Yank Mike Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) It would be more difficult to qualify, but with the extra intensity in qualification you'd have a better chance of going far in the tournament once you got there. Plus, regular games against the likes of Brazil and Argentina would surely be more fun than the odd game against Mexico but nothing else other than hammering shite like Grenada and Belize to keep you occupied in between World Cups. Best of both worlds. Copa America with good opponents to keep us occupied between World Cups. We still are 99.999% guaranteed qualification from CONCACAF for each World Cup. I'm not sure how much I buy the argument about increased competition in qualifying leading to better results in the World Cup. I hear people say that, but it would be the difference of two or three games against increased competition a year before the World Cup. How much of a difference can it make? Plus, you have to factor in US soccer culture. World Cup qualifying and other tournaments are a fringe sport. The US World Cup games at this point are bigger than anything outside of the Super Bowl. I wouldn't want to risk missing the big tournament for something that most folks won't care about. A big part of sports fandom are the water cooler discussions at work and congregating with people to watch Edited June 13, 2016 by Yank Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 Buh buy Brazil. Argentina in the semis for the US. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swarley Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Brazil and Uruguay out in the group stage. Nice. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightmare Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Brazil are a laughing stock these days. Handball or not, they can't even beat shite like Peru and Ecuador any more. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanky_ffc Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 That handball http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36519976 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 And everyone in the world except the ref and linesman could have known about in within seconds. Nope, we definitely don't need technology. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 Brazil are shite. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 And Brazil have sacked Dunga 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swarley Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 And Brazil have sacked DungaUnsurprised. They can blame the hand ball goal for their elimination as much as they like but the truth is they were awful. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Was away over the weekend and missed the handball until now. I reckon the ref knew something was up and was trying to communicate with the 4th official or someone in the stand to try to find out if they had seen any footage (which isn't allowed under the rules, but definitely happens from time to time). You can see him desperately shouting into his headset, and also trying to kill time by talking to his assistant, waving players away etc. I think the folk he was communicating with would only have been watching TV footage, and that just kept focusing on the ref rather than showing a replay. This is the sort of incident where TV evidence will be tested as of next season in a few competitions, and it makes sense in that context. Hopefully that's where it stops though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swarley Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Mexico v Chile should be a cracker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 16, 2016 Author Share Posted June 16, 2016 USA v Ecuador tonight. Mon the usmnt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Ecuador! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swarley Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Ecuador! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Mike Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Lol at that attendance "Soccer Capital" of the USA. The game I went to in Philly had more people. I get that 8 pm on a Saturday is different than 6 pm on a Thursday, but come on people. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Mike Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) The internet is saying that lines trying to get in are around the block and security is TSA level incompetent. Guess we will see if it fills in. One thing I did notice about the Philly game is that one side of the upper deck and the club seating were completely empty. I wondered why that was. The game was sold out and the cheapest tickets online in the last week were consistently in the $90-110 range. I'm not sure what their sales strategy was. Jordan Morris, who plays for the Sounders and was the most controversial omission from the squad, did the pregame walk with the American Outlaws and is in the stands. Edited June 17, 2016 by Yank Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Mike Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Bobby Wood - Jermaine Jones - Clint Dempsy Boom! Beautiful. We're coming for you Argentina. That's if Messi can get by a baseball nation, which I doubt. Edited June 17, 2016 by Yank Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 How big has this been in America? Are people getting excited in the same way they do during the World Cup? Or has it been mostly ignored by all but serious "soccer" fans? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 A good win for the good guys. Dempsey has been outstanding in this tournament. Hopefully Vuvuzela can pull off a shock and beat Argentina. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Mike Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) How big has this been in America? Are people getting excited in the same way they do during the World Cup? Or has it been mostly ignored by all but serious "soccer" fans? Nothing so far. The US World Cup matches are only topped by the NFL. This tournament has been nothing in the mainstream media. I had hoped that it would be more, but it appears that it's just another "soccer event" for the general sports crowd. Edited June 17, 2016 by Yank Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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