USA Soccer Fans: Underrated

sean,

Out of a country of 280 MM or whatever, there have been many who followed soccer for years, who plan their lives around travel for the WC, who do what it takes to learn about a game that doesn’t get as much TV coverage.

I used to count myself among that number, but I “fell off the wagon” between 2002 and now.

Philip,

True, and I think I knew this – but I had never seen it with my own 2 eyes. I was happy to see it. :)

Unfortunately the American media still treat us as soccer morons. Every game I’ve watched there have been three or more explanations of if you get 2 yellow cards in one round you sit out the next game. The media also had a field day raising the expectations of the US fans. They made it sound like the Czech Republic and Italy were just going to roll over so that the US could advance to the second round.I guess nobody kept Koller and Rosicki and the rest of the Czech team in the loop.

Glad to hear it, Sean. I’ve never been to a USA int’l match, but would hope they’d represent well.

In a perverse way, the Czech drubbing highlighted that USA fans can now get downright melancholy over a loss. That’s a new emotional state as far as I can tell.

Time was, a loss to a great team like the Czechs was shrugged off; now they expect more and take it harder when the team falls short.

we need more educated commentators and analysts on espn….these guys a re morons, the other day they called “beckham”, Michael Beckham!?!?! lol Isnt he the most known in the world, and they are too overly biased, which is ok cuz they are americans, but cmon, lets be realistic, USA stinks…when they play in concacaf with these no stadium having countries they are the best, but in the world, they are lucky to participate in the cup…….i think we need to import more mexicans and africans

I wonder how many of them are expats who live in Europe and are more exposed to top level soccer. What you describe makes a lot of sense actually – expats who know European soccer coupled with people from the states. The latter being good fans because hell if you’re gonna pay all that money to fly to Germany and get into a World Cup match to cheer on the USA – I’d hope you’re an avid fan! Pity they had to witness the spectacle they did.

*SLAP* Bad fan! Bad! No biscuit! Think positive thoughts. Think positive thoughts. Bruce is god. Bruce is god.

Sorry about that – lost control for a minute.

Though I am not an american I was surprised to see the number of american fans at the match!! Way to go USA!! Dont worry about the lose, that is what is football all about….

What drives me nuts about the USA broadcasting is the rediculous over-rating of the US team, and the absolute sheer inanity of EVERY GAME hearing about the US team. I want to watch the game, hear a bit of commentary, but I am so sick of listening to commentators not talking about the current game so they can talk about the US teams “chances” to move on in the tournament.

I wish I was there and I could support my team but I’m really sick of the bias on ESPN, and the idiocy of the US media to soccer.

I remember watching Around the Horn where one of the commentators mentioned that “3-0 beat is not that bad…” Who are they joking? 3-0 is a thrashing. Quit complaining about ‘too few goals.’

Ahhh this was a silly rant but it’s been driving me crazy. I want some good unbiased and intelligent commentary, but I’m realizing ESPN is not a very good place for that.

Thomas, I hear you. Sean, seeing is believing – nothing like it. Fans and supporters – knowledgeable ones – are what this is all about it. What a great vibe being there must be! Whoa!

The lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN, Dave O’Brian, usually does announcing for baseball games. He knows just enough about soccer to make an ass of himself. Personally what makes him worst is he still has the baseball tendancy to try and fill every moment of dead air with stories and notes that have absolutely *nothing* to do with the game.

Beside him are some ex-US men’s national team players, Eric Wynalda, Marcelo Balboa and Alexi Lalas. They all are obviously pro-US which isn’t bad, but they really are not suited for an announcer’s job.

