Assess the USA soccer situation here

Truthfully, Bubbler, I don't think that many people outside of the hardcore soccer fans cared a bit and I doubt many people are pissed about a bad result.
Soccer is the same niche sport is always has been -- and no, I'm not being a soccer troll here, just stating the fact.
Even if the US were to win a World Cup, it would be a big deal with all the front-running US "fans" for a while and then fall back to what it is.
Again, I am not knocking the sport. I am simple saying this World Cup did not make new soccer fans nor overcome the general indifferfence the American populace has toward the sport.

 

no, it showed the team they were rooting for lost.

 

Question: Was it just me or were a lot more of this year's starters from European clubs compared to 2002, when there seemed to be more MLS players starting?

 

You weren't reading them hard enough.

 

I don't know if firing Arenas is the right way to go. This is the same man, after all, who took over after the 32nd-place finish in '98 and turned it into a team that went to the quarterfinals, and even there only lost 1-0.

That said, there might be something to the theory that players have begun to tune hiim out, or he's worn out his welcome, or whatever. Hopefully people closer to the situation will have a good handle on that.

Either way, yes, I would put in a very back-channel call to Klinsmann. If he's not interested, honestly, is there anybody more qualified than Arena? The question then would be whether some foreign coach would take the millions we would undoubtedly throw at them, or whether there's some coaching genius already on U.S. soil that non-afficionados like myself don't know about.

 

I'm not sure soccer (especially MLS) aspires to be a "major sport" in the US. The people running the show are realistic, they just want to have respectable attendance and a foothold that means it's not in danger of folding. They have the former in a couple of markets (though not many), and the latter without dispute, considering the new TV contract and the upcoming expansion.

Now, if you want to talk about how many soccer fans there are in the US who deem MLS an inferior product, but find other ways to support the sport, watching other countries' leagues and supporting our national team . . . . let's just say it's more popular than you think. But comparisons to MLB, NFL, etc. are nonsense for a sports which only recived its major spike in interest 12 years ago, and with a domestic pro league that has existed only a decade.

There is an audience for soccer coverage, especially in certain markets. Don't be ignorant and compare its earned level of media attention to rugby, table tennis and figure skating.  

 

how many coaches have stuck with a national team 8 years?

again, im not saying i have an answer for him ... i just dont think at this moment he'll be back.

 

That is because this was definitely the case.

 

I hear you, but imperical evidence (higher TV ratings, etc.) says otherwise. In 1990, it was not a priority for U.S. TV to show every World Cup match. Now it is. In 1990, the U.S. national team got scant coverage in any media form. Now they do. In 1990, there was NO WAY stand-alone photos of the World Cup opener, particularly a match which didn't feature the U.S. team, would be prominent on many newspapers' sports covers, and several A1's.

Soccer's rise will be gradual, barring a miracle Cup run. But it is rising. Especially as the generations who didn't grow up with soccer die off (Baby Boomers and before, my Dad, who is 56, hates soccer), and those who grew up with it getting some semblence of respect for their whole lives grow in number.

 

Very, VERY few, A_F, even on historically good teams. I'll get my soccer encyclopedia out and give you a list, most soccer national coaches have one shot at the Cup.

 

I believe that one way to look at this would be in dealing with the prospect of hosting the WC in 2010. As Webster pointed out when he returned, South Africa isn't exactly putting things together all that quickly.

Obviously, it shouldn't matter who hosts the cup in dealing with obtaining the best players, but that doesn't mean it isn't a thought.

 

2006 was the first time the US won the qualifying group. Finished 3rd in 2002.

This team has absolutely no leader. Donovan showed nothing in 2 of 3 games. There was no cohesion between the midfield and up front. How many times did McBride touch the ball in the box? With the exception of Reyna (EDIT - with the exception of today, the big stage) and Dempsey, who showed you anything in the midfield? There was not one good cross, corner or freekick.

The ax must fall on Arena, in a game when he needed a win and he comes out 4-5-1.

Huge disappointment. My memory of it will be Donovan blasting what looked to be a service from the freekick to the side over everything. He showed me NOTHING.