World Cup Pool

[dukedevilz]

The United States finally has a legitimate superstar in 19 year-old Christian Pulisic. Arguably the best teenager in the world (at least top 10). Sad he won't be able to participate in the WC... But, he has a very, very promising future ahead of him. United States has several promising young guys, but I'm doubtful we'll ever be competing with the likes of Germany, Spain, Brazil, and Argentina.

But you never know. Relatively modest populations like Portugal, Belgium, and Uruguay have done really well in certain years when they have 3-4 superstars. You can't win in international soccer if you don't have multiple talented players,.

 

[Pitt79]

Why? Entitled? For one thing, the USA is in the top 10 in any sport. Indians just aren't athletic and rarely top any sport aside from an occasional golfer. China? They will be coming for sure.

But I don't think it is arrogance and entitlement as much as sheer numbers, resources and empirical evidence and if you can't understand this, that is on you, not me.

It's totally possible, that the American soccer system just isn't any good and not producing top world talent because of the way it's structured, USA can't be the best at everything and we aren't. This is one of the things that we aren't near the best at, so what? Even look at the USMNT, very often they have guys who are kids of US servicemen, raised in foreign countries.

Indians are great at cricket aren't they? Maybe, like Americans with soccer, they just haven't played enough soccer to be any good? Chinese could surpass the USA in soccer because they can form a central plan and follow it, while in the USA randomness is encouraged over making a plan and having everyone follow it.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

It's totally possible, that the American soccer system just isn't any good and not producing top world talent because of the way it's structured, USA can't be the best at everything and we aren't. This is one of the things that we aren't near the best at, so what? Even look at the USMNT, very often they have guys who are kids of US servicemen, raised in foreign countries.

Indians are great at cricket aren't they? Maybe, like Americans with soccer, they just haven't played enough soccer to be any good? Chinese could surpass the USA in soccer because they can form a central plan and follow it, while in the USA randomness is encouraged over making a plan and having everyone follow it.

How many nations play cricket? Bad comparison

As for soccer in the US I have no doubt what you are saying has much truth to it. That’s obvious. But again from the talent pool here you should have a random 10-12 players who can compete and be a top 25nation

One thing that holds us back is soccer is still the provenance of rich, white suburban kids.

 

[Pitt79]

One thing that holds us back is soccer is still the provenance of rich, white suburban kids.

Or rich black suburban kids- where I live the expensive soccer clubs are filled with black kids. Whoever can pay for the travel teams, gets better training and exposure. Still, kids that don't play on those type teams, if they have the talent, can play high school for free and still get scholarships over kids that play 10 years of expensive travel, I see it. The thing that I found funny, was the kids that where 5-6-7 year travel team veterans, that would show up for high school tryouts and not make the team and get beaten out by rec league players (like my daughter) and their parents would be pissed off because they thought their kid was elite? LOL. My daughter played one year of travel, on a 3rd rate travel team, that was a cheap travel team at about $4K for the season. She decided she didn't want to do that, it was all year round and too much, she still plays, she'll be a senior starter, on her high school team, and likely, that's it for her, maybe a 5% chance she plays in college and that's OK. But yeah, it is true that the pay to play soccer clubs discourage a lot of families from soccer.

 

[Pitt79]

As for soccer in the US I have no doubt what you are saying has much truth to it. That’s obvious. But again from the talent pool here you should have a random 10-12 players who can compete and be a top 25nation

USA is a TOP 25 Nation in soccer, they just blew the final game in the WC Qualifying.

https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

I might as well give my picks too:

1 - Germany (they should score a ton in the group games)
2 - Uruguay (they should score a ton in the group games and will have the advantage of an easy walk into the knockout rounds)
3 - Croatia (wonderful in the midfield, but off the field issues could screw them up)
4 - Poland (they look like a group winner to me)
5 - Nigeria (if Mo Salah was healthy that might be enough to pick Egypt, but if he can't play they might not be able to score)
6 - Senegal (Iceland has to be the sentimental pick, but I have a feeling the clock is about to strike midnight for them)
7 - Australia (although Russia's easy group might make them a better pick)
8 - Sweden (by process of elimination, since the other three are going to have trouble scoring a goal)

Dude, where is Belgium? Spain or Portugal? Argentina?

