Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati Wins Ballon d’Or Féminin Does the US have a player like this?

[Anonymous]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyoJ1A9JHUs

Watched her play and she is incredible. I do not think she would be playing if she was in the US system.

[Anonymous]

It’s a bit of a leap to say she wouldn’t have emerged from the US system. You’re talking about a 1 of 1 generational player. Other countries with supposedly better systems (England, Germany, …) don’t exactly have players like her either. Players like this are so rare it’s hard to say how much is just raw talent vs the system. If it’s all the system then we’d be seeing a lot more of these types of players coming from those but they are still so rare it has to be something more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyoJ1A9JHUs

Watched her play and she is incredible. I do not think she would be playing if she was in the US system.

Speaks English so probably would have done fine in US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a bit of a leap to say she wouldn’t have emerged from the US system. You’re talking about a 1 of 1 generational player. Other countries with supposedly better systems (England, Germany, …) don’t exactly have players like her either. Players like this are so rare it’s hard to say how much is just raw talent vs the system. If it’s all the system then we’d be seeing a lot more of these types of players coming from those but they are still so rare it has to be something more.

Nope, I don’t think so. The US selects NT players based on a set of skills/qualities that differ from the rest of the world. Listing a few of these here:
a selected player
- plays from a team from CA/TX
- is picked by the club coach to ID camp.
- the player who has been sent to ID camp since he/she was 14yo, selected by the club coach
- the player whose daddy built a turf field in their back yard, homeschooling to spend the full day practicing
- the player who moves teams because the new club TD has connections with USN folks
- etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a bit of a leap to say she wouldn’t have emerged from the US system. You’re talking about a 1 of 1 generational player. Other countries with supposedly better systems (England, Germany, …) don’t exactly have players like her either. Players like this are so rare it’s hard to say how much is just raw talent vs the system. If it’s all the system then we’d be seeing a lot more of these types of players coming from those but they are still so rare it has to be something more.

Nope, I don’t think so. The US selects NT players based on a set of skills/qualities that differ from the rest of the world. Listing a few of these here:
a selected player
- plays from a team from CA/TX
- is picked by the club coach to ID camp.
- the player who has been sent to ID camp since he/she was 14yo, selected by the club coach
- the player whose daddy built a turf field in their back yard, homeschooling to spend the full day practicing
- the player who moves teams because the new club TD has connections with USN folks
- etc.

So you are also OP with some point to prove?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a bit of a leap to say she wouldn’t have emerged from the US system. You’re talking about a 1 of 1 generational player. Other countries with supposedly better systems (England, Germany, …) don’t exactly have players like her either. Players like this are so rare it’s hard to say how much is just raw talent vs the system. If it’s all the system then we’d be seeing a lot more of these types of players coming from those but they are still so rare it has to be something more.

Nope, I don’t think so. The US selects NT players based on a set of skills/qualities that differ from the rest of the world. Listing a few of these here:
a selected player
- plays from a team from CA/TX
- is picked by the club coach to ID camp.
- the player who has been sent to ID camp since he/she was 14yo, selected by the club coach
- the player whose daddy built a turf field in their back yard, homeschooling to spend the full day practicing
- the player who moves teams because the new club TD has connections with USN folks
- etc.

Bitter much? If a player in the US is really good they should move to Europe like Christian Pulisic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a bit of a leap to say she wouldn’t have emerged from the US system. You’re talking about a 1 of 1 generational player. Other countries with supposedly better systems (England, Germany, …) don’t exactly have players like her either. Players like this are so rare it’s hard to say how much is just raw talent vs the system. If it’s all the system then we’d be seeing a lot more of these types of players coming from those but they are still so rare it has to be something more.

Nope, I don’t think so. The US selects NT players based on a set of skills/qualities that differ from the rest of the world. Listing a few of these here:
a selected player
- plays from a team from CA/TX
- is picked by the club coach to ID camp.
- the player who has been sent to ID camp since he/she was 14yo, selected by the club coach
- the player whose daddy built a turf field in their back yard, homeschooling to spend the full day practicing
- the player who moves teams because the new club TD has connections with USN folks
- etc.

Bitter much? If a player in the US is really good they should move to Europe like Christian Pulisic.

The above poster is not outside the ball park with those categories. I agree with a lot of those points. We just played against a guest player, who is homeschooled by soccer crazy parents. The player guest plays all over the country and was incredible. Better than any player in NoVa at U13. The resources the parents have are significantly contributing to the abilities and interest the kid has.

It’s competitive at the elite level, a player like Aitana could easily get lost in our vast system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyoJ1A9JHUs

Watched her play and she is incredible. I do not think she would be playing if she was in the US system.

Why are you so bitter? She is the best female player in the world. Obviously she would be playing if she came through the US system.

[Anonymous]

This is her second in a row. Rodri won the male ballon dor. Also Spaniard. Kinda wild if you think about it. Explains a lot about both national teams winning so much (including the youth teams)

[Anonymous]

First, keep an eye on Barcenos. Same style of play, she is beautiful to watch.
Second, agree with poster on money and homeschooling. Starting at early age. Met some parents in CA (we are in DMV) who bought houses in Denver so kids could train at altitude. Not kidding.
Parents are psycho these days.

[Anonymous]

High IQ technical players need other high IQ technical players. Otherwise the speed of play drop as these players wait on the slower speed of play players. The US does not play this way so these type players would never reach their true potential. Look at Rose Lavelle.

Watch women Barca play. They play out of pressure with three passes. It is nearly impossible to pressure them. They play the beautiful game with class and confidence bordering on arrogance.

Now take four random USWNT starters and sub them for four Barca starters(same positions). The whole thing would break down because the USWNT would be too slow getting the ball off their feet.

[Anonymous]

+1000

[Anonymous]

Watched the Youtube clip - really, really fun and what a player.

Took a quick look on her wiki page - didn't know any background.

FWIW, she played with the boys when she was younger and then moved over to Barca's academy program. Was considering coming to the US for college but when Barca professionalized their women's program she stayed.

So, I don't know. Would she have developed in the same way here? Maybe. She's 26 and looks like a generational talent.

What makes certain athletes truly special is their "IQ" in their respective sport - their ability to know what's going to happen several steps ahead of everybody else - they might not be the biggest, fastest etc, but their understanding of the game more than makes up for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watched the Youtube clip - really, really fun and what a player.

Took a quick look on her wiki page - didn't know any background.

FWIW, she played with the boys when she was younger and then moved over to Barca's academy program. Was considering coming to the US for college but when Barca professionalized their women's program she stayed.

So, I don't know. Would she have developed in the same way here? Maybe. She's 26 and looks like a generational talent.

What makes certain athletes truly special is their "IQ" in their respective sport - their ability to know what's going to happen several steps ahead of everybody else - they might not be the biggest, fastest etc, but their understanding of the game more than makes up for that.

+1 Great take. She plays so freely and confidently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High IQ technical players need other high IQ technical players. Otherwise the speed of play drop as these players wait on the slower speed of play players. The US does not play this way so these type players would never reach their true potential. Look at Rose Lavelle.

Watch women Barca play. They play out of pressure with three passes. It is nearly impossible to pressure them. They play the beautiful game with class and confidence bordering on arrogance.

Now take four random USWNT starters and sub them for four Barca starters(same positions). The whole thing would break down because the USWNT would be too slow getting the ball off their feet.

Are you talking about the USWNT that just won the olympics gold medal? Wasn’t Spain loaded with Barca players in that tournament too? How did they not win?