So my sister actually asked this question and I thought it was pretty good, what if the US won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil? Would that inspire a boom of soccer enthusiasts in the US? How would sport culture change for the other countries, getting beat by a country that plays more football than Futball.
WI: US won the world cup?
- Thread starter ThatOneGuy
- Start date
you need a better US Team.
The US team just was not up to the level of the top teams.
So your POD would have to involve better training for the US players.
The US team just was not up to the level of the top teams.
So your POD would have to involve better training for the US players.
When Greece won EURO 2004 (which actually would have been a complete ASB scenario before the tournament, so there...), some pundits feared a dark-ages scenario: football going back to the man-marking defensive style of the 1980s/early 1990s. That didn't happen and in the end people agreed that Greece had the best team, although Portugal/France/Czech Republic et al had the better players.
So with a team like the USA - with no star players of Champions League level - winning, there would be an even stronger focus on systems and team management, less on individual players. I guess there wouldn't be much difference in Europe, because over here people have accepted that the highest level football is played in the Champions league, not the World Cup. But it would affect the MLS: clubs would be less interested in buying past-their-peak Premier League/Primera Division/Serie A/Bundesliga players (they would have to end their careers in China instead), but on managers with distinctive team-building ideas and philosophies. The clubs would probably try to get people like Guardiola, Andre Villas-Boas, Michael Laudrup, and Thomas Tuchel into the MLS.
So with a team like the USA - with no star players of Champions League level - winning, there would be an even stronger focus on systems and team management, less on individual players. I guess there wouldn't be much difference in Europe, because over here people have accepted that the highest level football is played in the Champions league, not the World Cup. But it would affect the MLS: clubs would be less interested in buying past-their-peak Premier League/Primera Division/Serie A/Bundesliga players (they would have to end their careers in China instead), but on managers with distinctive team-building ideas and philosophies. The clubs would probably try to get people like Guardiola, Andre Villas-Boas, Michael Laudrup, and Thomas Tuchel into the MLS.
Devvy
Donor
I'd actually argue against using Greece as a comparison. The team was extremely well organised, conceding no goals in the knockout stage. And importantly; the knockout stages are only 3 games in the Euros, against 4 games in the World Cup. After the 1st game of the knockouts, Greece had a 6 day break; the US would have had 4 days until their next game had they won the first round game against Belgium.
The US (assuming we say that the US managed to score against Belgium in the dying minutes of that first round match) team is going to be *knackered* after that match. They ran for everything, challenged for everything, and mentally exhausted themselves. That's not something you just recover from within a couple of days - look at the top English domestic teams weekend performances after they'd had a gruelling European match mid-week. And the next US match would be against Argentina; far from a pushover.
If the US luck through that match (and I can't see the US knocking Argentina out within 90 minutes without breaking a massive sweat), they then have the Netherlands, again with only a 4 day break. The US can't compete on skill and strategy unless you fundamentally redefine the team; they can however make up for that with spirit, grit & determination; but those are things that take time to recharge after a match.
I could be stretched to say the US getting to the 3rd place playoff is unlikely, but possible. And that would herald large PR for football in the US. I can't see them getting anywhere near the final.
I don't quite think this is possible. The US team wasn't all that good against Belgium; the goalkeeper being the best player was a telling fact. Now, let's say that the US scores within regular time (don't really remember if the US had any real good scoring chances in that time, but goals can happen in the most stupidest of ways, as De Sciglio has proven against Parma). If the US can keep defending until the final whistle, it'll still be a horrendous struggle, but perhaps not going to Extended time would mitigate the effects somehwat.
But then the US faces Argentina, and they simply won't win that unless Messi doesn't play. Assuming that Bismarck's comment about the USA's luck holds and Messi slips in the shower, the US team is still looking at a really tough match again. Argentina can win without Messi though.
And now if the US team manages to survive that, they get the Oranje, who will most likely run circles around them. But as OTL showed, they can be defeated by surviving to the penalties against them.