 

[PittAU]

Hoping for a lot more of this!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Gee, what a surprise that you dont like the NBA or soccer. I wonder why.

is a man bad if he doesn't like NBA or soccer?

Tell us what you don't like. We will start to fire nonsense arrows at you. But you are infamous on this site for moronic ramblings.

No, I don't like the NBA either. However, BuffetParrothead is a deplorable. Lets just leave it at that. Its one thing to havr conservative viewpoints. That's fine. But this guy is an unabashed you know what

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I find effing hilarious that Iceland, Iceland which has the population of the city of Pittsburgh, that is actual city not metro area can have a decent team and qualify and the US sucks and is now worse at soccer 25 years later after it thought it was getting good.

What most people dont realize is the World Financial crisis started in Iceland. As the country's economy crumbled into Depression-like numbers, they made a national decision to pump up the soccer program by building a ton if indoor facilities and investing big money in youth coaching. They have the highest number of FIFA-licensed coaches per capita. Iceland has essentially become a footballing factory.

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

Read the article about Iceland in Sports Illustrated, it's the ORGANIZED, SOCIALIST coaching program that makes them good, little kids get real coaches-and it doesn't cost $5000, and not someone's dad. In America it's random freedom, so you can't organize a sport to that degree.

Yes, America sucks at sports. We should try to win one of those gold medals or one of these world championship things.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Dude, where is Belgium? Spain or Portugal? Argentina?

Germany was a good bet to outperform Spain even before Spain fired their coach the day before the tournament. I already said I think Uruguay has a much easier path against weaker opponents than either Belgium or Argentina. And I think Croatia is a better bet to advance further than Portugal, who I believe is overrated at this point.

 

[NTOP]

Germany was a good bet to outperform Spain even before Spain fired their coach the day before the tournament. I already said I think Uruguay has a much easier path against weaker opponents than either Belgium or Argentina. And I think Croatia is a better bet to advance further than Portugal, who I believe is overrated at this point.

Let's just tell the Eurotrash fans to stay home.

 

[Pitt79]

Yes, America sucks at sports. We should try to win one of those gold medals or one of these world championship things.

I didn't say anything like that, I just said that currently our system for developing soccer players is not the best. Also, I read an article about Iceland and it seems they have a very good program, BETTER THAN THE USA, so in soccer Icelandic EXCEPTIONALISM puts them in the WC.

 

[Pitt79]

What most people dont realize is the World Financial crisis started in Iceland. As the country's economy crumbled into Depression-like numbers...

They also JAILED a ton of bankers and bailed out the average citizens.

 

[Pitt79]

What most people dont realize is the World Financial crisis started in Iceland. As the country's economy crumbled into Depression-like numbers, they made a national decision to pump up the soccer program by building a ton if indoor facilities and investing big money in youth coaching. They have the highest number of FIFA-licensed coaches per capita. Iceland has essentially become a footballing factory.

SMF? Did you read the Sports Illustrated article about the Iceland team? It's good. Since my teams, USA and Greece aren't in it this time, I think I'm going with Iceland as my long shot team to root for.

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

I didn't say anything like that, I just said that currently our system for developing soccer players is not the best. Also, I read an article about Iceland and it seems they have a very good program, BETTER THAN THE USA, so in soccer Icelandic EXCEPTIONALISM puts them in the WC.

I know one of the top two decathletes in Iceland. Zero chance he goes to the Olympics.

You can’t find an outlier and call it the norm.

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

SMF? Did you read the Sports Illustrated article about the Iceland team? It's good. Since my teams, USA and Greece aren't in it this time, I think I'm going with Iceland as my long shot team to root for.

