OT- World Cup Draw
December 6th, 2013 at 12:22 PM ^
For the 98% of Americans whose hatred of soccer is only outpaced by our hatred for American Soccer fans, this is a dream come true.
Can't wait to see someone on here hype up our great 0-2-1 preformance next year.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
Good point. I wouldn't call myself an "American Soccer fan", or much of a soccer fan at all. I happened to watch the 98 world cup as a kid, and I like France.
Much more importantly for me will be USA Hockey in Sochi.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:34 PM ^
If you hate soccer so much, why bother commenting? What value is it that people get out of declaring that they hate soccer? I don't feel the need to tell folks how much I dislike figure skating and figure skating fans. (Not picking on you exclusively, JClay. Lots of people seem to want to declare how much they hate soccer.)
The majority of the world views it as a major sport, so you know what that probably makes it? A major sport. In fact, it's the world's most popular sport.
To me it's like hockey - if you can't see plays developing and understand strategy, match-ups, technique, and tactics then it's very difficult to watch. If you really have a feel for the game, it's engrossing. Anyway, I don't begrudge anyone their right to dislike soccer. I just wonder why so many folks like to announce that they hate it.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^
For some reason, and it's not just soccer, every so often somebody on MGoBlog feels the need to go into a thread and be a jackass about it. I don't personally go into things like, say, UFC threads, and lob a shit grenade about how UFC sucks and all its fans are stupid, but some people get their jollies this way.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^
You make good points. Maybe an even better analogy is NASCAR - which I have heard described as the number 1 spectator sport in the USA. I have never invested much energy into learning much about its allure, and find it really hard to watch more than 10 minutes of a race. But I recognize that my inability to enjoy it is based in part on my own ignorance. That ignorance is willful (I've got other fish to fry), but it's not something that I boast about.
It's the implicit boastfulness as much as anything that I don't get. I know there are some that feel that soccer is insufficiently American, but it seems to run deeper than that.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^
The poster decided to be a douche by flamebaiting Soccer fans in this thread.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
You are lucky that other jerk posted the comment about being glad Winston wasn't getting charged because he didn't want to see OSU play FSU without their starting QB, or this would be the douchiest comment I have read on here. And I haven't even watched a soccer match since the 1998 World Cup.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
but you know what they say - gotta beat the best to be the best. I hope we can do something good, especially third-time charm against Ghana
December 6th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
And Portugal. This is laughable. We get one of the favorites (Germany), a team we can't beat (Ghana) and the team with the best player in the world (Portugal).
Obviously the group of death. And we have the worst travel schedule.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:31 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
I agree.
It's time to beat Ghana and it's not like they destroyed the US in either game.
Another story line that may be interesting is who Julian Green picks as his National team. It's conceivable that he picks the US and then faces Germany in Brazil. Amazing.
Portugal is a good team, emphasis on good. They struggled in qualifying and didn't they lose to Israel?
December 6th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
Portugal and Germany come out of our group, we are done. Literally we cannot be either team, not a chance. I hate to be that guy, but I'm going to be that guy in this case. Doom, doom, doom.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge. I was really hoping for a nice deep run, not a blood bath to start off with.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
Portugal chokes at the World Cup, and that we beat them in the group stage in 2002. Otherwise, just more doom and gloom in an already rough fall.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ^
...hasn't lost a group stage match since 2002--eight years ago they made it to the semis and lost 1-0 to France, four years ago they lost in the round of 16 to the eventual champion, again 1-0.
Not sure I'd call either trip a "choke".
December 6th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ^
going to be there?
attending a world cup is a bucket list item of mine, but im not exactly chomping at the bit to head out to qatar in the summer or russia after that....
December 6th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
That's us, Otto von Butthurt.
England's and Mexico's prospects not looking much better.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
The sports I enjoy watching are superior to the sports you enjoy watching.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ^
I have this dilemma as well. I can't decide who's a bigger prick, you or Justin Bieber. Would I rather go to a Justin Bieber concert or read a novel full of your fuckery? Hard to say, man. Hard to say.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
You literally contribute nothing of substance to the board.
