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The fact that Brian McBride is going to play for the US Men's Olympic team doesn't reflect very well on him. The US should be looking for new talent with the Olympics, not mediocre has beens.
I dont see how these clubs are going to get away with not releasing these players when they are under 23 and it was made clear that all u-23s had to be released. I hope all the clubs that are pulling this crap have to release thier players and face sanctions for this.
The Olympic football tournament used to be a youth team event. It should stay that way. Barca has to go into a CL-qualification game and needs Messi. The german clubs start their season soon and need their players too. For the english teams sending players to the Olympics is easier because their season starts later. Otherwise they wouldn't send them either.
as the olympics in general are not that important and mainly a bit off fun (watching sports you've never previously heard off is fun) it could be useful to use it as a tester for the more important competitions.
Kartik gives a interesting perspective that the popularity results from the political arena, and in part it may well be. However, American Olympic hero's and interest pre-date the Second World War. Jessie Owens anyone! In addition , when ABC made a commitment to televise the games to the American audience with the outstanding sports reporter Jim McKay in the lead, the games became a treat for American TV viewers every 4 years who were hungry for daily sports of whatever sort. I can not explain to everyone what a treat it was in the 60's and 70's to have a sporting event broadcast every day for two weeks, night and day. It was special.
Bryan SF, you are a dead wrong about McBride. He has national pride and thats why he wants to be there. Being an Olympic team member means something to people from Chicago. Old fashion idea I know.
For the US Mens Soccer program winning an Olympic medal will be considered a great achievement. We know enough about the WC now to know it's the real prize, but we want the Gold!
But the problem to me here is that these Bundesliga clubs
a) Do not respect FIFA
b) Show little respect for the football culture in Brazil which ironic considering the great number if Brazilian players who have moved to Germany in the last decade
c) Are imposing a very qualified and bias view towards their players.
As I said in my piece Liverpool has lost more than any club in the world to these Olympics. But Rafa and the Reds brass probably know the importance of this tournament to the nations who have qualified (or attempted to qualify which obviously the UK has never attempted).
We can argue whether this should be an amateur event. I believe the Olympics lost a lot when it ceased being an amateur only event. However at this time the Olympics are what they are: a massive international professional sporting event. The likes of Diego and Rafinha raised in the Brazilian football culture would be dishonored in every way possible by not participating so they don't miss maybe two league matches. Considering everything Diego did for Bremen especially after the disloyalty of Klose going and signing with Bayern, Bremen's title rival last year, don't you think the club owes him the opportunity to represent his country in the second biggest sporting event on the planet?
If you speak to South Americans here in South Florida they are gearing up for this tournament as if it were the "mini World Cup." This wasn't always the case but this year they are taking it more seriously than Copa America.
In addition, as someone who follows the American game closely McBride along with Taylor Twellman are really the only attacking players I'd trust to wear the US shirt right now. While we all rave about the potential of Jozy Altidore I saw in person during the U-23 qualifiers how ineffective Jozy can be if he is marked out of a game by two defenders. Freddy Adu and Dax McCarty basically had to carry our team to qualification without Jozy's help.
For a point of reference as to how seriously Olympic Football is taken in the US, I should point out the selection of Benny Feilhaber to the side has generated more controversy and anger among fans than any pick to any US World Cup squad. People may be over reacting but his selection is being crucified the way Theo Walcott's was for the England World Cup team. That's how seriously we are taking it. It's a pity the Germans even if they don't care for the tournament don't respect why those of us on this side of the globe fell so strongly about it. The big loser in all of this will be the Bundesliga long term.
A club can't confiscate someone's passport and it has been reported nowhere.
Schalke and Bremen are Bundesliga clubs, but so are:
Hamburg who released Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe and Vincent Kompany.
Bayern who released Breno and Jose Ernesto Sosa.
Stuttgart who released Georges Mandjeck.
Dortmund who released Patrick Njambe.
Hoffenheim who released Chinedu Obasi.
...
And as Dan pointed out, Barca are refusing to let Messi go. And they didn't want to release Ronaldinho either, when he was still playing for them.
"Perhaps this helps to explain why the Premier League is head and shoulders above the Bundesliga these days when it comes to international recognition and popularity."
Barca has bucket loads of international recognition and popularity.
I think Bremen and Schalke could have handled the situation much better, e.g. like Hamburg who brokered a compromise with Kompany, who will do all the pre-season training with his club and then travel to Beijing.
But FIFA needs to take some of the blame as well. There's a legal framework for World Cups, Euros, Copas and all those Uxx youth tournaments, which clubs must follow. Blatter can say that clubs should or must or whatever, but the fact remains, that FIFA failed to create a similar framework for the Olympics - for whatever reason. And the lack of any clear legally binding rules has caused the current situation in the first place.
" Werder Bremen are refusing to release Serbia's Dusko Tosic and have reportedly confiscated his passport. Another Serb, Gojko Kacar, of Hertha Berlin, has also had his passport confiscated, while Stefan Babovic, of Nantes, was recalled to the club while driving to the airport to join his compatriots."
The Telegraph, July 26th 2008
Nantes of course is a French club, but why are the English and Italian clubs so much more accommodating across the board than German, French and Spanish clubs?
From the Telegraph story as well.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/ol...
Olympic Soccer and to a lesser extent Basketball seem to be the only things on their mind right now in Miami.
For me it is still very telling to see the difference in attitudes between European and Latins towards events in world football. The World Cup is the only one with universal appeal. Most Latins could give a damn about the Euros and most European do not even know what Copa America is. The Olympics are seen as an annoyance as the post here mentions by Europeans but a deadly serious competition by Latins and the USA.
Good post, by the way.
And the blame for all this should be with FIFA because they don't have clear rules for this event.
It is a complete insult to European Football and the club game that FIFA is mandating players be released for what is essentially an exhibition being played to educate the American public about a sport they do not deserve to play.
I've watched the American domestic league. It is slow as a turtle. The Mexican and Brazilian leagues are even slower. What is played over there isn't real football. The players from the American hemisphere who can play football come to Europe and they are obligated by contract to play for their clubs.
Players who want to leave their clubs for a meaningless set of friendlies ought to be suspended. UEFA must step and do battle with FIFA or European interests are going to be over run. Honestly, who does Messi think he is wanting to leave a champions league match for what is a semi professional exhibition played for the benefit of the Americans who do not care for the sport because they are too ignorant to understand it.
My point elaborated: McBride has been in the World Cup squad twice and had been a starter for Fulham for years, maybe he should step aside and allow newcomers some limelight - especially at the Olympics of all events.
And yes, Euro 2008 is definitely more important than the Olympics. Why would you contest that? Sorry, all.
Lastly, what's with the center-justification on this blog?
.......
He's probably just upset the England team will never ever possess the quality that the Brazilians have.
It may sound strange that there is a world outside of football and that even in today's world people still have pride in their country and want to take part in the world wide games for all nations and sports. Must be some sort of strange American idea to invite the world to join in sport to promote peace and understanding.
England, never having participated in it, I'm sure doesn't really understand it. I'll give them a pass on that.
I will be watching as many matches as possible, thanks to MSNBC or whatever network shows the tournament exclusively over here.
Since SAF doesn't want to coach the UK team in 2012 in London, I nominate Harry Redknapp.