One more thing... smile

 

[Pitt79]

I know one of the top two decathletes in Iceland. Zero chance he goes to the Olympics.

You can’t find an outlier and call it the norm.

Who called it "the norm"? and if you want to talk outliers, the USA sports system is the outlier, no other country has a system like ours, maybe in Canada, but nowhere else do schools and universities even have sports teams, the structure of our soccer clubs and sports team, professional and otherwise in general is the total outlier worldwide. And you can't do what Iceland did in America to change our soccer culture, simply put, it would cost somebody money and that comes first over getting good at soccer.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I know one of the top two decathletes in Iceland. Zero chance he goes to the Olympics.

You can’t find an outlier and call it the norm.

Who called it "the norm"? and if you want to talk outliers, the USA sports system is the outlier, no other country has a system like ours, maybe in Canada, but nowhere else do schools and universities even have sports teams, the structure of our soccer clubs and sports team, professional and otherwise in general is the total outlier worldwide. And you can't do what Iceland did in America to change our soccer culture, simply put, it would cost somebody money and that comes first over getting good at soccer.

The country's best athletes dont play soccer because football, basketball, and baseball are too far ahead culturally and you have to pay $2500-$5000 per year to play competitive soccer in the USA which prices out most prospective players.

Actually, the youth hockey system and its "pay for play" is set up very similar to soccer and it faces the same competition from other sports but you see USA do better in hockey because there are only 4 or 5 countries that play the sport at a high level.

 

[Pitt79]

You can play competitive soccer for much less than that. Lots of kids do, the travel teams that are year round cost $2500 and up, even way over $10K for the most obsessed/elite/national long distance travel. In an area like where I live, you can play for teams that cost less, play locally and play against teams that are considered more elite in leagues and tournaments. And also there are still a few multi sport athletes around who don't do the year round travel thing because they play other sports as well, in Maryland there are actually a lot of star soccer players who play lacrosse in the spring. High School soccer, you can basically play for free, and most of the kids that play for the elite clubs play for their schools too, that's why the club tournaments and leagues aren't as active between August to the end of October, at least where I live. The coaching etc. in the schools is clearly inferior, I see that first hand, but while a lot of elite kids opt out of playing for their schools, I'd say most don't. Playing at school is actually more "big time", seriously, the top travel tournaments you are still playing on fields, with small bleachers and just your parents watching, while even the worst high school teams play in decent sized football stadiums in front of a couple hundred people. it may not be the best training ground, but 99.9% won't play pro and 99.99999% won't make the NT, so playing for your school is still a big draw and even an honor, EliteClub FC travel team could probably beat Home Town High 10-0, but HTH has thousands of fans and alumni and the good players will be remembered, and the travel team is just the people that work there and the kids parents and after you leave, nobody remember what happened there.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Back in 1994 when the World Cup was last in the US I was connecting weekly with flights through Atlanta the Delta hub.

As you road warriors know when you travel to the same place weekly you end up in the same airports and usually the same bar/watering hole.

The visiting Europeans drove the bar and restaurant employees crazy in the Atlanta airport as they aren't used to tipping or if they tip it isn't 15% -20% of the bill.

I can remember many bars and restaurants put up signs that said :
Tipping is customary
Tipping is permitted

So the World Cup returns to North America in 2026 and the restaurants and bars better begin working on their Tipping signs.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

 

[Burgh15]

The country's best athletes dont play soccer because football, basketball, and baseball are too far ahead culturally and you have to pay $2500-$5000 per year to play competitive soccer in the USA which prices out most prospective players.

What we typically consider to be the best athletes aren't going to be a great fit for soccer. When it comes to the best football and basketball players, you're talking about guys over 6' and 200+ pounds. That body type isn't built for all of the running soccer players do. I'd argue soccer is losing more elite athletes to distance running than it is to the major sports.

 

[NTOP]

Back in 1994 when the World Cup was last in the US I was connecting weekly with flights through Atlanta the Delta hub.

