Apparently, there were a few MLS teams who didnt release their players for Olympic qualifying even though they are in preseason, which is completely ridiculous given the relationship of MLS and US Soccer. That said, these players wouldn't have been difference makers. Lalas wasnt specific but went on a pretty good post-game rant saying they should have done everything in their power to get their best players on the field. Does that mean we didnt even ask Chelsea, Barcelona, Dortmund, etc if they would release their players for, say, just that 1 game? I realize they are under no obligation to release but again, I dont think it would matter a great deal to these clubs to have their players play Honduras in Guadalajara instead of Jamaica in Austria and Northern Ireland in Belfast. Its 1 game instead of 2. Did we ask? Did we offer to buy an expensive insurance policy or agree to pay their wages if they were injured? As Lalas said, did we do everything in our power? Its really a stupid look to have the U24 A team play a meaningless game in Belfast at noon while the B team tries to qualify at 5.
Lalas rant on not having the best players play
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
- Start date
It's arrogance, they somehow think the USMNT is actually "good" and can use the scrubs to qualify for the Olympics while the actual best players like Pulisic sit it out. The truth is, the USMNT needs their best to even have a chance against Mexico U23 for example, And even Honduras, even though that screw up by the US GK was pitiful LOL
and they may have won without them.Do you still need more evidence that no one cares about the Olympic men's soccer tournament?
Obviously the US doesn't. Someone needs to come out and say they at least asked if Pulisic, Reyna, and Dest could play Honduras instead of Northern Ireland. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even ask. US Soccer kinda reminds me of Pitt Athletics. Jacked up beyond belief.
You understand that the rosters had to be finalized well before the tournament started, right? Which means that if you reserve a whole bunch of spots for guys who might be around to play in the semi-final that you'd have to play the rest of the tournament short handed. So you make it more likely that you win the semifinal, and less likely that you'll actually get there.
You were only allowed 20 players on the roster. Three of them are goalies, so that leaves you with 17 field players. If you reserve three of them for players who might play one game for you you play the rest of the tournament with 14 field players. When those 14 guys are in preseason fitness. Playing games where the temperatures were in the low 90s. And at nearly a mile high altitude.
And you wouldn't have even had enough field players to make all of your allowed substitutions.
The total number of soccer coaches that would have agreed to that is zero.
They simply just needed to beat Costa Rica to make it to the semi.
If they brought 18 to Guadalajara, that would have give them 10 field players + 5 subs for the 1st 3 games then add in Pulisic and 1 more (Reyna, Dest) for the semi.
Yeah, good point. And with the way that they completely overwhelmed Costa Rica in that game they obviously had a huge margin for error there.
If they want Americans who are not soccer fans to care and watch it on TV, and get ratings, then The Olympics matters more than the Gold Cup, Americans will watch anything Olympics and wave flags and chant USA, USA, USA. They watch curling for Gods sakes! They'd watch checkers if it was in the Olympics.
Yeah, good point. And with the way that they completely overwhelmed Costa Rica in that game they obviously had a huge margin for error there.
Hypothetically, if they could have had Pulisic and Reyna on the roster but lost to CR without them because, lets say 1-2 players got hurt in camp and they could only make 3 subs instead of 5, I am sure there would have been a few people making complaining that they should have not done that because the CR game was so important but my argument would be, if you have the chance to use a guy like Pulisic in an important game, you best figure out a way to beat a bunch of Costa Rican minor leaguers without them so you can ensure beating another Central American minor league squad in the semis because we all know the chances of US MLS kids beating TWO Central American minor league squads are like nill unless they have their big guns.
