USMNT 4th in FIFA Rankings

fuegote · 04-21-2006, 08:11 AM

As a Utah fan I'm getting a McBride'esque feeling about this whole thing. For those who want the definition of McBride'esque, whenever a Ron Mcbride coached team was picked to do well.....it found a way to lose, and lose a lot.

please Bruce, pull a Meyer.

Aerick · 04-21-2006, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_Believe_In_Kreis

You're assuming if we're not ranked high people won't watch. History would indicate that's not the case. In '02 by the time the U.S. reached the quarterfinals all kinds of non-soccer people were crowding into sports bars at ungodly hours to watch the game. The reason: The U.S. team was surprising everyone by advancing to a level noone thought possible. They were winners. Even when they bowed out they were still winners because they exceeded expectations. Americans (men in particular) want to see the U.S. win, period. So in '06 if the U.S. manages to advance but loses to Italy along the way, people will tune out because we got beat by a lower ranked team. That's not what a winner does.
And yes, there is such a thing as bad press. Ask the BYU football, USU football, Barry Bonds, etc.

"Bad Press" is an opportunity, unless you've done something wrong. The US team hasn't done something wrong.

I see your point, but putting the "advancing to a high-profile match" aspect aside as a separate scenario in garnering more support, what's the only other way to garner support? Get people to watch it early on! If the US doesn't advance, then the first scenario won't work, therefore you can only rely on garnering extra support by getting people to tune into the earlier matches. How? Hype. And that's what we've got right now. If there's hype behind an Italy-US match (even if the US ends up losing), it will draw people to watch the game and it has potential to garner more support for US soccer. That's my point.

AreliusIV · 05-25-2006, 11:36 AM

FIFA Adapting New World Rankings

AreliusIV · 05-26-2006, 01:56 PM

These rankings are much more realistic. (Scroll down)

This is designed by the people who do the World Chess Rankings.

AreliusIV · 05-26-2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreliusIV

These rankings are much more realistic. (Scroll down)

This is designed by the people who do the World Chess Rankings.

Take those Elo ratings and line up the 8 WC groups by average ranking to see which WC group looks to be the toughest. By this system, the USA is not only NOT in the Group of Death, they aren't even in the second Group of Death. They are in the third. Here they are:

Group C average 16.25
2 Netherlands
8 Argentina
26 Serbia & Montenegro
29 Cote d'Ivoire
- - - -
Group F average 17
1 Brazil
16 Croatia
24 Australia
27 Japan
- - - -
Group E average 22
5 Czech Republic
7 Italy
14 USA
62 Ghana
- - - -
Group D average 24.75
9 Portugal
14 Mexico
18 Iran
58 Angola
- - - -
Group A average 26.5
11 Germany
21 Poland
35 Costa Rica
39 Ecuador
- - - -
Group B average 26.5
3 England
12 Sweden
31 Paraguay
60 Trinidad & Tobago
- - - -
Group H average 33.25
4 Spain
33 Ukraine
40 Tunisia
56 Saudi Arabia
- - - -
Group G average 37.25
6 France
28 Switzerland
35 South Korea
80 Togo

Aero · 05-26-2006, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreliusIV

Take those Elo ratings and line up the 8 WC groups by average ranking to see which WC group looks to be the toughest. By this system, the USA is not only NOT in the Group of Death, they aren't even in the second Group of Death. They are in the third. Here they are:

Group C average 16.25
2 Netherlands
8 Argentina
26 Serbia & Montenegro
29 Cote d'Ivoire
- - - -
Group F average 17
1 Brazil
16 Croatia
24 Australia
27 Japan
- - - -
Group E average 22
5 Czech Republic
7 Italy
14 USA
62 Ghana
- - - -
Group D average 24.75
9 Portugal
14 Mexico
18 Iran
58 Angola
- - - -
Group A average 26.5
11 Germany
21 Poland
35 Costa Rica
39 Ecuador
- - - -
Group B average 26.5
3 England
12 Sweden
31 Paraguay
60 Trinidad & Tobago
- - - -
Group H average 33.25
4 Spain
33 Ukraine
40 Tunisia
56 Saudi Arabia
- - - -
Group G average 37.25
6 France
28 Switzerland
35 South Korea
80 Togo

Group E is still the only group with a top 5, top 10, and top 15 team in it. Just because Ghana drags the average down a lot doesn't mean it might not be the hardest group. Those three teams are all ranked higher than the second ranked team in Group F.

Now I've always thought that Group C had a legitimate argument for being the GoD, but it's close between E and C. The US definitely drew an extremely tough group to try and get out of.

dysko · 05-26-2006, 02:09 PM

That is based on averages, but if you look at the groups USA would be #2 in all but the group they are in and groups B & C. They would be just a few slots shy of #1 in groups A&D.

Averages aren't really the best way to look at this, but are quite interesting none the less.

fuegote · 07-12-2006, 10:32 AM

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5778940

New rankings are out... we're #16.

Aerick · 07-12-2006, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5778940

New rankings are out... we're #16.

SWEET! We rock!

AreliusIV · 07-12-2006, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5778940

New rankings are out... we're #16.

Actually, we're #27.(More accurate.)