ESPN needs to sack Dave and promote ex-US women’s team player Julie Foudy to lead announcer. She has better insight to the game and a better command of how to do a proper play-by-play than any of these current yahoos. Past that, ESPN needs to bring back Jack Edwards from the 2002 WC. Adding Tommy Smyth beside him would be even better.

it doesn’t matter – by next wc we’ll have live streaming video bloggers who will kick ESPN’s ass. Seriously. This blog is better than the newspapers or almost all online coverage (I now only read this blog and the Guardian in the UK – nothing else – Guardian is still the best of the UK papers after all these years) and you beat the guardian more often than not – although their minute by minute reports are pretty awesome too.

Anyway – if ESPN would take me I’d do the play-by-play better than O’Brien (and possibly Foudy although I agree she’s not being an idiot) and I’d call it like I see it. The best the US can hope for is three points this year and that won’t get them out of the group. One point is more likely. None is quite possible.

Thinking Positive – US Fans In Deutschland

With all the doom and gloom, it’s nice to see some bright spots for the US from the Cup. It turns out our contingent is making a splash acting like soccer fans should – loud.
WorldCupBlogWorldCupBlogWorldCupBlog has a number of video clips up fro…

I am delighted that USA team have made it to the World Cup. Soccer is very tough and these guys are advancing and advancing every year. I give 8 years more that USA will be World Champion. Once they win the Cup, it will be forever!!!

I agree with Trent’s point about the loss being good for the US fans. And I mean the true fans of the sport, not the fair weather, every-four-year ones that might have gotten sucked in by the number 5 FIFA ranking b*s* and expected their team to waltz through to the quarters or even the semi-finals. Excuse the bad pun, but all of those people were in desperate need of a good reality Czech.
No matter what happens in the next couple of games, US fans should not lose heart and remember they have many reasons to be proud, and the speedy progress of their team in the past 15 years is undeniable; but believing that the US – or Mexico for that matter – are on par with the likes of Italy, Germany or Argentina just because they happen to have higher ranking numbers is not only ludicrous, but shows little understanding of the miriad of intangibles at play in World Cup games. I am sorry, but they are not there yet.
Anyways, my main point is that true football fandom is forged from heartbreak and seemingly endless disappointment. Ask the English for chrissakes – or meantion the 1950 World Cup to any Brazilian – and that is just to name a few of the most obvious examples. When was the last time France scored a goal???
Victory is way more thrilling once you have truly tasted the agony of defeat. Think Boston Red-Sox – excuse the baseball comparison, but after 15 years of leaving in the US, they are the closest thing to football fanaticism I have been able to find around this parts.

SPORTS IS BIG BUSINESS IN THE USA AND ONCE SOCCER OVERTHROWS BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL IT WILL BE FOREVER!!What happens is that Baseball and Basketball Teams’owners hate the idea that Soccer is opening its way in the United States AND THEY won’t collect the millions and millions they earn every year.
I am not attracted to Baseball. I think is boring! It is passive!! Soccer and basketball requires a lot of stamine. Sorry guys!!!

what makes football a beautiful game?

THE FANS
lol

Glad to see more and more people are commenting on my similar beliefs that Dave O’Brien is a bafoon.

And I also agree with the guy who said that there is a prevailing belief on ESPN that the US would destory their group opponents. Dave O’Brien kept talking about how, if they got first place, they would avoid Brazil in the second round. I mean come on, first?? He said that comment when the US was down 2-0 to Czech Republic.

Although I disagree about Julie Foudy. As far as I’m concerned, that “World Cup Halftime Show” is 30 minutes of dead-air that they fill with empty chatter. Everyone says the same thing, and then they all agree with each other. They have zero knowledge of international football, and it shows.

Excellent… I am glad you were able to see what the US media keeps failing to see.

Go USA!!!

USA – lets see in 3010 world cup football

Stalin Balboa
TamilNadu
India

i dont like to watch a real foot ball game with a base ball terminology by espn announcers and ex us players if espn to be a real foot ball channel they need to hire british commentators who live and breath soccer as for the US team until the country admitted soccer is the real foot ball they dont have much chance of wining any thing when USA plays any team at home soil the other team have home field advantage mexican fans out numbers or elsalvadorians out numbered in our home soil by the way did any body noticed that if americans watch foot ball mostly the person who get their attention is the goalie? because he catch and throw the ball by hand to most of them they think that is the only part it looks like foot ball

ESPN *had* announcers who knew the game like the back of their hand. They were given the boot after 2002.

