The World Cup Semi Final

[NHRevs]

I'm probably going to get crapped on for posting this but here goes. It is amazes me to read the various thoughts/opinions of all the English natives in reference to the national team. I could be wrong or maybe I've got blinders on, but I can't even imagine reading a post like this on an American board. Plenty of American sportsmen I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire, but if they have the Red, White, and Blue on I'm rooting for them. I realize that this post may sound negative and I don't mean it that way. Just pointing out a perceived difference I guess. Maybe y'all's professional sports rivalries are just that more intense than ours.

For good or ill, in the U.S. as football emerged from the dark ages, for many years, there were no clubs to speak of -- country was all there was. That's one piece of the puzzle.

The other is that the U.S. / MLS players who inspire that kind of loathing aren't international quality. There are players for the Chicago Fire I wouldn't piss on to save from burning alive, but the only good one recently of international caliber has been Cuahtemoc Blanco...loathing him is kinda patriotic duty, and besides, he's Mexican.

We mock more than loathe. Richie Williams -- Ankle Biting Midget of Death; Danny Calliff -- Orange Traffic Cone (since one of those would be more useful in defense); Donovan - Landycakes (until this last 18 months or so, there's been a diffidence to him no one could figure out. It's gone now.) And so forth.

 

[sMiLeYz]

I'm a USA sports fan. I can't stand John Harkes, even before we found out he pulled a John Terry with his mate's wife.

The US Squad is alot like Everton of International Footie, talented individuals who are humble, work hard for each other and on our day can beat the best of the lot. The US doesn't have any Gerrard-types, entitled, douchey, smug bastards thinking they are god's gift to football. Hence it's easy to root for team USA.

If the USA had an American Football team, where Ben Rothisberger was the starting Quarterback... being a Raven's fan I would never root for team USA American football team. The guy is an talented Quarterback, but a terrible human being; I'd daresay worse than Gerrard or the Terry types.

Team USA - home of Donovan and Timmay all the way.

 

[NHRevs]

I'm a USA sports fan. I can't stand John Harkes, even before we found out he pulled a John Terry with his mate's wife.

The US doesn't have any Gerrard-types, entitled, douchey, smug bastards thinking they are god's gift to football. Hence it's easy to root for team USA.

Harkes was. And Clint Mathis, somewhat. Although you have to have mixed feelings about a guy who gets run out of a Bundesliga club because he gets subbed in late in the second half, scores in about 90 seconds, turns to the bench, looks at the manager, makes a gesture like he's pointing at his watch, then grabs his crotch. Which he did. I mean, no, not exactly a team player, but still....