I Hope We Are Grouped with USA

[SP]

from www.theworldgame.com.au

Socceroos weak: US coach
AAP

The Socceroos have been rated as one of the two weakest sides at next year's World Cup by United States head coach Bruce Arena.

Despite Australia having beaten world No.18 Uruguay to qualify, Arena considered Australia and Trinidad & Tobago to be the easiest sides to beat in the quadrennial event starting next June.

World No.49 Australia is ranked higher than four other sides at the World Cup finals in Germany next year, with Ghana (50), Trinidad and Tobago (51), Togo (56) and Angola (62) all trailing.

"The last time around the easy games were China and Saudi Arabia," Arena said on the Sports Illustrated website.

"This time around you'd probably say Australia and Trinidad & Tobago are the weak ones."

"But Australia has basically all of its players in Europe, and Trinidad have a guy (in Dwight Yorke) who was arguably the top striker in soccer."

Arena has guided the United States to the quarter-finals at the 2002 World Cup and to eighth spot in the world rankings.

I hope we're drawn against them and smash thier arrogant yankee asses

 

[Nuffs]

bring on england, usa, and south korea

england speaks for itself
usa reason above
and south korea just for sir guus to beat them

 

[nibbs]

i'll have you know that Brian McBride may just make the USA squad. Room for concern for any defence imho

 

[Raider Ultra]

Yes, scares me as much as Vaughan Coveny.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

the USA, honestly, theyre so overrated as a football nation, i reckon we'd giv them a run for their money, and f*ck brian mcbride, wouldnt make the starting line up for atleast 3/4 of the countries at the WC and yanks are always arrogant bastards, bring on the pommies and yankee doodles

 

[TiTTieS_[CNTDN]]

Yup, bring em on. If they think they can topple them just like that, they have another thing coming. I'm tipping the Aussies to be knocked out in the semis - but I would love them to go all the way

 

[Follow Me Up To Carlton]

What's been particularly annoying over the last decade is watching the US be given a virtual free ride into the World Cup. CONCAF or whatever their confederation's called is a breeze, FIFA has it that way cos they want to grow football in America but it hasnt had much effect on the yank public.

If Australia played in their qualifying group we'd make it every time.

 

[Raider Ultra]

Over-rated? Does anyone rate them? They have such an easy qualifying route as FIFA has to ensure they qualify because of the corporate money they bring to the event.

 

[perth sharkie]

I'd like to see us play against the USA, that would be a good measure of where we stand in the world.

Wouldn't like to see us drawn with England, people get carried away over a result in a friendly match but the Australia squad are well out of their depth.

 

[aussies1st]

lol USA calling us the easy beats. They are no super power either. Put them in our pool and we're show them who the easy beats are

 

[Morenito]

Since the draw has been released... We are in pool B and USa in D.

Lets hope the balls fall our way.

 

[MONY]

USA are a great team, maybe if people actually watched some of their matches.

 

[Raider Azz]

it was probably just a passing comment and the australian media is milking it for all it's worth.

after a quick search for the full interview:

“I don’t think that there’s a weak team and I don’t worry about the different permutations. Just on your Australia comment: I was, obviously, misinterpreted. I think Australia is a very good team and the comment I made this week is the fact that their entire team plays in Europe. They have a very strong team although they were the last team to qualify, as was Trinidad. My previous comment on those two teams implied that this is a very, very strong field of 32 teams, in fact, considerably stronger than what we saw in 2002.” (US coach Bruce Arena)

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=281923&itype=113&iCategoryID=0

yep, just what i thought.

 

[choc_soldier]

OK, fair enough.

But honestly... how the hell are they number 8 in the world rankings?

 

[pantherz9103]

OK, fair enough.

But honestly... how the hell are they number 8 in the world rankings?

To give them credit they did make the Quarter Finals at the last World Cup.

They pick up plenty of ranking points because they don't lose many matches in their region. They have improved quite alot since 1998 where they got the Wooden Spoon in France.

But, yeah they're not really worthy of being ranked 8th. Top 20 maybe.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

it was probably just a passing comment and the australian media is milking it for all it's worth.

after a quick search for the full interview:

“I don’t think that there’s a weak team and I don’t worry about the different permutations. Just on your Australia comment: I was, obviously, misinterpreted. I think Australia is a very good team and the comment I made this week is the fact that their entire team plays in Europe. They have a very strong team although they were the last team to qualify, as was Trinidad. My previous comment on those two teams implied that this is a very, very strong field of 32 teams, in fact, considerably stronger than what we saw in 2002.” (US coach Bruce Arena)

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=281923&itype=113&iCategoryID=0

yep, just what i thought.

To be honest, that doesn't sound like his was misinterpreted. Rather it seems he's trying to retract a statement he made.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

I'm confident that we'd beat the US.

 

[Tom Shines]

Over-rated? Does anyone rate them? They have such an easy qualifying route as FIFA has to ensure they qualify because of the corporate money they bring to the event.

Seeing that four countries have to qualify out of only six from CONCACAF, I'd agree with you there.
And I think the USA a ripe for the picking. We'd beat them.

 

[Raider Ultra]

In his original comment he stated that he believed both T & T and Australia were weak teams. He has tried to retract it as he probably didn't realise the amount of press his comments would get.

 

[SP]

he probably thinks that any nation ranked on the world rankings under them are weak