Mediocre soccer players is what our country produces

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I'm a big fan of Tom Beyer and own his book. And I don't disagree with anything that he's said about the importance of very young kids developing their soccer skills. What I find interesting is how this same dynamic is not so much at play with other sports -- you rarely (if ever) hear anyone focusing on very young kids developing technical skills in basketball, baseball, or American football. In those sports, kids seems to be able to get away with just being good athletes who pick up technical abilities in those other sports later in childhood.

This seems to indicate that highly developed soccer skills really are uniquely difficult -- after all, using your feet rather than your hands is not natural for humans -- and that soccer really is the Beautiful Game and the most popular sport in the world for a reason.

That's one way to say that you don't have kids playing those sports

I'm a DP, but I agree with the PP. That's not to say that kids build skills in those other sports from a young age. However, there are athletes who take up sports like basketball and football as teens and are able to compete at high levels. These athletes tend to have specific physical attributes that are advantageous in the sport. You rarely, if ever, hear of a late-to-soccer athlete who is able to excel.

I am sure it depends on where you live but I'm sure you'd have to be a heck of an athlete to walk on to our girls high school basketball team. They've all been playing travel ball for years. And you can just see why...the later-to-sport kids don't have the same fluidity in movement as those that have been playing. It just isn't in their muscle memory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I'm a big fan of Tom Beyer and own his book. And I don't disagree with anything that he's said about the importance of very young kids developing their soccer skills. What I find interesting is how this same dynamic is not so much at play with other sports -- you rarely (if ever) hear anyone focusing on very young kids developing technical skills in basketball, baseball, or American football. In those sports, kids seems to be able to get away with just being good athletes who pick up technical abilities in those other sports later in childhood.

This seems to indicate that highly developed soccer skills really are uniquely difficult -- after all, using your feet rather than your hands is not natural for humans -- and that soccer really is the Beautiful Game and the most popular sport in the world for a reason.

That's one way to say that you don't have kids playing those sports

I'm a DP, but I agree with the PP. That's not to say that kids build skills in those other sports from a young age. However, there are athletes who take up sports like basketball and football as teens and are able to compete at high levels. These athletes tend to have specific physical attributes that are advantageous in the sport. You rarely, if ever, hear of a late-to-soccer athlete who is able to excel.

I am sure it depends on where you live but I'm sure you'd have to be a heck of an athlete to walk on to our girls high school basketball team. They've all been playing travel ball for years. And you can just see why...the later-to-sport kids don't have the same fluidity in movement as those that have been playing. It just isn't in their muscle memory

Here is a list of successful NBA players who started playing basketball in their teens or later.

https://fadeawayworld.net/10-nba-players-who-started-playing-basketball-late-dennis-rodman-began-playing-at-21-years-old

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I'm a big fan of Tom Beyer and own his book. And I don't disagree with anything that he's said about the importance of very young kids developing their soccer skills. What I find interesting is how this same dynamic is not so much at play with other sports -- you rarely (if ever) hear anyone focusing on very young kids developing technical skills in basketball, baseball, or American football. In those sports, kids seems to be able to get away with just being good athletes who pick up technical abilities in those other sports later in childhood.

This seems to indicate that highly developed soccer skills really are uniquely difficult -- after all, using your feet rather than your hands is not natural for humans -- and that soccer really is the Beautiful Game and the most popular sport in the world for a reason.

That's one way to say that you don't have kids playing those sports

I'm a DP, but I agree with the PP. That's not to say that kids build skills in those other sports from a young age. However, there are athletes who take up sports like basketball and football as teens and are able to compete at high levels. These athletes tend to have specific physical attributes that are advantageous in the sport. You rarely, if ever, hear of a late-to-soccer athlete who is able to excel.

