You are right about the number of US players on European clubs (I could quibble with your 7/4 split, but it is not my point). My point was and is: Mexico has a more established and "professional" domestic league. I would be very surprised if the mean and median income from soccer was lower on the Mexican team than the US (which was the point I was responding too, that the Mexican team was poor and downtrodden).
>3.) The flame-outs of the "big countries" (France,
>Italy, Argentina) has little to do with them having
>"pampered" players (virtually every World Cup team,
>even the small ones, is made up of incredibly
>well-paid athletes) and everything to do with the
>injuries to key French players, Argentina playing in
>the "group of death" and Italy having to play South
>Korea in South Korea.
France, Italy, Argentina have flamed-out in spectacular fashion. Just ask the bookies. Undoubtedly, a myriad of factors have contributed to this. You seem to be satisfied with hackneyed excuses, I would think a critical eye would want more. I think an "underemphasized" factor would be the extent in which extreme pay differentials coupled with marginal skill differentials lead to "pampered players" (and the corollary self-love and self-absorption) lead to underperformance in the World Cup (which is a lower pay activity for the "pampered" than farting on a Mediterranean beach. This "pampering" leads to all sorts of outside commitments to star in advertising, attending the top social functions, and maintain ones media presence (none of which get the ball in the net but does lead to higher pay). It also leads to a slavish press and uncritical fans (with obvious exceptions).
True, all the players have some relative form of privilege and undoubtedly higher levels of self-absorption than 4 out 5 psychologists would recommend. BUT, if you did not notice that Turkey, South Korea, Senegal, US, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, etc. have played harder (more effort/"workrate") than you have not paid attention.
And if you are really concerned with facts then you would note that Groups C and D have had more success thus far in the knockout phase (2 wins) than Group F (1 win so far from the so called "Group of Death").
Jim
"When skunks duel, wind direction is everything."
--Michael A. Loduha