Page 40 of 97 FirstFirst ... 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 ... LastLast
Results 976 to 1,000 of 2401
  1. #976
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Colyrady
    Posts
    3,781

    Might as well start a general Footy/Soccer thread

    Gonzalez was terrible. Fail-haber. Bradley stunk.

    Kinda couple of long shot goals for TNT

    Pulisic the only bright spot

    Goodbye World Cup

  2. #977
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    cow hampshire
    Posts
    8,294
    That pretty much sucked. Night and day from the last game.

  3. #978
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    NWCT
    Posts
    2,363
    Fucking horrendous from USMNT. Can we move on from Arena now?
    Messi, however, once again proves he's God. Single handedly firing Argentina into WC with a hat trick.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #979
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    Blowing up the entire US federation begins tomorrow, starting with Sunil Gulati.

  5. #980
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    2,624
    They were not good enough, but got fucked over:

    https://deadspin.com/u-s-a-out-of-wo...oal-1819343176

  6. #981
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    I told you guys
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

  7. #982
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    16,337
    haha. at home. to t&t. hilarious.

  8. #983
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    NWCT
    Posts
    2,363
    Quote Originally Posted by wyeaster View Post
    haha. at home. to t&t. hilarious.
    Not at home. But still...
    Revenge for Paul Caligiuri.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #984
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    10,094
    Quote Originally Posted by wolfelot View Post
    They were not good enough, but got fucked over:

    https://deadspin.com/u-s-a-out-of-wo...oal-1819343176
    And they should have lost 4-1 with the two penalty shots not called against them. You cant get fucked over when your future somehow got to the point where you needed to muster up a point against trinidad and couldnt even do that.

  10. #985
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Middle of the NEK
    Posts
    5,754
    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyCarter View Post
    And they should have lost 4-1 with the two penalty shots not called against them. You cant get fucked over when your future somehow got to the point where you needed to muster up a point against trinidad and couldnt even do that.
    Even if the USMNT did end up qualifying for the World Cup, I think they would have been embarrassed in the group stage. They need to bring in some new blood (see Pulisic).
    Taylor Twelman over on ESPN was losing his shit last night. He has a point that the "pay-to-play" model isn't working in the US. A lot of good talent goes unnoticed due to the parents not being able to pony up huge $ to get on an "elite" team. However, many of our sports have gone with this model (hockey, basketball) and I think it is going to be a hard model to break out of since there is so much $$ in it for the people running the select leagues.
    Aim for the chopping block. If you aim for the wood, you will have nothing. Aim past the wood, aim through the wood.
    http://tim-kirchoff.pixels.com/

  11. #986
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    16,337
    Quote Originally Posted by PlayItLeo View Post
    Not at home. But still...
    Revenge for Paul Caligiuri.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    oh right. my bad.

  12. #987
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    5,517
    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyCarter View Post
    You cant get fucked over when your future somehow got to the point where you needed to muster up a point against trinidad and couldnt even do that.
    Yep. This was lost over many games but last night was the final straw. Too many draws and losses, simple as that.

    It was a bit of series of freak incidents - both T&T goals and the non-Panama goal - but we backed ourselves into a corner.

    Last night they just didn't look that motivated til the end and it was too late. Where was the energy? Other than Pulisic they sucked.

    Quote Originally Posted by From_the_NEK View Post
    Even if the USMNT did end up qualifying for the World Cup, I think they would have been embarrassed in the group stage. They need to bring in some new blood (see Pulisic).
    Taylor Twelman over on ESPN was losing his shit last night. He has a point that the "pay-to-play" model isn't working in the US. A lot of good talent goes unnoticed due to the parents not being able to pony up huge $ to get on an "elite" team. However, many of our sports have gone with this model (hockey, basketball) and I think it is going to be a hard model to break out of since there is so much $$ in it for the people running the select leagues.
    This has been a large part of our problem in getting to the next level. PAY TO PLAY. I've seen it first hand. At all the "best" clubs its the loyalty or rather the history of paying that dictates who gets on the best teams and have the opportunities. The kids on the top teams that get to the high level tournaments and therefore get exposure to the US development teams/camps are 95% those whose parents have been paying for 7,8,9 years for those club's "development" programs at $1500-2500/year.

