It's in Jacksonville on Saturday, starting at 6pm
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USMNT
- Thread starter SerenityNigh
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6PM eastern?
Yup! I'll be there, and will try and take pics...I may have my girlfriend take them instead
Garrick
Awesome, lid.
C'mon now, what's the fun if we can't assemble a strawman here.
Yup! I'll be there, and will try and take pics...I may have my girlfriend take them instead
Would rather you take pics of your girl for our viewing pleasure...
Yep. I'll be in Lot F with my local crew, just off Bay St., under the expressway to the Hart bridge next to Metro Park. Seats on the east side in section 141/M. Look for a rapidly aging fat man in a beige Cubby Bear cap.
If I'm in the act of drinking, you'll know it's me. Tailgating from about 4/4:30 or so, I think...
Match is on the mothership ESPN at 5:30 eastern, Snighty.
Let me save you most of your time by summarizing for you:
"90% of soccer fans in the U.S. seem to root for Arsenal"
and
"My biggest gripe is that all of this feels like an elaborate affectation."
This matches well the conclusion of the NYT piece from April:
“In such settings, being an Arsenal supporter is even more predictable than having an M.F.A. or a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.”
The Problem With American Soccer Fans
"90% of soccer fans in the U.S. seem to root for Arsenal"
and
"My biggest gripe is that all of this feels like an elaborate affectation."
This matches well the conclusion of the NYT piece from April:
“In such settings, being an Arsenal supporter is even more predictable than having an M.F.A. or a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.”
The Problem With American Soccer Fans
One of the many scarf-toting fans at the U.S.'s 2-0 victory over Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, in September.Getty Images
Growing up as a soccer fan in England, I've witnessed my fair share of horrors. I've seen shocking acts of violence, overheard hundreds of abusive chants and watched Pelé retire to sell erectile dysfunction pills.
Over the years, I've been angered, saddened and ashamed by these things. But through it all, my love for soccer remained undimmed.
But lately, I've discovered there's a new scourge on my beloved game that I simply cannot tolerate: Americans.
Understand that I'm not talking about the vast majority of you, who still regard soccer as a distinctly European product of dubious worth, like espadrilles or universal health care.
I don't begrudge fans here who have only recently awakened to the charms of what the rest of the world has long known as the beautiful game. Welcome to the party!
The problem is your soccer obsessives. By my reckoning, they may be the most derivative, excessive and utterly ridiculous collection of sports fans on the planet.
If you've ever stumbled across this tribe as they spill out of a bar on Saturday mornings after 90 minutes spent watching a game contested by two teams based thousands of miles away, you'll know the sort of fans I'm talking about.
They refer to the sport as "fútbol," hold long conversations about the finer points of the 4-4-2 formation and proudly drape team scarves around their necks even when the temperature outside is touching 90 degrees.
It is this band of soccer junkies who have turned the simple pleasure I used to derive from heading to a bar to watch a game into something more akin to undergoing root canal surgery.
Elaborately dressed U.S. soccer fans—with scarves, of course—at a game against Jamaica in Kansas City, Kan., in October. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
It's not that they all have the same stories about study-abroad trips to Europe, or that they get wildly excited about the simplest saves, or even, for inexplicable reasons, that 90% of soccer fans in the U.S. seem to root for Arsenal.
My biggest gripe is that all of this feels like an elaborate affectation.
Instead of watching the game in the time-honored way of American sports fans—by thrusting a giant foam finger in the air, say, or devouring a large plate of Buffalo wings—your soccer fanatics have taken to aping the behavior of our fans from across the pond.
The scarves thing is an obvious example, but it's far from the only one. There's the self-conscious use of terms like "pitch," "match" and "kit," the songs lifted directly from English soccer stadiums, and even the appropriation of terrace couture.
On a recent weekend, I went to a bar to watch the UEFA Champions League final and found myself stationed next to a soccer fan wearing a replica Arsenal jersey, a team scarf around his neck and a pair of Dr. Martens lace-ups. He looked like he he'd been born and raised along the Holloway Road. In fact, he was from Virginia.
The whole thing seemed to be less an expression of genuine fandom and more like an elaborate piece of performance art. Didn't we fight a war so you guys wouldn't have to take cues on how to behave from London?
It should come as no surprise that the situation is particularly heinous in New York City. This is a town where artisanal toast is now a thing. So of course there's a peculiar species of fan here whose passion for soccer seems to be less about 22 men chasing a ball up and down a field and more about its intellectual and cosmopolitan qualities.
Never mind that no other sport is so linked to the working class. For these fans, rooting for an English soccer team is a highbrow pursuit and a mark of sophistication, like going to a Wes Anderson movie or owning a New Yorker subscription.
Elaborately dressed U.S. soccer fans—with scarves, of course—at a game against Jamaica in Kansas City, Kan., in October. Getty Images
It's not just English soccer that's been fetishized in this way, of course. Your soccer snobs have pilfered elements of fan culture from Spain, Italy and Latin America. These days, half of your national team has been imported from Germany.
There's the curious obsession with 'tifo'—those enormous banners that are unfurled in stadiums before kickoff. They work at Lazio, Bayern Munich or Boca Juniors. At Real Salt Lake, not so much.
These soccer snobs are so intent on maintaining an aura of authenticity that when they make a slip-up or use an incorrect or ill-advised term, I feel compelled to pounce on them with all the force of a Roy Keane challenge.
There's no such position as outside back! (It is fullback.) The rest of the world doesn't call them PKs! (It is penalties. Just penalties.)
Not to mention the fact that your fans happily refer to Team USA captain Clint Dempsey by the nickname "Deuce." Deuce?! This is international soccer, not "Top Gun."
Ever since a ball was first kicked into a net, it has been an inviolable law of the game that Dempsey should be shortened to Demps. Just like Michael Bradley gets cut to Bradders, John Brooks to Brooksy and Jermaine Jones to Jonesy, or perhaps JJ, at a push. (For the record, Mix Diskerud can still be known as Mix Diskerud.)
The great regret about all this is that mimicking the customs of fans from everywhere else could hinder the development of your own American soccer identity.
One of the joys of soccer is seeing how different cultures view, interpret and celebrate the game in their own distinct ways.
I find it fascinating, for example, that while we see soccer as a broad narrative that unfolds over 90 minutes, your fans tend to think about the sport as a series of discrete events.
Or that I view the coming World Cup and England's inevitable failure with a mixture of trepidation and dread, while your fans seem positively excited about the tournament.
Mind you, with Team USA facing a potentially decisive matchup with Germany, there's a strong chance that your upbeat disposition won't last long. That is one lesson you can take from an Englishman.
Write to Jonathan Clegg at jonathan.clegg@wsj.com
Also, that author appears to be in no small measure a tit.
he gets pissed we're too British... yet if following the Premier League, it's not like ESPN or Fox's web coverage is awesome. You find places like GOT or red cafe to discuss and follow your favorite team, and you learn/use the lingo. We call it "soccer" and locals froth at the keyboard.
Garrick
Awesome, lid.
Most North American sports culture is lame anyway. I have no problem with borrowing from elsewhere. There are maybe some good things you could incorporate college football fandom, but that's about it.
I do have a strong distaste for American "futbol" fans who hate on the domestic game, though.
An American club doesn't have to be your number one (it's not for me), and you don't have to pretend it's on par with Europe, but you should at least care. Even if it just means going and sitting with the Cactus Pricks every now and then (@obc
).
Tell that writer from his tiny little island to sniff it. 90% Arsenal my ass...I have the stats to back it up. Well, sorry, not the actual stats. Let me explain, I used to be a retail district manager, and was privy to corporate reporting. I could look at sales figures and extrapolate if I had the time.
It is a national chain. We bought a handful of clubs before the last World Cup. Not sure if I'll remember all the teams, but it was only a handful. From memory we bought United, Arsenal, Liverpool (no Chelsea), Chivas, Pumas, Club America, Cruz Azul, Barca, Real, AC Milan, Juve, Inter, and Bayern.
