USA 5th in latest FIFA rankings

[THEOSU]

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Fact is that there are not a single American player good enough for the two strongest leagues (Italian and Spanish).

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The Premiership gives a big hellooooo from the UEFA Cup and Champions League finals! Serie A... doesn't.

I'm sorry, the Serie A is miserable to watch. For the most part it's boring, negative football highlighted by missiles thrown from the stands and players clutching their knees all over the place. Add in the fact that apparently the top clubs could choose their officials, and you've really lost me.

As for the content in your post aside from the asinine assertion that Serie A is one of the top two leagues in the world... You're right. But the US is beginning to populate the Bundesliga and Premiership well and has consistently had a presence in the Eredivisie. With a strong showing at the Cup, I'm fairly certain that Onyewu will land at a top club (ManYoo reportedly showed interest during the winter transfer window).

Finally, I think something that's lost here is that the Americans have a world class coach. Bruce Arena has proven himself a tactical mastermind and an expert motivator. How many countries do you see fall short in competitions because the end product is less than the sum of the parts?

[Fallen Hero]

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The Premiership gives a big hellooooo from the UEFA Cup and Champions League finals! Serie A... doesn't.


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before you make ridiculous claims you should check your history.

[THEOSU]

Well, sure, beyond this year Serie A's made it, durrr. It's all about the here and now, baby.

[Fallen Hero]

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Well, sure, beyond this year Serie A's made it, durrr. It's all about the here and now, baby.

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"here and now" has Milan 1 ridiculous call away from making 3 finals in 4 years, "here and now" had Juventus has the biggest favorite to win the competition after the group stage. Inter was very close to making the semis.
Serie A is undoubtedly one of the best leagues in the world.

[andre006]

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This has been previously discussed but imagine if US was given Mexico's seed (good arguments can be made that US deserved it.). US fans would be looking past the rather soft group D and eyeing a round of 16 match against Netherlands than a possible round of 8 match vs. England/Sweeden.

Instead, if they play way above their potential and take 2nd in group E, they'll be staring at Brazil in the round of 16.

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[THEOSU]

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Well, sure, beyond this year Serie A's made it, durrr. It's all about the here and now, baby.

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"here and now" has Milan 1 ridiculous call away from making 3 finals in 4 years, "here and now" had Juventus has the biggest favorite to win the competition after the group stage. Inter was very close to making the semis.
Serie A is undoubtedly one of the best leagues in the world.

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Juventus looked absolutely horrid against Arsenal after getting through Bremen thanks to a goaltending blunder. Old, tired and cheats. Inter looked, at best, mediocre against a side that finished middle of the table in La Liga and that was after barely squeaking past the club that finished 4th in the Eredivisie. Milan are very good, agreed, but after their choke last year and inability to get back this year, I'm not anointing them the best club in the world or anything anytime soon. Honestly, they didn't deserve to get by Lyon.

[andre006]

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LOL, the scenario you describe is funny for so many reasons.

1. You assume US would probably finish ahead of Portugal



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Quite right, this is utterly preposterous. It would never <a href="c" target="_blank">happen.</a>

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compare that portuguese team with this one. And even with that crappy portuguese team you were a couple of minutes from being out of the next round, you didn't really help your case.


EDIT: most US bandwagon jumpers who don't really understand soccer at all are acting like we're saying you don't have a shot or that you're a mediocre team. That's not true at all, surprises happen every year, what we're saying is that Italy and the Czech are big favourites to move on.

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Too many people are headline-fans, and have no knowledge about the actual sport (this goes for the major sports here too).

It's clear the US is the 3rd best team in its group. It's clear the US is in one of the toughest groups. It's clear the US and Mexico are very close in talent, and would, if they were switched, have very similar expectations to what we see now.

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bingo. What the US really lacks is a world class player. Look at how Germany rode Ballack's back pretty much all the way to the final in 02. I am an american, but I also know what's up, and I bear no illusions of us getting into the second round. Until we develop a top flight striker or attacking mid, we can never expect to get much further then the second round and sometimes quarters(with a good draw)

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i actually think u.s offense is somewhat fine, a good defensive midfield would help you the most imo

[Fallen Hero]

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Well, sure, beyond this year Serie A's made it, durrr. It's all about the here and now, baby.

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"here and now" has Milan 1 ridiculous call away from making 3 finals in 4 years, "here and now" had Juventus has the biggest favorite to win the competition after the group stage. Inter was very close to making the semis.
Serie A is undoubtedly one of the best leagues in the world.

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Juventus looked absolutely horrid against Arsenal after getting through Bremen thanks to a goaltending blunder. Old, tired and cheats. Inter looked, at best, mediocre against a side that finished middle of the table in La Liga and that was after barely squeaking past the club that finished 4th in the Eredivisie. Milan are very good, agreed, but after their choke last year and inability to get back this year, I'm not anointing them the best club in the world or anything anytime soon. Honestly, they didn't deserve to get by Lyon.

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Arsenal looked pretty bad against Villareal too. Man Utd ended last in their group. Liverpool lost in the quarters where they were completely outplayed.
So basically there is only one good league in the world, the spanish?

PS: I don't even think the spanish league is the best in the world, let alone be so far ahead that it diserves a class of it's own.

[Rupert]

I would put Mexico a level above USA when they are playing anything like they did against Brazil recently.

I think the Premiership is the most exciting league in the world because we have a lot less "cheating" going on as well as world class players and teams. There are 6-7 teams that could hold their own in a champions league group and at least 3 that have a reasonable shot at the trophy.

The spanish league probably has more quality than the EPL but there is so much diving and moaning that it becomes dull to watch. Even in their spectacle matches like Barca vs Real Madrid they are always on the floor faking it.

I find the Italian league dull. I suspect it is to do with their very defensive attitudes. And the fact half their fans never turn up so the atmosphere is dead. Looking at Juventus in particular here. Stadio Del Alpi, no history, no flair, no passion

[ChromePony]

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only 5th [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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I originally made this post as a joke because I always think its funny how high we are ranked in these things...but its good to see that some 'insightful' converstation has ensued [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

I also think that most people who know what they're talking about agree that the US is the third best team in their group, but that doesn't mean we cant steal a win and I cant imagine that Italia or the big CZ are too pleased with their draw either.