Alexi Lalas calls out the USMNT

[dappadonna]

sleeeewwwww dem

Who's wonder boy ? Pulisic?

 

[phillycavsfan]

Honestly, "playing harder" wouldn't solve much. Bradley can play as hard as he wants, he's not a 6 and he's never been a six. He's always been in his best form playing alongside an workhorse defensive midfielder, and the USMNT has had a quality one of those since early 2010s Jermaine Jones.

Truth is, the biggest reason the USMNT suck is that the talent pool amongst the players in their prime (age 24-29) is the lowest it's been a long time, and the coaching is even worse. Arena is terrible, maybe even worse than Klinsmann. Why are he still calling up Graham Zusi, let alone start him out of position? Why is he still calling up Beasley in 2017? Why hasn't he called up Danny Williams or Tim Chandler or Weston McKinnie?

 

[concise]

Kids in the US always played soccer, pointing out kids playing it means nothing.
Target dropped Nascar, winston dropped them too, doesn't change nascar ratings.
MLS ticket growth sales on secondary markets is nice, it has a long way to go to be viewed as a major league in the US.
Fox and ESPN and ESPN overbidding for sports in the 2011s is pretty meaningless. sports networks were feasting on just gaining content, now that cable is dropping, all sports leagues licensing will come down to earth.

It doesn't matter if you feel that it has a long way to go before it is viewed as a "major league".

Ticket sales are up.
Butts in the seats are up.
Ratings are up.
The amount of teams is up.
The amount of televised games is up.

It is getting bigger and bigger every year. That is undeniable.

 

[David_TheMan]

It doesn't matter if you feel that it has a long way to go before it is viewed as a "major league".

Ticket sales are up.
Butts in the seats are up.
Ratings are up.
The amount of teams is up.
The amount of televised games is up.

It is getting bigger and bigger every year. That is undeniable.

Great going up when you were paltry doesn't mean anything.
Amount of televised games is up congrats, they get 500k views though, which is terrible. they are outperformed by Nascar aXfinity and truck racing, which is low level racing compared to the top level Monster Energy Cup series.

So its hard for me to take people seriously when they keep claiming soccer is growing and its typically in the same place its always been. IF the numbers rise absolutely its now surprising the population is increasing, it would be my bet the percentage of the population in the US that support it has remained the same.

 

[The Exchanges]

Damn.

We really that bad at soccer?

 

[godkiller]

The USNMT just lacks the talent to play well. Altidore and Clemsey are good strikers but the rest of the squad is not good enough to compete. Simple as That.

Pusilic was average against Mexico. World beater wingers arent so invisible. He didn't demand the ball, make chances and fluffed the few he did have. There are several British wingers, including Reiss Nelson, who I would pick above Pusilic.

 

[godkiller]

When you got man like Landycakes, who was happy to be a big fish in small pond (until Becks came thru and showed him what a star really is) and stay in the US, because he wasn't willing to take the plunge again in Europe full-time because he couldn't adapt when he was younger. If he had made it Europe, with all the media he got in the US, he would of probably made soccer a lot more popular. Because who doesn't want to see one of their own play with and against the world's best week in week out. 'Build it and they will come' as that one sports movie said.

That's why Deuce Deuce will always be better than him, less talented than Landycakes but had more heart and effort to make his career in Europe work.

Helping Fulham get to the Europa League final >>>> Whatever Landycakes won in MLS

Americans playing in Europe arent namesakes or famous over there. They get less promotion and advertising money. Donovan's level was Fulham and Fulham is not a top Euro club.

 

[LinusCaldwell]

If you watch USA play soccer you can literally see that they play pretty basic level of futbol. That pisses me off so much. Very little build up and when there is build up their lack of touch shows up and they lose possession. They need literally learn how to dribble and do triangle passes.

Stop crossing the balls everytime they run up the wing actually analyze the field and see what you can do. USA players also either can't dribble or are scared to. One thing I like about Dempsey when he's on he's on he will swag out. Pulisic will too, but a lot of times it seems like other USA players are going through the motions and I can't stand it.

You play with your country every so often play HARDER and SMARTER.

I feel like the USA players on MLS don't get challenged enough and so they bring that type of mentality into international play and play uninspired.

And I don't like that shyt I don't like that shyt one bit

 

[beejus]

Great going up when you were paltry doesn't mean anything. But doesn't it mean something. Is that not what we are all saying? The sport is growing. It's not dominate, but it's bigger then it was 20 years, 10, 5 years ago. Going from "Paltry" to even being talked about is better then staying paltry forever.
Amount of televised games is up congrats, they get 500k views though, which is terrible. What was the viewership a decade ago? Unfortunately I can't find that info, but I'd be willing to bet it's grown from where it was a decade ago.
they are outperformed by Nascar aXfinity and truck racing, which is low level racing compared to the top level Monster Energy Cup series. I don't know anything about Nascar or truck racing or their viewership so I can't comment on that. They might have more viewership then soccer. Still doesn't mean soccer isn't growing which is all that we are saying.

So its hard for me to take people seriously when they keep claiming soccer is growing and its typically in the same place its always been. IF the numbers rise absolutely its now surprising the population is increasing, it would be my bet the percentage of the population in the US that support it has remained the same.