I am sure it depends on where you live but I'm sure you'd have to be a heck of an athlete to walk on to our girls high school basketball team. They've all been playing travel ball for years. And you can just see why...the later-to-sport kids don't have the same fluidity in movement as those that have been playing. It just isn't in their muscle memory

Here is a list of successful NBA players who started playing basketball in their teens or later.

https://fadeawayworld.net/10-nba-players-who-started-playing-basketball-late-dennis-rodman-began-playing-at-21-years-old

Those players only started organized playing at that age. It doesn't mean they hadn't picked up a basketball before. Many were born and living outside the US where there probably weren't many places for organized basketball. But they were likely watching on TV and playing on playgrounds often. Still, these are outliers and one in ten million world class athletes. I'm not sure their examples translate to ordinary youth soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I agree that the technical development is truly lacking. Most coaches think speed will make up for what a player lacks in footskills which is a fundamentally flawed way of thinking. But Japan will only get so far with that focus. Don't get me wrong, I think Japan has come a long way but they won't measure up to the caliber of a country like BRA, ARG, FRA, ENG or similar using that oh so Japanese mentality.

[Anonymous]

Alex Morgan and Matt Turner started organized soccer in their teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alex Morgan and Matt Turner started organized soccer in their teens.

True for Matt Turner, although he is a goalie. Not true for Alex Morgan - she played soccer from the age of 5, just not club soccer.

[Anonymous]

Who cares?

Not like one makes money from soccer.

Tennis
Baseball
Football
Golf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

Do we have mega-stars in every sport played internationally?

In sports that we care about? Yes

Care is irrelevant, no your logic and theory is flawed to put it mildly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is what it is. Soccer is not a top tier sport in this country. It’s not in the culture like football or basketball or even baseball. Unless you could change the culture it will never be on par with the rest of the world. The truly top players aspiring to play outside this country tells all you need to know

American football is a dying sport -- fewer and fewer parents want to sign their children up for brain damage.

That leaves basketball (a winter sport, mainly) and baseball.

Far more kids play soccer (2.2M in 2021) than American football (677K); although yes basketball (4.2M) and baseball (3.7M) are the most popular.

Seems to me that soccer has made it into the "top tier" of American sports at this point and is firmly part of the culture of America. America will continue to steadily improve on the world soccer stage.

https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/participation-trends

Those numbers are for organized play, not for cultural awareness and popularity. To say that any sport in this country is more popular than American football is crazy. The NFL makes more than all the others combined. College football generates huge revenues and helps fund all the other college sports (like soccer). Follow the money, people. There are far, far more kids on school playgrounds in this country playing American football and basketball than other sports. Kids know and follow these athletes. They want to be them. It's not even close. It doesn't mean these sports are better. They are just part of the US culture. There are enough people in the country to have lots of sports but not all can be top tier

Anyone saying there are more kids in America playing Tackle Football than Soccer better provide some evidence to overrule our eyes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I agree that the technical development is truly lacking. Most coaches think speed will make up for what a player lacks in footskills which is a fundamentally flawed way of thinking. But Japan will only get so far with that focus. Don't get me wrong, I think Japan has come a long way but they won't measure up to the caliber of a country like BRA, ARG, FRA, ENG or similar using that oh so Japanese mentality.

Are you taking recent results of Japan teams into consideration?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is what it is. Soccer is not a top tier sport in this country. It’s not in the culture like football or basketball or even baseball. Unless you could change the culture it will never be on par with the rest of the world. The truly top players aspiring to play outside this country tells all you need to know

American football is a dying sport -- fewer and fewer parents want to sign their children up for brain damage.

That leaves basketball (a winter sport, mainly) and baseball.

Far more kids play soccer (2.2M in 2021) than American football (677K); although yes basketball (4.2M) and baseball (3.7M) are the most popular.

Seems to me that soccer has made it into the "top tier" of American sports at this point and is firmly part of the culture of America. America will continue to steadily improve on the world soccer stage.

https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/participation-trends

Those numbers are for organized play, not for cultural awareness and popularity. To say that any sport in this country is more popular than American football is crazy. The NFL makes more than all the others combined. College football generates huge revenues and helps fund all the other college sports (like soccer). Follow the money, people. There are far, far more kids on school playgrounds in this country playing American football and basketball than other sports. Kids know and follow these athletes. They want to be them. It's not even close. It doesn't mean these sports are better. They are just part of the US culture. There are enough people in the country to have lots of sports but not all can be top tier

Anyone saying there are more kids in America playing Tackle Football than Soccer better provide some evidence to overrule our eyes

There aren’t more kids playing organized football than organized soccer. But way more kids follow it and watch it and understand it and play it informally than soccer. High school football games are big, celebrated events. Soccer is barely attended. Yes, football is way more popular and part of the culture like soccer is abroad. Popularity absolutely translates into the development of players and coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, OP. My son doesn't play MLS Next but the few friends he has who do are pretty damn good.

