FIFA has released their newest rankings, and the US has begun to climb out of their nadir following their embarrassing World Cup performance.
Remember, this time last year the US was (rather insanely) ranked #4 in the World by FIFA. This ranking, as I've discussed earlier, was total crap. It elevated expectations to such a degree that the US was considered a failure. Somehow, the fact they were in a true Group of Death was forgotten. The fallout (aside from being the impetus behind Arena getting chucked to the curb only to be replaced by another MLS veteran) was that a few scant weeks ago, the US was ranked #31 in the world. That is insanely low.
They deserve to be somewhere right in the middle between #4 and #31. Which is where they find themselves now, at #16. What worries me greatly is that they've risen 13 spots by beating teams like China, and pumping 4 goals by the likes of El Salvador. Bullies don't get scarier when you start to notice they only beat on kids 10 years younger than them. They just seem mean. Right now, the US is the bully of the CONCACAF (especially as Mexico is getting either too old to care about bullying, or too stupid to handle the teasing (ah, Blanco!), or too young to do any bullying of their own.
Dear FIFA: Please stop rewarding the US for beating the tar out of CONCACAF and teams like China. Let's hold steady at around #15 or 16 until we beat someone impressive, OK? Thanks much! Looking at these new rankings, we can see that the US squad was facing some tough competition--Italy is now ranked #1, the Czech Republic #10, and Ghana at #19. The only reason going winless against this group was a disappointment was because the US chances had been so ridiculously inflated by their ranking. Anyone who thought that the US was better than the Czechs was high.
(Top Ten here. Oh, and I have no idea how England is still holding onto a Top Ten spot. I suppose beating Faroe Islands has its perks. African rankings here. Watch out for the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire. They're badass)
Oh, and in case you missed Blanco getting chucked out of a Gold Cup game because the guy defending him made kissy noises at him, it's right here. Get ready to see a lot of smart play like that, Chicago.
updated for extra linkage.
7 comments:
Ivory COast: Best team not to advance in last year's WC. If I remember right, they also changed the whole raking system so the US wouldnt get that high by beating Jamaica twice a year
Agree on the I-Coast. A very strong group...
I think the only discussion worth having about the FIFA rankings should be there worthlessness.
What we are seeing vis-a-vis the African teams is that they are no longer producing one badass player every 5 years--they're producing 4 or 5. I love the Elephants, but anyone sleeping on the Black Star of Ghana, or even Cameroon will be sorry. Nigeria is in a tailspin, but they have scary, scary talent.
The problem with the FIFA rankings and the World Cup Rankings is that they are totally, wholly unrelated. So you can be ranked #4, in the world, and because you sucked Two World Cups ago, get stuck in with the #1 team in the world. I'd say the World Cup rankings had it closer, but the American Press (read: ESPN) focused on the FIFA ranking. Lbutler, we will see if the new system is better. I'm suspicious when a team can rise 13 places based on who the US has played. (or that a team that lost to 3 top 20 teams can be shunted that far down, too).
Did you see him take that like a little girl...falling to the ground. Christ it is the worst thing about soccer, a game I love, but it makes it very difficult for american fans to convert to the game, with all the diving, and rolling on the ground.
I would have slugged the pussy too. Yeah Blanco! He should have caught in that pretty kisser of his. Make it really worth it.
No doubt Soccer is plagued by flopping. However some NBA players are doing their best to bring the magic* to basketball.
*obnoxiousness
I'm not sure how much you can punish the US, though, for the relunctance of top European teams to see them in a friendly (my bad, except for Catalonia). At least they have a South American swing and (crosses fingers) Confederations Cup in the near future totest their mettle.
I believe Fifa ranking is only affected by non-friendly international matches. So Gold Cup, Confederations Cup, World Cup and WC qualfiers... and games between teams from different confederations are the most heavily weighted. At least, that's how I understand it.
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