As you road warriors know when you travel to the same place weekly you end up in the same airports and usually the same bar/watering hole.

The visiting Europeans drove the bar and restaurant employees crazy in the Atlanta airport as they aren't used to tipping or if they tip it isn't 15% -20% of the bill.

I can remember many bars and restaurants put up signs that said :
Tipping is customary
Tipping is permitted

So the World Cup returns to North America in 2026 and the restaurants and bars better begin working on their Tipping signs.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

I hope Trump keeps that trash out of here.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

What we typically consider to be the best athletes aren't going to be a great fit for soccer. When it comes to the best football and basketball players, you're talking about guys over 6' and 200+ pounds. That body type isn't built for all of the running soccer players do. I'd argue soccer is losing more elite athletes to distance running than it is to the major sports.

There's alot of competition for the soccer type athlete.

In addition to football, basketball, wrestling, swimming, tennis, track, hockey and baseball more public HS's are starting up Lacrosse programs for boys and girls, track and field is a big draw, hockey is becoming more popular at the HS and club level, and at the elite level golf is siphoning off elite talent, in addition to tennis programs.
Last weeks PGA Golf tournament announcers pointed out many PGA golfers who were soccer, baseball, tennis, elite athletes.

Mrs Buffett and I just played in a golf outing to benefit a new boys Lacrosse program at our local HS which is "busting" at the seams with male participants.

Field hockey, softball, track, and swimming for women has and is a large draw.

College Lacrosse "free rides" to college are very lucrative for boys.
Field Hockey, track and softball " free rides" to college are the same for girls.

Plus you have to factor in lower participation rates in Middle and High School sports as kids and parents lose interest in these activities.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The country's best athletes dont play soccer because football, basketball, and baseball are too far ahead culturally and you have to pay $2500-$5000 per year to play competitive soccer in the USA which prices out most prospective players.

What we typically consider to be the best athletes aren't going to be a great fit for soccer. When it comes to the best football and basketball players, you're talking about guys over 6' and 200+ pounds. That body type isn't built for all of the running soccer players do. I'd argue soccer is losing more elite athletes to distance running than it is to the major sports.

While, yes, 6'6 or 6'10 guys arent ideal for soccer, those 5'11 and 6'0 RBs, CBs, dual threat QBs in college, PGs, etc would win the World Cup every 4 years if they played soccer and only soccer from the time they could walk

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Still, kids that don't play on those type teams, if they have the talent, can play high school for free and still get scholarships over kids that play 10 years of expensive travel, I see it.

You've posted something like that before and it isn't any more true today than it was then. Simply put, the good colleges, the D1 and D2 schools, places that give scholarships, do not recruit at high schools. Literally, not at all. As I have said before, my niece's college coach did not watch her play even one high school game in her career. I don't think any college coaches ever showed up at her high school games, and she played on a high school team that was in the US Today national and regional rankings at times and had players that ended up in the Big Ten and ACC playing on it. Surely there are some schools just looking for local kids or the local community college that are filling a roster that scout local high school games, but if a player wants to get a scholarship to play D1 soccer they must play club soccer. Simply must.

 

[BFo8]

Germany was a good bet to outperform Spain even before Spain fired their coach the day before the tournament. I already said I think Uruguay has a much easier path against weaker opponents than either Belgium or Argentina. And I think Croatia is a better bet to advance further than Portugal, who I believe is overrated at this point.

Agree with most of your points here.

Spain should’ve waited until after the tournament to make the switch.

Argentina is kind of a mess in the back.

Portugal is getting a little old.

 

[Pitt79]

Back in 1994 when the World Cup was last in the US I was connecting weekly with flights through Atlanta the Delta hub.

As you road warriors know when you travel to the same place weekly you end up in the same airports and usually the same bar/watering hole.

The visiting Europeans drove the bar and restaurant employees crazy in the Atlanta airport as they aren't used to tipping or if they tip it isn't 15% -20% of the bill.