Yep, a massive massive failure. Americans love the Olympics and would have no clue its a U24 Tournament and that the world looks down on the Olympic soccer tournament. If we sent our full national team and won gold (which I wouldn't bet on but would be possible), it would be the best thing for soccer in this country since the 94 World Cup. The chance to introduce everyday Americans to Pulisic, Reyna, Dest, Musah, McKennie, Adams, Sargent, etc was completely wasted. And I again believe that everyone at the head of US Soccer should be canned. You have to qualify for the World Cup and the Olympics. Period. If you cant, bye bye. It was an utter joke that the A team was watching the B team from their hotel in Belfast after playing a completely meaningless friendly against guys from the northern 6 counties of Ireland.
To be fair, they could of won that Honduras game, the totally embarrassing screw up by their GK was the biggest reason they lost, otherwise maybe they come back and win, maybe in OT?
I'm serious when I say they are stupid arrogant, they look at it from the point of view as if they are Germany or England, and sure, they can send their scrub team to clean up on the little CONCACAF teams, no need to make the top guys sweat. But they aren't really that good, and getting in the Olympics and that exposure is really THE ONLY WAY the non-soccer/soccer hating 'Muricans EVER even hear the names... Pulisic, Reyna, Dest, Musah, McKennie, Adams, Sargent, etc, And yes, the people watching? 90% would think the games where against those countries actual national teams.
Yes, they could have won but Honduras was better as was Costa Rica. The US not recognizing this and doing EVERYTHING in their power to get Pulisic there was a failure.
And here's the other thing. Americans arent going to watch those young kids at the World Cup 2022 because it will be played in Nov/Dec during college football and NFL seasons as well as NBA, college hoops, and the NHL. Its the most congested time of the year on the American sports calendar. USSF blew TWO opportunities now to introduce some of these young stars to the population.
The next match that ordinary Americans will watch the USMNT will be in 2026. I mean think about that? The USA will go from 2014 to 2026, 12 years without having a large portion of the population watch them play. What an epic, epic failure. Heads need to roll like yesterday.
So you don't think Americans will watch the World Cup because it's in a crowed sports time of the year, but you think that Americans would have gotten up at 3 AM to watch an American soccer team play games in the Olympics.
Yeah, sure.
The US better get a solid squad together and ensure qualifying for the next World Cup and get out of group stage. Americans do love soccer, but they love a winning successful team more than anything.
They have a solid squad. Joe could get them through qualifying. Group stage is another matter.
They'd timeshift it. Its not 1989 anymore.
And US ratings for the 2022 WC will be the lowest since 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 simply due to time of year. My guess is that the US soccer games will draw less than the 3:30 Ohio State ABC game.
And as we all know, there is nothing that Americans love more than watching taped sporting events on television.
The Gold Medal Match is at 7:30 AM EST Sunday morning. No, not a great time slot but there will be enough people who would watch live and Im sure NBC would also broadcast it later in the day if the US was in it. Casual Olympics/soccer fans wouldn't know who won if it was on NBC at 2 PM
Aren't other people smart like me? I watch all the sports I want. If USMNT WC soccer is on at the same time as say a Steelers game, of course I'll watch the Steelers game, but DVR the soccer game and watch it later. AVOID the result, easy enough, I do it all the time. But say it was up against #1 Bama vs. #2 Clemson football? I wouldn't have watched that anyways, so I'll just watch the soccer game.
I find it amazing that people watch the perceived "biggest" events? I prioritize what I watch by favorite teams and sports, like if Pitt football vs. YSU was up against Game 7 of the World Series, I'd be all in for Pitt / YSU. My hierarchy would say Pitt over non-favorite teams, and football over baseball. But if the Pirates where in that game 7, I'd DVR Pitt/YSU. Even though Pitt would always Trump the Pirates, in that case a championship event would take precedence.
With the advent of DVR I watch almost every event delayed, either by minutes or hours or even days and avoid hearing the result. Every Pitt NOON football or basketball game I delay watching until later in the afternoon, I just hate noon games. I DVR every sports event I watch, so if I need to go away from the game at any time, I just pick it up where it was when I return.
I think it's safe to say that there are very, very few people who are "smart" like you!
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That's very clear to me when I read the stuff some of you think and believe
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