December 6th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
Jebus, we got fukt. The toughest CAF team and two nasty UEFA ones. Of the other teams from our pot I wouldn't want to swap into Group B or D, but there are some damn nice-looking ones (E, H) that I sure wouldn't mind.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:56 PM ^
Good point. B and D would have been harder.
So we lose to Germany, draw and win against one of Portugal and Ghana... 4 points could get us through this group. Then we would probably face Belgium or perhaps Russia.
Our last group game is against Germany. If they have #1 locked they might put in reserves for this game.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:11 PM ^
I don't think it's possible to lock up the #1 seed before the final game. You can clinch advancement but not the #1 seed.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:19 PM ^
If you win both your matches and the other four matches are all draws, points going into the final day would be 6, 2, 1, 1.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
Ah, true. Pretty unlikely though.
December 6th, 2013 at 2:47 PM ^
...was playing Germany last in the group.
If they already have advancement secured (preferably by clinching first in the group), maybe they'll opt to rest some of their starters and field a second-choice XI.
But they are still Germany and they are SO good that it probably won't matter.
Oh, well...it SHOULD be a helluva tournament. I would have liked for the USA to be more of a player in it, but unles we can craft some Japan-Korea2002-era magic, it ain't happening.
December 6th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
Not much of a soccer-follower here, so forgive my ignorance. But I couldn't help but notice, both here and on other sites and especially my Facebook news feed, that the general consensus seems to be that the US team might as well stay home now. Are upsets really that rare? I have a hard time understanding how soccer can be that lacking in parity compared to other sports. I mean, it's one game against one opponent, it's not like we're talking best-of-sevens, which do make upsets dramatically harder. Is it that inconceivable for a Cinderella to catch fire, as happens nearly every March in the Big Dance?
December 6th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
Two major obstacles to ever seeing a Cinderella story in the WC: one, there's months of prep time in between now and then, and that doesn't really help the underdog because giving a powerhouse that much prep time for a specific opponent is pretty tough on the underdog. Two, you don't always control your own fate precisely because of group play. You can win all three games and then you win your group, but you can also end up easily in a situation where you're depending on some other underdog to also win.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^
the World Cup has always been won by one of the following:
- Germany (or West Germany)
- Brazil
- Italy
- Argentina
- Spain
- the host country
So, no, there hasn't been a lot of Cinderella. I'd lay pretty long odds that one of those five will win it again.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
that Brazil will likely be paired with Spain or Netherlands in the round of 16.
For a host country, that's harsh
December 6th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
also gets to play Portugal in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazonian jungle. Its other two matches are in Recife and Natal along the coast in hot, humid, rainy weather.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
I think we could win the world cup this year. Its highly unlikely, but things happen. It'd be less of an upset than Greece winning the European Championships.
As for the future, we are a country of 350M with a growing soccer culture, we have a ton of 2nd generation Americans growing up with the soccer culture from other places, MLS is focuing more on youth development, and we are probably a top 15 or 20 team in the world right now. No reason we can't become a global power in the next 30 years. Then there is lady luck, once we are a top 5-10 team, those teams are very close and anything can happen. I think you will see an enormous change during our lifetime.
Where we still lag behind is true superstar talent. Jozy/Bradley/Dempsey/Donovan may be worth 15M Euros (at their maximum value throughout their careers) but we have no Neymar/Ronaldo/Messi or even a Rooney/Van Persie/Ozil/etc.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
...why is Ghana so feared? Is it just the past history with the US?
As a Germany fan I was pretty relieved with part of the draw--I was much more worried about Ivory Coast or Nigeria. Ghana's results have been pretty poor the last four years and I can't remember them ever beating a major power. And the current roster doesn't frighten me either--the defense is weak, goalkeeper even weaker.
December 6th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
has knocked out USA twice in the WC. Last WC, USA defense cannot keep Asamoah Gyan in check and he wreaked havoc all game long. USA isn't strong on defense so that's troubling.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:14 PM ^
If I'm following this correctly, at least one of Brasil, Spain or the Netherlands will not make it to the quarterfinals. Wow.
December 6th, 2013 at 3:01 PM ^
I am not a huge fan of soccer-epescially on TV however I am always a fan of MERICA and I like winning on the world stage and making them all having to deal with us as we wave our flag and play the anthem.
December 6th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^
we got this