Spain Number 1 In World Rankings

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Spain Number 1 In World Rankings
Topic Started: Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 10:47 AM (85 Views)
Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 10:47 AM Post #1
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/07/02/bc.soc.fifarankings.ap/index.html Quote: Spain leaps to top of FIFA rankings, U.S. falls to 30th ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Spain jumped to the top of FIFA's monthly rankings for the first time following its triumph at the European Championship, with Brazil and Argentina both falling out of the top three. The United States kept up its fall from the highest echelons of world soccer, falling nine places to 30th, its lowest ranking since it was 30th in March 2007. The Americans had been fourth in April 2006. Teams are ranked based on points awarded for performances in matches in the last four years. Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in Sunday's Euro 2008 final lifted it three places, making it the sixth team -- along with France, Germany, Brazil, Italy and Argentina -- to claim the top spot since the rankings began 15 years ago. The Spaniards have 1,557 points Italy's run to the quarterfinals was enough to push it up one spot to second place with 1,404 points, while Germany jumped two places to third with 1,364. Brazil dropped to fourth place in the list published Wednesday, the first time since November 1993 that the five-time World Cup champions have been outside the top three. The American squad stumbled from its previous ranking of 21st, accumulating 780 points in the latest survey. That places the U.S. team behind countries such as Israel (21st), Ivory Coast (28th) and Paraguay (25th).



PSUSyr5	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:27 PM Post #2
The Board Idiot Posts: 10,707 Group: Referee Member #6 Joined: December 11, 2005 NFL Team Philadelphia Eagles MLB Team New York Mets, New York Yankees MLS Team D.C. United, Future Seattle Sounders FC MiLB Team Syracuse Chiefs NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange	Not surprised Spain is #1. A little surprised that the US fell so far...but if the team qualifies for the World Cup, that's really the only ranking that matters, right?



Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:34 PM Post #3
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	I am surprised they fell that far too, but ya they'll qualify for the WC.



PSUSyr5	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:40 PM Post #4
The Board Idiot Posts: 10,707 Group: Referee Member #6 Joined: December 11, 2005 NFL Team Philadelphia Eagles MLB Team New York Mets, New York Yankees MLS Team D.C. United, Future Seattle Sounders FC MiLB Team Syracuse Chiefs NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange	Yeah...when you consider they tied the then #1 team Argentina at home and lost 1-0 to the current #1 team in Europe...I'm sure the loss to England didn't help, but even so, there was the Barbados beat down...seems like all of that would have evened out...apparently not ...unless the teams that moved ahead of the US did that much better.



Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:44 PM Post #5
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	Russia moved up 13 places. Turkey moved up 6. Apparently Canada dropped 17 places to 77th... Edited by Cougar, Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:44 PM.



PSUSyr5	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:46 PM Post #6
The Board Idiot Posts: 10,707 Group: Referee Member #6 Joined: December 11, 2005 NFL Team Philadelphia Eagles MLB Team New York Mets, New York Yankees MLS Team D.C. United, Future Seattle Sounders FC MiLB Team Syracuse Chiefs NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange	See, I get Russia and Turkey jumping up...they did well in Euros, so that works. But Ivory Coast? Riiight...



Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 01:28 PM Post #7
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	PSUSyr5 Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 12:46 PM See, I get Russia and Turkey jumping up...they did well in Euros, so that works. But Ivory Coast? Riiight... Ivory Coast moved down 3 spots. Are you saying you don't understand why they moved down or did you think they moved up?



PSUSyr5	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 03:29 PM Post #8
The Board Idiot Posts: 10,707 Group: Referee Member #6 Joined: December 11, 2005 NFL Team Philadelphia Eagles MLB Team New York Mets, New York Yankees MLS Team D.C. United, Future Seattle Sounders FC MiLB Team Syracuse Chiefs NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange	I am saying why is Ivory Coast ranked ahead of the US.



Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 03:51 PM Post #9
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	PSUSyr5 Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 03:29 PM I am saying why is Ivory Coast ranked ahead of the US. Ivory Coast isn't a bad team, but I agree...they shouldn't be ahead of the US. Lot of people tend to discredit the FIFA rankings because sometimes the rankings just don't make sense. The Elo rankings seem to be more credible in which teams are really at the top and use a different system to calculate the rankings.



WeatherManNX01	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 04:52 PM Post #10
The Emperor Posts: 11,369 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots MLB Team Boston Red Sox MLS Team New England Revolution MiLB Team Harrisburg Senators NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	Wow, that is whacked out. We dropped nine spots since last month, having tied the (former) #1 team in the world and laying a beatdown on Barbados? That's a load of garbage. Best I can figure is that the Euros really had an impact on some of the rankings. They were playing all month long and we played a handful of matches.



Cougar	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 05:31 PM Post #11
Posts: 7,600 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions MLB Team Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays MLS Team Toronto FC	I don't think you'd go up a rank by crushing Barbados...but tying Argentina (right?) shouldn't drop you 9 places. Canada kinda got jipped too. We were tied with Brazil until late in the 2nd half and lost 3-2 to Brazil...who probably should dominate a 60th ranked team. I figure that match alone could probably keep us at 60th or move us up, or if anything, drop a couple spaces...but drop 17 places?



WeatherManNX01	Wednesday Jul 2 2008, 05:42 PM Post #12
The Emperor Posts: 11,369 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots MLB Team Boston Red Sox MLS Team New England Revolution MiLB Team Harrisburg Senators NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	I think the Euros gave a lot of these teams an huge advantage. Spain just played and won six games against some of the best teams in Europe. Croatia made a big jump following the tournament. So that helped. But I still see no reason why Italy is ranked as high as they are and why we dropped so far so fast. Best I can figure is that because UEFA played a whole tournament and the U.S. played three games.



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