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I think as MLS grows stronger and has been around for a much longer time then US fans will start to feel the same way. My dad was a Leeds fan and his dad before him so history plays a big part.
The US sports analogy is a good one. How many people would want Team USA to win the Olympics over the Suns winning a title. I wouldn't predict many.
Yes, but until MLS becomes a mainstream sport that is just as popular as one of the big 4 (even hockey--I'm a Penguins fan), most US soccer fans will by far prefer having their national team win the World Cup. I suspect that even most English fans, after all of their WC anguish, would say the same.
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__________________
Veni, vidi, vici--this goes out to all our NFC West chums
Thank you for breaking the circle of suck, Bidwill--Stout, December 7 2008.
I think as MLS grows stronger and has been around for a much longer time then US fans will start to feel the same way. My dad was a Leeds fan and his dad before him so history plays a big part.
The US sports analogy is a good one. How many people would want Team USA to win the Olympics over the Suns winning a title. I wouldn't predict many.
I cheered just as much for the US Baseball team last year as I do for the US National Soccer team. I was even able to cheer for players like Clemens, A Rod and Jetere and I HATE the Yankees but they were representing the US. As for basketball, eh, it bores me to death as a sport so I really don't care.
DONOVAN HAS DOUBTS ABOUT COPA Player unsure about participation
By Andrea Canales, LASoccerNews.com Associate Editor
A clash could be brewing between star player Landon Donovan and new national team coach Bob Bradley over the Copa America. For a while, Donovan has expressed his preference to play in only one tournament this summer, while Bradley would like Donovan to take part in both.
Very rare are the situations where the U.S. national team camp opens without Landon Donovan participating, yet that was the case this week. The U.S. player, who has more appearances in the past four years for the national team than any other American, was present at the Home Depot Center, but for practices with his struggling club team, the Los Angeles Galaxy.
He only glimpsed a little of the national team action while passing by.
“I drove up, I saw Bob (Bradley) and Peter (Nowak) walking out there,” said Donovan after a recent Galaxy practice session. “I had totally forgotten they were training today.”
Donovan is not usually on the sidelines when the national team is in action.
“It is a little weird,” Donovan admitted of having the U.S. team practice nearby without him, “but it is what it is.”
Except for Chivas USA, however, all Major League Soccer players are remaining with their club teams for the China friendly.
The bigger question that looms for Donovan is whether he will participate in this summer’s Copa America.
Some players, like up-and-coming defender Jay DeMerit, were eagerly awaiting that opportunity.
“[Bradley and I] haven’t had a conversation about it yet, but I think he’s on the range of giving players a choice,” said DeMerit. “I’ve had a break, so if I do get asked, and just for my experience alone, because I’ve come in late, I would like to play both.”
Yet because MLS runs on a different schedule than Europe, the Copa America does not fall into the league break, but instead takes place right in the midst of a number of games.
In addition, Bradley denied that players he would like to participate would be asked if they wanted to join the Copa America squad.
“No,” Bradley declared. “It’s the national team. We don’t ask for a show of hands of who wants to go. It’s an honor and we have a responsibility. We understand that in different situations, we have to consider different factors, but no, we’re not asking who wants to go.”
In fact, Bradley has already given Donovan his marching orders for the tournament.
“We spoke briefly,” Donovan explained. “He definitely wants me to go to both. He made that very clear.”
What isn’t clear, however, is whether that will happen. Donovan is still hesitant, though a choice is imminent.
“I told [Bradley] how I feel and I told him I’d give it a little bit of thought,” Donovan explained. “By the end of this week, I want to come up with a decision that we’re both fine with and just get it over so I’m not worrying about Gold Cup, so we know what’s going on and we can get on with it.”
Bradley has indicated that around eight or twelve players could participate in both Gold Cup and Copa America, with both MLS and European players involved. Though top choice teams for the U.S. usually skew higher towards European starters, splitting the difference between the two elements yields an estimation of five MLS players involved in both tournaments.
Though many MLS teams are affected by callups during the Gold Cup, the U.S. and Mexico are the only CONCACAF nations participating, via invitation, in the Copa America. The prestigious competition pits many of the top South American teams for the title of the region’s best.
Despite the tournament’s history, though, some top players for those South American teams have opted not to take part. Brazil’s Ronaldinho and Kaka, for example, have both asked leave of their federation from the tournament, citing fatigue from the long European season.
Yet Donovan is hoping to play during the Copa America, but for his club team, which depends heavily on his performances.
Donovan admitted that it would be easier to sign on to the tournament if the Galaxy’s situation were not so dire. The squad has only won once this season and is on track to being nearly eliminated from the playoffs even before David Beckham arrives as a reinforcement.
“It would make it easier, certainly [if the Galaxy’s record was stronger],” conceded Donovan. “That plays into it.”
The Galaxy carry five points on the season, as injuries and a strange schedule, where they played very few games at the start and struggled to stay match fit, took a toll.
Though he was unsure as to the consequences that could result from the choice to defy the Copa America summons, Donovan seemed willing to take that chance.
“I’m still leaning towards not wanting to go,” Donovan said. “I don’t know what the rules are or if they can make me go or carry me on the plane.”