I can remember many bars and restaurants put up signs that said :
Tipping is customary
Tipping is permitted

So the World Cup returns to North America in 2026 and the restaurants and bars better begin working on their Tipping signs.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

Of course, in civilized countries you don't need to tip because they pay people enough to live on.

 

[Pitt79]

You've posted something like that before and it isn't any more true today than it was then. Simply put, the good colleges, the D1 and D2 schools, places that give scholarships, do not recruit at high schools. Literally, not at all. As I have said before, my niece's college coach did not watch her play even one high school game in her career. I don't think any college coaches ever showed up at her high school games, and she played on a high school team that was in the US Today national and regional rankings at times and had players that ended up in the Big Ten and ACC playing on it. Surely there are some schools just looking for local kids or the local community college that are filling a roster that scout local high school games, but if a player wants to get a scholarship to play D1 soccer they must play club soccer. Simply must.

You can say that all you want, but I know girls recruited and with D1 scholarships in soccer who played on high school teams and not elite year round travel, because they also played other sports.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

You can say that all you want, but I know girls recruited and with D1 scholarships in soccer who played on high school teams and not elite year round travel, because they also played other sports.

No matter how many times you say it it still won't be true.

 

[Pitt79]

While, yes, 6'6 or 6'10 guys arent ideal for soccer, those 5'11 and 6'0 RBs, CBs, dual threat QBs in college, PGs, etc would win the World Cup every 4 years if they played soccer and only soccer from the time they could walk

Or maybe they would suck at soccer, there's no guarantee it would translate. No guarantee Messi or Renaldo could be D3 WRs either. maybe, maybe not. Maybe LeBron would of been on the Browns practice squad had he chosen football. Or maybe not even that.

 

[Pitt79]

No matter how many times you say it it still won't be true.

So I guess these girls I know personally aren't real? I mean girls that didn't continue to play club soccer and got college soccer scholarships playing in high school while playing basketball or lacrosse too? .

 

[Pitt79]

Girl from my daughter's high school, quit playing club soccer, in 9th grade because she was a stud at basketball and lacrosse too, didn't want to specialize, still got a scholarship D1 soccer to an AAC school, yeah, she's not real

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Of course, in civilized countries you don't need to tip because they pay people enough to live on.

May be your most coherent post ever

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You can say that all you want, but I know girls recruited and with D1 scholarships in soccer who played on high school teams and not elite year round travel, because they also played other sports.

No matter how many times you say it it still won't be true.

For very special athletes, I can believe it. That girl who plays soccer, basketball, and softball but chooses soccer for college. I could see a great athlete like that going D1. Not many but a few, yea

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

While, yes, 6'6 or 6'10 guys arent ideal for soccer, those 5'11 and 6'0 RBs, CBs, dual threat QBs in college, PGs, etc would win the World Cup every 4 years if they played soccer and only soccer from the time they could walk

Or maybe they would suck at soccer, there's no guarantee it would translate. No guarantee Messi or Renaldo could be D3 WRs either. maybe, maybe not. Maybe LeBron would of been on the Browns practice squad had he chosen football. Or maybe not even that.

LeBron was 1st team All-state at football.

If you are a world-class athlete, you would be very good in any sport if you concentrated soley on that at a young age. Messi's size hurts him but he would have been an all-star 2nd Basemen or maybe a Ryan Switzer-type PR/WR. Ronaldo would have been great at any sport, just a freak athlete.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Of course, in civilized countries you don't need to tip because they pay people enough to live on.

You don't get out of the house or country much do you!
FYI they don't get paid well in Europe either.

Salaries and Wages
The United States of America/Europe
Why do salaries in Europe tend to be lower than those in the United States for similar professional occupations, even as the cost of living in Europe is often higher?
The average pay per comparable job in Europe is significantly less than in the US.