Overall it was dreadful in terms of sell through...AWFUL. United and Barca were head and shoulders #1 and #2. I think the Mexican teams were a DISTANT #3-#6...Real was next at #7, followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, and the Italians in a near deadlock at some God awful number. Bayern was dead last...but not by much. Really, in terms of retail, the only successes were United and Barca...at regular price anyway. The rest of the stuff went on clearance crazy fast...4 years later, it's probably still haunting their outlet stores.
The National Team stuff, on the other hand was a resounding success...like crazy, beyond expectations good. USA, England, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, and Brazil...100% sell through at regular price. Netherlands and France were slightly behind. I might be forgetting someone, but overall, it was quite telling the difference between the club stuff and the National stuff.
It is a national chain. We bought a handful of clubs before the last World Cup. Not sure if I'll remember all the teams, but it was only a handful. From memory we bought United, Arsenal, Liverpool (no Chelsea), Chivas, Pumas, Club America, Cruz Azul, Barca, Real, AC Milan, Juve, Inter, and Bayern.
Overall it was dreadful in terms of sell through...AWFUL. United and Barca were head and shoulders #1 and #2. I think the Mexican teams were a DISTANT #3-#6...Real was next at #7, followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, and the Italians in a near deadlock at some God awful number. Bayern was dead last...but not by much. Really, in terms of retail, the only successes were United and Barca...at regular price anyway. The rest of the stuff went on clearance crazy fast...4 years later, it's probably still haunting their outlet stores.
The National Team stuff, on the other hand was a resounding success...like crazy, beyond expectations good. USA, England, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, and Brazil...100% sell through at regular price. Netherlands and France were slightly behind. I might be forgetting someone, but overall, it was quite telling the difference between the club stuff and the National stuff.
Most North American sports culture is lame anyway. I have no problem with borrowing from elsewhere. There are maybe some good things you could incorporate college football fandom, but that's about it.
I do have a strong distaste for American "futbol" fans who hate on the domestic game, though.
An American club doesn't have to be your number one (it's not for me), and you don't have to pretend it's on par with Europe, but you should at least care. Even if it just means going and sitting with the Cactus Pricks every now and then (@obc
I much prefer American voetbal and even the occasional American calcio to American futbol.
ESPN FC preview
When Jurgen Klinsmann was hired as U.S. coach in the summer of 2011, it was on a platform of change. He has used different formations (4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2) in the three years since, but his basic template remains: While at their core the Americans have always been a defend-and-counter team, Klinsmann installed a more aggressive, safe-is-death approach.
His defenders play a high line and build from the back; his forwards and midfielders press foes closer to the opposing goal, hoping to win the ball in dangerous spots. And, for the most part, it's worked, with wins against Germany and at Italy, Mexico and Bosnia-Herzegovina since early 2012.
Those results infused belief into the squad -- another key part of Klinsmann's strategy. Goalkeeper Tim Howard calls the German coach "a complete outside-the-box thinker," whose unconventional ideas (including regular double training days, unheard of for most national teams outside of major tournaments) have steeled the squad mentally.
The U.S. has long relied on confidence to punch above its weight. Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup as a player, is hoping the extra work on and off the field will lead the Yanks to new heights in Brazil.
Starting scenario
History
After reaching the semifinals of the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the United States played in two more tournaments before failing to qualify for the event from 1954 through 1986. Now, the Americans are making their seventh straight Cup appearance. Their best showing in this latest stretch was 2002, when they reached the quarterfinals before being ousted by Germany 1-0.
How did they get here?
The U.S. struggled early in qualifying, needing all six games of CONCACAF's semifinal round, which included a first-ever defeat to Jamaica, just to reach the 2013 Hexagonal. A loss in Honduras in the opener ramped up the pressure, which threatened to consume the squad after several anonymous players publicly questioned Klinsmann's tactics and man-management skills.
That drama occurred just days before a crucial home match against Costa Rica. But instead of folding, the Americans won on Clint Dempsey's goal, then went into Mexico City and held the hosts to a scoreless draw, marking just the second time the Americans earned a point south of the border.
The momentum (as well as Jozy Altidore's eight goals) carried the Americans through the rest of the year, which ended with the best record in the program's 100-year history. The U.S. won in Jamaica for the first time (one of 12 straight victories last summer), and after losing in Costa Rica in September, beat El Tri at home, punching its ticket to Brazil with two games to spare. When it was over, the Americans sat atop the regional standings for the third consecutive World Cup cycle.
