Mediocre soccer players is what our country produces

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

The USA came 4th in last years World Basketball Championship and the last 5 NBA MVP's are European
1/5 the NBA rosters are European

European academies have been using best practices of American basketball along with their own philosophy for years. That's how they closed the gap.

You obviously don't follow baseball over decades to not realize the vast numbers of players that come from other countries

No country is interested in playing CTE football but us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

The USA came 4th in last years World Basketball Championship and the last 5 NBA MVP's are European
1/5 the NBA rosters are European

European academies have been using best practices of American basketball along with their own philosophy for years. That's how they closed the gap.

You obviously don't follow baseball over decades to not realize the vast numbers of players that come from other countries

No country is interested in playing CTE football but us

But you’re just making my point. The Europeans leave Europe to play basketball in the US because it’s the best league. And it will remain that way. NBA will be where the world’s best go to play basketball. The rest of the world is a feeder system. We are a feeder system for world soccer.

World basketball championship? The best US players don’t play in that. Watch the olympics this year and see what happens when the best players do go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

The USA came 4th in last years World Basketball Championship and the last 5 NBA MVP's are European
1/5 the NBA rosters are European

European academies have been using best practices of American basketball along with their own philosophy for years. That's how they closed the gap.

You obviously don't follow baseball over decades to not realize the vast numbers of players that come from other countries

No country is interested in playing CTE football but us

But you’re just making my point. The Europeans leave Europe to play basketball in the US because it’s the best league. And it will remain that way. NBA will be where the world’s best go to play basketball. The rest of the world is a feeder system. We are a feeder system for world soccer.

World basketball championship? The best US players don’t play in that. Watch the olympics this year and see what happens when the best players do go.

Why is 1/5th the NBA from Europe if we're so dominant?
There shouldn't be room for so many from outside if we're the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

The USA came 4th in last years World Basketball Championship and the last 5 NBA MVP's are European
1/5 the NBA rosters are European

European academies have been using best practices of American basketball along with their own philosophy for years. That's how they closed the gap.

You obviously don't follow baseball over decades to not realize the vast numbers of players that come from other countries

No country is interested in playing CTE football but us

But you’re just making my point. The Europeans leave Europe to play basketball in the US because it’s the best league. And it will remain that way. NBA will be where the world’s best go to play basketball. The rest of the world is a feeder system. We are a feeder system for world soccer.

World basketball championship? The best US players don’t play in that. Watch the olympics this year and see what happens when the best players do go.

Why is 1/5th the NBA from Europe if we're so dominant?
There shouldn't be room for so many from outside if we're the best.

Right, not to mention, US had only 1 player make 1st team all-NBA — just like last year. I don’t know why these posters who clearly haven’t followed basketball since the 90s think the basketball to soccer comparisons make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why ever compare America to Europe or South America when it comes to soccer talent? Soccer in America is its 4th most popular team sport at best. Probably 5th. We have some diamonds in the rough, but they need more than we can give them. Some lucky few make it to Europe and put the work in, but none of them are "world class".

Nobody talks about how Europe can “catch up” to the US and develop their own football/basketball/baseball leagues that will compete with the US teams. Sure, they may produce a few good players who then move to play in the US leagues because it’s the top. Why then would soccer work any differently in reverse?

The USA came 4th in last years World Basketball Championship and the last 5 NBA MVP's are European
1/5 the NBA rosters are European

European academies have been using best practices of American basketball along with their own philosophy for years. That's how they closed the gap.

You obviously don't follow baseball over decades to not realize the vast numbers of players that come from other countries

No country is interested in playing CTE football but us

But you’re just making my point. The Europeans leave Europe to play basketball in the US because it’s the best league. And it will remain that way. NBA will be where the world’s best go to play basketball. The rest of the world is a feeder system. We are a feeder system for world soccer.

World basketball championship? The best US players don’t play in that. Watch the olympics this year and see what happens when the best players do go.

Why is 1/5th the NBA from Europe if we're so dominant?
There shouldn't be room for so many from outside if we're the best.

Didn’t say all the US players were the best. I’m saying the US league is the best and dominant because basketball is part of the US culture and people watch it.

European basketball leagues are like MLS. Small audiences, small dollars, the best players go abroad.

More than 1/5 of those playing in European soccer leagues are not from Europe.