But then comes Germany, straight after their 1940.-type victory against Brazil...
In all honesty, the 3rd place may be plausible, even if it is improbable. But winning the Cup is beyond the reach of this US generation. Perhaps after Russia they could have a chance, but not now.
But then the US faces Argentina, and they simply won't win that unless Messi doesn't play. Assuming that Bismarck's comment about the USA's luck holds and Messi slips in the shower, the US team is still looking at a really tough match again. Argentina can win without Messi though.
And now if the US team manages to survive that, they get the Oranje, who will most likely run circles around them. But as OTL showed, they can be defeated by surviving to the penalties against them.
But then comes Germany, straight after their 1940.-type victory against Brazil...
In all honesty, the 3rd place may be plausible, even if it is improbable. But winning the Cup is beyond the reach of this US generation. Perhaps after Russia they could have a chance, but not now.
Caesar Biden
Banned
It would require a lot of things going right, or a PoD in the early 2000s. It's not ASB, just difficult. The U.S is almost certainly going to win the world cup once sometime in the next 20 years, so the best you can do is wait a little.
I really thought the Iran-Argentina game earlier in the World Cup revealed something about Argentina. Even though Iran lost 0-1, it took a great kick from Messi to get them that far. If you play a more defensive game, and you collaspe on the Argentine offense and contain Messi, you could legitimately win that game. If the US defense plays better than they did against Belgium (which is a given, the backs couldn't stop a snail from reaching the goal), Tim plays 75% as well as he did vs. Belgium, and if they can get maybe three chances on the counter, they legitamitely could win vs. Argentina
Granted Netherlands advances, I really don't think the US has a shot. The Dutch are just too fast and would run circles around the American defenders and controll the ball for the majority of the game. Tim Howard can only do so much. I'd probably put the game at 2-0. Then, if everything else goes OTL, they would play Brazil, who would not be movitaved at all after their drubbing by Germany. The US fans are still hanging around because they didn't expect to get this far, and the Brazilian fans lose their home field status because after all, it's only a third place game. I give the edge to Brazil just because they have probably better players but it would spur more soccer growth in the US.
Why would this be in ASB? Are people that serious about Soccer not being/becoming a major sport in the US? is it the one thing everyone else has that the US doesn't, so us beginning to like it automatically means ASB to you people?
(Im talking about all USA plays soccer threads, every time one pops up outside the ASB forum people start posting this should be in ASB)
also this is not to be mean Ive just noticed this every time this topic pops up
(Im talking about all USA plays soccer threads, every time one pops up outside the ASB forum people start posting this should be in ASB)
also this is not to be mean Ive just noticed this every time this topic pops up
Devvy
Donor
It's a bit over the top to require alien space bats present in order for the US to win the World Cup. They'd have to have an enormous dose of luck, granted, but it is just about possible.
As mentioned, I think 3rd/4th place in the playoff if the furthest I could really see the US getting, with a good performance and some luck.
Six months or so of massive popularity. Right up until the NFL season started. Then it would fall off until the next World Cup, where the U.S. would expect nothing less than a Finals appearance. If it didn't happen, well, the MLB season is in full bloom, and who cares about Soccer anyway?
The U.S. did exactly that after the 1980 Olympic Hockey team's Gold Medal. Hockey was everywhere, right up to when it wasn't.
The U.S. did exactly that after the 1980 Olympic Hockey team's Gold Medal. Hockey was everywhere, right up to when it wasn't.
2022 would be a better year.
The U.S. is capable of beating some of the world powers, but actually beating them is another matter.
It would take more scoring threats, more cohesion in the defense, developing younger players and keeping the core of the team together to have a shot by 2022. We can't just get by with three or four good players.
If you look at the semifinalists, we didn't beat Germany or Belgium and wouldn't have beaten Brazil or Argentina. I like Klinnsman and the team is improving, but we're not there yet.