When we transfer someone to Europe they make about 30%-40% more than their counterpart in Europe. Employees from the US working in Europe or Canada aren't made employees of the local entity because of the comp difference. When someone from Europe or Canada comes to a comparable job in the US they get a large raise for working the same job.

We have many Canadians & Euros working for our US operations who come to the US to make and save money and benefit from a matching 401k which they don't have in those places.

Go to Europe once and look around. The average home isn't a 3 or 4 bedroom house on a half or acre of land. Most people live in row houses, crowded conditions, high unemployment, restricted work weeks ( hours), so they can spread the work around and more people work for less. They do have cradle to grave social programs.

In summary in Canada and Europe comp is low, not alot of incentive to work more hours or make more due to the high tax rates.

When I go to a country where tips aren't customary the service for food/beverages is horrible because there's no incentive to work hard!

Servers in the US love their tips.

How to make $100,000 as a waiter in NYC - Business Insider
Alot of the 100+k is cash tips with minimal tax conequences.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

 

[Pitt79]

For very special athletes, I can believe it. That girl who plays soccer, basketball, and softball but chooses soccer for college. I could see a great athlete like that going D1. Not many but a few, yea

That same team had 5 other girls playing soccer, 2 went on to soccer at smaller colleges, one got a full ride basketball scholarship at UMBC (She is 6-4 and can shoot 3s, was a sweeper in soccer and could bang the ball 50 yards, probably could of played soccer in college too) and the other 2 got scholarships at Iona and UNC for lacrosse. Not making this up. My own daughter who quit playing club soccer after 10th grade has had inquiries from some smaller colleges and CCs- likely no money involved, she's a senior this fall and is leaning toward retiring from school soccer after this season and just doing college.

 

[Pitt79]

LeBron was 1st team All-state at football.

If you are a world-class athlete, you would be very good in any sport if you concentrated soley on that at a young age. Messi's size hurts him but he would have been an all-star 2nd Basemen or maybe a Ryan Switzer-type PR/WR. Ronaldo would have been great at any sport, just a freak athlete.

None of that is a given, lot's of first team all state players are busts even in D1 college football, and maybe Messi can't throw a ball? Did you see Ovie throw the ball over the catcher's head at National's Park? LOL. Again, lot's of freak athletes bust at the highest levels, even with all their strength and speed.

 

[Pitt79]

FYI they don't get paid well in Europe either.

Salaries and Wages
The United States of America/Europe
Why do salaries in Europe tend to be lower than those in the United States for similar professional occupations, even as the cost of living in Europe is often higher?
The average pay per comparable job in Europe is significantly less than in the US.

You don't get out of the house or country much I do!

When we transfer someone to Europe they make about 30%-40% more than their counterpart in Europe. Employees from the US working in Europe or Canada aren't made employees of the local entity because of the comp difference. When someone from Europe or Canada comes to a comparable job in the US they get a large raise for working the same job.

We have many Canadians & Euros working for our US operations who come to the US to make and save money and benefit from a matching 401k which they don't have in those places.

Go to Europe once and look around. The average home isn't a 3 or 4 bedroom house on a half or acre of land. Most people live in row houses, crowded conditions, high unemployment, restricted work weeks ( hours), so they can spread the work around and more people work for less. They do have cradle to grave social programs.

In summary in Canada and Europe comp is low, not alot of incentive to work more hours or make more due to the high tax rates.

When I go to a country where tips aren't customary the service for food/beverages is horrible because there's no incentive to work hard!

Servers in the US love their tips.

How to make $100,000 as a waiter in NYC - Business Insider
Alot of the 100+k is cash tips with minimal tax conequences.

"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

Cost of living in many countries is less, there are other cultural factors you likely don't know about that make it easier to live on less-you just have visited there, I'm intimately involved with people in 3 European countries and know it from their point of view, you just see it from the USA viewpoint... as for getting out of the country, I've been to,,,

England, Spain, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Republic of Georgia, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Canada, Netherlands... to name a few? Maybe there where a few more?