USA team in 15 years?

[Mus]

Brazil and other host nations get shafted too because they can't play competitively

 

[Bobby]

Come on, there's no comparison between competition in Europe and in the CONACAF. Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and US are no Spain, Germany, Italy and France? Portugal? Netherlands?

Those teams aren't even in Costa Rica's galaxy.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Also, Don't forget that the top European teams rarely ever play each other; unless they drop in form and get seeded 2nd in a qualifying group or otherwise it's at the EUROs, which is also every 4 years.

 

[Back Door Skip]

Come on, there's no comparison between competition in Europe and in the CONACAF. Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and US are no Spain, Germany, Italy and France? Portugal? Netherlands?

It might not be comparable, but the reason many of this Euro teams are flopping this World Cup is because they can't handle the weather. And it's winter!

Imagine having to play a qualifier in some jungle-like country nearing 100 degree weather and 70% humidity? That's Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama... it isn't easy.

 

[Mandieta6]

But they do it frequently and they're relatively prepared for it. The qualifying rounds for the Euros aren't at a high level but the Euros are a million times more difficult than the Gold Cup.

 

[Back Door Skip]

I'm talking qualifiers. The Gold Cup is almost exclusively played in the US, which isn't nearly as bad.

 

[Bobby]

Canada, Mexico, and the US don't have to qualify for the Gold Cup because of money.

 

[Alex]

Australia has a population of 20 million.

Yet there are plenty of sports excel at...But that is besides my point. The point is that having a large number of youth participating doesn't necessarily knock on to the top level

 

[Alex]

Come on, there's no comparison between competition in Europe and in the CONACAF. Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and US are no Spain, Germany, Italy and France? Portugal? Netherlands?

Haha Costa Rica were first to qualify from their group

 

[Alex]

Also, Don't forget that the top European teams rarely ever play each other; unless they drop in form and get seeded 2nd in a qualifying group or otherwise it's at the EUROs, which is also every 4 years.

Yep. This is a key for me.

 

[Mus]

Yet there are plenty of sports excel at...But that is besides my point. The point is that having a large number of youth participating doesn't necessarily knock on to the top level

A great porpotion of the youths who participate in soccer are those who have a 0% chance of making it professionally, it's seen as the easy and safe sport for parents to push their kid into

 

[Mandieta6]

Haha Costa Rica were first to qualify from their group

OK, let's pretend they're better than all the European sides, then.

 

[yoyo913]

We can also compare Costa Rica's performances in the past WCs to the big European sides.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Yet there are plenty of sports excel at...But that is besides my point. The point is that having a large number of youth participating doesn't necessarily knock on to the top level

And I'm saying if you had 15 times more population you might produce 15 times more great soccer players.

 

[Mus]

Works good for India

 

[ShiftyPowers]

You would still have to have the sporting tradition of Australia.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

You would still have to have the sporting tradition of Australia.

Yeh, but gridiron and AFL aren't global sports. Australia is wasting potential on a sport which has half of its league's clubs in one city (my one). Plus rugby league has around half its domestic competition based in and around Sydney.

Also, define "sporting tradition" and how that relates to population size.

 

[Bobby]

I like Australian football, it's fun. It has a small following here.

 

[Mandieta6]

I like AFL too. I have ever since my brother got me an AFL game for the PC. Only ever watched maybe 1-2 matches, though.

 

[football909]

USA almost beating Portugal... Maybe they are getting better