Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I think the point Mattis is making is, despite recent form and US progress, it is still pretty much: Italy > USA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I find it quite amusing that a win tomorrow could see us as high as 8th, despite the awfulness of the first 18 games. Admittedly that requires everything to go our way and I've now just condemned us to not winning, but still, that's strange that a win can push you 6 places up the table, so far into the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Logic Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Don't recall a table like it ever before, so condensed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I think the point Mattis is making is, despite recent form and US progress, it is still pretty much: Italy > USA Disagree. Italy have been going backwards for a while. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I think the point Mattis is making is, despite recent form and US progress, it is still pretty much: Italy > USA Disagree. Italy have been going backwards for a while. There isn't a single US player that would get into the Italy starting XI. Donovan, at a massive push. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Oh, ho'way. They've crumbled since then - big time. Too stubborn to embrace any change, even their current attempts are being forced upon them and its showing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Playing for a country for a country which is passionate for its football over one that isn't any day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Italy got some great players coming up from the youth systems btw, give a couple of years under Prandelli and things should be back to normal. who are the great players coming up from the youth system? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameritoon Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I think he made a statement after not making the WC squad about how didn't regret it. Although, I'm sure there was part of him that realized with him we could've beat Ghana and won the CC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Oh, ho'way. They've crumbled since then - big time. Too stubborn to embrace any change, even their current attempts are being forced upon them and its showing. Because of one poor world cup? They won it in 2006, and now in a transitional period, playing for Italy allows him to grow as a player, it's no surprise he chose Italy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameritoon Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 You can't deny Italy have been pretty shit since they won in 2006, and US fans are far more happy than Italians with the last cycle. I'm not saying we're better, and I can't even argue with Sewelly, no US player would get into the Italian eleven, if when they're being stubborn and leaving in older players who've seen at better days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 You can't deny Italy have been pretty s*** since they won in 2006, and US fans are far more happy than Italians with the last cycle. I'm not saying we're better, and I can't even argue with Sewelly, no US player would get into the Italian eleven, if when they're being stubborn and leaving in older players who've seen at better days. But they have totally different expectations. Just look at the 1-1 draw with England, I couldn't imagine Gazetta celebrating a draw with England. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameritoon Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Definitely. I'm just pointing out, we've had more success lately, I hope everyone still knows Italy is the better footballing nation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Oh, ho'way. They've crumbled since then - big time. Too stubborn to embrace any change, even their current attempts are being forced upon them and its showing. Because of one poor world cup? They won it in 2006, and now in a transitional period, playing for Italy allows him to grow as a player, it's no surprise he chose Italy. He's not even a stable figure in the Italy squad though, so how can he grow with them as a player? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 This may not be exactly what you're on about, but although Italy are nowhere near what they were, I'd still fancy them to not get beat more than twice if they played 10 games. The gap has certainly closed, like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 The fact he'd be one of the very best American players (ever), yet he's 'not even a stable figure in the Italy squad' surely negates your point about the US overtaking Italy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 The fact he'd be one of the very best American players (ever), yet he's 'not even a stable figure in the Italy squad' surely negates your point about the US overtaking Italy? Well, not really, not when squad politics is an issue with the Italy team, that has kept most young players out of the team until very recently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 The fact he'd be one of the very best American players (ever), yet he's 'not even a stable figure in the Italy squad' surely negates your point about the US overtaking Italy? Well, not really, not when squad politics is an issue with the Italy team, that has kept most young players out of the team until very recently. He's still not good enough to start though. Maybe after his form this season, but this is the first tim he's came close. He'd have 50 caps by now if he'd gone with USA from the beginning. That's the difference in the talent depth's for both nations. Sure, through contrasting management success USA have outperformed Italy over the last 2-3 years but the cold hard truth is that the US are still a long way behind. Look at their squad from the WC, they perform great as a team but the players are very limited. DeMerit (released by Watford) and Onyewu (5th choice at Milan atm) is there CB partnership, and this a position the US count as a position of relative strength. I'm sorry, there's just no comparison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 The fact he'd be one of the very best American players (ever), yet he's 'not even a stable figure in the Italy squad' surely negates your point about the US overtaking Italy? Well, not really, not when squad politics is an issue with the Italy team, that has kept most young players out of the team until very recently. He's still not good enough to start though. Maybe after his form this season, but this is the first tim he's came close. He'd have 50 caps by now if he'd gone with USA from the beginning. Well, half of that was my point to begin with - Rossi's regret. Which sort of trailed into a US v Italy discussion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 You were arguing that USA has more 'going for it' as a footballing country though, not whether Rossi made a bad decision regarding his own personal chances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 You were arguing that USA has more 'going for it' as a footballing country though, not whether Rossi made a bad decision regarding his own personal chances. I still believe Italy are going backwards while US are marching forwards. Guess only time will tell, though England are the benchmark for reputation > ability. So Italy won the WC in 2006, and did well in the 80s and early 90s, but the sea change to the national team is going to be too much for it. Just as the holding onto the Old Guard will have damaged them too. Yes, it won them 2006, but not looking forward and integrating new stars into the team is going to hurt them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Prandelli will have them fit and firing for Poland/Ukraine. Balotelli/Cassano strikeforce could yield some lols. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 That's my concern; I can't see them being a team/unit as well as the US team is/can become. Though I suppose you can argue that at times the Italian Team hasn't always been the best team/unit at the best of times. Suppose that's why Trap and Co picked the 'Old Guard' all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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