ChaoticMusings

Maddog · Still Here!

RE: World Cup

Maddog · Still Here!

Barksdale wrote:
Maddog wrote:
But soccer is a sport reserved mostly for kids of somewhat affluent parents and the best athletes tend to go to other sports, except the girl's side. Which is why the USWNT has had so much success.
The USMNT is a bit stuffed then I guess and won't be an elite team for the foreseeable future. If you don't have an academy-type system which is accessible by the breadth of your potential talent then you don't have a pipeline of good players coming through. I also understand MLS doesn't have promotion / relegation so you don't have the natural sorting mechanism for identifying good players who compete at the highest level of their ability to pick from.
What was obvious from this World Cup was how reliant you are on your starting X1 and your lack of squad depth meaning less tactical versatility to respond as a game changes. That's what undid Mexico in the end when it came to the game against us. They just couldn't find the answers in the last 30 minutes or so of the game to breach our defence and get an equaliser as they had limited options.
You'll have to make do with being the best in the second greatest tournament in the World - the Olympics.

And how are the English at baseball? How much does the typical Brit care how well they compete in Baseball, American Football or Hockey?

From an international perspective, how well can the Brits compete in basketball?

I think the US will continue to improve because of our sheer size, but soccer isn't going to be one of the bigger sports here any time soon.

At least on the men's side. And I'm OK with our ladies being a dominant force in the game and our men sorta mediocre..

Date: Jul 9 3:31 PM, 2026

Maddog wrote:
And I'm OK with our ladies being a dominant force in the game and our men sorta mediocre..

No doubt the ladies will be relieved to hear that.

Maddog · Still Here!

One of the systemic issues is Title IX which has destroyed Men's soccer at the college level. That law requires funding men's and women's sports equally. Most schools aren't interested in pulling resources from Football to fund men's soccer. There is only one Division 1 college in Texas that has men's soccer but they all have women's soccer. It's another reason the best male athletes gravitate towards a different sport. There's no future in it past 17, for 99.99% of the players.

Barksdale · Musing at the Chaos

Maddog wrote:
And how are the English at baseball? How much does the typical Brit care how well they compete in Baseball, American Football or Hockey?
From an international perspective, how well can the Brits compete in basketball?
I think the US will continue to improve because of our sheer size, but soccer isn't going to be one of the bigger sports here any time soon.
At least on the men's side. And I'm OK with our ladies being a dominant force in the game and our men sorta mediocre..

USWNT are elite, no question. However, as other nations begin growing their own teams they will face much more competition.

Baseball and American football we have very little interest in so are not competitive. When it comes to basketball we are mid but interest is slowly growing so that may improve with time. When it comes to hockey if you mean field hockey we are very competitive, ice hockey we are mid like basketball.

We do well in sports that we like such as cycling, rowing, rugby, netball and sailing.

In addition we are a powerhouse in the second biggest sport in the world, after football, which is cricket.

We may not boast about it but we are a superb sporting nation and punch well above our weight on the global stage. Not bad for an apparently 3rd world, small island overrun by Islam...

Maddog · Still Here!

Barksdale wrote:
Maddog wrote:
And how are the English at baseball? How much does the typical Brit care how well they compete in Baseball, American Football or Hockey?
From an international perspective, how well can the Brits compete in basketball?
I think the US will continue to improve because of our sheer size, but soccer isn't going to be one of the bigger sports here any time soon.
At least on the men's side. And I'm OK with our ladies being a dominant force in the game and our men sorta mediocre..
USWNT are elite, no question. However, as other nations begin growing their own teams they will face much more competition.
Baseball and American football we have very little interest in so are not competitive. When it comes to basketball we are mid but interest is slowly growing so that may improve with time. When it comes to hockey if you mean field hockey we are very competitive, ice hockey we are mid like basketball.
We do well in sports that we like such as cycling, rowing, rugby, netball and sailing.
In addition we are a powerhouse in the second biggest sport in the world, after football, which is cricket.
We may not boast about it but we are a superb sporting nation and punch well above our weight on the global stage. Not bad for an apparently 3rd world, small island overrun by Islam...

We both do well in sports we're interested in and we spend money on. But over here it's not mens soccer. Most Americans were over our loss in WC far faster than a loss of our favorite college football team against a rival. That's probably not going to change anytime soon. It's sorta cooked into our psyche..

Maddog · Still Here!

"U.S. women's national team (USWNT): The vast majority of players attend college, and many complete bachelor's degrees. Historically, college soccer has been the primary pathway to the professional game for American women because professional opportunities were limited for many years. Players such as Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, and Becky Sauerbrunn all played NCAA soccer, with many earning degrees.

U.S. men's national team (USMNT): A smaller share complete college degrees. In recent years, many top male players turn professional as teenagers through MLS academies or sign with European clubs before or instead of attending college. While some players, such as Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris, played NCAA soccer (Morris earned a degree from Stanford), many current stars did not attend college or left early to play professionally."

Speaking of Clint, he was poor and had a single mom. Luckily he was "discovered" by a coach of the Dallas Texans. He lived almost 2 hours from their practice facility and was shuttled by other moms on the team at a very young age. He was also "scholarshipped". The other 15 or so players on the team were paying several thousand a year to play and part of those fees paid his dues. The problem with that is that most teams only carry one scholarship player.

