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It hurts to laugh

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8 comments

It hurts to laugh

POSTED: Sunday, June 27, 2010, 6:45 PM

Whenever you're feeling down, you can always count on the New York Post to cheer you up (the top headline, obviously, not the tragic and depressing one underneath.)

I have mixed feelings about the Americans' performance. All four of their games were amazing to watch, and there are almost enough good memories to last four years -- Tim Howard's game-saving performance against England, the improbable comeback against Slovenia, Landon Donovan's "golden goal," and then yesterday's nail biter with Ghana. On the other hand, they frittered away their relatively easy draw and a seeming path to the semifinals -- there may never be a better opportunity in my lifetime. No matter how much better the U.S. team gets by 2014, it's one thing to win a World Cup in South Africa, and quite another to win one...in Brazil. (The U.S. has an excellent shot of hosting the World Cup in 2022, something to live for :-) )

The Americans need better strikers -- the maturation of Jozy Altidore will help, but they need more than that up front. And the back line needs to toughen up and not concede goals in the first 15 minutes of every bleeping game. That's why I've reached the reluctant conclusion that the U.S. soccer authorities need to thank coach Bob Bradley for his service and make another run at Jurgen Klinsmann, the German great. He did a fantastic job as Germany's coach in 2006, he's not currently employed, and he's lived in Southern California, where the U.S. team is based, most of the last 12 years. It's too perfect.

Meanwhile, I've begun making plans to go to Brazil in 2014 -- although since the Philly papers will probably be out of business I'm assuming that I'll be going there in steerage.

Will Bunch @ 6:45 PM Permalink | 8 comments

8 comments

Comments (8)

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:16 PM, 06/27/2010

Really? Did you catch tge Phila. Union's first home game at PPL Park on ESPN2? I did, and the crowd was electric. Look, soccer will never be the most popular sport in America -- nor should it be. But there is a large and enthusiastic soccer subculture -- yes, even in Philadelphia -- that is here to stay.

— will

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:49 AM, 06/28/2010

Soccer is for kids whose parents dont want them to play football -- and girls. Sorry, in America, it will never be more than that.

— Master Dreamz

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:38 AM, 06/28/2010

Will, you can't go by the opening on a new stadium during the World Cup. You have a lot of fringe fans right now because its not hard to get people to throw on a USA shirt and drink beers at 10am. Remember curling is popular in the US every 4 years too. New stadium, excuse to drink, and chance to wear a scarf on a 90 degree day only last so long. Real soccer fans know the MSL is like AA baseball. Do they play night games is soccer? Is they do, the real test is in 2012 - how many people will want to take the family to Chester at night to see a bad team. Perople flocked to CBP like it was Mecca in 2004 - do you think they would be getting 45,000 a night now to see David Bell, Mike Lieberthal, Corey Lidle, and Brett Myers???

— bird11

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:33 PM, 06/28/2010

How can you find any sport exciting that ends in a tie. That's what is done in t-ball for the little kids. Maybe, as a suggestion shorten the length and width of the field to increase the goal scoring. Mostly soccer is boring to watch.

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About this blog

Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.

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