Re: [nas] Haydon column

He is right about one thing - that the FIFA rankings are bunk.  I sincerely doubt that Mexico or the US really is ahead of some of the teams they lead in that ranking.

 

As for his other opinion - and this isn't to bash Scotland, he just used them as an example - name the last time that Scotland got out of the preliminary round?  What did you say, they haven't?  Ever?  My gosh - and the US has done it not once, not twice, but three times?

 

Well, color me crazy if you want, but methinks we have another Euro(or probably more accurately, England)Snob.  Where is that quote from the ManU exec when you need it?  You know the one I mean - where he basically acknowledged that the US will win the World Cup before England will.

 

Oh well.

 

I've heard the Scream of the Butterfly
Suwon, Korea, 6-5-02
http://flashpages.prodigy.net/klindstr/home.html

----- Original Message -----

From: PAKURILECZ@aol.com

To: nas@americakicks.com

Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 2:11 PM

Subject: [nas] Haydon column

The following comes from John Haydon's Washington Times column. In today's column Haydon interviews "Chevy Chase-based writer Ian Plenderleith has written about soccer in England, Germany, Switzerland and the United States for Britain's popular fan magazine, When Saturday Comes."

 

<snip>

Q: The U.S. men's team is ranked 11th in the world. Is that a fair ranking?
    A: I don't think the FIFA world rankings have meaning to anyone who is a soccer fan. The fact that the U.S. team reached the World Cup quarterfinals was an exaggeration of its ability. But the U.S. is definitely in the top 20 to 30 teams.
    
    Q: When will the U.S. team win the World Cup?
    A: It won't.
    
    Q: Not in 20 years?
    A: The U.S. team has as much chance as Scotland, which means it won't.

<snip>

 

http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20031226-114700-9978r.htm

 

 

 

 

Peter Kurilecz
Richmond, Va
pakurilecz@aol.com