[Anonymous]

All agree that Europe has the best player development system. Maybe instead of trying to make US Soccer work like Europe, we should figure out a way have the best US prospects train in Europe. Form partnerships with their pro academies, provide financial assistance, sponsorships. If the goal is to have a competitive national team, we don't need to develop all the players here, they just need to be born here. Just like the best from South America and Africa develop in Europe but then play for their home country in world cup. Like the way kids come from all over the world to attend US colleges to get an education and then return to their country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All agree that Europe has the best player development system. Maybe instead of trying to make US Soccer work like Europe, we should figure out a way have the best US prospects train in Europe. Form partnerships with their pro academies, provide financial assistance, sponsorships. If the goal is to have a competitive national team, we don't need to develop all the players here, they just need to be born here. Just like the best from South America and Africa develop in Europe but then play for their home country in world cup. Like the way kids come from all over the world to attend US colleges to get an education and then return to their country.

THIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All agree that Europe has the best player development system. Maybe instead of trying to make US Soccer work like Europe, we should figure out a way have the best US prospects train in Europe. Form partnerships with their pro academies, provide financial assistance, sponsorships. If the goal is to have a competitive national team, we don't need to develop all the players here, they just need to be born here. Just like the best from South America and Africa develop in Europe but then play for their home country in world cup. Like the way kids come from all over the world to attend US colleges to get an education and then return to their country.

Kids from South America and Africa can't go to Europe to develop before 18 years old.
Nor do they need to.

They are developing fine in their countries from U6 to U18
After that, it's about performance.

[Anonymous]

100% agree with OP and this is why it is such a a joke to me that so many American parents drop big $$$ "developing" their kids into soccer players when the whole system is rigged to separate competitive UC/UMC parents from their money and has little to nothing to do with actually developing elite players.

Most parents are completely deluded on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All agree that Europe has the best player development system. Maybe instead of trying to make US Soccer work like Europe, we should figure out a way have the best US prospects train in Europe. Form partnerships with their pro academies, provide financial assistance, sponsorships. If the goal is to have a competitive national team, we don't need to develop all the players here, they just need to be born here. Just like the best from South America and Africa develop in Europe but then play for their home country in world cup. Like the way kids come from all over the world to attend US colleges to get an education and then return to their country.

Kids from South America and Africa can't go to Europe to develop before 18 years old.
Nor do they need to.

They are developing fine in their countries from U6 to U18
After that, it's about performance.

+1, the issue is that Americans have made soccer into an expensive, private, club sport. One of the reasons soccer is so popular elsewhere in the world is that it is cheap to play, which allows talented kids from any background to join leagues, get noticed, and then get recruited into development leagues where the costs to the player and family stay low (because the leagues all have sponsors). This is true in Africa and South America too, not just Europe. Developed players go to Europe at 17/18 to play professionally. But they generally do not need to move there as adolescents to become elite. Very strong development programs throughout the world.

American soccer doesn't care about developing the best players. It cares about making money from soccer families, the end. It's a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All agree that Europe has the best player development system. Maybe instead of trying to make US Soccer work like Europe, we should figure out a way have the best US prospects train in Europe. Form partnerships with their pro academies, provide financial assistance, sponsorships. If the goal is to have a competitive national team, we don't need to develop all the players here, they just need to be born here. Just like the best from South America and Africa develop in Europe but then play for their home country in world cup. Like the way kids come from all over the world to attend US colleges to get an education and then return to their country.

Kids from South America and Africa can't go to Europe to develop before 18 years old.
Nor do they need to.

They are developing fine in their countries from U6 to U18
After that, it's about performance.

+1, the issue is that Americans have made soccer into an expensive, private, club sport. One of the reasons soccer is so popular elsewhere in the world is that it is cheap to play, which allows talented kids from any background to join leagues, get noticed, and then get recruited into development leagues where the costs to the player and family stay low (because the leagues all have sponsors). This is true in Africa and South America too, not just Europe. Developed players go to Europe at 17/18 to play professionally. But they generally do not need to move there as adolescents to become elite. Very strong development programs throughout the world.

American soccer doesn't care about developing the best players. It cares about making money from soccer families, the end. It's a joke.

Local clubs/teams/coaches don't have what it takes to develop high tier players under current conditions
Parents/kids who put in the work effort and extra diligence outside their clubs are the only ones who have a chance to be truly elite.

If professional soccer doesn't work out, that discipline and work ethic pays off in other careers.