US Men's Soccer fails to Qualify for 2018 World Cup

In the USA - soccer is a rich kids sport. $2500 for 4 months in a soccer program

In the rest of the world - soccer is the poor/everyday mans sport

Not sure that will ever change because of the other sports available/highlighted in America. So USA will probably never be a soccer powerhouse i.e Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil etc. But the large population and (somewhat rigged) qualifying process favoring Concafaf should guarantee the USA being a Top 30 program.

Honestly, except for the Top 6 or so football powerhouses - every other nation fluctuates. For example Chile just enjoyed their golden generation and is now missing the WC. America is kinda stuck in mediocrity because the easy qualifying has allowed fundamental problems to fester. Sometimes it is better to rebuild from the ground up.

Originally posted by Lipstickonface:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:
What do you expect when ESPN shows "Soccer" highlights and refers to them as "Kicking" highlights. LMAO. Scott Van Pelt is a boss.

Who is still watching ESPN.....

Like 40% of the US population. Wake up and put on a little makeup.

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:

Originally posted by Lipstickonface:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:
What do you expect when ESPN shows "Soccer" highlights and refers to them as "Kicking" highlights. LMAO. Scott Van Pelt is a boss.

Who is still watching ESPN.....

Like 40% of the US population. Wake up and put on a little makeup.

I can watch PTI still. Thats it. You couldnt pay me to watch jemele and michaels show. The amount of unfunny jokes is much higher than highlights

Originally posted by DynastyChile:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:

Originally posted by Lipstickonface:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:
What do you expect when ESPN shows "Soccer" highlights and refers to them as "Kicking" highlights. LMAO. Scott Van Pelt is a boss.

Who is still watching ESPN.....

Like 40% of the US population. Wake up and put on a little makeup.

I can watch PTI still. Thats it. You couldnt pay me to watch jemele and michaels show. The amount of unfunny jokes is much higher than highlights

still listen to mike and mike on the radio on the way to work for me

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by DynastyChile:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:

Originally posted by Lipstickonface:

Originally posted by fortyninerglory:
What do you expect when ESPN shows "Soccer" highlights and refers to them as "Kicking" highlights. LMAO. Scott Van Pelt is a boss.

Who is still watching ESPN.....

Like 40% of the US population. Wake up and put on a little makeup.

I can watch PTI still. Thats it. You couldnt pay me to watch jemele and michaels show. The amount of unfunny jokes is much higher than highlights

still listen to mike and mike on the radio on the way to work for me

Yikes. They were around when ESPN was still a sports channel, and even then they sucked for me.

Landon Donovan is thinking about running for the USMNT presidency in the spring.

Originally posted by DynastyChile:

I can watch PTI still. Thats it. You couldnt pay me to watch jemele and michaels show. The amount of unfunny jokes is much higher than highlights

My decline in ESPN interest coincided with my increase in Soccer interest. PTI being a perfect example. I started to resent how they would glamorize these domestic American athletes. Made me feel like I was living in North Korea and being spoon fed talking points that very few in the rest of the World cared about.

Then when ESPN went full on NFL/NBA I checked out. I don't even like most Anerican athletes as human beings, why would I spend my time hearing people discuss them as if I should be praying to their existence or viewing them as role models.

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by defenderDX:

we were actually decent last world cup. I got really into it. bummer. now we have to wait another 4 frickin years

This effing blows!

I can tell you care so much judging by your exclamation mark!

Ha...it really does blow though.

Italy just failed to qualify, as well.


And it totally makes me feel better about us not qualifying. They'll get so much more heat over this than we will. lol

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
Italy just failed to qualify, as well.

And it totally makes me feel better about us not qualifying. They'll get so much more heat over this than we will. lol

And the team that knocks them out goes in their place. Congrats to the Swedes.

The USMNT always qualified when Obama was president

MAGA

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
Italy just failed to qualify, as well.

And it totally makes me feel better about us not qualifying. They'll get so much more heat over this than we will. lol

wow

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
Landon Donovan is thinking about running for the USMNT presidency in the spring.

he's probably the best fit out of everybody, i've heard him talk about how we don't develop our soccer prospects like these other countries who do it at a young age, and those kids are playing/training with pros, not against some random high school team that barely can field a soccer team.

if they are serious about making our soccer program one of the best, then they have to spend the money to train them right. screw the ncaa, college soccer isn't that much better anyways. these kids are better off being talked into signing contracts at a young age with some club, and that would be an incentive at least for the ones considering basketball or football where most of our athletes go.

you get some of these current young athletes to turn to soccer instead of the main stream sports, and there's no reason why we can't have a great soccer program. imagine if some of these insane athletes we have in basketball and football grew up playing soccer instead basketball or football, and you have a 6'4 Russel Westbrook with that speed and size coming at you lol.

Originally posted by jdt84_2:

Originally posted by niners94:
Cost too much for kids to join youth soccer is what I heard. Only the non poor kids can play. That cuts out so many good players/athletes, aka mostly minorities like Latinos and blacks. Need to open it up to all kids that can play not just the ones that can afford it.

Absolutely not buying it. Local leagues are very affordable. It only gets expensive when you play in travel leagues.

You dont need to buy it for it to be absolutely true. Yes, local youth leagues are very affordable. But when it gets to college and kids getting scholarships, it is the rich white kids. Period. Only the rich kids are playing in the academy teams....and those are the kids who get the D1 scholarships....and those are the kids who get drafted to MLS teams and make National Team pools. The whole system is f**ked up, and your assessment of it is dead wrong.