It's also true that a third of the TV viewership over here was on the Spanish speaking stations. While the Orange one may not be pleased, our massive immigration from the south may elevate our Men's program.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Don't forget tennis. This year, Arthur Fery is the first-ever Brit wildcard to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Arthur Fery | Player stats, ranking, bio & news | LTA

Maddog · Still Here!

"U.S. forward Christian Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and microfracture in his leg during Monday’s World Cup loss to Belgium, and will be sidelined for several weeks but not months, multiple people briefed on the diagnosis told The Athletic.

Pulisic appeared to sustain the injury in the 52nd minute of the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 defeat, when he wound up to take a shot at the edge of the penalty box but instead kicked the back of Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans’ calf."

I'm surprised they didnt give him a red card for that.

Date: Jul 9 6:07 PM, 2026

Maddog wrote:
"U.S. forward Christian Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and microfracture in his leg during Monday’s World Cup loss to Belgium, and will be sidelined for several weeks but not months, multiple people briefed on the diagnosis told The Athletic.

Pulisic appeared to sustain the injury in the 52nd minute of the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 defeat, when he wound up to take a shot at the edge of the penalty box but instead kicked the back of Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans’ calf."

I'm surprised they didnt give him a red card for that.

Sounds like those grapes are still sour

Maddog · Still Here!

Residents are being asked to take down England flags and bunting which have been fixed to lamp-posts in a Cheshire street.

People living in Church Road, Northwich, decided to get into the World Cup spirit with St George's flags and the flags of other nations including Scotland - hanging from windows and criss-crossing the street.

However, a letter sent by Cheshire West and Chester Council said it was investigating the decorations being unlawfully fixed to lamp-posts and asked for information on who was responsible.

The authority told the BBC flags and bunting fixed to lamp-posts posed a "clear danger" to drivers. Locals said the response was "over the top" and "harsh".

The letter to residents cited legislation including the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 and the Highways Act 1980.

Maxine Simeone, who lives on Church Road, said the decorations were a "just a bit of fun" to celebrate the national football team.

"It's brought all the neighbours together," she said.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

We have quite a few flags flying in our road...people can hang them outside their own property just not council lampposts or road signs etc. Some councils are keener than others.

Maddog · Still Here!

Syl wrote:
We have quite a few flags flying in our road...people can hang them outside their own property just not council lampposts or road signs etc. Some councils are keener than others.

The no fun police strike again. Aren't their bigger issues for them to worry about?

And, I get it if they take them down. But this is the part that got me "and asked for information on who was responsible".

Are they actually wasting time trying to find the culprits of this horrendous crime? What would they do with them if they caught them?

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Jobsworths, they lurk everywhere.

Barksdale · Musing at the Chaos

Maddog wrote:

What would they do with them if they caught them?

Fine them for the removal costs and / or displaying an "advertisement" or a warning I guess.

Lamposts are council public property so you need permission before putting a flag or bunting on them.

Seem over the top though unless there is an obvious safety risk (such as obscuring a one way road sign for example.)

Vam · Go Outside.

Did anyone else think last night’s match was a bit of a snoozefest? 🥱

I kept saying to my tele “Allez les Bleus - REVEILLEZ-VOUS!!”

But I didn’t know how to say “Come on the Reds - WAKE UP!!” in Arabic 😉

Magica · Still Here!

Vam wrote:
Did anyone else think last night’s match was a bit of a snoozefest? 🥱

I kept saying to my tele “Allez les Bleus - REVEILLEZ-VOUS!!”
But I didn’t know how to say “Come on the Reds - WAKE UP!!” in Arabic 😉

Yes, hub went to bed half time. I thought France was supposed to be good, nah.

Barksdale · Musing at the Chaos

Vam wrote:
Did anyone else think last night’s match was a bit of a snoozefest? 🥱

I kept saying to my tele “Allez les Bleus - REVEILLEZ-VOUS!!”
But I didn’t know how to say “Come on the Reds - WAKE UP!!” in Arabic 😉

Yeah, it was as dull as dishwater.

It looked like Morocco had no interest in winning and had resigned themselves to the loss. There's also no real excitement about France winning as it is expected and the vibe is off.

Much as I would love for England to win tomorrow I wouldn't mind if Norway did. That way there will still be an underdog to root for and if the semi-finals were the 4 favourites going into the tournament: Argentina, Spain, France and England that would be a bit underwhelming.

I actually don't mind who lifts the cup as long as it isn't Argentina.

Red Okktober · Musing at the Chaos

I just heard a Norwegian lady say that everyone has been pronouncing Haaland's name wrong.

Apparently it's not Erling Har-land

It should be Arling Whore-lund

Red Okktober · Musing at the Chaos

I'm hoping Spain are coming to the boil at the right time.

They haven't conceded a goal yet, and have just gone a record 609 minutes in World Cup Finals history without letting one in. The last one was against Japan in Qatar in 2022.

Probably the kiss of death by posting that, and Belgium will score in the first minute!