3 of us flew over without tickets.(Thanks US federation), We have been going to games both home and AWAY for over 16 years. I dont know about the other guy but the fans of the CR outnumbered the US fans by loads. (Hello they live here) We looked horrible on the field, We (the 3 of us) all felt embarresed and sick. I feel cheated, and those knowlegable US fans kept chanting that original U.S.A. chant all night. Even though we got our butt handed to us. HELLO wake up! you dont have a clue, because going to 1 game does not make you a great US fan! It just means Daddy or Corporate America got tickets for you. Now how does that chant go? Maybe Pepsi can print it up for all of us for the next game.

the only way soccer will con ntinue to thrive in the u.s is if the us team performs better than they did against the czechs. or maybe we could get another world cup in the states

I’m glad Bruce is singling people out for their lack of aggression and such but he stopped short of naming the main person who caused the team to play this way–HIMSELF!!!!–the reason he didn’t release his starting lineup was because he didn’t want anyone second guessing his starting lineup!Why start 2 guys on the same side and neither of them a left back.There was no doubt that convey should have been on the field but Eddie Lewis??? much less on the same side as Convey in his first World Cup championship match?Which side was the ball centered up from on the first goal?well Bruce? Then lets throw in the fact that he moves Landon forward, yes Landon is a great player but forwards need time to adjust, yes they’ve played together but outside of A world Cup paced match.Lets throw in that if you watched the match (which) I barely could once, the ball spent being made a 50/50 ball by the U.S. passing game or lack thereof. It was a taller team you don’t win air balls against a taller and equally skilled team!We should have strived to keep the ball on the ground.Demarcus never turned and attacked his passing percentage to a back must have hovered around 90 percent or better. Yes we all know you can’t teach speed but that is definitely offset with a lack of technical ability and heart and aggression.Bench Beasley,Bench Eddie Lewis,Bench Mastroeni, in pablos defense he really didn’t play that bad but he is a better player coming off the bench.What happened to some of our best defenders that were left off the roster for Eddie Lewis. The thing I think Bruce lacks is the fact that there are some players that are great practice players and then there are those that are great game players and I think Bruces starting lineup reflects his lack of this knowledge and his lack of being a field player himself. In Landon and Brians defense you gotta see the ball in order to make things happen and how difficult it is to control air balls and fight off defenders when balls are floated and they have time to close. I was an Arena fan til I seen the lineup that was on the field and I asked what the hell is he doing, obviously in his quest for his own glory he outcoached himself!!!!pull your head out Bruce and lets start over, lets not have to figure out what the teammate next to me is going to do as the game progresses, but put someone next to them that they have known for awhile, so who’s fault was this match? You could have pulled Beasley after you seen where he was headed.Excuses and pointing fingers are a dime a dozen but the fact of the matter is that the buck stops here at the coach so take it like a man and step up and get your share–YOU SCREWED UP!!!!!

“USA supporters easily outnumbered the Czechs at this game despite having much farther trek.”

Don’t know whether it just depended on the seats, but my impression was that there were LOADS more Czechs than Americans (which is understandable as they had a much shorter journey). They were also much louder.

Still, I thought the atmosphere was great. :)

USA to win the world cup. I know it sounds a little crazy but the math involved here makes it a clear cut decision!

http://www.xanga.com/americansoccer

In the first video, at one point they sing “Jaromir Jagr is a girl.”

Basically a taunt towards the Czechs having nothing to do with soccer.

And you say these fans are smart…?

