FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009

[C-man]

Alves is a bit of a twat but that was a great free-kick.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

I think Brazil vs USA will be a great final, if USA do what they did to Spain they vould easily win.

Brazil were very poor tonight though...

[BlueSi13]

But that isnt everything, sometimes the best players dont make the best team, which has been our downfall in the past.

You cant compare this result to the 1950 one, the change in funding in grassroots the whole infrastructure is very impressive especially at youth level, the league and the interest in soccer in the US is so much greater than it was back then.

As for your comment about US country being against soccer is completely untrue its one of the most played sports in the country and attendances have been steady over the last 15 years, funding for new purpose built soccer stadiums have meant new stadiums being built, every state is chewing at the bit to have an MLS team such is the demand from the public, people who make statements like that show little knowledge except for reading the odd US sports blog on the internet, I have spent over 5 years living in the US over the last 10 years so I feel I know a fair bit about it. I also believe that most british fans have that attitude because the thought of the US actually becoming good and dare I say even better that british sides is unsettling.

Football in the US is known for it being a sport which kids play until they are about 14 and then forget all about it, hence the stat of it being the most played sport in the country, resistance from the media and brands such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, against it becoming the number one sport in the US soon turn these kids heads into thinking football is a sports for "fags and pussys" or simply a girls game, whilst trying to preserve their own sporting tradition as the real sports, its almost a national symbolic thing ......was the country bouncing after their victory against Spain and reaching their first major global scale final?....i bet the overwhelming majority doubted or didn't even care that it was taking place.......

I don't think us brits fear the US becoming better than us, for one i don't think it will ever happen in my lifetime, if the Mexicans still fail to challenge on a global stage i doubt the US ever will, i think most of us just hate the fact football is such a minor event over there, it waters down footballs magic.....if the US was to become a hotbed of the beautiful game like in the countries mentioned in my earlier post i'd have absolutely no problem, but as it is, for me they are the MK Dons of international football......

Anyways thats just me, i don't wish to get into a bitch fest about it

[Fox You Forest]

Yeah sometimes i can't sleep at night worrying about the US becoming better than us at football.

[purpleronnie]

Football in the US is known for it being a sport which kids play until they are about 14 and then forget all about it, hence the stat of it being the most played sport in the country, resistance from the media and brands such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, against it becoming the number one sport in the US soon turn these kids heads into thinking football is a sports for "fags and pussys" or simply a girls game, whilst trying to preserve their own sporting tradition as the real sports, its almost a national symbolic thing ......was the country bouncing after their victory against Spain and reaching their first major global scale final?....i bet the overwhelming majority doubted or didn't even care that it was taking place.......

I don't think us brits fear the US becoming better than us, for one i don't think it will ever happen in my lifetime, if the Mexicans still fail to challenge on a global stage i doubt the US ever will, i think most of us just hate the fact football is such a minor event over there, it waters down footballs magic.....if the US was to become a hotbed of the beautiful game like in the countries mentioned in my earlier post i'd have absolutely no problem, but as it is, for me they are the MK Dons of international football......

Anyways thats just me, i don't wish to get into a bitch fest about it

Thing is it doesnt have to be the number one sport in the US for them to become a powerful 'soccer' nation in the future, because the resources are there and the amount of players is huge. I certainly didn't state it would take over from games like the NFL it simply doesn't have to. The reason why the country wouldn't be bouncing about there win over spain is because a lot of the population don't care but those who love football are over the moon I know that as I've read newspaper reports and read fans reactions, also they realise the Confederations cup isnt that important and they dominate so many sports that reaching a final really isnt a big deal like it would be over here, I mean the girl who lost in the first round at wimbledon made the front page of newspapers over here that just doesn't happen in the states. We are so desperate for any success because it happens so rarely we tend to go completely OTT (we all have seen that when the national side do well) so I dont think your arguement holds up, its 2 nations with a completely different mentality.

