An Open Letter To Bruce

Eddie Johnson is SOFT. He goes against everything that we work on (Don’t Tread) and the guys don’t respond well to him in the lineup. His speed is great and once his head shrinks a bit and he toughens up he will be a great asset. Not now, the set that we are running is a rigid zonal press. One cog not functioning will turn the game into a bad kung fu movie where 11 guys lineup nd get beaten one after the other…

He will be a great player someday…McBride is more valuable right now.

Twellman should be here as an option…that’s your argument.

Posted from  United States

U.S. team played this like they wanted to lose,sad,vary sad!

Posted from  United States

USA is beyond overrated and we got what we deserved. Go world futbol….down with USA garbage “soccer”. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…..I hate USA soccer and I never want to see us in the World Cup again. We don’t deserve it and the world knows it now.

Posted from  United States

One word: resignation

Posted from  United States

Two words: Arena sucks!

Posted from  United States

It hurt to see Arena turn his back on the Ghana-US game even before it had officially ended. Whatever advice or prep talk he gave during halftime was ineffective, as clearly seen by the spiritless second half.

Arena does not have the enthusiasm to revitalize this team to prep them for the next World Cup. He should resign.

Posted from  United States

As far as the popularity of USA soccer this will hurt us even worse thanks to the most overrated team ever!

We need an international coach. No one in the USA knows international soccer, we need to have a coach with experience as a successful coach at the international level. Just look what Guus Hiddink did at Korea in 2002 and now at Australia in 2006. US Soccer has to come up with the $$$$ necessary to land a coach of that quality. Hint: he isn’t coaching in the MLS.

So, okay, yeah, the USMNT was overhyped this time. And Arena may very well have made some bad line-up choices (though what I saw of EJ today didn’t make me think he was our foolishly benched savior). But here’s another question: Was Ghana underhyped? Did they just happen to put together a good run at the right time, or did they get underestimated because they’re African, and Europeans analysts (and the American analysts who crib from them) have a hard time learning the names of more than one African team at a time? Whatever else happened, I’m inclined to think that we ended up in a ridiculously toughh group.

Posted from  United States

i don’t think the europeans underhyped Ghana — Europeans follow the african nations cup a lot more and are more familiar with African style football and so know how good Ghana can be. Besides lots of Africans on the national squad of various countries play in eruope and are big names in europe — Essien foe example (read somewhere that kid makes 500 thousand euros per month!) i think the United States just didn’t know that Ghana is a very good team and that man to man, Ghana will outplay the U.S. And I think that’s what makes this defeat sweet for the Ghanaians and the underdogs all over the world — the match was preceded by lots of smug talk by ESPN commentators. Not even Brazil precedes its matches with so much arrogance and overconfidence. I expected an African team to make it out of the groups — but to be honest i did not thin it would be Ghana. i though their neighbors, ivory coast would veer on. Nice result for Ghana nevertheeless

Posted from  United States

The worst part of the watching these 3 games is that there is no way to post a letter to the US Soccer Federation’s website. In my opinion there were so many things wrong with this team’s performance and I looked for anyway to express my anger where it might be heard. I don’t want the US Soccer Federation to think that the fans are just happy with reaching the World Cup and proud of the teams draw with Italy. In 1990 and 1994 I was just happy to see the team reach the World Cup. In 2006 I want to see the top performance that the US Men’s program should be able to deliver. I don’t think we as fans should accept performances that lack the skill we do have in the US nor the lack of heart displayed by this 2006 team.

I have played soccer since I was in 1st grade in 1975. I loved the game and was fortunate my family moved to an school district with a real soccer program. I am sure most American Soccer players can relate when I say I always had to defend my sport and my athleticism the entire time I played soccer. In 2006 this prejudice towards our sport isn’t any better. Here in Cincinnati our local AM station (700 WLW) has an ad saying “the US world cup team lost to Ghana and is out. We say ‘So What’….” going on to slam the sport of soccer. This reality is the reason I think the team’s troubles started back when Bruce Arena named his team. Freddie Adu should have been named to this team to, at the very least, fuel a positive exposure for the team here in the US. The press that would have followed a teenager being named to a World Cup team would have even inspired the team to play at another level. The arrogance this team displayed going into this World Cup was undue and ridiculous. For Bruce Arena to allow that arrogance to continue only shows his own ignorance. The group the US was in has proved it was the real “group of death” and they weren’t prepared. What’s worse is now the team is complaining about the ref’s calls against them as the reason for their failure. The should be apologizing to the fans of soccer in the US.

I could continue until for pages on what I was upset about so I will quickly finish…..

Donovan has no heart, Tim Howard should have been starting at least after the 1st game, the 4-5-1 was a joke and should have changed after game 1, the whole back line should have been changed after game 1 and why wasn’t the third sub used in the Italy game.

We shouldn’t accept the display of US soccer that we just witnessed any longer. FIRE BRUCE ARENA tomorrow.