Got to jump on the espn annoucers are idiots bandwagon… In addition to drawing analogies between putting 2 men on Riquelme and Shaquille O’Neal, commentator then proceeds to refer to putting men in the penalty box as “getting into the paint.”

I freaking couldnt stand it at that point and thank god talksport had left their online feed on so i could hear some half decent commentry online as i watched..

will someone please point me to an english stream for the wc?

I thought the chants were clever. Yes, they made fun of a Hockey player – but that is what chanting and taking the piss is all about….finding random interconnected things and having a laugh about them.

From my perspective – there were a fair number of Czech fans – just not as many as USA fans. Leaving the stadium we saw streams of yanks and the small crowds of Czechs.

My count was not scientific.

Bruce Arena must be fired. There is no good that comes of this world cup. The US was certainly underprepared. The blame lies with the coach. No excuses. What kind of guy applauds his team after a tie (Italy and US game). What a joke. Higher expectations must be met. The ship is sinking, and the general US public is bailing out. We need new blood, now.

usa soccer has never been in a good place (2002 was a lucky draw and fluke)but now it is truly in dire straits. sack arena (like they should have done years ago) he picked a terrible team — and try to recruit the kobe bryants and derek jeters of tomorrow to play the beautiful game.

Where do the American announcers get off posing the question, Is it really a world cup if the US does not embrace it. How arrogant – but typical

The preformance today was an embarassment to all americans. the team played with no heart, no will and no drive. they should ALL, each and everyone, be ashamed of their preformance in this world cup. They failed against the czechs, got a gift playing italy and failed even worse against ghanna. the whole team and coaching staff is lame and should publicly apologize to all those who had faith and backed the team. boo to you gentlemen, boo.

USA 5th according to FIFA…come on guys!!!! Who can believe in that number? The true is you are watching other world cup. This is my first World Cup outside my native country and the commentators really suck. They are completely lost in the space. However, consider yourself lucky to be part of this fabulous tournament. After reading all the comments you made I have reach to one conclusion: you American guys suffer of OGS- Olympic game syndrome. Unlike the Olympic Games, in which the Gross Domestic Product is not a good predictor, the Soccer arena is completely different. Here, no matter how rich you country is you will find poor countries with great teams. Think in Brazil, Argentina, to name a few examples. Those future stars begin playing the cheapest of the sports at an early age, on the streets, and many times barefooted. If they had luck, somebody in the entire neighborhood had a real balloon; otherwise they substituted it with a balloon made of old socks. What the US fans expected? Come on. Forget the 1994 World Cup. That was the worst of all world cups I ever seen. It was a good try to introduce the soccer in the US market, but it did not blossomed: lack of passion on the side of the fans. Consider yourself enough lucky to watch your team in a World Cup. Honestly, you do not deserve it. Look at the CONCACAF. Those are the countries you played with to gain a slot in the Cup. Come on. There are a lot of better teams just a bit south of that CONCACAF. Those are by far better soccer teams that the US team. Unfortunately, those teams were not able to attend Germany 2006 due to a lack of slots. Uruguay, Colombia, Chile and Peru would have loved to play this Cup. Wake Up. Argentina tu papa. Grande Maradona.!!!!

JP dellacamera is the worst commentator ever let loose on soccer. He has been commentating for about 20 years and still has no clue about the game. PLEASE take him away because he ruins any game and I’m sick of hearing his inane babbling, calling the obvious like ” the ball is passed to the right side” and other such obvious happenings. He has no clue on the offside call (NOT offsideS} and just prattles on about statistics even when the player is about to shoot !!. Please take him away.

Good to see video of friends at the cup. Thanks for posting. As far as knowledge goes, there’s a difference between having a conversation and chanting something for fun before a match or even during it. These guys are from New York and do know something about Jaromir Jagr (brittle) and Petr Nedved (sucked on the Rangers) as well. Next .

You Americans must learn a lot about chanting. There is a very big gap between European/South-American fans and North-American fans. You guys can`t make any noise.