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Jiggafini19Deux

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It's been fun watching these games having discussions about how so many guys on the USMNT were born other places and or have birthright citizenship. And colonialism, of course.

Yes, foreigners are enjoying fast food and 7-11 Big Gulps.
 

jerseyborn1971

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It's been fun watching these games having discussions about how so many guys on the USMNT were born other places and or have birthright citizenship. And colonialism, of course.

Yes, foreigners are enjoying fast food and 7-11 Big Gulps.
I've seen several comments about how the US team wouldn't be winning if we didn't have all these immigrants on our team. The responses were great. Essentially, "Yeah, that's kind of the whole foundation of the entire country." :ROFLMAO:
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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I've seen several comments about how the US team wouldn't be winning if we didn't have all these immigrants on our team. The responses were great. Essentially, "Yeah, that's kind of the whole foundation of the entire country." :ROFLMAO:
I like seeing Europeans go to baseball games and experience that, or the people who went to the Knicks parade. That's great stuff. The Tartan Army taking over Boston was a great story.

I've enjoyed the matches overall a lot more than I thought I was going to. Aside from a few clunkers, there have been some great matches. The US playing at home has made it a lot more fun. That atmosphere in Seattle was electric on Friday. I'm looking forward to the knockout round most. That hasn't changed.

Seeing people from all over the world come here and embrace us, with us embracing them back, shows what we're truly capable of as a planet. This sport does that more often than not: connects people. Sports in general do that.
 

jerseyborn1971

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I think a lot of people showed up expecting one thing and then go the exact opposite. We really aren't very different when it come to the WC. Ireland isn't in the world Cup this year and you'd know it being there. It's almost as if the world cup isn't taking place. No one was watching the games anywhere we went.
 

Irish#1

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I enjoy the videos of them discovering Buccees
Those are great. There's a few out there talking about how great this place is, but in their country their media only talks about the US being nothing but doom and gloom. The host cities seem to be well prepared.
 

GrangerIrish24

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Those are great. There's a few out there talking about how great this place is, but in their country their media only talks about the US being nothing but doom and gloom. The host cities seem to be well prepared.
There is a video of a guy who describes the greatness of going to Texas Roadhouse. It’s beautiful.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Alexei Lalas has been terrible, BTW, as far as the pundits go. Which should be zero surprise. Zlatan is kind of whatever. Henry is a good pundit. Clint Dempsey, Stu Holden both good. Donovan is good.
 

DCDomer

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Lalas is a strange guy, but I feel like the hate is overblown in comparison to his colleagues. Zlatan is saying nothing of substance and still running his "aura" gimmick that doesn't appeal to any fan over the age of 14.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Lalas is a strange guy, but I feel like the hate is overblown in comparison to his colleagues. Zlatan is saying nothing of substance and still running his "aura" gimmick that doesn't appeal to any fan over the age of 14.
Lalas is terrible. He doesn't have the career, insight or personality to have been Fox's key figurehead for the sport this long. I don't think he does his research on the teams and players. If he does, then he's really bad. He's there to be a contrarian and he's not really even good at that. I don't understand what he brings to the table and who he is bringing it to. I think at this point Fox wheels him out there because they know he's unpopular and that's all that's driving people to mention him at all.

It's tough to watch a lot of the commentary. I like what Henry has to say and he's very good with the Champions League matches all season. We're probably at the point that Fox will keep Lalas for as long as he wants the job. As veteran old guard goes, I like Stu Holden way better.
 

ACamp1900

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I’ll never understand the Lalas hate,… he’s a member of the generation that took US soccer from complete joke that couldn’t beat small Caribbean teams to internationally competitive, he was among the first of our first boys to play in any kind of major euro league, and on tv he plays the role of the American partisan well. Dude is a legend, let him cook.

