MSU Red Cedar Message Board

To be fair, the US has the best player in CONCACAF right now (Clint Dempsey), and I still expect them to be competitive with Mexico in this WC cycle. The not-so-distant future is where things might get difficult for the USMNT trying to compete with Mexico.

Mexico won the last U-17 World Cup, was 3rd in the last U-20 World Cup, and is a finalist in the Olympics... the US didn't even qualify for the U-2O WC or the Olympics.

And, outside of Brek Shea, I haven't seen any truly young American players who impress me (although I admittedly don't follow youth soccer in the US), while Mexico has a bunch of players who could be very good in the near future (Marco Fabian, Hiram Mier, Jonathan dos Santos, etc.).

England up to 3rd in FIFA rankings, USA stay at 36.

Sounds about right. They are a team increasingly dominated by young players. The superstars are getting old. Long time until 2014.

Altidore may want to lay off the Twittering praise for the arch rival, but that aside, what's becoming oddly clear is that there is a missing generation of American players. The likes of Donovan, Dempsey, Howard, Bocanegra, etc. were ready to take over for a McBride, Pope, Reyna, etc. What we hear now is praise for the truly developmental player who is unproven and untested at a world-class level of competition. What we have is Altidore, Bradley, Ream, Lichaj, etc. No offense to their talents, but those are role-players if we're moving forward. Health, coaching, and opportunity may develop a Holden, Shea, or Guzan, but Mexico has young players playing club ball at a high level and getting high-level experience with their Olympic and national team. We do not. Much of this gets back to how we teach and train for the game in the US, the collegiate developmental system, etc., and while Reyna and Klinsmann can speak articulately to those issues, that doesn't help the USMNT.

Soccer is a young man's game and the 4-year nature of a World Cup cycle means a team cannot just sit back and ride a core group for multiple cycles without replenishing their player pool. I'm not pessimistic about the future of the USMNT in the long-term sense. This cycle, and the '14 World Cup, well, I'm an odd combination of having little expectations while hopeful that better coaching can help to time our play to maximize our performance in Brazil. Mexican fans have reason to be excited this cycle. For the US, I see that our most talented players are aging (Dempsey will be 31 in 2014, Donovan 32, etc.) and there just isn't a group ready to push them off the stage. Old teams don't do well in World Cups. Soccer is a young man's game. That just doesn't add up for optimism.....

arfabe, we should try to put together a little montage of the best goals of the Olympics when comp is finished.

Big game in American soccer tonight. Seattle travels to Kansas City for the Open Cup final. Seattle trying to win a record 4th straight. The crowd is going to be crazy tonight in KC.

Yea the USSF really messed this one up not gIving it to FSC for a lower bid, or heck ESPN for free if it gets on ESPN2. I drove from STL and will be in the Cauldron or this one, about to head to the tailgate.

The usoc final still locked at 0 at half. Game was delayed half an hour. Filled up the supporters section two hours early and partied in lightning and hale. SKC has had more chances but Seattle has probably had better ones. Getting very chippy.

Yah that was ugly

Awesome! Looked like a great atmosphere on TV.

I see a lot of hate for Sounders fans - is there some story there I don't know about? They've always seemed pretty damn impressive to me - great attendance, proud history, strong rivalries, travel well - and most of all they're stadium is full of adults - not soccer moms and legions of 7 year olds.

Of course, all of that doesn't mean they can't be a bunch of giant douchebags, as is the case with fans of the other club you support .

Honestly I had just heard about the hate without encountering until this game. Had to walk about a mile to the game and by where they were having their tailgate. We still walked around the general area but on the way, no less then 6 sounders fans were giving us crap.... In Kansas City. One even dropped one of their $70 bright rave green jerseys. I picked it up and ran it to them because they were walking ahead. He said thanks then 4 other fans in his group started to berate us.... Who does that?

Well - thank goodness SKC won the bid to host (a process which needs to stop...neutral site please) and knocked them off their USOC high horse.

Huge break for Brazil leading up to the Olympics gold medal match: Giovani dos Santos is out for Mexico due to a muscle injury on his thigh.

This really sucks, as Gio had been Mexico's best player throughout the tournament.

Edit: Neymar--being a dbag as always--was hoping for this: