US Men's Soccer: Why Believe that We Will Win?

By Ryan Bowman (@_ryanbowman_)

Sitting here typing this piece, I am at a loss of words with how to describe what I saw on Tuesday night. Disappointing? Obviously, but surprising? Sadly, no.

For the first time in my lifetime, I will not be watching the U.S. Men’s National Team play in the World Cup. This was an outcome brewing ever since the USMNT lost its first two games of the qualifying stage under former manager Jurgen Klinsmann back in the fall of 2016.

I, along with countless other soccer aficionados in the states, was ready for the national team to take a hard look in the mirror and make some serious changes. Klinsmann was fired in November of 2016 and, while that took care of one immediate problem, US soccer's issues turned out to be much deeper than a simple coaching change could fix. The problems are spread out within the entire organization, ranging from the youth development program, the players themselves, and ending with Sunil Gulati.
Taylor Twellman nailed it on the head on SportsCenter immediately following the game, commenting that ESPN, "probably won't be talking about this in a few days."

If this debacle had happened in Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, or any other country we claim we're trying to compete with, this would be the number one sports story for weeks. Coaching, management, the Federation, players, player development, youth academies, and reporters would all be under fire. It would be inane to completely demolish the entire Federation and rebuild, but it would be incredibly naïve to say that nothing needs to be done.

With No USMNT, Who Should You Root for in the 2018 World Cup?

Great guys, now what excuse do we have to drink at 7 am this summer?

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I'm 30, and I know that's not actually old in the grand scheme of things, but once you start typing that "3" instead of a "2" every time you enter your age, you start to feel a little bit old.

Then something happens for the first time in your lifetime, and you feel like a young whippersnapper again.

For me, that happened last night, when the US Men's National Soccer Team didn't qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

Now, let's put all the misery behind us. We already know that the US only needed a draw against lowly Trinidad & Tobago (the worst team in the damn group, who was playing for nothing) to punch a ticket to Russia, and that the USA is wasting a valuable summer of world-class competition for wunderkind Christian Pulisic.

And, of course, the US is one of the largest and richest countries on Earth, yet we still suck at this footy ball game, blah, blah blah. I don't want to talk about any of that because, frankly, it's depressing.

What I do want to talk about is who I, and you, should be cheering for in this summer's World Cup, because if you think I'm going to spend an entire summer not waking up at 7 am to day-drink while watching a game I barely understand, you are sadly mistaken.

Japan vs America in Things Other than Soccer

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It's always great to be an American, but it just feels better this time of year, doesn't it? With our Independence Day coming up tomorrow, and our badass women's soccer team going for a World Cup title Sunday, I thought I'd bring back my (somewhat) popular look at how our great nation stacks up against its next soccer opponent off the pitch.

If you'd like to see some of my old ones from last year's men's World Cup, you can check out America's battles against both Germany and Belgium below, along with some other random thoughts on American soccer in general.

Germany vs America in Things Other Than Soccer
Belgium vs America in Things Other Than Soccer
Dealing With Ties and Other Dilemmas of a Wannabe US Soccer Fan
Will Soccer Stick in America THIS Time?

Now, let's move onto the US vs Japan.

The Greatest Sports Day Ever?

Chris Paul's game winner against the defending champion Spurs in Game 7 was just one of Saturday's many great sports moments.

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Saturday, May 2, 2015 was an eventful day in the sports world. CBS and TIME called it the biggest day of the year in sports, and CBS even posed the question, “Will May 2 be the greatest single day in sports history?” It might seem like a ridiculous question, but Saturday’s lineup was pretty impressive.

The headliner was Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao in the “Fight of the Century.” While it didn’t exactly live up to the hype, Mayweather collected $180 million after the win by unanimous decision, while Pacquiao left with a modest $120 million.

The day also included the Kentucky Derby, which set an all-time attendance record at 170,513. In the NBA, an injured Chris Paul hit a clutch series-winning shot with 1 second remaining in Game 7 to lift the Clippers over the defending-champion Spurs. In hockey, the Rangers won Game 2 over the Capitals 3-2, despite this insane goal by Alex Ovechkin.

The Yankees beat the Red Sox in a 1-run game. The final four rounds of the NFL Draft took place. The world’s top-ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy, won in a playoff to reach the semifinals of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship. Saturday also featured a 3-set win by Roger Federer (en route to his 85th career title), some late-season Premier League soccer, and the European Rugby Champions Cup Final.

No matter what kind of sports fan you are, there was something to pique your interest on Saturday.

