate without that to deal with and the other sports are fun to play too.
I wish that soccer was the main sport in America. I love it and I think the US has the athletes that we could in time have a legitimate shot at reaching the QFs in the big tourneys. And, within 50 years, maybe even compete beyond that! Sad that that will never happen in my lifetime.
You disappoint me barros and we are not talking politics this time.
The only time i suffered as much as club level was in the Euro2004 final. Even so the biggest heartbreak was when we lost the UEFA Cup final against CSKA at home. Nothing comes close.
Almost a 3hr drive, unfortunately. I'm in the South Bend area, right around Notre Dame. I watch United by myself in my living room every weekend, LOL. It'd be really cool if I lived in a place where I could to go a bar on a Saturday morning and watch the United match with other fans, but that's not gonna happen around here.
@NecssryEvil - good points. I have a good female friend who teachers at a local high school. She despises soccer and has told me that some of the good athletes she knows in the school system waste their athletic talents by playing soccer. She prefers gridiron football above all. This is seemingly a shared trait in the Southern US where college football obsession clouds judgment and perspective (she also thinks Alabama could beat the worst NFL team which is quite laughable).
Karma is a bitch. There's that Vidal story, them being out as a result of administratively earning points against Bolivia, and also this:
After beating Peru away early in the qualifiers they left this written on the wall: "Respect! The champion of the Americas was here!!!"
We have such a large population even being 4th choice would give us a large player pool. In Soccer you do not need the same type of athletes you need for American Football, Basketball or Baseball. And with the generation that are kids now the names Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are probably bigger than say Mike Trout.
Leave us out of that. Nobody here thinks or wants that. We just get riled whenever FIFA elections reopen the conversation on how many spots we have. We deserve them, we've earnt them more than any other region (Europe included) with our performances at the WC. Other confeds having more votes is no good reason to change it.
I think people get top tier athletes confused as meaning big muscular types, and those types often build themselves up as their sport requires it (or they're just genetic freaks). I'm talking about top tier athletes with speed, agility, strength, etc. that separates them from everyone else. And for a sport like soccer it takes having a brain that understands the sport in addition to high-end athletic ability.