Also, if any European fans are complaining about immigrants on the US team they’d better not be French,… lol
 

fightingirish26

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I’ll never understand the Lalas hate,… he’s a member of the generation that took US soccer from complete joke that couldn’t beat small Caribbean teams to internationally competitive, he was among the first of our first boys to play in any kind of major euro league, and on tv he plays the role of the American partisan well. Dude is a legend, let him cook.

Also, if any European fans are complaining about immigrants on the US team they’d better not be French,… lol
23/26 french players were born in France. Of the three that werent one was born in England, one in Italy. Fascinated what kind of point you're trying to make.
 

PolishDomer

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Really been a great World Cup...biggest surprise for me have been some of the African and small country teams being competitive in games...

I really cant wait to take my boys Thursday to the Netherlands vs Tunisia game...
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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I’ll never understand the Lalas hate,… he’s a member of the generation that took US soccer from complete joke that couldn’t beat small Caribbean teams to internationally competitive, he was among the first of our first boys to play in any kind of major euro league, and on tv he plays the role of the American partisan well. Dude is a legend, let him cook.

Also, if any European fans are complaining about immigrants on the US team they’d better not be French,… lol
He's a legend in his own mind and a bad pundit. Nobody likes him.

Paul Caliguiri, Cobi Jones and Marcelo Balboa are legends. I'll assume they'd be far more interesting and likable but have no interest in punditry, which is their right.

I hope Fox decides to elevate someone else soon.
 

ACamp1900

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23/26 french players were born in France. Of the three that werent one was born in England, one in Italy. Fascinated what kind of point you're trying to make.
seriously? Like almost all of their star players have ties to or parents from outside France, the point was very clear, and has been a topic of discussion for years now. However I couldn't give a shit unless it’s a problem for the US, and something to be seen as a negative for us, then I’ll gladly bring up other nations like that.
 

ACamp1900

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He's a legend in his own mind and a bad pundit. Nobody likes him.

Paul Caliguiri, Cobi Jones and Marcelo Balboa are legends. I'll assume they'd be far more interesting and likable but have no interest in punditry, which is their right.

I hope Fox decides to elevate someone else soon.
I like him,… even more now that your crotchety ass takes issue.
 

Fbolt

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Rather sure he's never taken the stance that he's a legend. He speaks his mind, and I enjoy it. I mean, we have Zlatan and Thierry on TV, and they're mumbling. Yes, absolute studs on the field, but dang, get someone who can bring some energy.
 

ACamp1900

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Rather sure he's never taken the stance that he's a legend. He speaks his mind, and I enjoy it. I mean, we have Zlatan and Thierry on TV, and they're mumbling. Yes, absolute studs on the field, but dang, get someone who can bring some energy.
This. Of the three guys in the main studio AL is easily the most enjoyable and best at what he does imo
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Rather sure he's never taken the stance that he's a legend. He speaks his mind, and I enjoy it. I mean, we have Zlatan and Thierry on TV, and they're mumbling. Yes, absolute studs on the field, but dang, get someone who can bring some energy.
There are maybe half a dozen guys who would be considered legends. He's not one of them. He talks a big game, and maybe to an extent he has some credibility to do that, but I would find it hard for someone like Lalas to criticize someone like Christian Pulisic for a variety of reasons. He embraces being the dickhead, and I guess he's been a success in that respect because people don't like him. I don't get insight, personality or anything from him. He's contrarian. A ginger soccer Bill Maher.

He's taken the stance that he's a Provocateur and a lot of what he says is to generate discussion or backlash. A lot of it is basically a bit. Does he mean what he's saying or is it to be controversial? What's real? It's effective in that respect, but it's boring.

Doesn't do it for me, but a lot of these pundits don't across most sports and networks. I suppose I'm not alone. It's probably a harder job than we realize, but how hard is it to find someone that's decent? As ND football fans, I know we've asked this of NBC for a long time.

Twellman, Holdman, Dempsey, Donovan, Howard are all more engaging. Donovan and Howard's podcast is quite good. They're a good balance. There isn't much there for shock or controversy.
 
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