    It'd take a cutting colleges out of the loop and building up the pro-teams as the primary high-end soccer youth academies so it won't be easy but that's what it will take.
    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Profane View Post
    Keystone is fucking lame. But, deadly.

  13. #988
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    5,667
    Quote Originally Posted by From_the_NEK View Post
    Even if the USMNT did end up qualifying for the World Cup, I think they would have been embarrassed in the group stage. They need to bring in some new blood (see Pulisic).
    Taylor Twelman over on ESPN was losing his shit last night. He has a point that the "pay-to-play" model isn't working in the US. A lot of good talent goes unnoticed due to the parents not being able to pony up huge $ to get on an "elite" team. However, many of our sports have gone with this model (hockey, basketball) and I think it is going to be a hard model to break out of since there is so much $$ in it for the people running the select leagues.
    This.

    And this is why I am happy to serve as coach for a non-profit in Baltimore City. Our fees are $45/kid per season and this includes jersey. Some of our teams are very competitive around the region.

    I play pickup with the coaches and some kids in West Baltimore. There is an 18-year old originally from Cameroon there who is pretty phenomenal (and he plays in american football cleats for some reason) but will likely never see a college team or progress anywhere because he is completely off the radar. I have pondered giving his contact info to some of the college coaches I know, but I know nothing of his background or education. This is just an example of the fact that we have talent in this country (and not all from other countries), but that talent isn't getting on the field at the national level. We need fuckers who are HUNGRY on the pitch.

    ...and I was wrong about Arena.
    They think I do not know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do.

  14. #989
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    Quote Originally Posted by Grape_Ape View Post
    This.

    And this is why I am happy to serve as coach for a non-profit in Baltimore City. Our fees are $45/kid per season and this includes jersey. Some of our teams are very competitive around the region.

    I play pickup with the coaches and some kids in West Baltimore. There is an 18-year old originally from Cameroon there who is pretty phenomenal (and he plays in american football cleats for some reason) but will likely never see a college team or progress anywhere because he is completely off the radar. I have pondered giving his contact info to some of the college coaches I know, but I know nothing of his background or education. This is just an example of the fact that we have talent in this country (and not all from other countries), but that talent isn't getting on the field at the national level. We need fuckers who are HUNGRY on the pitch.

    ...and I was wrong about Arena.
    This! Major props to you and those at the non-profit for helping to break the pay to play model that needs to be blown up if the US Federation is ever going to produce consistently competitive teams on the world stage. A system where you basically don't have a chance to get noticed unless you can afford to pay a couple G's a year to be part of some club does not, and will not ever work long term. In my experience, the majority are $ grabs for the owners anyway. Not to say there are not some good ones around that offer real instruction and opportunity for advancement because there are, but far too few, especially for those who do not have the ability to pay. Soccer is loosing thousands of kids every year in the US to other sports that offer much lower barriers to entry, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball just to name a few. I am no fan of the AAU model but one thing they do offer that soccer does not is a much lower cost structure to get kids involved. My kid is a solid keeper but I have no illusions of her getting scholarship $ for college. I pretty much kept her out of the club scene until she entered high school (some clinics and indoor during the winter just to keep her sharp) mainly due to the fact that the pressure to be a "full time" year round club member was always present. The need for her to play regularly to be competitive in HS eventually made it a necessity but we found one that did not cost a small fortune while still providing certified coaches and training. I have had my D license for many years and did some of the class time for my C but stopped coaching once my kid entered HS and honestly, had a very hard time finding a club that I thought was truly in it for the advancement of athletes and not the money. The system is broken and needs a major reboot, which can only start with new executive leadership. The WMNT is obviously continuing to thrive but I have absolutely no doubt that the current system will eventually drag them down to the level of what we just witnessed with the MNT.

  15. #990
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Bottom feeding
    Posts
    10,827
    But even on the women’s/girl’s side, how many girls are being missed? All you have to do is pull into any parking lot where there are some soccer games on a Saturday and all you see are brand new cars and wealthy folks dumping their girls off.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  16. #991
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    No way to answer that questions but a hell of a lot more in urban areas where Grape is working than in the burbs. With no exposure to soccer as youth for many we will never know if these eventual college basketball, football players etc. could have been the next Mia Hamm or Landon Donovan. Soccer needs more programs like those Grape is involved in to provide access to kids who otherwise, will never even have the opportunity to try it.

