🚀 go-pugleaf

"Frans" <phasysn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:12905mtlsfnl3ac@corp.supernews.com...
> "Low Profile" <bl...@blah.com> wrote in message 
> news:448feff9$0$31940$e4fe514c@dreader24.news.xs4all.nl...
>>> USA: Current FIFA world ranking: 5
>>>
>>> Italy ranks at THIRTEEN.
>>
>> Fifa ranking means shit.... you get points for each win... so if you play 
>> 30 easy sides you get ranked high, but it doesn't say anything about your 
>> teams actual skills compared to countries who actually played against 
>> good sides...
>
> It's a benchmark, at least. In recent history, the USA have won from
> Costa Rica and Mexico, both competing in this final tournament.
> And if FIFA ranking means shit, why is Brazil #1?

Brazil is #1 because they win most matches.... but that doesn't mean the 
table isn't rigged... USA mostly played 'easy opponents' ...
Holland's B-team beat the mexican team with relative ease... and Costa Rica 
is not exactly considered a strong team.
On that same list:  Egypt is above Germany (vice world champions) and above 
Greece (european champions)... just to show how imba that list is. :P

>> Italy's Luca Toni proved he can score against the best defenders in the 
>> world (golden boot winner last season)... and i don't exactly rate USA's 
>> defensive skills very high.
>
> Luca Toni is just one player. He cannot win matches by himself. Del Piero
> seems to be quite pissed off so I'm not expecting much out of him either,
> other than yellow or red cards.

Have you seen the match Italy vs Ghana? Italians are lethal, play as a real 
team, and they've set up their strikers many times... their only weakness is 
they tend to slow down/stop attacking once they have a 1 goal lead. And they 
beat the crap out of the dutch in a friendly  (dutch are ranked #3 as you 
probably know)

Cheers,
Low Profile