US Soccer just blew it.

Techster

Techster

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Utter embarrassment.

The most well funded soccer program in our qualifying region, with the biggest talent pool, and we get knocked out by Trinidad & Tobago. 3/4 of their team plays in leagues in countries I'd be scared to visit.

Iceland, with a population of 300 thousand, qualified from probably one of the toughest soccer regions (Europe)...and with all the advantages US Soccer has, we can't qualify in what's considered one of the weakest regions.

Total failure on US Soccer's part.
 
northgajacket

northgajacket

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Time for Gulati to go. This is the first time the US has failed to qualify in my lifetime. The team has no heart. The dinosaurs like Dempsey, Howard and Bradley need to quit wasting space.
 
Techster

Techster

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Gulati needs to go. He's great with the politics of world soccer, and he's probably the US's biggest asset in terms of getting a seat at the big boy's table, but in terms of heading the architecture of US Soccer he needs to concede that chair to someone else.

No question US Soccer took 2 steps back tonight.
 
northgajacket

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JacketFromUGA said:
How in the world do these guys get paid more than the USWNT? At least the women give us a product worthy of support.
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To be fair there are only about three other teams worth a damn in the women's game and none of them are in CONCACAF. Plus the USWNT failed miserably at the Olympics and if recent Youth Tourney results are an indicator then the USWNT might have some tough times ahead once the vets retire.
 
northgajacket

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Techster said:
Gulati needs to go. He's great with the politics of world soccer, and he's probably the US's biggest asset in terms of getting a seat at the big boy's table, but in terms of heading the architecture of US Soccer he needs to concede that chair to someone else.

No question US Soccer took 2 steps back tonight.
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Totally Agree, I remember watching the 2002 QF where the US barely lost to Germany and thinking in my naive 12 year old mind that the USA could finally be a player in soccer. I never thought anything could be worse in the modern era than the 1998 WC, but tonight is that night. Gulati has been President during the US's biggest blunders: The U-23's have only qualified to one Olympics under his tenure, The U-20's did not qualify for the 2011 WC ( first time since 1995), the U-17's failed to qualify in 2013 (first time ever) and now this. He needs to resign.
 

sidewalkGTfan

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First, I am a very "casual" fan when it comes to soccer. I'll watch the World Cup when it rolls around and I'll even watch some of the qualifying matches (I watched the Panama match the other night). I know most of the bigger names on the national team and I know a few names of players from other countries. With that being said, I've never gotten the vibe that the US, as a country, cares enough about soccer to put forth a legitimate contender. I know there are a ton of youth leagues and such but outside of the US, soccer is king around the world. In every other country, their best male athletes play soccer. In the US, our best male athletes play other sports. Even if we had made the World Cup, we would never be considered a serious threat. I may be way off base on my opinion, but this is the vibe I've always felt about US mens soccer.
 
northgajacket

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sidewalkGTfan said:
First, I am a very "casual" fan when it comes to soccer. I'll watch the World Cup when it rolls around and I'll even watch some of the qualifying matches (I watched the Panama match the other night). I know most of the bigger names on the national team and I know a few names of players from other countries. With that being said, I've never gotten the vibe that the US, as a country, cares enough about soccer to put forth a legitimate contender. I know there are a ton of youth leagues and such but outside of the US, soccer is king around the world. In every other country, their best male athletes play soccer. In the US, our best male athletes play other sports. Even if we had made the World Cup, we would never be considered a serious threat. I may be way off base on my opinion, but this is the vibe I've always felt about US mens soccer.
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We have much more of a population to draw from than most countries, especially in CONCACAF. Of course the US was not a serious threat to win the WC, only about five countries have a legit shot. This is about not qualifying from the second weakest region in the world . This has nothing to do with popularity, the US should not lose to Trinidad and Tobago ( a nation with just over a million people). Watch the video I posted, it is pretty accurate.
 
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