SEE YOU! A brand spanking new modern fitba thread 2022/23

So U.S. has to beat Iran, or it's a wrap. I'm not counting on it. I think Iran can at least pull a draw.

 

It'll be a great match. I think the US can win.

 

The US are good, they create chances, they just need to finish them.

 

Yeah, the end product is missing. If we had a few players with end product, we might have a remote shot at this thing.

 

He's a fucking coward of a manager. It's one thing to lack players. It's another to have players and set them up like that.

He's frightened. Once he gets bowled out here, he should be relieved of his post. He's wasting the best crop of Ingerland players since the 1990s.

MTF

 

It's one of the most puzzling coaching decisions I've seen. Foden has been the second best player in the Prem behind Haaland. Why in the world is an average ass #10 like Mount starting ahead of him? Why is he not getting in AT ALL?

 

Ruiz's trainer Stoney should be screaming at Southgate on the sidelines.

"YOURE IN THE BAG!"

 

He will not build around flair players. He's frightened of them. Absolutely ridiculous. You've a player who is the lynchpin of a side who are, at worst, the second best side in the world, and this clown won't play him.

I said it from the start. He's more likely to stick him in goal than do what he should do, which is build a team around him.

MTF

 

Well done to X, btw. A great result and they should have enough to beat Iran to go through.

MTF

 

I'm not even rooting for them. Lol. My rationale is simple: Our country doesn't deserve it. They care about futbol RIGHT NOW, but this is a sport the U.S. pays zero attention to 99.9% of the time, yet so many of us feel entitled, like we deserve the round of 16 just because we're American.

I wouldn't care if Iran wins.

 

Argentina vs Mexico is definitely the premier matchup tomorrow.

Messi's gonna get crucified if they lose.

 

Agreed. The US are solid, they chase and press, defend well, throw bodies on the line. I'd like to see them go through as they'll give it a go every time they're on the pitch. I wouldn't have any complaints if they'd sneaked a 1-0 win today, they were the better side.

 

Do you think if the US made a deep run in the tournament it might inspire a new generation of players? Genuine question.

I think a big part of US involvement, as an outsider, is if they do well in a tournament that's held in a favourable timezone. For example, the best US side I've seen was the 2002 side which made the quarters and was very unlucky to lose to Germany, but it was in Japan/South Korea so I don't think it had the viewing figures. It seems more Americans I know talk about the 2010 World Cup where you did ok but it wasn't as impressive as 8 years prior. Yet I kinda get it because more people were watching as it was in South Africa. This one as I understand it is a bit of a write-off as it's being held in winter.

 

Sorry, I'm getting confused, more Americans talk about the 2014 World Cup, Tim Howard against Belgium, the epic against Ronaldo and Portugal and all that.

 

I could see a draw between US and Iran. I’m actually taking Mexico to beat Argentina. This Argentine side just doesn’t have it.

Neymar’s pussy ass out for a at least 2 games with an ankle sprain. I wouldn’t be shocked if Brazil is better without him.

 

Honestly, Neymar is obviously more talented by a long way but I'd focus everything on Richarlison, he was outstanding the other night. Neymar carries too much ego, I agree, they might actually be better without the cunt.

 

The timezone doesn't matter, at least I don't think. It's the winter part that's taking away interest.

The NFL and college football dominate the U.S. this time of year. I don't think that'll ever change.

In the summertime, completely different story, cause the WC would only be competing with baseball, and not too many Americans care about baseball anymore.

 

To your first question, Slice, I think U.S. interest is increasing anyway, whether the National Team get eliminated next week or not.

There's way more American kids playing youth soccer than playing youth baseball. The new generation likes soccer more. They find baseball too slow and boring. And more and more parents are keeping their kids away from American football because of CTE concerns.

So, I do think world football's future in America is extremely bright.

 

Cheers for the answer! Yeah I have to say I've definitely noticed a shift in attitude towards the sport from the younger generations. Lots of things to attribute to that I think, the globalisation of media, YouTube, streaming etc, also things like gaming and the FIFA games play their part as people can become more knowledgeable about the players etc. The thing is the US has all the infrastructure in place, the population and athletic talent etc, the MLS is improving all the time, it just needs to be harnessed. If the USA can produce just ONE genuinely elite talent they can build a team around it will make all the difference imo. Pulisic, despite the overrating by US commentators, is a clear step forward imo. I think it is inevitable that someone will break through in the next few decades if the current trajectory continues.

 

I reckon it'll be a dull game, either a tight Argentina win or a draw. It'll be more fascinating than exciting imo, as Argentina know they can't afford to lose, and Mexico will do what they always do, harry and make things difficult.

 

MLS is definitely improving. I would say the next step is to improve marketing and access to the sport in the urban communities of color.

There's a young Black kid in America who might be the next Mbappe if the sport was deemed cool and accessible in the Black community for all we know. But right now, it's not. Basketball and American football is all they know. If that ever changed, I think the sport would really explode here.

 

I don't really agree with this.

If you are expecting the sport to get the same type of coverage that football/baseball/basketball get, it's not going to happen.

But just focusing on Americans who follow the Premier League, it's around 10 x higher than when I started following the Prem in '04.

Aside from that, you shit on US legends like Dempsey and Donovan for being optimistic about our chances then say this country doesn't deserve it for ignoring the sport.

I have been to Premier League events in the US and met many hard-core US fans and I've been to NFL events in England and met some hard-core British NFL fans.

You can't really judge an entire country based on what coverage a sport gets on TV.

 

Fucking hell I thought I was bad

I haven't seen the game because I can't be arsed streaming it on my phone (my tablet is old an won't allow me to update it for the Itvx player) but I trust the opinion here.

If you say it sucked Rhino balls, it did.

 

It makes sense if he can get results and preserve his players....apart from that it doesn't make sense....but Southgate will tell the press he's negotiated a hurdle, an obstacle, and the press will lap it up because they are top.

If the USA had nicked it, then England effectively were going into a do-or-die game with a Wales side that literally cannot thrive in any other environment. That's bad management, exposing your side to a pitched-battle where none was needed.

But for now,it's all cushty.

 

I might be being too harsh on em, yes.

 

And you and I both know why he's there....nice suit, lovely schoolteacher demeanour, very dependable when it comes to the hot issues of the day Viz race, gender,identity blah-blah etc.

Nice dependable Gareth.

 

They were worse than shit. A Southgate special.

MTF

 

Southgate looks like a schoolteacher who's having an affair with a 16-year-old student, and loses his career and his marriage when the student tells on him after he breaks it off with her.

 

Scared to death then, scared to death now.

 

Watch this....

The FA is scared of its shadow.

Southgate is their boy.