  17. #992
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    5,667
    Quote Originally Posted by FussyDutchman View Post
    This! Major props to you and those at the non-profit for helping to break the pay to play model that needs to be blown up if the US Federation is ever going to produce consistently competitive teams on the world stage. A system where you basically don't have a chance to get noticed unless you can afford to pay a couple G's a year to be part of some club does not, and will not ever work long term. In my experience, the majority are $ grabs for the owners anyway. Not to say there are not some good ones around that offer real instruction and opportunity for advancement because there are, but far too few, especially for those who do not have the ability to pay. Soccer is loosing thousands of kids every year in the US to other sports that offer much lower barriers to entry, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball just to name a few. I am no fan of the AAU model but one thing they do offer that soccer does not is a much lower cost structure to get kids involved. My kid is a solid keeper but I have no illusions of her getting scholarship $ for college. I pretty much kept her out of the club scene until she entered high school (some clinics and indoor during the winter just to keep her sharp) mainly due to the fact that the pressure to be a "full time" year round club member was always present. The need for her to play regularly to be competitive in HS eventually made it a necessity but we found one that did not cost a small fortune while still providing certified coaches and training. I have had my D license for many years and did some of the class time for my C but stopped coaching once my kid entered HS and honestly, had a very hard time finding a club that I thought was truly in it for the advancement of athletes and not the money. The system is broken and needs a major reboot, which can only start with new executive leadership. The WMNT is obviously continuing to thrive but I have absolutely no doubt that the current system will eventually drag them down to the level of what we just witnessed with the MNT.
    Yep. My ex-college teammates are stuck doing the pay-to-play thing and it drives them nuts. They say the coaches are subpar and do it for the money. My compatriot coaches do it for the love of this beautiful (truly) game and we love to hang out and spread the love of soccer in any way. My younger son's coaches are immigrants from Italy and Mexico. I am the hot-tempered gringo who gets thrown out of games yelling at the incompetent refs (a whole other thread).

    Pele grew up not having enough money to even a kick a ball. He started with a ball of rags (I read his biography about 75x growing up).
    They think I do not know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do.

  18. #993
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    Ha, the ref thread would definitely be a winner! I bite my tongue 95% of the time now that I am in the stands but every once in a while I loose it on one.

    I read that book at least 10x and was lucky enough to get my parents to pony up the $ (after begging for years) to go to his 3 day camp in upstate NY when I was 12, an experience that changed my view of the game from then on.

    Still waiting for Sunil to do the right thing but not sure he will do so until forced...no way he skates after this.

  19. #994
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    cow hampshire
    Posts
    8,294
    Without the club teams there is essentially no competition. Without competition nobody improves. The clubs probably make too much money, but Johnny's parents with all the $$$ think he's going pro, so they throw money at it. Most kids start in soccer and then transition to a different sport in the USA. That is just the facts. Other countries live for soccer compared to football, baseball, hoops, and hockey.

    I personally know Tony Lepore who works for US Soccer at the development level. It's not an easy task. How do you find that inner city kid who might be the next superstar if he's not playing? Our local club has scholarships available and I know a couple kids who received some money, but for the most part around here, parents are driving Audi's.

    Blowing up the pay to play is good in theory, but how do pay for the fields and coaches? And to that point, there are not enough qualified refs or coaches. And yelling at an incompetent ref really makes you the asshole Grape. Grab a whistle and get out there or stfu.

    You too FD! How many games have your ref'd? I've done my fair share of different sports and it sucks. Mistakes are made, but its volunteer! Yeah, some guys are paid peanuts at higher levels.

  20. #995
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    I am not saying do away with club teams completely but US Soccer needs to provide an affordable and more readily accessible platform and do a better job overseeing it, the $ is definitely there. As it stands now, most club teams are not sanctioned and those that are cost $2k+ (at least around here) and that doesn't cover travel, uni's etc. For a certified development coach, it is definitely a tough job but US Soccer needs to fix the model to make his search easier. I would be very interested to hear his thoughts on the subject next time you see him.