If US Soccer is serious about becoming a contender at the World Cup, than it has to start hiring coaches who have the knowledge to train a team to compete on international level.

US Soccer is to blame for the poor performance of our national teams. Their selection of the coach is the problem.

Our players have the ability to compete at international level, but our coaches do not have the ability to organize these players to compete at international level.

US Soccer needs to take a more facilitating role instead of an educational role. Nobody in US Soccer has the coaching knowledge to to take our country’s teams to the “next level”

First - The US Soccer Federation needs to find the best coach available to train our team for the 2011 World Cup. Someone like Bora Milutinovic for instance. This person must have a proven background as well. Hint, this person is not coaching in the MLS or at the college ranks.

Second - The US Federation needs to initiate a coaching education program that parallels the philosophy of the top world programs, such as the Dutch. The current program is not sufficient. HINT: The director of this program is not an American coach either.

Third - Our players must continue to play at the highest level possible until our MLS becomes comparable to the EPL or Bundesliga. Playing in the MLS is like playing in the European 3rd Divisions.

Fourth - US Soccer needs to focus on financing or finding more financing for soccer training facilites in the US. It should be like Walgreens, one in every neighborhood. More children playing the game develops pride and the will to succeed. Characteristics of the worlds best players.

Fifth - Players in the US must begin to develop a greater sense of patriotism. It should be an honor to have been chosen to play for the US MENS (or WOMENS)NATIONAL TEAMS, not an achievement. Keep in mind that players are selected subjectively, not by a criteria of merit.

Posted from  United States

Five Reasons Bruce Arena sucks and should let be fired/replaced:

1- Old dogs, no new tricks! I know this year’s team had a “lot of World Cup experience” but you’ve got new blood that is better than the old. Not picking up Taylor Twellman in particular was a major mistake. Even at his young age Adu could have done better than most of our strikers. The fact is that if the team representing your country is supposed to be comprised of your best players, scrap the experience crap and take the best players…thats it.

2- Sissy attack! The USA offense was nothing but a heap of turd…1 goal (on your own) in 3 games; wow thats sad. Every other team in the cup was shooting and scoring from 30 and 40 yards out. Its pretty screwed up when a team can control the ball 65% of the game, lose 3 to 0 and not take a single shot from outside the box! All part of a brilliant “strategy” I’m sure…just not the kind that wins games.

3- Substitution please! For the love of all that is holy, what does it take for him to make a sub!? McBride should have been taken out of the Italy game, Johnson should be starting, if Beasley is playing like anus, take him out (instead of letting him play the whole game and then ripping him on TV) and don’t wait until the fricking 75th minute to make your first sub!! If its not working by early second half, its very likely not to work for the rest of the game!

4- Record. Its simple, if he’s not getting it done he should not be there!

Finally- Fat, washed up goalie. No need to elaborate.

Posted from  United States

bruce arena sucks so bad.

lets go to this site and get as many posts as we can get and hopefully the us soccer federation will get notice

Posted from  United States

http://brucearenasucks.blogspot.com/

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come on people

Posted from  United States

Was it just me or did every us soccer player who got a decent amount of media attention suck it up? Claudio, Landon, DeMarcus, Brian Mcbride, and CLaudio Renya underperformed, even according to their MLS standards. If players arent doing it and are not comming ready to play in front of millions around the world then sit their butts. My point is exemplified by the subs and adjustments for the ghana game. A

If you want to bring the MLS up to par and actually have people watch then bring in some big names. even if they are overpriced and past their international prime. This gets people talking about the game and forces our american youth to play with passion to be the best in our own league. I wonder how many people can even name all of the MLS teams.

Posted from  United States

We as fans of US soccer need to realize that we will never have the skill of most of the other footballing nations. Our “everyone must play” youth league attitude makes the majority of kids in this country beleave constant substitution is the appropriate way to play. Subsequently, all we ever learn how to do as a nation of soccer players is attack.
The US team looked at it’s best when we attacked. Our skill will probably never equal that of other nations. What we can do is bring an incredibly fit team, which we did this year, and attack. A 1-5-4 is not an attacking formation, so how can we win?
Arena needs to be released from his duties because of his lack of imagination. Beasley is no longer an all around midfielder. He would rather spend his time up front. Let him start up front with Johnson & let McBride sub in later when he can make something happen as the defense has tired. We had a number of players who proved to be very good at LM and Beasley could have been asked to expand himself for the good of the program.
Next, Reyna starting and playing the entire games? What an awful move. I understand he is a founding father of the soccer movement. But he is not the man he once was, 60 minutes needed to be a maximum playing amount for him. He was to winded to be of use after that.
Donvan is rendered usless in that awful 1-5-4, who is he supposed to pass the ball to himself or Brian McBride who is being triple teamed.
All I ask for is a little imagination. Quit trying to be like other nations. Embace our country’s never quit attitude and for the love of god, attack.

Posted from  Canada