Joseph Lapira

**GavinZac** · 27/05/2007, 3:55 PM

Originally Posted by Soper

Hows the form Andy.

Not too bad. Still think I should've been in the squad last night.

**pete** · 27/05/2007, 3:56 PM

If the pitches i saw for the last two games is MLS standard then i fear for the standard of the game there. I get the impression there are a few stars at each team but the rest are kids on minimum wage. I read in the paper during the week some former eL 1st division player on $23k a year

**Soper** · 27/05/2007, 4:10 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

Not too bad. Still think I should've been in the squad last night.

Andy, they're saving you for 'duh kwalahfyuhrs'. Be patient.

Also, I looked up wikipedia, and it says that Timmy Mallet never played football, never mind professional football

**pete** · 27/05/2007, 4:31 PM

Moderator: Less of the personal stuff. Keep it on topic.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/05/2007, 9:27 AM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

How many previous winners went on to play international football? Sweet feck all. And being professional does not make you international standard.

Reyna, Friedel, Meola all won the same award, all played international football

**DmanDmythDledge** · 28/05/2007, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Reyna, Friedel, Meola all won the same award, all played international football

As did Brian Maisonneuve.

The standard of the award winners have clearly dropped as the last winner that regularly made the international squad was in 1994. Now players of that standard would not be playing in college and have already moved on to MLS or Europe.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/05/2007, 12:02 PM

Think about this:
Michael Parkhurst from the New England Revolution was invited to train in the squad, but turned it down and is now set to be called into the USA squad for the Copa America.
If it was the other way around, i.e. Parkhurst accepted his call up and played 10 minutes at the end of the Ecuador game, and Lapira turned it down and went to play in the Copa America, would people be giving out to Stan for missing out on a promising striker?

**gustavo** · 28/05/2007, 12:07 PM

Difference is though that Parkhurst is an establish MLS player and Lapira is just a college player so he was very unlikely to have earnt a U.S callup

**Dodge** · 28/05/2007, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

If it was the other way around, i.e. Parkhurst accepted his call up and played 10 minutes at the end of the Ecuador game, and Lapira turned it down and went to play in the Copa America, would people be giving out to Stan for missing out on a promising striker?

The same people wouldn't. There's two hugely different camps when it comes to supporting the national side. The camp who criticised the call up owuldn't care less that an American lad wanted to play for America

**DmanDmythDledge** · 28/05/2007, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Think about this:
Michael Parkhurst from the New England Revolution was invited to train in the squad, but turned it down and is now set to be called into the USA squad for the Copa America.
If it was the other way around, i.e. Parkhurst accepted his call up and played 10 minutes at the end of the Ecuador game, and Lapira turned it down and went to play in the Copa America, would people be giving out to Stan for missing out on a promising striker?

That's a purely hypothetical situation as Lapira is nowhere near the US squad at the moment. Anyway I don't know how anybody could give out if a situation like that occured as he would have attempted to call up Lapira in that situation.

Regardless I never knew that getting a call up to play for America made you any good.

**fergalr** · 28/05/2007, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by bohsRap

Who said he was the best young player in the US? He won a COLLEGE'S award in an AMATEUR league! I guarantee you he wouldn't make most of the teams in the EL.

Its very rare that I'm ever on the same side as a Bohs fan - so let me take the opportunity to say "well said".

**fergalr** · 28/05/2007, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

How do you know if he is of lesser quality ? If you do know this then fair enough.

The eL is vastly superior to US college football. Surely you're not going to argue the opposite?

**fergalr** · 28/05/2007, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by zenokelly

Just think about it this way. If Stan didn't decide to go on this tour to the US, Lapira would probably never have been mentioned by the Irish officials or Stan. It was just luck for Lapira that he was in the right place at the right time for Ireland to take a look at him.

A pal of mine has been living in Aarhus for the past 20 years or so. His son is a decent amateur player - if he was living over here he might be playing for DCU's first team. Should he bring his boots and turn up when we play our August friendly? Surely he deserves a cap to stop him being poached by the Danes

**OneRedArmy** · 28/05/2007, 1:03 PM

Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

How do you know if he is of lesser quality ? If you do know this then fair enough.

I've seen a bit of NCAA Division 1 "soccer" over the years and a lot of Eircom League football and there is no comparison whatsoever.

The relative crapness of US collegiate "soccer" is exacerbated by equality legislation forcing universities to give out an equal number of mens and womens sports scholarships. Consider how many players are scholarshipped on an American football team (which women don't play) and you are left with a shortage of mens scholarships to dole out to minority sports like soccer.

Most big football (US) schools don't even field a Division 1 mens team and arguably the standard of womens "soccer" is actually higher in the NCAA.

People on here are trying to excuse the inexcusable. Lapira's selection devalued the shirt, it was an exercise in convenience/cost saving/nepotism and was a slap in the face to many EL players who have earned the right to be considered to represent their country.

They also demonstrated their Irishness by actually possessing an Irish passport at the beginning of last week...

**Pablo** · 28/05/2007, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

I've seen a bit of NCAA Division 1 "soccer" over the years and a lot of Eircom League football and there is no comparison whatsoever.

The relative crapness of US collegiate "soccer" is exacerbated by equality legislation forcing universities to give out an equal number of mens and womens sports scholarships. Consider how many players are scholarshipped on an American football team (which women don't play) and you are left with a shortage of mens scholarships to dole out to minority sports like soccer.

Most big football (US) schools don't even field a Division 1 mens team and arguably the standard of womens "soccer" is actually higher in the NCAA.

People on here are trying to excuse the inexcusable. Lapira's selection devalued the shirt, it was an exercise in convenience/cost saving/nepotism and was a slap in the face to many EL players who have earned the right to be considered to represent their country.

They also demonstrated their Irishness by actually possessing an Irish passport at the beginning of last week...

Judging by the rumours doing the rounds he was capped for a reason. Makes me sick. I've heard of countries like Nigeria and countries like that doing it but this takes the p!ss

**geysir** · 28/05/2007, 2:58 PM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Lapira's selection..... and was a slap in the face to many EL players.

Not as bad as the kick in the teeth

They also demonstrated their Irishness by actually possessing an Irish passport at the beginning of last week...

Actually no, a passport is just evidence of citizenship. As a citizen he is protected by the constitution of the State.

**osarusan** · 28/05/2007, 3:18 PM

how did the guy actually play when he came on?

**tetsujin1979** · 28/05/2007, 3:58 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

how did the guy actually play when he came on?

Came on, made 2 passes and then the ref blew up for full time.

**Dodge** · 28/05/2007, 4:30 PM

You mean "came on, made apass, intercepted it and then lumped it 30 yards ahread of his team mates"

**Qwerty** · 28/05/2007, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

People on here are trying to excuse the inexcusable. Lapira's selection devalued the shirt, it was an exercise in convenience/cost saving/nepotism and was a slap in the face to many EL players who have earned the right to be considered to represent their country.

They also demonstrated their Irishness by actually possessing an Irish passport at the beginning of last week...

What a lot of drivel, is the world laughing becuase we capped a promising Irish-American? Do we cringe in shame because of this?

Was the world not laughing when we lost 5-2 to Cyprus? Did we not cringe in shame?

If we capped Vinny Jones years ago you could argue that it would have devalued the Irish shirt because he was a mercenary prostituting himself to several countries hoping to satify his ego, but not a proud Irish-American like Lapira who has more promise than many capped by Ireland over the years.