Donovan’s national team predecessor in the number ten shirt, Claudio Reyna, chose to remain with his club team through nearly the entire World Cup qualifying campaign, though then-coach Bruce Arena was unhappy with the decision.
However, Arena welcomed Reyna back to the squad in 2006, and Reyna captained the U.S. in the World Cup.
Bradley wouldn’t give details on how he would respond if Donovan asked out of playing in the Copa America.
“It’s an impossible question to answer,” Bradley declared.
However, he pointed out that the national team has been an avenue to success for many U.S. players.
“We’ve tried to make sure that everybody remembers how important it is to be ready to play for the national team and what an honor it is,” Bradley noted. “Most guys wouldn’t be where they’re at in their careers if it hadn’t been for the opportunities that they’ve had with the national team. I think it’s important to make sure that they remember that.”
Despite the displeasure that refusing the Copa America might cause in Donovan’s new coach, Donovan was hopeful that a resolution could be reached.
“I don’t want it to be a bad thing,” attested Donovan. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, that I don’t want to play, but especially now, I need to be here [with the Galaxy].”
Donovan doesn't like working outside his comfort zone. The guy is maddening, he is no doubt extremely talented and when he is on he is clearly the US's best attacking player but he is so stinking inconsistent and has a tendency to disappear in games away from the US (WC 2002 being the HUGE exception he was brilliant in 3 of 5 games there). I've come to terms with the fact that he will never play overseas and we'll never know how good he could have been but I don't want to see him ducking National team games.
I'm starting to like Bob Bradley more and more, hopefully he sticks to his guns.
Oh and Jay Demerit is slowly becoming one of my favorite players, hopefully he earns even more respect on the field.
It gives a lot of attacking options. He may make a change and take one of the younger midfielders out and put in someone like Mastroeni or Clark. He also could continue to start Spector(or even worse Hejduk) over Simek and I wouldn't be totally surprised if Onyewu sat this match and Demerit started in his place if only because Onyewu always gets fouls called on him because of his size and Ruiz is a world class flopper. If he doesn't start Eddie Johnson with the recent tear he is on he will be making a HUGE mistake...but he could start Ching because of the relationship he has with Donovan.
I'd probably play more of a 3-4-3 though because of the Guatemalans seeming lack of wanting to attack and take out Bornstein and slide Boca to the LB and add Twellman up top but I don't see that happening.
Scratch that thought about Mastroeni getting a start, he still has to serve the rest of his red card suspension from last years WC--he'll be unavailable the first 2 games.
1-0 US, goal in 27th minute by Dempsey. Unfortunately I can't watch tonight but I am following it on the US Soccer match tracker.
Looks like Gooch was an idiot and kept fouling hard, even after his first yellow. He got sent off after a second yellow and will now miss the next match. Friggin' idiot!
I, too, had to settle for match tracker.
__________________
Veni, vidi, vici--this goes out to all our NFC West chums
Thank you for breaking the circle of suck, Bidwill--Stout, December 7 2008.
Looks like Gooch was an idiot and kept fouling hard, even after his first yellow. He got sent off after a second yellow and will now miss the next match. Friggin' idiot!
I, too, had to settle for match tracker.
Reading other boards it was more Ruiz flopping than something Onyewu did. To be honest I thought Onyewu might be held out of the Guatemala match for that very reason, Ruiz is a known fish and Onyewu because of his size gets called for everything.
I thought maybe Parkhurst or Demerit would start in his place...well I guess that'll be next game.
On a positive note, the next game against T&T should be a walk over, because of a pay dispute no players from their WC roster is on the team for the tournament.
I got to see the last 30 minutes. I didn't see Onyewu's first yellow, but his second, in real time, looked valid to me. It may have been an embellishment by the Guatemalen (not sure if it was Ruiz), but Gooch has to get smarter in these situations. Luckily for the US, they have decent depth at center-back.
As for the rest of the 30 minutes, it was all about Guatemala and their physical play. It seemed that a US player hit the turf about once a minute, but hardly any fouls were called against Guatemala. The US didn't respond with toughness or aggressiveness or anything else. Each time they had a scoring opportunity brewing, their timidity paralyzed the attack. By the end of the game, I thought the US was lucky to not concede the equalizer. Overall, it was MUCH more entertaining than the 0-0 friendly a few months back.
Telefutura is a free channel. The spanish broadcasters rule.
That's where I watched it. I stummbled on it. I was at my mom's house and she has cable ( i'm directTv). I was channel surfing looking for the D-backs game and came across it. I watched the last ten of the first half and the second half.
Missed Dempsey's goal, and the spanish call of it gooooooaaaaaallllllllll.
The first yellow on Gooch, it looked like Ruiz tried to shoulder tackle him. Ruiz got the worst of it and went down. Bad call by the Ref.
I didn't see( or hear because of the spanish broadcast) what happened to Donnovan when he went down. It looked like Ruiz was trying to shake his hand afterward, but Donnovan would have no part of it. Anybody see what happened?
I didn't see( or hear because of the spanish broadcast) what happened to Donnovan when he went down. It looked like Ruiz was trying to shake his hand afterward, but Donnovan would have no part of it. Anybody see what happened?
I don't think it was caught by the cameras. I was watching on FSC, and they didn't show any replays. I remember when I was watching that it looked like Donovan got hit in the head or neck or fell on his head. Just a guess, though.
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