Official Game Thread: United States vs Ghana | Page 31 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Official Game Thread: United States vs Ghana

The USA grew up as a soccer-playing nation Thursday by learning first hand the harshest part of the game: Someone has to lose.


Tens of thousands of American fans attended the World Cup in person  a first. These were not hardcore soccer fans, nor eccentrics, nor backpackers crossing Europe who stumbled upon the game. These were sports fans. They may have come to see a curiosity, but came away with the bitter, first-hand knowledge of both how harsh and how poetic the game can be.

On Thursday, those fans remained in their seats long after the game had ended, holding flags, looking glumly down at their laps. They had learned a valuable lesson.

Soccer in the USA will never be as it is in Europe or Latin America. It should stop trying. Soccer will never be a proxy for religion or a stand-in for battles in pasts, recent and distant.
What soccer can be, however, is a sport that Americans define themselves by in the same way that fans define themselves by their baseball team or city's NBA franchise. The tribalism of soccer in America will reflect itself not in its opposition to other groups or clans, but to other sports themselves. A consumer culture such as America, can expect nothing more.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5720666
 
It takes time. The US is in a soccer evolution, not a soccer revolution. I've stated before that it will probably be in the 2014 WC the US will finally have a side with talent to challenge for the cup.

Originally, in project 2010 (set in motion after 1994) the US aimed to have that same ability by 2010. You know, if one can say from 1994 it would take 20 years to produce a side capable of winning the cup, I think that's something to be proud of.

So, 2006 was a disappointment, but it's a stepping stone, and we can at least say we've definitely improved from 1998 form. Good thing is MLS will be in the US for the long haul (the sponsors have committed to it for many years) and whatever knock you have on it, it does allow many who don't have obvious talent as youngsters a chance to prove themselves later on (Dempsey is a good example of this). So, be patient - we'll get there.
 
Amars said:
Its alright. England shouldnt even unpack thier bags because theyll be going home on Sunday.
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Yeah.

Course they are.
 
Boomer said:
America just didn't have enough quality. Disappointing show considering what the prize was. Didn't show enough over 3 games to merit qualification to the last 16. I hope for everyone's sake that Arena quits. Ghana were the better side and more consistent, even with Gyan and Muntari.

American soccer needs to change a great deal over the next 4 years for them to succeed.

Just not good enough.
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You didn't see the game huh?

I do agree with you though on Arena...you can't play 4 guys out of position and then bury your most dynamic goal scorer on the bench. AND THEN EXPECT TO WIN.

Simple fact is that they deserved to advance to the round of 16...but didn't deserve it at the same time.
 
Destroyed by the Czech.

Couldn't beat a 9 man bunch of traditional bottle jobs

Beaten by a weakened African side.

Not good enough.

Fact.


And the England boys march on...


I'm afraid I am out in Germany now until the day of the final. Next time I speak to you I hope to be a proud world champion Englishman :D
 
Mebeverine said:
Destroyed by the Czech.

Couldn't beat a 9 man bunch of traditional bottle jobs

Beaten by a weakened African side.

Not good enough.

Fact.


And the England boys march on...


I'm afraid I am out in Germany now until the day of the final. Next time I speak to you I hope to be a proud world champion Englishman :D
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HUH?

What language is this?
 
Section126 said:
You diddn't see the game huh?

I do agree with you though on Arena...you can't play 4 guys out of position and then bury your most dynamic goal scorer on the bench. AND THEN EXPECT TO WIN.

SImple fact is that the deserved to advance to the round of 16...but didn't deserve it at the same time.
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No. I just made it up.
 
Just wanted to say much of the world's press seems to agree that PK was bogus. BBC defended the referee's decisions (the red cards) in the Italy match, saying they were deserved, but for the Ghana match, they say:

"But referee Merk added one more twist to the first half, with a controversial penalty award. He penalised Onyewu, who appeared to win a clean header as Pimpong collapsed dramatically, and then allowed Appiah to dispatch the spot-kick."

Also, on the Convey foul, they say:

"The American fans may well believe that they were victims of some debatable refereeing decisions and they were angry when Mensah was only shown a yellow card for a dreadful, cynical foul on substitute Bobby Convey."

Here's the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853408.stm


The German press is even harsher (remember the referee was German - Merk): The FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - the NYTimes of Germany) says not only was the PK a wrong call, but they say a foul should have been called on Haminu Draman (the guy who took the ball away from Reyna, leading to the first Ghana goal). Here's the link (it's in German):

http://www.faz.net/s/RubC3501523C6F...3DADE81E9364636FD3~ATpl~Ecommon~Sspezial.html

Two subtitles summarize the views:
Merk übersah Foul an Reyna (Merk failed to see the foul on Reyna).
Unberechtigter Strafstoß für Ghana (Unjustified PK for Ghana).

The tone is generally sympathetic to the plight of the Americans.
 
ckb2001 said:
It takes time. The US is in a soccer evolution, not a soccer revolution. I've stated before that it will probably be in the 2014 WC the US will finally have a side with talent to challenge for the cup.

Originally, in project 2010 (set in motion after 1994) the US aimed to have that same ability by 2010. You know, if one can say from 1994 it would take 20 years to produce a side capable of winning the cup, I think that's something to be proud of.

So, 2006 was a disappointment, but it's a stepping stone, and we can at least say we've definitely improved from 1998 form. Good thing is MLS will be in the US for the long haul (the sponsors have committed to it for many years) and whatever knock you have on it, it does allow many who don't have obvious talent as youngsters a chance to prove themselves later on (Dempsey is a good example of this). So, be patient - we'll get there.
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I'm not sure I agree. I think you have to make some cultural changes in the way young talents thing, and how clubs and the soccer association. If you wanted to invest in 2010, Adu would have been sent abroad, with a handful of other talents. Unless players, clubs and the association says "ok, we can't bet on our on league, we have to export the talent", you're not going go further than you did this year.

You also need to find a new coach. Seriously Arena looked like the Mike Tice of soccer, outcoached, outsmarted and outplayed in every way. He's not going to take the team any further, and I'd bet coaches who have a track record with making average teams look better. A coach Guus Hiddink type of coach would be excellent.

But unless I start hearing American names on the pitch in Italy, the UK or Spain, I doubt you're going to evolve anywhere.
 
HolliFinFan said:
I don't have a problem with that. Hey Prime, what's up with Venezuela or Ireland? Are they that bad too?
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Venezuela is pretty bad, although it does have a few surprise games in it every qualifying campaign, but they don't really threat to make it. Ireland is a decent side. Every WC 2-4 decent/good European teams aren't in the Cup because of the qualifying campaign and how it works in Europe. Ireland is one of them this time around. Last time Netherlands was one.
 
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