The Top-10 Games of 2014

  By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Ed. Note- We continue our look back at 2014 with correspondent Andy Dougherty's Top-10 games of the past year. If you must know, Andy had all this stuff ready in late December, we were just too busy opening gifts and drinking eggnog to post it. Our bad Andy.

-Joe

10. United States Men’s National Soccer Team defeats Ghana 2-1, World Cup Group Stage

Ghana had defeated the United States 2-1 in each of the previous two World Cups. The last loss, in extra time of the 2010 Round of 16, still stung. This time around, the Americans would turn the tables. Clint Dempsey started things off quickly, scoring within the first 30 seconds of the game, good for the fifth-fastest opening goal in World Cup history.

The Top-10 Plays of 2014

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Ed. Note- Yeah, we know we're a little late on this whole "best plays of 2014" thing, but our buddy Andy put together a great list for you all, and I didn't want a little thing like "timeliness" to ruin it. Click on all the links to watch video of these memorable plays.
Enjoy.

-Joe

10. Central Michigan's Crazy Touchdown in Closing Seconds of the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl

One second remained when this play began, and Central Michigan was nowhere near the end zone. The play started with a Hail Mary, and even when that was caught, the Chippewas were still 30 yards away. A series of laterals finally allowed them to score a touchdown on the crazy play. Unfortunately, they missed the ensuing two-point conversion and lost the game by a point.

Did Madison Bumgarner Deserve SI's 2014 Sportsman of the Year Award?

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Since 1954, Sports Illustrated has presented the “Sportsman of the Year” award to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.”

Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated chose Madison Bumgarner as 2014’s winner. Bumgarner won the honor because of his historic playoff run, in which he led the San Francisco Giants to a championship and won the World Series MVP award.

However, Bumgarner was not among the 26 players who received votes for the National League MVP award. He did not finish in the Top-10 in the National League in ERA or Wins Above Replacement (WAR). His year as a whole was far from perfect, leaving the door open for another athlete to take this award. Here are the other eight nominees Sports Illustrated named for its fan poll.

Lobel's Question of the Week: Soccer Still Fighting for Attention

Every week, legendary sportscaster Bob Lobel wants to hear your opinion on something that caught his eye over the weekend.

The Patriots may have been home enjoying their bye week Sunday, but Gillette Stadium was not devoid of action.

The MLS' New England Revolution punched its ticket to the league's Eastern Conference Championship in front of over 20,000 screaming fans in Foxborough. While the Kraft family's "other football team" is nowhere near as popular as the Patriots, the Revs' win over Columbus has created a buzz, and sends the franchise back to the East Finals for the first time since 2007.

With US Men's National Team star Jermaine Jones and one of the MLS' most exciting scorers in Lee Nguyen driving regional and, dare we say, national niche interest in the team, Bob wants to re-visit a question he asks every four years during the World Cup: Can soccer REALLY make it in America?

During the World Cup it's one thing for soccer to be on our minds. It's the world's largest sporting event and brings out our national pride. Americans like nothing more than to tell everyone how awesome America is and be a part of an "event," but if the Revolution can be a bona fide sports story in team-heavy New England, that has to bode well for the MLS and sport as a whole in America, right?

Participate in our poll below and let us know what you think.

Bob Lobel: Fenway's Obession With the Wave and Other Sports "Stuff"

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Just stuff sometimes says it all.

By this weekend the World Cup comes to an end. Soccer goes away and hides for another four years. There could be an attempt by the USA to hold a tournament to rival the World Cup, it's what we do.

If we can't win it, then let's at least try to own it.  

Catching Up With Bob Lobel: The Best of American Sports

On a special Independence Day installment of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel," legendary sportscaster Bob Lobel and host Joe Parello discuss some of the greatest heroes and moments in American sports history.

Which figures represented the stars and stripes best on and off the field, and which moments from the Olympics, World Cup and other international competitions will live on forever? Plus, what are we to make of the increasing interest in American soccer?

All this, and more, on this week's edition of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel."

Soccer Shows America It Isn't Special… And That's Ok

Even Tim Howard's record-setting performance couldn't save the US against Belgium.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The US Men's National Team fought with everything they had. Superhuman goalie Tim Howard made a World Cup-record 16 saves, and young lightning Julian Green scored on his first touch of the tournament, late in extra time, to keep the boys alive…

But America still lost.

That's soccer, or football as the rest of the world calls it, and if this World Cup has shown me anything it's that, while I still believe my country is great, we aren't special.

Bob Lobel: My Growing Appreciation for "The Beautiful Game"

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

I must be going crazy. 