I use to think this way till “our” went to Spain. OMG we got destroyed by what would be considered the 3rd and 4th teams. They pretty damn good but there are many levels up the top leagues in the US youth travel.

I am the OP. The person who posted about Spain is correct. Our boys look "pretty damn good" based on our standards and the skill level we have here. But it is all relative. Once we get out to the real world of soccer our boys have no chance and while they may look "damn pretty good" here, overseas they are mediocre players.

Most parents who influence the system (and thereby ruining it) just want their kid to play college and that is all. So they hinder or close the door of opportunity of a talented soccer player (with perhaps no financial means to pay club soccer) and hence he is not seen by coaches and/or scouts.

Plus, many club directors are mostly made up of former college players who have not seen what or how a professional team on an international level club is run or plays.

Please refrain from making silly comments about my post and thanks to those who have replied with a cool head and good info. My post is meant to help us produce better soccer players who can make us look good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is what it is. Soccer is not a top tier sport in this country. It’s not in the culture like football or basketball or even baseball. Unless you could change the culture it will never be on par with the rest of the world. The truly top players aspiring to play outside this country tells all you need to know

American football is a dying sport -- fewer and fewer parents want to sign their children up for brain damage.

That leaves basketball (a winter sport, mainly) and baseball.

Far more kids play soccer (2.2M in 2021) than American football (677K); although yes basketball (4.2M) and baseball (3.7M) are the most popular.

Seems to me that soccer has made it into the "top tier" of American sports at this point and is firmly part of the culture of America. America will continue to steadily improve on the world soccer stage.

https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/participation-trends

Those numbers are for organized play, not for cultural awareness and popularity. To say that any sport in this country is more popular than American football is crazy. The NFL makes more than all the others combined. College football generates huge revenues and helps fund all the other college sports (like soccer). Follow the money, people. There are far, far more kids on school playgrounds in this country playing American football and basketball than other sports. Kids know and follow these athletes. They want to be them. It's not even close. It doesn't mean these sports are better. They are just part of the US culture. There are enough people in the country to have lots of sports but not all can be top tier

Anyone saying there are more kids in America playing Tackle Football than Soccer better provide some evidence to overrule our eyes

There aren’t more kids playing organized football than organized soccer. But way more kids follow it and watch it and understand it and play it informally than soccer. High school football games are big, celebrated events. Soccer is barely attended. Yes, football is way more popular and part of the culture like soccer is abroad. Popularity absolutely translates into the development of players and coaches.

American Football is becoming analogous to the Roman gladiator "sports" or perhaps boxing -- sure, crowds of people might watch it, and even "understand" the game, but very few are playing it or have any interest in doing so. I don't think "mass spectator appeal" is what drives development of good players or cultural importance of a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is what it is. Soccer is not a top tier sport in this country. It’s not in the culture like football or basketball or even baseball. Unless you could change the culture it will never be on par with the rest of the world. The truly top players aspiring to play outside this country tells all you need to know

American football is a dying sport -- fewer and fewer parents want to sign their children up for brain damage.

That leaves basketball (a winter sport, mainly) and baseball.

Far more kids play soccer (2.2M in 2021) than American football (677K); although yes basketball (4.2M) and baseball (3.7M) are the most popular.

