USA vs Holland in Boston

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
we obviously outperform the USA, who are going to the World Cup.

You lost to Ireland. Get over it.

[Saint Marcus]

You lost to Ireland. Get over it.

Ireland is a better team than the US is

[Oligarf]

The Netherlands (please stop that Holland thing) have very good players, only some way we can't make anything of it. O'Brien and Stewart are mediocre players in the Dutch League. Not saying they're bad players, but that shows the difference in quality on the pitch. I am convinced that if the incredible bad work in the field could change in that what the players are used to at their own club, we could beat every other team in the world.

Personally I think we in the Netherlands have a major problem with our coaches, I remember Advocaat with Oranje once earlier, why he again? I've got a better idea, Gerets on the bench.

(PSV rulez!!!)

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
Ireland is a better team than the US is

And Senegal is a better team than Holland.

[Saint Marcus]

We can always ask Koeman

Go Ajax!

[Imran Siddiqui]

O'Brien and Stewart are mediocre players in the Dutch League.

They are also mediocre players in the US National Team .

[Kropotkin]

As for the quality of Costa rica, at this very minute swedish tv is airing an old chronicle from Italia '90 where they finished off both Scotland (1-0) and Sweden (2-1) in the group stage before losing out to Czechoslovakia (4-1) at the same time the Dutch side lost 2-1 to West Germany.

[Oligarf]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

O'Brien and Stewart are mediocre players in the Dutch League.

They are also mediocre players in the US National Team .

Why are they selected then?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Why are they selected then?

Bench players.

[Oligarf]

Didn't notice that, doesn't Stewart have 80 caps or so already?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, but he's super old.. in his mid-30s at least. Stewart is mainly used for leadership.

Both though start on the bench. Stewart was a main starter back in 1990 and 1994. This is O'Brien's first WC, IIRC.

[Oligarf]

33 years, I think. But he has never played better than he does now, at least what I can remember. I don't say having players at big clubs guarantees quality, but where are the Americans mainly playing? Not at the very top of the European leagues.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well no... the US is trying to entice them into staying at home and playing in the MLS, so they can build up the league. Most of the US players come from the MLS. Some, like the goalies (Brad Friedal and Kasey Keller) play in England. Cladio Reyna (the most important player on the team) plays in Germany, IIRC, and used to play for Rangers in Scotland. And of course, O'Brian and Stewart play in the Netherlands. I believe everyone else plays in the US... though DeMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan might make the jump to Europe in a few years.

[Oligarf]

I do understand that building up the MLS is important, but it might be important for players to compete in the Champions League or UEFA Cup to get some experience. And after Rangers were defeated by Feyenoord I don't rate that club that high anymore. Our Dutch isn't anymore what it has been, England is a better place for Americans I guess.
I think that Europe, with South-America following, offers the best oppurtunities for players to develop to be good enough at a World Cup.

[JohnIII]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Cladio Reyna (the most important player on the team) plays in Germany, IIRC, and used to play for Rangers in Scotland.

Dusting off an old account to say this, but Reyna plays for Sunderland in England. They finished fourth bottom this year having finished seventh in the previous two seasons.

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
Compared to Holland, France and Spain?

Would that be the Spain who always perform at major competitions, the Dutch who don’t gel as a team, and the French who are the world champions? Senegal earned their place in the world cup just as much as Slovenia or China did. Teams like Yugoslavia and Romania aren’t there because Slovenia, hardly a team of superstars, beat them.