June 04, 2002

But then you can't really put much faith in a guy who's been linked romantically with Whoopi Goldberg. If that isn't bad judgement, I don't know what is.

posted by Samsonov14 at 11:49 AM on June 04, 2002

In one sense, I expect the author is correct. At some point, the Unites States will be a force in world football. On the other hand, this assumes that the game contunues it's growth in poularity. MLS is aready on a shaky footing. The failure of professional football - again - would be a huge blow that could set the game back decades, or even send it into a terminal decline. Let's assume that the current growth in poularity continues for the forseeable future. How far away is the United States from winning the world cup? I still fear the answer is: further away than the author thinks. It's not a case of population, otherwise China and India would be world powers. It's not a case of money, otherwise Japan and Australia would be better than they are. Money and a large population help, but what is far more important is a genuine football culture, and a proper way to identify and train the youngsters. At the moment, I wonder just how many of the best young players in the United States are unrecognised by the football authorities. While middle class kids have to pay to take part in a trial, and pay often hefty subscription fees to play for the top you teams in the area, the game will not progress. The "soccer mom" culture is detrimental to the game as a whole. The USA team that wins the world cup will be made up primarily of poor working class players, who grew up kicking a tennis ball on a parking lot, until they were spotted by a club scout before they were 12. They will have been in a professional environment since then, aspiring to play for the first team of the organisation that trained and schooled them for free. They will be ethnically diverse, but include a disproportionate number of black and hispanic players. All of them will be famous faces, even with the casual sports fan. In short, over the last decade, the USA hass made the first few steps towards becoming a football power. The progress has been impressive, but the hardest part is yet to come.

posted by salmacis at 11:53 AM on June 04, 2002

A bunch of computer geeks at the university of Ulster have worked out who will win the world cup, although they admit it is a head over heart business. The U.S already has some high class players performing in very competetive European leagues and there is no reason to think the progress will not continue. salmacis is correct that historically the game has relied on the hunger and skill of poorer sections of society, but I see no reason why the model that seems to be working in the U.S cannot produce talented players. Access to a ball and some space is all thats needed and if millions of middle class kids take up the sport, many of them will turn out to be special. Christ knows how many potential Peles and Maradonnas could be found in the ghettoes of the major cities though. Greg le Mond is a true sporting hero. His battles with Hinault, supposedly a team mate, made the Tour de France essential viewing in our house. It remains so to this day.

posted by Fat Buddha at 01:45 PM on June 04, 2002

I posted an interesting story (I think) to Plastic which is sort of related to this issue: that many immigrants in the US, even second- and third-generation, won't be cheering on the US national team at the World Cup. And I find that fascinating, because it's long been stated that the real base for football in the US is the immigrant communities, where it's in the blood, rather than the football-as-healthy-pastime 'kids-of-soccer-moms' demographic. (My fiancée's flatmate in Connecticut is Portuguese, though resident in the US since the age of seven, and she and her boyfriend will be cheering on Figo et al tomorrow morning against the USA.) So, if the lifeblood of football is as salmacis suggests (and I agree) to be found in 'poor working class players, who grew up kicking a tennis ball on a parking lot, until they were spotted by a club scout before they were 12', the question is how to turn those kids -- who will be almost certainly second- and third-generation immigrants -- into kids who want to play for the USA. That's going to be hard. Strange thing is that it works in reverse: the Republic of Ireland recruited a team under Jack Charlton of mainly English and Scottish players whose connection to the old country was basically through grandparents, and perhaps a love of Guinness; similarly, Robbie Earle plays for Jamaica, Dwight Yorke for Trinidad and Tobago; but right now I can't quite see how you're going to fuse the latent talent of kids growing up in the US, kicking a football about in the park or on the street, but who watch the foreign leagues on Univision or at the local Portuguese club, and whose footballing allegiances are established, at that formative time, to the old country. If anything, you'll have a bunch of players who, if talented enough, will look to the old country rather than the new one, because it's got the established league and the great history. (see: Owen Hargreaves.)

posted by etagloh at 07:15 PM on June 04, 2002

And they're beating you again! 40 mins gone & USA 3-1 up!!! Go USA! I'd love the US to produce a decent men's footie side in the same way I'd like the same for Oz... No matter how much some in the US may sniff at footie, US sports fans cannot resist a winning team. If Team USA does well at this World Cup then all you UnitedStatesians who've been following the game before now can hopefully feel some smug pride in having been around before the bandwagon got rolling... Again, I say, go USA!! ;-)

posted by i_cola at 04:43 AM on June 05, 2002

Wow. I am in shock. My mouth is hanging wide open and I can't seem to close it. However, I hated giving that last goal to Portugal. From the way Portugal is attacking, it looks like the U.S. will need 1 more goal in the 2nd half to ensure a win.

posted by gyc at 04:49 AM on June 05, 2002

Cripes! I'm as shocked as the poor Portuguese players. What a great team the U.S. have! They play wide, clean open football - a joy to watch. If all goes well, Portugal will deservedly lose and both teams will go through to the next round. Long live the Atlantic alliance!

posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:01 AM on June 05, 2002

Mmmph - now that was a turn up for the books no doubt - will we ever have a 0-0 draw in this World Cup? Lets hope not :) Beaseley was great, as was McBride - I think the South Korea vs US match will be very interesting indeed, with two quick and lively teams, they'll probably annihilate Poland though, with their shoddy, abysmal route 1 tactics. Mind you, the US did have more World Cup experience than Portugal.. :)

posted by Mossy at 06:06 AM on June 05, 2002

tieguy: Indeed it is. In origin. However, as the writer says, the use of the word is not. Be cool, say 'footie'. ;-) **legging it home 4 Rep. of Ireland (not Eire as we're being pedants!) v Germs. C'mon Robbie!**

posted by i_cola at 06:28 AM on June 05, 2002

I've been lu|footie in IRC for the past 2 1/2 hours, for the record :)

posted by tieguy at 06:32 AM on June 05, 2002