Here I am driving home from a haircut listening to soccer play-by-play on the radio. There is a first time for everything, I guess. This was the first time for that thing, and until another World Cup comes around, it will be the last.  

Chatter about new found popularity of the most popular sport in the world, minus the United States, will ring out across our great land. But, the only thing you need to remember about the relationship between the beautiful game and the “oh beautiful, for spacious skies” country, is that we just couldn’t fall in love with a sport that belongs to the rest of the world. 

Belgium vs America in Things Other Than Soccer

  
By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ok people, you know the deal. Just like last week against Germany, I am taking soccer completely out of the equation and determining whether the USA is superior to its next World Cup opponent off the pitch.

Without further ado, here is America vs Belgium in random things that popped into my head.

Germany vs America in Things Other than Soccer

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The United States Men's National Team is set to take on its biggest challenge yet tomorrow at noon against world soccer power Germany, but that's only a game, right?

Every four years, the world turns it attention to soccer as a means of proving which nation is superior, but surely there are other ways to tell which country is better. For instance, America is only 3-6 all time vs Germany in soccer, but we're currently 2-0 against them in World Wars.

So, we'll call it even after those two categories, but here are some other ways to determine which is the greatest nation in Group G, the United States of America or the Federal Republic of Germany.

Catching Up With Bob Lobel: The World Cup and Red Sox Roster Reconstruction

On this week's edition of  "Catching Up With Bob Lobel," host Joe Parello and legendary sportscaster Bob Lobel discuss America's uncertain fate in the World Cup, and whether or not soccer will ever truly catch on in the US.

Plus, is it time for the Red Sox to begin a total rebuild, or is it too early to pull the plug on a team that is less than eight months removed from a championship?

All this, and more, on a special Wednesday edition of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel."

America's Sweetbitter Match with Portugal and Remembering Jack Lanzillotti

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Bittersweet doesn’t really cover it. 

Try sweetbitter. Now we're onto something.

With the largest American television audience ever for a soccer game watching, and happily being captives to unfolding history, the USA stumbled into infamy. At least we think they did. 

Dealing With Ties and Other Dilemmas of a Wannabe US Soccer Fan

#Merica

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Let me just get this out of the way early: There's gonna be a ton of soccer stuff on SuiteSports over the next few weeks.

The SS staff (Jeremy Conlin and I, pictured above) have caught soccer fever, though he is a bit more of a footy ball buff than I am usually. Plus, we both kind of hate baseball.

Does this make us unAmerican? Well, if you think drunkenly cheering on the stars and stripes and claiming US supremacy in something we know very little about is unAmerican, then you must be a commie!

Now, back to soccer, a game that captures the American imagination every four years (No, seriously, we could be good at this sport!), but also frustrates casual American sports fans to no end.

Here's how to deal with some concepts in soccer that may seem as foreign as Cristiano Ronaldo to you.

Will Soccer Stick in America THIS Time?

Sure, we're all into soccer now, but will the sport matter in America after the World Cup?

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

With the World Cup in full swing, American sports fans are finding themselves in an odd place: Pretending to care about the world's game.

America's thrilling 2-1 win over Ghana Tuesday surely enhanced the image of US Soccer, especially after the national side was eliminated by Ghana in the last two World Cups, but it also helped us understand why we've managed care so much about the World Cup, while not holding particular interest in the goings on of world soccer for the last two decades.

The World Cup is the last place where beating a "pretty good" team from a midsized nation is a step in the right direction for America. Once every four years, we Americans get to feel like underdogs and cheer with house money against nations that have been playing soccer longer and care about it far more.

The US Men's National Team is the last American competitive entity where baby steps can be taken and moral victories exist. Combine that with the fact that multiple generations have now grown up playing soccer as children, and you have a recipe for legitimate interest in the sport following the World Cup.

I think.

Bob Lobel: America's Fragile Relationship With Soccer

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

The bad news is that the relationship between the rooting public of the United States of America and its national soccer team has never been more fragile.

The good news is that the relationship between the rooting public of the United States of America and its national soccer has never been more fragile.

The point being, there actually is a relationship. They are dating, kinda. 

Bob Lobel: Dealing With Sports Disappointments

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Folks that follow professional sports teams and identify their lives as good or bad depending on the success of those teams need therapy in a big way. 

The success or failure of these teams is too precocious to attach any real significance to their fate. I suppose in shrink speak this might be called  “insecurity attachment.” Like, we need some medical marijuana to pull us out of a losing streak, or at least take our mind and put it somewhere else. 

This is not a personal recommendation.