Among the coveted millennial and Gen Z (ages 12-17) audiences, pro soccer is the second favorite sport behind the NFL, according to respondents to a 2015 ESPN Sports poll. Pro soccer fans are also more highly engaged on social media than fans of other leagues. And pro soccer is also the only professional sport whose fan base is growing, according to the poll.

According to Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, the average age of television viewers of MLS matches is 40, a decade younger than the average NFL viewer.

It's the youth that are buying into soccer. We all know Jim and Bob from West Virginia and Alabama don't care about the sport. They are older and into the sports they grew up with. In 10 years when those Gen Z kids are making their own money and are adults they'll be the ones spending the money on the sports they want to. If the trend continues they are the ones who will really give the sport a boost in ratings/viewership.

If the sport wasn't growing and the sport didn't have fans in the USA then all the top clubs in the world wouldn't be coming here to play exhibition games before their seasons start. They are here to make money and to grow their teams fanbase and what better place then a country with money and fans eager to watch them play. Real Madrid has twice now come to play in Ann Arbor, Michigan to play friendlies in front of 105,826 & 109,318 crowds. PSG the last 2 summers have opened up popup shops selling limited merchandise in Miami and LA before their games.

In 2014 the USA was 2nd only to the host country Brazil when it came to tickets bought for the World Cup. Ager percentage of visitors to the World Cup.

* 13-17: 7%
* 18-24: 30%
* 25-34: 39%
* 35-44: 17%
* 45-54: 6%
* 55+: 1%

Notice the larger % of 18-34 age range. Tie that back in to what I said above about the youth and the choices they are starting to make and you'll see that the future of the sport will continue to grow. Maybe not to the casual sports fan who already has their mind set on the sport, but best believe advertisers and sports channels are watching.

 

[David_TheMan]

Among the coveted millennial and Gen Z (ages 12-17) audiences, pro soccer is the second favorite sport behind the NFL, according to respondents to a 2015 ESPN Sports poll. Pro soccer fans are also more highly engaged on social media than fans of other leagues. And pro soccer is also the only professional sport whose fan base is growing, according to the poll.

According to Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, the average age of television viewers of MLS matches is 40, a decade younger than the average NFL viewer.

It's the youth that are buying into soccer. We all know Jim and Bob from West Virginia and Alabama don't care about the sport. They are older and into the sports they grew up with. In 10 years when those Gen Z kids are making their own money and are adults they'll be the ones spending the money on the sports they want to. If the trend continues they are the ones who will really give the sport a boost in ratings/viewership.

If the sport wasn't growing and the sport didn't have fans in the USA then all the top clubs in the world wouldn't be coming here to play exhibition games before their seasons start. They are here to make money and to grow their teams fanbase and what better place then a country with money and fans eager to watch them play. Real Madrid has twice now come to play in Ann Arbor, Michigan to play friendlies in front of 105,826 & 109,318 crowds. PSG the last 2 summers have opened up popup shops selling limited merchandise in Miami and LA before their games.

In 2014 the USA was 2nd only to the host country Brazil when it came to tickets bought for the World Cup. Ager percentage of visitors to the World Cup.

* 13-17: 7%
* 18-24: 30%
* 25-34: 39%
* 35-44: 17%
* 45-54: 6%
* 55+: 1%

Notice the larger % of 18-34 age range. Tie that back in to what I said above about the youth and the choices they are starting to make and you'll see that the future of the sport will continue to grow. Maybe not to the casual sports fan who already has their mind set on the sport, but best believe advertisers and sports channels are watching.

US buying tickets to the world cup means nothing, US always buys tickets to events, always watches olympics and world cups.
Doesn't have much to do with it.
Top clubs are paid to come and play MLS teams, plus it gives them exposure as well.
That said MLS was said by its president to be losing money.
They are expanding teams like the NHL did in hopes to get more views and increase money, but like the NHL its probably gonna bite them in the ass.

 

[NvrCMyNut]

US buying tickets to the world cup means nothing, US always buys tickets to events, always watches olympics and world cups.
Doesn't have much to do with it.
Top clubs are paid to come and play MLS teams, plus it gives them exposure as well.
That said MLS was said by its president to be losing money.
They are expanding teams like the NHL did in hopes to get more views and increase money, but like the NHL its probably gonna bite them in the ass.

Being able to bring out the casuals does mean something though, remember all this talk on the coli about how basketball was going to take over Brazil when they became inamoured with team USA? Every USA game had half empty arenas, no one seemed to give a shyt, that's what low growth potential market looks like. No one is saying that soccer is touching any traditional north american sports any time soon, but it's growing.

 

[David_TheMan]

Being able to bring out the casuals does mean something though, remember all this talk on the coli about how basketball was going to take over Brazil when they became inamoured with team USA? Every USA game had half empty arenas, no one seemed to give a shyt, that's what low growth potential market looks like. No one is saying that soccer is touching any traditional north american sports any time soon, but it's growing.

Bring casual fans for a league is different than bringing out casual fans for a "event"

 

[Miggs]

Canadian national mens team is better right now than the American team...

 

[Peak]

If Messi doesn't go to the World Cup, the competition should be suspended until 2022...

 

[beejus]

Canadian national mens team is better right now than the American team...

Unless we are talking hockey.