I absolutely think british fans do fear the US becoming good at 'soccer' I read so many comments about it, maybe thats true maybe not I cant prove it but the US dominate so many sports I cant help but think most british fans think 'so what, they're still crap at football'.

Hopefully I'm not being a bitch about it just stating what I've seen living in both england & the states during the last 10 years.

[SystonFox]

Inclined to agree. They've been living off reputation for a while now, and this was especially clear in Germany three years ago. They look toothless against a South African side that, with all due respect, will do well to make the last 16 next year. Neutralise Kaka and you neutralise any threat they have. I can see them replicating their performance at Germany 2006 and bow out in the quarter-finals. Italy probably won't even make it that far on the evidence of their displays since winning the World Cup. England's chances may well be stronger than we think, due in part to the relatively poor quality of the competition.

although Spain were beaten by USA they are going to be the main threat to everyone at the WC 2010. i havent seen Germany play alot recentley though so cannot comment on them!

[purpleronnie]

I don't take a great deal of interest in football coaching so I don't really understand the Burton plan. Surely if a youngster is good enough or has a lot of potential, he'll be with a top youth academy at a club side, getting all the best coaching and training. I don't really get how Burton fits into this.

I believe that burton was going to be a centre of excellence for the top english players. I understand that if a youngster is good enough they would make it into the academies but most premiership acaedmies are full of foreign youngsters that have been bought over from loads of other countries that the spaces are so few that many fall by the wayside. Kind of ironic when you think all this money and resources that is put into these academies are making youngsters better players and these are the players that help defeat england in the national games. I think the whole system is wrong I'm not aware of any other country has a set up like this, you would think being the richest footballing nation we would have the best set up in the world.

[Edmund]

Thing is it doesnt have to be the number one sport in the US for them to become a powerful 'soccer' nation in the future, because the resources are there and the amount of players is huge. I certainly didn't state it would take over from games like the NFL it simply doesn't have to. The reason why the country wouldn't be bouncing about there win over spain is because a lot of the population don't care but those who love football are over the moon I know that as I've read newspaper reports and read fans reactions, also they realise the Confederations cup isnt that important and they dominate so many sports that reaching a final really isnt a big deal like it would be over here, I mean the girl who lost in the first round at wimbledon made the front page of newspapers over here that just doesn't happen in the states. We are so desperate for any success because it happens so rarely we tend to go completely OTT (we all have seen that when the national side do well) so I dont think your arguement holds up, its 2 nations with a completely different mentality.

I absolutely think british fans do fear the US becoming good at 'soccer' I read so many comments about it, maybe thats true maybe not I cant prove it but the US dominate so many sports I cant help but think most british fans think 'so what, they're still crap at football'.

Hopefully I'm not being a bitch about it just stating what I've seen living in both england & the states during the last 10 years.

Once again I totally agree.

I think people in England need to get over this facade that football or soccer is not that popular in the US and they don't have the resources to compete at higher levels in the future.

BlueSi seems to be completely overlooking the amount of funding that goes into youth development and using Mexico as an example is silly. The fact is the US has the money which counts for a lot of things.

Obviously we aren't going to see an overnight change but slowly and surely time will tell

You only have to look at the premiership to see top keepers making the grade here. Dempsey doesn't look out of place in a decent Fulham side plus the amount of americans plying there trade in Europe shows that they are on the increase.

[BlueSi13]

Thing is it doesnt have to be the number one sport in the US for them to become a powerful 'soccer' nation in the future, because the resources are there and the amount of players is huge. I certainly didn't state it would take over from games like the NFL it simply doesn't have to. The reason why the country wouldn't be bouncing about there win over spain is because a lot of the population don't care but those who love football are over the moon I know that as I've read newspaper reports and read fans reactions, also they realise the Confederations cup isnt that important and they dominate so many sports that reaching a final really isnt a big deal like it would be over here, I mean the girl who lost in the first round at wimbledon made the front page of newspapers over here that just doesn't happen in the states. We are so desperate for any success because it happens so rarely we tend to go completely OTT (we all have seen that when the national side do well) so I dont think your arguement holds up, its 2 nations with a completely different mentality.

I absolutely think british fans do fear the US becoming good at 'soccer' I read so many comments about it, maybe thats true maybe not I cant prove it but the US dominate so many sports I cant help but think most british fans think 'so what, they're still crap at football'.

Hopefully I'm not being a bitch about it just stating what I've seen living in both england & the states during the last 10 years.

Quick question because its late and im stunned at the Michael Jackon news.....what sports do the US "dominate" exactly?

[Ultra]

The ones that only they play - like baseball, US football etc...

[lavrentis]

The ones that only they play - like baseball, US football etc...

Basketball

[Guest Bilo]

The ones that only they play - like baseball, US football etc...

I must admit, the idea behind their most prestigious baseball tournament being called the World Series has always baffled me. Considering only American and Canadian teams compete.

[BlueSi13]

The ones that only they play - like baseball, US football etc...

Exactly, the thing is i have actually heard US pundits refer to their supposed domination of world sport by using examples like american football, baseball, and basketball etc

What we should take from this is America=the world=end of story.

[Ultra]

I must admit, the idea behind their most prestigious baseball tournament being called the World Series has always baffled me. Considering only American and Canadian teams compete.

I think that's to do with the original sponsors (a paper called the World) than any North American arrogance.

If Japanese or (better still) Cuban teams took part, American dominance might not be so pronounced..

[Jordan]

Quick question because its late and im stunned at the Michael Jackon news.....what sports do the US "dominate" exactly?

etc.

Edit to add:

I think that's to do with the original sponsors (a paper called the World) than any North American arrogance.

If Japanese or (better still) Cuban teams took part, American dominance might not be so pronounced..

The New York World newspaper thing is actually a myth, but Japan has won the first two World Baseball Classic tournaments (which is a flawed format, but that's neither here nor there). If baseball operated on a schedule similar to FIFA's syncrhonized world calendar, the Dominican Republic could possibly be the favorites in a better baseball world cup tournament.

Anyway, I hope Brazil play the same way on Sunday as they did today

[Radovan's Caravan]

Inclined to agree. They've been living off reputation for a while now, and this was especially clear in Germany three years ago. They look toothless against a South African side that, with all due respect, will do well to make the last 16 next year. Neutralise Kaka and you neutralise any threat they have. I can see them replicating their performance at Germany 2006 and bow out in the quarter-finals. Italy probably won't even make it that far on the evidence of their displays since winning the World Cup. England's chances may well be stronger than we think, due in part to the relatively poor quality of the competition.

Mr Bilo, for an intelligent person you really do come out with some very odd statements. South Africa clearly managed to frustrate a very lacklustre Brazil last night. However, the visitors still managed a win in 'regulation time' against their highly motivated hosts in unfamiliar conditions.

Also for what it's worth, they won their group by winning all their games (including humiliating the current world champions) and by scoring more goals than anyone else in the tournament.

I will be very interested to see how many of those who started for 'A Selecao' last night feature next year in the only game that really matters to them - The World Cup Final.

Apparently, nonentities like Senhores de Assis Moreira & Leite Ribeiro might make the squad. Also, a forgotten forward with a career strike rate of an appallingly modest 68% (for club and country) is widely rumoured to be on the comeback trail.

The greatest influence on the career of one Luis Nazario de Lima

The South African winter may erode the climatic advantage usually enjoyed by the latin and tropical nations but this is no reason for you to feel bullish about your national team's prospects next year. Your unrealistic expectations are based on leading a weak World Cup group, a misleading FIFA ranking (QED - Brazil are just one place above you) and a high profile overpaid coach who needs mobsters to translate his most basic instructions.

Whilst your team's morale and work rate may have improved it is still technically limited and the naive, predictable plodding attacking style persists. Like Uruguay, you have now faded as a force in world football (if you ever really were one) and are now consigned to the scrapheap of World Cup history (soon to be joined probably by the dull Deutsch).

South Africa 2010 may indeed be the most open World Cup in years but for England it is definitely shut tight.

The Scots enraged by their lowly FIFA ranking of 2 hoof it out with 1872's over rated top slotters.

[BlueSi13]

Don't like us english much do you mate? nobody on here has blindly stated that we are going to win the world cup, more like we have a chance, on paper we have one of the strongest teams in the world, we come from the nation that invented the modern game, and we have the strongest,richest, and most watched league in the world......i wouldnt exactly call us a faded force....and as you saying Germany will be the next on the scrap heap, you clearly haven't looked at their record in major tournaments.......

I'm very confident of us reaching the semi's......but despite their performance last night......still can't see past Brazil winning the next 2 world cups.....

[dandannieldanok]

Mr Bilo, for an intelligent person you really do come out with some very odd statements. South Africa clearly managed to frustrate a very lacklustre Brazil last night. However, the visitors still managed a win in 'regulation time' against their highly motivated hosts in unfamiliar conditions.

Also for what it's worth, they won their group by winning all their games (including humiliating the current world champions) and by scoring more goals than anyone else in the tournament.

I will be very interested to see how many of those who started for 'A Selecao' last night feature next year in the only game that really matters to them - The World Cup Final.

Apparently, nonentities like Senhores de Assis Moreira & Leite Ribeiro might make the squad. Also, a forgotten forward with a career strike rate of an appallingly modest 68% (for club and country) is widely rumoured to be on the comeback trail.

The greatest influence on the career of one Luis Nazario de Lima

The South African winter may erode the climatic advantage usually enjoyed by the latin and tropical nations but this is no reason for you to feel bullish about your national team's prospects next year. Your unrealistic expectations are based on leading a weak World Cup group, a misleading FIFA ranking (QED - Brazil are just one place above you) and a high profile overpaid coach who needs mobsters to translate his most basic instructions.

Whilst your team's morale and work rate may have improved it is still technically limited and the naive, predictable plodding attacking style persists. Like Uruguay, you have now faded as a force in world football (if you ever really were one) and are now consigned to the scrapheap of World Cup history (soon to be joined probably by the dull Deutsch).

South Africa 2010 may indeed be the most open World Cup in years but for England it is definitely shut tight.

The Scots enraged by their lowly FIFA ranking of 2 hoof it out with 1872's over rated top slotters.

I'd happily bet you that England will make it further in the World Cup than Brazil. You are living in the past on two accounts here; firstly that Brazil are still a special team, and secondly that England are still in the dark days of a couple of years ago.

Tbh I was shocked at how dismal Brazil were last night, South Africa worked hard but still they are a limited team themselves.

[BlueSi13]

etc.

Edit to add:

The New York World newspaper thing is actually a myth, but Japan has won the first two World Baseball Classic tournaments (which is a flawed format, but that's neither here nor there). If baseball operated on a schedule similar to FIFA's syncrhonized world calendar, the Dominican Republic could possibly be the favorites in a better baseball world cup tournament.

Anyway, I hope Brazil play the same way on Sunday as they did today

Ok ill give you Phelps, hes a freakish talent, but Armstrong and the Williams sisters haven't dominated those sports for a long long time now, that would be like me putting up a picture of Lennox Lewis! ....and as for the last picture.....i don't even no who they are...

Anyways looking forward to the final! should be a cracking game, surely an upset against Brazil will be a step too far for the US

[BlueSi13]

I'd happily bet you that England will make it further in the World Cup than Brazil. You are living in the past on two accounts here; firstly that Brazil are still a special team, and secondly that England are still in the dark days of a couple of years ago.

Tbh I was shocked at how dismal Brazil were last night, South Africa worked hard but still they are a limited team themselves.

Be careful when writing off Brazil, 4 out of the 5 World Cups they have won have been outside Europe, and no european nation has won the World Cup outside Europe, going on history, Brazil are red hot favourites to win it, they looked irresistible against the US and Italy earlier in the tournament....Argentina look a shambles under Maradona so right now they can be ruled out.....

[Edmund]

Ok ill give you Phelps, hes a freakish talent, but Armstrong and the Williams sisters haven't dominated those sports for a long long time now, that would be like me putting up a picture of Lennox Lewis! ....and as for the last picture.....i don't even no who they are...

Anyways looking forward to the final! should be a cracking game, surely an upset against Brazil will be a step too far for the US

Last picture I believe is from the olympics. They certainly dominate that with ease unless thats not a true sport.

[BlueSi13]

Last picture I believe is from the olympics. They certainly dominate that with ease unless thats not a true sport.

Well China tore everyone a new arsehole last year.....albeit the Olympics medal table always seems to reflect the size of population and sports funding so it would be a stunner if the US didn't finish in the top 5! ive noticed in team sports the US don't tend to do very well at all!

[Guest Bilo]

Be careful when writing off Brazil, 4 out of the 5 World Cups they have won have been outside Europe, and no european nation has won the World Cup outside Europe, going on history, Brazil are red hot favourites to win it, they looked irresistible against the US and Italy earlier in the tournament....Argentina look a shambles under Maradona so right now they can be ruled out.....

Climate has been a big part of the reason for South American success in World Cup tournaments outside of Europe. Mexico 86, USA 94 and Japan/South Korea 2002 were all played in temperatures that European teams could not perform effectively in. European based players simply do not play in temperatures of 100 degrees plus and this immediately puts European teams at a disadvantage. South Africa by contrast, will be the coldest World Cup in years with temperatures closer to springtime in Northern Europe than summer in South America. This will redress the balance and possibly even overturn the advantage in favour of European teams.

I do feel Brazil are overrated, their one performance in the Confederations Cup that has looked impressive came against an Italian side that also managed to lsoe to Egypt and has been regressing badly since their World Cup win three years ago.

[shen]

Climate has been a big part of the reason for South American success in World Cup tournaments outside of Europe. Mexico 86, USA 94 and Japan/South Korea 2002 were all played in temperatures that European teams could not perform effectively in. European based players simply do not play in temperatures of 100 degrees plus and this immediately puts European teams at a disadvantage. South Africa by contrast, will be the coldest World Cup in years with temperatures closer to springtime in Northern Europe than summer in South America. This will redress the balance and possibly even overturn the advantage in favour of European teams.

I do feel Brazil are overrated, their one performance in the Confederations Cup that has looked impressive came against an Italian side that also managed to lsoe to Egypt and has been regressing badly since their World Cup win three years ago.

That argument just doesn't hold up, as most of the South Americans playing at the World Cup are based in Europe. And it's not like the Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Croatian, Italian, French, Greek players etc. aren't used to heat during the summer. Germany made the finals in Mexico and Japan, the Swedes made the friggin' semi-finals in the oh-so-hot USA, and the WC in Argentina didn't give a so-called advantage either as that was in winter too.

As for Brazil, they only ever do just what's required of them. You never see them go above 3rd gear for more than 10 minute spells at a time, yet they still easily dispose of most sides in major competitions. Bookies didn't believe in the Brazilians up to the 2002 World Cup, with Argentina being the heavy favourites, and we all know how that went...

[Radovan's Caravan]

Climate has been an issue for your national team in World Cups. But this is mainly due to the fact that the English style of play is extremely inefficient and leads to dehydration. All that Monty Python 'kness bent running around advancing behaviour', the headless chicken stuff, and the endless chasing (shadows mainly), harrying and pressing. The latin style(s) are principally about conserving energy and individual technical ability plays a big part in this.

Those posters who conveniently write off Brazil because they didn't biff Bifana Bifana 5-0 last night clearly don't know the football facts of life. All teams hit the wall at some point in a tournament - even the eventual champions.

England's problem when they hit the wall is that they keep hitting it again and again and again...