Football: The Winter Break

[Spockydog]

That was refreshingly grim. 

[BigFatCoward]

There's almost no chance England lose 4-0 to Wales, so we are pretty much through. 

[Corvinus85]

Phew! I don't have to write the Rhaegar quote about the US. I was worried right there at the end.

Funnily enough I think Maguire was one of England's best today. He was instrumental at defending all those corners.

[Corvinus85]

2 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

There's almost no chance England lose 4-0 to Wales, so we are pretty much through. 

Wales has sucked for a game and a half at this WC. I doubt they'll somehow rise up and beat England. Their top players simply aren't in good form.

[Ramsay B.]

1 minute ago, Corvinus85 said:

Phew! I don't have to write the Rhaegar quote about the US. I was worried right there at the end.

Funnily enough I think Maguire was one of England's best today. He was instrumental at defending all those corners.

That Zimmerman giveaway…

[KingintheNorth4]

The US still has not lost to England in a World Cup. How I'm feeling right now:

 

[Heartofice]

That was pretty much the England I remember. 
 

The US were really good to be fair, they pressed well and full of energy and England could barely be arsed to match it. All the little deficiencies we knew England had, like half their side being out of form or unfit really kind of showed today. Any lingering hopes that England would go far in this tournament I think came crashing down.

[Mark Antony]

Classic Southgate ball 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, Consigliere said:

Shame on you. Everyone knows the LeBron James of soccer (sometimes referred to as Christian Pulisic).

It's sad he might be the best player we've ever produced. This is why you hear US fans say that if only our top tier athletes played this sport from a young age we'd be one of the powerhouses. They glaring deficiency is the lack of a good nine. If we had someone who was just 80-90% of what Kane is we'd probably have a chance to make deep runs.

Anyways, proud of the team. I expected an ass kicking. And apparently that was the first time we shutout a team from Europe in the WC since 1950, which also happened to be England. 

[polishgenius]

23 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

It's sad he might be the best player we've ever produced.

 

Brian McBride and his metal face ftmfw.


Though really it's Clint Dempsey.

 

23 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

If we had someone who was just 80-90% of what Kane is we'd probably have a chance to make deep runs.

 

I gather he didn't play well today but, like... 'just' 80% of what Kane is is still asking for a lot. 

[The Sunland Lord]

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

14 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Though really it's Clint Dempsey.

I think a lot of people here would put Donovan ahead of him, and the Landon has said he thinks Pulisic is more talented than himself.

And that's the frustrating thing, "soccer" gets at best our D list athletes on the men's side. I think it's legit to say they're a lot of average professional basketball and football players (and no, not the 300lb linemen) who could have been bigger stars than any of the three mentioned if they had focused on "soccer" from a young age. The pipeline just isn't there though that may change as more parents won't let their kids play our football (which in a way is funny, they're afraid of their kids suffering head injuries when they can be just as bad if not worse in "soccer").

Quote

I gather he didn't play well today but, like... 'just' 80% of what Kane is is still asking for a lot. 

Maybe it is, but it would still be better than anything we've ever had. 

[Wilbur]

4 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

... though that may change as more parents won't let their kids play our football (which in a way is funny, they're afraid of their kids suffering head injuries when they can be just as bad if not worse in "soccer")...

You are correct that more kids are playing soccer in the States, although anecdotally the majority serious athletically oriented parents still push their kids to go into basketball-volleyball / baseball-softball / football-cheer.

On the other hand, USA Soccer doesn't sanction kids heading the ball (games, practice, nowhere) until they are above the 11-U level.  (In practical terms, no kid 10 years of age or young is permitted to head the ball at any time.)  As a result, aerial challenges in youth soccer are less common today even above this level.  This is going to attract more parents as the dangers of head injuries become more widely known.

Given that footballs are lighter and more forgiving every generation, this will only make soccer more attractive to better athletes in the States over time.  

[BigFatCoward]

We aren't going down this route again are we. NFL, NBA PLAYERS WOULD NOT MAKE GOOD FOOTBALLLERS. THEY ARE THE WRONG SIZE AND SHAPE. STOP IT. 

Anyway, Kane looked terrible last night, with the creativity we have in theory I'd go with someone more mobile and quicker.

Otherwise what's the point of having Saka, Grealish, Forden etc (Sterling was also a problem, he has been poor for a long time frankly). 

I think both Rashford and Wilson would fit the team better, though obviously Kane is never getting dropped as he has always delivered in the past. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

40 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

We aren't going down this route again are we. NFL, NBA PLAYERS WOULD NOT MAKE GOOD FOOTBALLLERS. THEY ARE THE WRONG SIZE AND SHAPE. STOP IT. 

I'm playing the Ja Morant card then. 

[Consigliere]

So called 'D' list athletes are not the problem - football is one of those sports where one does not need to be an athletic specimen in order to excel. By far the biggest reason why the US hasn't become a football powerhouse is because of pay-to-play. That system is cutting off access to millions of people. The US could have had a much bigger and deeper talent pool. I thought this was a good article summarising the problem.

https://www.wjpitch.com/opinion/2022/04/08/pay-to-play-the-problem-with-soccer-in-the-us/

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

16 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

So called 'D' list athletes are not the problem - football is one of those sports where one does not need to be an athletic specimen in order to excel. By far the biggest reason why the US hasn't become a football powerhouse is because of pay-to-play. That system is cutting off access to millions of people. The US could have had a much bigger and deeper talent pool. I thought this was a good article summarising the problem.

https://www.wjpitch.com/opinion/2022/04/08/pay-to-play-the-problem-with-soccer-in-the-us/

 

The pay to play shit is for rich kids who aren't talented enough to play football or basketball here in the states. It's pretty much true of every other sport here. Tennis, swimming, etc. you name it. If you have the potential to play those two sports, you can be dirt poor and they will find you and pay your way. And if you have means and can play high level football and basketball, you'll be in elite academies from a young age. It's still true for the other sports, but it's not a point of emphasis. 

I will admit I make assumptions that are wrong about how things work in Europe, but please recognize you guys do the same a lot about how things work here.

[Consigliere]

So that article written by an American football journalist is horseshit? Mr know-it-all Tywin knows better?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

8 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

So that article written by a US football journalist is horseshit? Mr know-it-all Tywin knows better?

He graduated from high school in 2022. He's not a trained journalist in anyway, shape or form.

Furthermore, his rational makes no sense. The best athletic prospects bypass all barrier costs. 

ETA: FFS, that's a high school paper you're citing.

[Consigliere]

12 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

He graduated from high school in 2022.

So that makes your unfounded opinion more valid? Many have criticised the pay-to-play system and say that it's hurting football development, including Alex Morgan. But I guess she's also making incorrect assumptions and only Mr. Tywin knows best.

This is the last I'll speak of it. I know you might keep replying because you come across as one of those people who think if they get the last word in it means they won. Carry on.