The numbers never lie
Calculating a nation's passion for the game based on how well it pays its manager, attends its games and gets out to play:
Key battles
Klinsmann himself put it best. "We basically start with a World Cup final against Ghana," the coach said back in February. "We need badly these three points. If we get three points against Ghana, I think then that the confidence will rise, the guys will be pumped up, and they will be ready for Portugal and give them a real fight."
Easier said than done. The Black Stars eliminated the Americans in 2006 and 2010, and head into June's event with a powerful, experienced squad featuring nine players who competed in Europe's Champions League last season. (The U.S. has just one in former Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones.)
But Ghana is also the weakest of the Americans' three Group G foes. So while the U.S. will probably take a more methodical, tactical approach against Portugal and Germany -- depending on results, of course -- expect it to go toe-to-toe with Ghana from the opening kick. What is certain is the Americans won't be burdened by history.
"People call Ghana our bogey team," Howard said. "But to a man, nobody is concerned about that."
United States midfielder Michael Bradley discusses his role with team USA in the upcoming World Cup and his decision to leave Europe to play in MLS.
Most important player
With all-time U.S. scoring leader Landon Donovan left off Klinsmann's final roster for Brazil, the face of this team is undoubtedly fellow attacking vet Dempsey -- the lone American to score in each of the past two World Cups.
The U.S. team's most indispensable player, however, is midfield general Michael Bradley. The son of former U.S. coach Bob, Bradley may have been the Americans' best player as a 22-year-old four years ago in South Africa. Now 26, he still hasn't reached his prime. But the hard-tackling, tactically astute Bradley is already the team's inspirational leader, even if it's Dempsey who wears the captain's armband, and he'll be counted on to keep the U.S. organized and tuned in.
Bradley's vision, calmness on the ball and ability to contribute timely goals will be vital, too. He also has plenty to prove this summer after his big-money January move from Champions League-bound Italian club Roma to MLS also-ran Toronto FC, a transfer that led some to question Bradley's desire to excel at the top level.
Definition of success
Sure, they're in the Group of Death, but the unlucky draw will be no consolation if the Americans can't survive it in Brazil. Despite long odds, advancing is still the expectation for a squad that has emerged from the first round in two of the past three tournaments (and at three straight World Cups played outside of Europe).
Internally, the Americans quietly fancy their chances of finishing among the top two in a quartet that includes European titans Germany and Portugal, plus Africa's best team, Ghana -- even if the bookies don't.
"It's not going to be easy, but what we're going to worry about is playing our best soccer," defender Matt Besler said. "We're going to try and peak at the right time and put together three of our best games. If we do that, I really think that we're going to advance."
If they do, they'll be playing with house money, and Klinsmann has targeted the semifinals as the ultimate goal for a team that's made it only as far as the quarters over the past 80 years. Realistically, though, reaching the second round would be a triumph.
How far will the United States go?
Klinsmann's squad is unpredictable and seems equally capable of either succeeding or failing spectacularly this summer. The U.S. will probably end up somewhere in between, and that won't be enough in Group G: Three points, three and out.
ESPN FC Analysts' take: Kasey Keller
Klinsmann has tried to get this squad to be more possession-based, more offensive. They've gotten a lot better and emphasize putting other teams under pressure. But you still have to look at the reality: Can they do that against Germany? Probably not.
The U.S. has always had strong team spirit, and that can allow this squad to achieve results -- in this group, especially, they will have to thrive on an underdog mentality.
The defense lacks experience at the World Cup level. On the offense, the team has swung away from European-based play experience since Bradley and Dempsey moved back to the MLS, which a lot of people consider a drawback. But it's not all bad: Players will be just three months into the MLS season come June and maybe not as fatigued as those from European leagues at the end of a 10-month slog.
Garrick
Awesome, lid.
Fascinating on the Bayern bit. I see quite a bit of it around here. Maybe it's a regional thing, Wisconsin is known for its large ethnically German populace.
Not arguing with numbers obviously, but anecdotally around me I see Barca, Arsenal, and Bayern as the most common.
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