Seems to me that soccer has made it into the "top tier" of American sports at this point and is firmly part of the culture of America. America will continue to steadily improve on the world soccer stage.

https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/participation-trends

Those numbers are for organized play, not for cultural awareness and popularity. To say that any sport in this country is more popular than American football is crazy. The NFL makes more than all the others combined. College football generates huge revenues and helps fund all the other college sports (like soccer). Follow the money, people. There are far, far more kids on school playgrounds in this country playing American football and basketball than other sports. Kids know and follow these athletes. They want to be them. It's not even close. It doesn't mean these sports are better. They are just part of the US culture. There are enough people in the country to have lots of sports but not all can be top tier

Anyone saying there are more kids in America playing Tackle Football than Soccer better provide some evidence to overrule our eyes

There aren’t more kids playing organized football than organized soccer. But way more kids follow it and watch it and understand it and play it informally than soccer. High school football games are big, celebrated events. Soccer is barely attended. Yes, football is way more popular and part of the culture like soccer is abroad. Popularity absolutely translates into the development of players and coaches.

Actually, football culture here is nothing compared to soccer culture elsewhere
Basketball may be closer.

>The toad who lives is a well only knows a piece of the sky<

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:our population is almost 10x that of most European countries that are soccer powerhouses. So if they have 1 mega-star (Messi, Mbappe, Klose, Ronaldo, Bellingham, Haaland etc.) per 30M people, the law of averages would mean that we should have 10 mega-stars, i don't think our best player(s) crack the top 100 in the world right now.

So something is severely broken in the transition between youth and men's soccer in the US.

The problem starts at grass-youth soccer.
Coaches not knowledgeable or properly certified or doing ongoing education in youth development.
Parents not knowledgeable, don't really care, didn't come from soccer culture.
Kids don't know what they don't know.
Terms like 'elite' acceptedly misused and abused
Parents with money and corporate influence but dunce to high level soccer calling the shots
Clubs happily accepting mediocre as long as the right pockets get lined. Repeat for the next batch

By the time physicality is no longer an advantage and tactics/philosophies get complicated, the gap widens between us and elsewhere.
One or two diamonds will always make it out of the coal-mine

The lack of soccer culture really is a huge issue. many kids don't watch professional soccer to see how it's supposed to be done, or the level of creativity brought to the game by elite players. The lack field awareness and game IQ because they've not seen it done or have no one to emulate. I'd compare it to a chef who specializes in French cuisine and cooks straight from a cookbook but has never lived in or immersed himself in the culture to taste/grow up with the food. Sure, you can follow the recipe and the steps but there'd be a level of authenticity missing. That's US soccer. It's textbook, boring and lacks panache.

I've heard Tom Byer, an American who has been working for decades in Japan to promote and develop soccer there, talk about his philosophy of "soccer begins at home" and how Japan, a country without a soccer culture, has succeeded in developing technically proficient competitive players on both the men's and women's sides. His perspective is interesting, but the main takeaway is that kids need to develop technical skills from a young age outside of competitive situations. American soccer, which prioritizes speed and strength and focuses on competition and outcomes, devalues technical development and skill acquisition that should be prioritized in young players.

https://www.socceramerica.com/tom-byer-on-the-intriguing-comparisons-between-us/

I'm a big fan of Tom Beyer and own his book. And I don't disagree with anything that he's said about the importance of very young kids developing their soccer skills. What I find interesting is how this same dynamic is not so much at play with other sports -- you rarely (if ever) hear anyone focusing on very young kids developing technical skills in basketball, baseball, or American football. In those sports, kids seems to be able to get away with just being good athletes who pick up technical abilities in those other sports later in childhood.

This seems to indicate that highly developed soccer skills really are uniquely difficult -- after all, using your feet rather than your hands is not natural for humans -- and that soccer really is the Beautiful Game and the most popular sport in the world for a reason.

That's one way to say that you don't have kids playing those sports

I actually do have kids playing those other sports, and I've played them myself. And sure, it's a matter of degree -- I'm not saying there are zero technical skills in other sports, of course. But, while there is no DCUM "American Football" or "Basketball" or "Baseball" forum where I can drop in to compare (what does that say about the culture of soccer, btw?), I don't hear the same level of discussion about "technical skills" needing to be developed at very young ages in those other sports. It seems that being a good athlete with good coordination, speed, and strength is often enough to permit a kid to start playing these other sports at 10 years old and to quickly catch up. Among the major sports, technical skills in soccer seem to be more difficult and require a much earlier start. Just my view.