USMNT Head Coach thread

[Anonymous]

How is dropping u12 boys, if it’s actually true, corrupt? There might be good reasons for doing so, for example to save money to focus on older groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is dropping u12 boys, if it’s actually true, corrupt? There might be good reasons for doing so, for example to save money to focus on older groups.

I think PP alluded to the conflict of interest between the MLS and the best interests of US soccer. The USSF is too cosy with MLS and does whatever MLS wants, frequently at the expense of anyone else in US soccer. Most MLS DA academies are free to play so cutting a year from the DA moves DA kids from free to play to pay to play system for a year. It is good for MLS bottom line, but bad for the kids and their families. I personally think that the decision, if true, may have been somewhat financially motivated, but mostly it is a stupid, shortsighted decision.

[Anonymous]

As indicated, there may be valid reasons to cut the programming, other than those you allude to. That presumes that the cut will actually move forward, which hasn’t been officially announced. An editor’s message in a soccer publication is not official.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As indicated, there may be valid reasons to cut the programming, other than those you allude to. That presumes that the cut will actually move forward, which hasn’t been officially announced. An editor’s message in a soccer publication is not official.

What are the valid reasons to cut the DA program? Kids in Europe start at U7 at the academies and are in professional academy environment and start breaking into first teams at 16, 17. Our DA kids will be starting at U13. Guess who has a better chance to develop into a quality pro?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As indicated, there may be valid reasons to cut the programming, other than those you allude to. That presumes that the cut will actually move forward, which hasn’t been officially announced. An editor’s message in a soccer publication is not official.

What are the valid reasons to cut the DA program? Kids in Europe start at U7 at the academies and are in professional academy environment and start breaking into first teams at 16, 17. Our DA kids will be starting at U13. Guess who has a better chance to develop into a quality pro?

One valid reason is that they have limited resources and want to focus on scouting the older age groups. The DA clubs are still bound by the agreement to apply DA standards to the younger age groups, they are just not included in DA programming (i.e., the refs, the game scheduling, scouting, etc). This makes more resources available for older age groups, so they can more effectively scout, is one theory.

Of course, this all presumes that the cut will actually happen. Right now it's credited to the editing journalist of an soccer publication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...Of course, this all presumes that the cut will actually happen. Right now it's credited to the editing journalist of an soccer publication.

It's done already! - https://www.soccertoday.com/u-s-soccer-development-academy-hands-u-12s-back-to-clubs/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...Of course, this all presumes that the cut will actually happen. Right now it's credited to the editing journalist of an soccer publication.

It's done already! - https://www.soccertoday.com/u-s-soccer-development-academy-hands-u-12s-back-to-clubs/

The aforementioned journalistic publication. This is not US Soccer letterhead nor their website.

[Anonymous]

wow, this is the best we could do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wow, this is the best we could do.

The USSF's president, Carlos Cordeiro disagrees with you. He said, "This is a great day for U.S. Soccer. A great day for the U.S. men's national team. Indeed, a great day for soccer in America." Guys like him, with no soccer passion or background and tons of arrogance, make you wanna puke. I feel sorry for our young guys like Pulisic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Kids in Europe start at U7 at the academies and are in professional academy environment and start breaking into first teams at 16, 17.

Guess who has a better chance to develop into a quality pro?

Umm, I know! The kids who grow up in a mature soccer culture, such as those in Europe and South America, where there is a very strong, well established professional hierarchy in place to develop and identify talent, providing players with the incentive to make soccer their primary sport, and for clubs to find the best talent to strengthen their player base and their balance sheets, in the long run.

I wonder if soccer forums in India and China also bemoan their "underperformance" in international play. I mean, c'mon, they have several billion people between then vs countries of 20 million kicking their butts! Or maybe they are intelligent enough to realize that their soccer culture and system isn't as mature as that in the better performing areas in the world, therefore the numbers don't mean much.

Yes, that's probably true, because there are a lot of smart people in those two nations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Kids in Europe start at U7 at the academies and are in professional academy environment and start breaking into first teams at 16, 17.

Guess who has a better chance to develop into a quality pro?

