[docbolo]

I agree with Sqawks. Anyway, when it counts (like defending the free world for instance), we have plenty of national pride. Don't want to turn this into yet another E90 political thread, sorry. just my 0.02.

By the way Steve, are you communist? just kidding

[gohawks23]

Maybe they will change the rules by the time you get there...any lame injuries requiring play to stop or a freaking stretcher will cause the player to miss the next 10 minutes of the game...also the zero skill required PK's will go away...especially in OT...if the game is a tie start whittling the number of people on the field down by 1 every 2 minutes in OT until somebody scores for real...I don't care if they die of exhaustion...just finish the game in a manly way...especially for the stinking World Cup!!!

[shimshimhada]

Originally Posted by greginaz1

Maybe they will change the rules by the time you get there...any lame injuries requiring play to stop or a freaking stretcher will cause the player to miss the next 10 minutes of the game...also the zero skill required PK's will go away...especially in OT...if the game is a tie start whittling the number of people on the field down by 1 every 2 minutes in OT until somebody scores for real...I don't care if they die of exhaustion...just finish the game in a manly way...especially for the stinking World Cup!!!

I think instead of PKs, they should have a 15 minute deciding round that only has 5 players on each side, with goalie of course.

[gohawks23]

Originally Posted by shimshimhada

I think instead of PKs, they should have a 15 minute deciding round that only has 5 players on each side, with goalie of course.

I agree...something like that should decide the game...some kind of skill and not a gimme shot from right in front of a goalie trying cover a huge goal...

[DLJJ3399]

It's nice to have dreams.

People change. Enviroments change. Countries change.
It's good to go after your dreams, but you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. And 4 years is longer than you think.

Cultures are more different than you think. Although it seems that sport brings us together and reminds us what we have in common every 4 years... for a short time of course.

I agree with Squawks though. Don't build the castle of your dreams out of sand. Moving to another country is a huge endeavor. You need a good foundation.

Good luck though.

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

Yes of course they are 'All Star' teams but not in the same sense as an All Star team is here in the US. These guys play together as an organised team on a regular basis. I can name most of the line-ups for England going back to the early 70s. Some of the most capped players have played over 100 games for their country - Peter Shilton played in goal for England for 20 years from 1970 to 1990 - 125 games. Claudio Suárez has played for Mexico over 170 times.

People are as passionate about their national football team as they are for their local team because the national team is a fixture, another team to root for regularly with national pride on the line. That is why the plazas in Rome were filled with thousands of people, why tens of thousands turned out into the streets in Mexico City and large cities and towns all across the globe. In the US, there is no sport that does this.

I'm not sure about your point regarding Beckham. David Beckham does play for England during the regular soccer season at the same time that he plays for Real Madrid at club level. International games are played between regular club level league games usually on a weekday, occasionally on a Saturday. Beckham has played about 95 games for England.

I guess my point is that in soccer, national teams play often, not once a year in some hyped meaningless fiasco or at the Olympics. They are not a bunch of prima donnas playing only if the 'financial terms' are good. Being asked to play for your country in Soccer is a huge acheivement in any player's career and few (if any) have ever said no.

We differ regarding the outcome of an international tourney in basketball or baseball. I hate the former, I love the latter even though we have the Orioles (season tix - 15 years), but I still think that it would not be a slam dunk (pardon the pun) for any US team. The biggest challenge IMO would be assembling a team in the first place. You would probably have to buy a couple dozen Hummers rolling on 24s to get them out of bed never mind play for their country.

National pride. Not how many Benzs are in my episode of 'Cribs'.

I like you man

[Squawks]

@ Steve - I agree with you that our "national" teams in recent international competitions, namely the last summer olympics basketball tournament and the recent World Baseball Classic, sufferred greatly for that particular reason you have eloquently stated in your post - that all our greatest athletes are not eager enough to join the team because they are not being wooed with huge sums of cash.

But even with that said, there is simply no denying that the good 'ol U.S. of A is among the best of the best in athleticism in the world. Our country has not only the most athletes but also has the most accomplished ones. Years after years we continue to beat every single other country in numbers of gold medals won and total medals won.

If you want to speak of "National Pride" - is the only medium to express such a thing considered to be sports? Foolish to think so - what happened in the good 'ol U.S. of A a week ago on the 4th of July? Memorial day? President's Day? How long was it that the American flag was completely sold out right after the 9/11 event? Do I really need a lecture on "National Pride"?