Sunil Gulati, Sunshine Man.

Sunil Gulati, is a man with the half full glass today and he stares at it through red white a blue tinted glasses. You have to love this guy, he will even email you back if you write to him to tell him he sucks (I know many people who have done this). Yep, everything is rosy in Gulati-ville, especially when your team are set to win the World Cup next year.

What? You didn’t hear? The USA are going to win the World Cup! How do I know this? Because Sunil Gulati says they can. And what gives Gulati the belief that Landy cakes and co will lift the orbicular topped golden statue next year? Because they made the final of a test tournament this summer featuring 8 teams.

“I am being deadly serious, why would we go if we didn’t think we could win it?” – US Soccer President Sunil Gulati.

Now, I am not going to poop on Sunil’s soccer soldiers, they have shown that they can play with the big boys and they are not a terrible side, they don’t have the quality of England, Spain, Brazil or Germany but they do play with heart and guts and give it their all. BUT can they win the World Cup? No f*cking chance. Norwich City will win the Champions league before the US wins a World Cup. Really Ned? Yeah, that’s if they keep hiring tactically inept coaches like Bradley and relying on the pathetic MLS to groom their players. Get some luck, and they may make the quarters, hey even England can do that, but if Gulati thinks beating Spain in the Test Run Trophy Confederations Cup will be repeated next summer, he is high. Whatever he’s got, I’ll take some, send it over.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse, the USA need to qualify for South Africa first. Do that and then we’ll talk. The USA plays away to Honduras on Saturday, where the home team are 8-0.

Now, this story actually allows me to bring up a certain well known ESPN analyst who I spent time with at last nights UF ‘The Damned United’ party who has also been taking something. Anti England pills, and when countered with the England Kool aid flowing through my blood stream, he and I clearly didn’t see eye to eye. Especially when he told me that France were better than England and that Spain were  10 times the team that my boys are. Wow, we must really suck to be as bad as France. Lets review. England have qualified for South Africa already, playing 8 games, winning 8 games and scoring a whopping 31 goals on their way. That’s 10 goals more than Spain, 18 more than Italy, 14 more than Holland and one less than Brazil, who have played, wait for it, wait for it, SIXTEEN games, drawing 6. And Sunil’s dream team? 14 in their 8. In fact, Englands scoring record is only bettered by Brazil, who had 8 more games to score one more than the mighty (Kool Aid hangover) three lions.

So what of France? Well they are clearly better than England, their 8 games have yielded 4 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat, scoring 10 goals and leaking 8. The gentleman from ESPN and I also shook on a bet last night, I’ll be coming for the cash next July JM, mark it ;)