American Fiasco with Roger Bennett

Quote:

---

WNYC Studios presents American Fiasco, the story of a team that believed it was their destiny to win the biggest prize in soccer - the World Cup.
After their giddy success of hosting the 1994 World Cup, a wildly ambitious U.S. men's soccer team swaggered onto the international stage, ready to win it all. But when they arrived at the 1998 World Cup, they were forced to face their toughest opponent yet: themselves.
Now, 20 years after their last place finish, the team opens up about what happened. In this 12-part series, Roger Bennett, host of the Men in Blazers podcast interviews more than 30 players, coaches, and media personalities about how not to win a World Cup.

---

I enjoyed the interviews and story telling.

I'm about halfway through, and I have really enjoyed it so far.

I hope this is setting up a season 2 where they hit the same story for 2018

I'm enjoying this podcast, but it's msking me dislike all the 90s USMNT guys I grew up loving. What a bunch of bratty punks. And some of the worst ones are the guys that still love taking potshots at current USMNT personnel (looking at you, Lalas, Wynalda).

Listened to this, it was great.

cutting the captain Harkes and replacing him with a french player David Regis

don't need to listen to it I lived thru it

It was very good. It was much tougher to follow the team in 1997/1998 then now (one of the episodes pointed out how US Soccer had to purchase the broadcast rights then pay ESPN to broadcast one of the tournaments b/c NO ONE picked it up).

Lots of Drama. Seems like Sampson had a good thing going with the team, then all at once decided to shake things up 2-months before the WC and didn't have buy in with his players. At several points Bennet asks the players a question and their answers contradict the answers from Sampson on the same subject.

Also, asking Lalas before he set the final roster if he would be a problem should have told Sampson right their to leave him home. Not that I dislike Lalas at all, but if as a coach you have a problem child, you know things are not sitting well with the team, and the problem child, being a problem child is likely going to act up; the fact that you have to ASK him to behaves should be a huge warning sign that maybe you should leave him at home.

MookieBlaylock said:

---

cutting the captain Harkes and replacing him with a french player David Regis

don't need to listen to it I lived thru it

---

You should also listen to it. I say this as someone who thought they remembered everything about that WC and had actually forgotten a ton.

agracer said:

---

Also, asking Lalas before he set the final roster if he would be a problem should have told Sampson right their to leave him home. Not that I dislike Lalas at all, but if as a coach you have a problem child, you know things are not sitting well with the team, and the problem child, being a problem child is likely going to act up; the fact that you have to ASK him to behaves should be a huge warning sign that maybe you should leave him at home.

---

I though that was odd as well. If your asking the question, you know it's a possibility. It seems as if coach just lost his confidence and started panicking.

First, thanks for sharing the link. I really enjoyed the podcast, was a great listen. I love Roger Bennett anyway, but this was great.

I have never followed a team like I did that 98 USMNT. I was in law school on the west coast, and a group of us went to 4 qualifiers and a couple friendlies that were all played on the west coast, from Stanford to Vancouver, BC.
I loved that team, and to see the changes made right before the WC was difficult to understand back then, and still is. From removing your captain to changing formations to bringing in new players a couple weeks before the WC, Sampson was just in over his head.
I think what he failed to grasp is that it is all about your team playing at peak performance for a couple weeks, you aren't a long term coach who needs to make examples of players or fiddle with things. You have to looks and determine how can my team best perform for this three matches. He was lost, his lack of coaching experience really showed.

Anyway, thanks for sharing, was a great listen.