    Tell me you never yelled at a ref at one of your boy's games? Most are unqualified but a basic understanding of the rules should be a minimum requirement. As far as ref'ing, I was typically on the field coaching since mine was 5 but to answer your question, I just ref'd 2 games a few weeks ago for my kids old middle school that I used to coach because the AD called me when the ref didn't show. I also filled in for a half at one of my kids HS pre-season games when one of the 2 refs had to leave after booting on the field. I even still had a whistle in the glove box!

  21. #996
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    5,667
    Quote Originally Posted by jackstraw View Post
    And yelling at an incompetent ref really makes you the asshole Grape. Grab a whistle and get out there or stfu.
    Totally. I hate when I lose my temper. It feels good for a millisecond and then I beat myself up for it for next day. The last time I lost it was when an opposing player went into a tackle with both legs and took the defender out. The ref didn't even call a foul. I would have given the little fucker a red card. I yelled at the ref and then some asshole in the stands says, "Hey, calm down!". My knee jerk was to say, "Go fuck yourself". Then I got thrown out.

    Not my finest moment, but the kid could have been seriously hurt. He was carried off the field but recovered quickly. The ref was calling like an asshole the whole game (i.e. obviously pro-home team) and so when johnny dooshbag from McMansionville tried to step in, I lost it.

    I am passionate. What can I say?
    They think I do not know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do.

  22. #997
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    5,667
    Quote Originally Posted by FussyDutchman View Post
    I am not saying do away with club teams completely but US Soccer needs to provide an affordable and more readily accessible platform and do a better job overseeing it, the $ is definitely there. As it stands now, most club teams are not sanctioned and those that are cost $2k+ (at least around here) and that doesn't cover travel, uni's etc. For a certified development coach, it is definitely a tough job but US Soccer needs to fix the model to make his search easier. I would be very interested to hear his thoughts on the subject next time you see him.

    Tell me you never yelled at a ref at one of your boy's games? Most are unqualified but a basic understanding of the rules should be a minimum requirement. As far as ref'ing, I was typically on the field coaching since mine was 5 but to answer your question, I just ref'd 2 games a few weeks ago for my kids old middle school that I used to coach because the AD called me when the ref didn't show. I also filled in for a half at one of my kids HS pre-season games when one of the 2 refs had to leave after booting on the field. I even still had a whistle in the glove box!
    There are a few good refs down here, but most don't know the fucking game. When you add a belly the size of a county fair pumpkin, you can't run with the play and properly call offsides. It drives me fucking nuts. The kids deserve better and so does Grape!
    They think I do not know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do.

  23. #998
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Timbers of Fennario
    Posts
    2,493
    Same here, but too many similar to what you mention. Parents who don't know what they are talking/yelling about but think they do drives me nuts. I hear at least one at most of my kids HS games and typically just ignore it since my wife gets pissed if I say anything even if it is in a somewhat friendly way. Like Straw said, most parents think that little Johnny or Sally are good enough to get a full ride scholarship to UNC or UVA so that gives them the right to demand a foul on every play when their kid falls down after trying to dribble through 4 defenders.

  24. #999
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    cow hampshire
    Posts
    8,294
    Quote Originally Posted by Grape_Ape View Post
    Totally. I hate when I lose my temper. It feels good for a millisecond and then I beat myself up for it for next day. The last time I lost it was when an opposing player went into a tackle with both legs and took the defender out. The ref didn't even call a foul. I would have given the little fucker a red card. I yelled at the ref and then some asshole in the stands says, "Hey, calm down!". My knee jerk was to say, "Go fuck yourself". Then I got thrown out.

    Not my finest moment, but the kid could have been seriously hurt. He was carried off the field but recovered quickly. The ref was calling like an asshole the whole game (i.e. obviously pro-home team) and so when johnny dooshbag from McMansionville tried to step in, I lost it.

    I am passionate. What can I say?
    Totally agree with that one. We've had a few games (when I was coaching) that the Ref had no control over the game whatsoever and somebody was bound to get hurt. That is when the coach needs to step it up and have a talk with the ref. Of course, the other coach we we were playing against was this bat shit crazy English dude who wanted his kids slamming everyone around. I wanted to kick his fat ass back across the pond! We won, so that's all that mattered in the end.

    Bad calls...It's annoying as hell, but what can you do. They're not doing it on purpose...I hope!

  25. #1000
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    Get Arena out now. He’s already said he has “no interest” in trying to get them to fail to qualify for 2022.
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •