And the good footballers will get better....

[HL]

The US will play Spain June 4th. on ESPN.

Tonight they play Argentina.....

Mark you Almanacs.

Thanks in advance.

[Muadib]

Cyaan miss dem big side deh.. Spain.. Argentina !

Wikid !

[HL]

Indeed, yes...Spain, Argentina...yuh leave out Amerkah.

Watched the European Qualification game between Spain and The Czech Republic last night.

Don't like Spain much...but quality is quality. They came back from 1 NIL down for most of the game to win 2-1. Brilliant!!

[Don1]

You appear more enamoured of America than the natives.

Good thing it's not (yet) illegal

[Muadib]

don't get profound.. nobody serious gets excited at the prospect of watching America play 'soccer'...

[Don1]

don't get profound.. nobody serious gets excited at the prospect of watching America play 'soccer'...

You regard HL as a nobody?

Shame on you

[HL]

God Bless Amerkah...jus ax Maudib!

[Muadib]

certainly not for dem Soccer..

In that instance mi haffi pull a Rev. Wright...

[HL]

Please don't miss the US game tonight. It will wash out the bitter taste of the Venezuela game from your mout.

I may send you a Sam's Army Shirt

[Muadib]

yuh mean tuh watch USA pick up a dussing ?

hmmm.. that's a thought...

[HL]

The U.S. has played Argentina nine times in their history, holding a lifetime record of 2-6-1 against the South American juggernaut.

Of those nine matches, only four have been played in the United States, with the other five taking place in neutral sites.

The two U.S. victories include a 3-0 upset of the defending champions in the group phase of the 1995 Copa America, and a 1-0 win in 1999 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., when a Joe-Max Moore goal was the difference.

The 0-0 draw at Giants Stadium in 2008 came one week before the start of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying for the United States.

There...put you money on Argentina.

[Muadib]

Where else would I put my money ????

Ah whe di..!?

Mi tell yuh fi nuh get profound.. nutting wrang wid appreciating wha merica duh fi yuh.. but dont.. get.. profound...

[Farmah]

By Pat Johnston (Soccer365)

Self inflicted is a term that usually indicates something gone wrong. That is certainly the case for Major League Soccer this weekend. Why would they schedule a full slew of games while the national team has two games on home soil? The lack of attention to these fixtures is even more disgraceful as there will be two, count them two, MLS kickoffs at 9 ET that will most likely take place while the US is actually playing Argentina on Saturday night.

Would it not make sense to use the spectacle of a US vs. Argentina clash to focus the soccer population in their markets? Or has business gone so well that now MLS can push forward with their fixtures regardless of what else is going on out there?

This is just a quintessential example of why the American soccer culture is still lagging. Last time I checked, every top flight league in Europe takes a break when internationals take place. There is a respect for the national team and what it represents; a showcase event to pit each nation’s best in an event meant to instill pride in one’s country and their system of soccer. Or at the very least, a chance to slay a giant and celebrate the glory of a conquest every now and then.

I guess what I am trying to say is that MLS has really blundered and will continue to be frowned upon as long as they make inept decisions. One has to wonder how the concurrent scheduling of league and national team matches is perceived abroad. Is there one positive that can even be introduced?

The answer is a resounding no! This just illustrates the lack of sophistication in the suits that make the decisions to run the game. Where is US Soccer weighing in on this? As long as we have decision makers that have no knowledge, or perhaps regard, for the nuances of a soccer culture, the US will continue to be looked down upon, and rightly so, by the true soccer cultures of this world.

I wonder if I am a voice in the wilderness on this subject, but doesn’t this just scream out “wrong” to anyone? Is there a positive?

The US has made great strides in my lifetime and it is inevitable that they will continue to rise in stature and capability on the world’s stage, but every now and then something comes along that just really makes me wonder……

Self inflicted is more than something gone wrong is this case, it is sheer ignorance.

[HL]

Everyone av an axxx to grine...


"That's all I have to say about that"
--Forrest Gump

[HL]

I hope Pat Johnston (Soccer365) saw the game last night. A whopping 79,000 in attendance.

Hope too, he saw the attendance at the MLS games during that (general) time slot.

Football in the US is under good management.

LAST:

I will address the US superior business management model compared to the European counterpart.