Umm, I know! The kids who grow up in a mature soccer culture, such as those in Europe and South America, where there is a very strong, well established professional hierarchy in place to develop and identify talent, providing players with the incentive to make soccer their primary sport, and for clubs to find the best talent to strengthen their player base and their balance sheets, in the long run.

I wonder if soccer forums in India and China also bemoan their "underperformance" in international play. I mean, c'mon, they have several billion people between then vs countries of 20 million kicking their butts! Or maybe they are intelligent enough to realize that their soccer culture and system isn't as mature as that in the better performing areas in the world, therefore the numbers don't mean much.

Yes, that's probably true, because there are a lot of smart people in those two nations.

It is true that soccer culture is an important ingredient, but I don't think India and China are the best comparison for the US. India does not have much investment in soccer and infrastructure and is more concerned about feeding millions that live in poverty. China only started to invest into soccer recently, but in a more centralized government controlled way. A better example is Japan, which established its professional league around the same time as MLS was established, did not have much of traditional soccer culture and has comparable infrastructure to the United States. We built a closed system with the MLS, while Japan built a traditional open system, where the place in the top league must be earned on the field. Today Japan has 3 division with promotion/relegation and its team almost made to quarterfinal in the WC for which we failed to qualify. They had a great game against Belgium and led 2-0, before Belgium had a great come back at the end of the second half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Kids in Europe start at U7 at the academies and are in professional academy environment and start breaking into first teams at 16, 17.

Guess who has a better chance to develop into a quality pro?

Umm, I know! The kids who grow up in a mature soccer culture, such as those in Europe and South America, where there is a very strong, well established professional hierarchy in place to develop and identify talent, providing players with the incentive to make soccer their primary sport, and for clubs to find the best talent to strengthen their player base and their balance sheets, in the long run.

I wonder if soccer forums in India and China also bemoan their "underperformance" in international play. I mean, c'mon, they have several billion people between then vs countries of 20 million kicking their butts! Or maybe they are intelligent enough to realize that their soccer culture and system isn't as mature as that in the better performing areas in the world, therefore the numbers don't mean much.

Yes, that's probably true, because there are a lot of smart people in those two nations.

It is true that soccer culture is an important ingredient, but I don't think India and China are the best comparison for the US. India does not have much investment in soccer and infrastructure and is more concerned about feeding millions that live in poverty. China only started to invest into soccer recently, but in a more centralized government controlled way. A better example is Japan, which established its professional league around the same time as MLS was established, did not have much of traditional soccer culture and has comparable infrastructure to the United States. We built a closed system with the MLS, while Japan built a traditional open system, where the place in the top league must be earned on the field. Today Japan has 3 division with promotion/relegation and its team almost made to quarterfinal in the WC for which we failed to qualify. They had a great game against Belgium and led 2-0, before Belgium had a great come back at the end of the second half.

Japan and China did some of the same things, including hiring world-class coaches to lead their club and national teams and integrating world-class (and not just washed-up) players into their squads. The Kashima Antlers, which almost beat Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final two years ago, was once coached by Brazilian great Zico, who also played for the team. Zico also coached Japan's NT in the 2010 World Cup. Chinese Super League teams have had World Cup winners as coaches, including Luiz Felipe Scolari and Fabio Cannavaro. They aren't xenophobic like the USSF.

[Anonymous]

That’s the best you’ve got? Xenophobic??

Their results are generally worse than the US and they have much higher populations. We’ll see how Berhalter does, he’s gotten a lot out of relatively crappy rosters in MLS and put your beloved Tata to shame at least once.

[Anonymous]

Great thread that mimics lots of the conversation here in general:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/is-today-a-good-day-to-discuss-greg-berhalter-vs-tata-martino.2077026/

Reuben, are you on this forum as well? Sure seems that way.

[Anonymous]

Berhalter has done nothing to distinguish himself as a coach and to earn the job. He has ZERO international coaching experience and unimpressive record with clubs. He had win % of 39 with Hummarby before getting fired for lack of attacking play and then he had 38 win % with Columbus, while working for the infamous Anthony Precourt. It is outrageous that they refused to interview quality candidates that were available like Tata, Osorio and Lopetugui, who have much more impressive resumes. They even scheduled a soft opponent for his first game with the USMNT so that they can talk about something positive and sell him as a competent hire.