Spain against almost any country in the world they would be superior |
| US can and likely will perform well on global stage but the way we play is going to hurt us…other countries are catching up and passing us. It would be nice to see us play quality soccer but that may be a pipe dream… |
| Good grief the u20s looked horrible against Korea. Watching it reminded me of how the ecnl coaches foamed at the mouth over bull dozer like players with no touch or finesse. Couldn’t make a great touch or pass of life depends on it. Powers that be really needs to change how they go about this. I guarantee you I can find 14-15 college club players and put a team together that would destroy what I saw play Korea… |
College soccer is not high level soccer. It is amateur part-time soccer. It stifles development. The training is poor, the competitive level of college games are crap shoots and the coaching is prehistoric for the most part. Really good American college players(all conference, etc) would be a bench player in Europe 2nd and 3rd division. The major European league’s(Liga F, super league, etc) 3rd division teams would win the women NCAA tournament. The gap is that big and growing. On the men’s side it is even larger. People were all upset with the USWNT in the last World Cup. That team was better and would have beaten the 2019 or 2015 teams. The players were better(speed, athleticism, even skill, etc). They maximize the formula that won them the last World Cup- athleticism, huge pool of players and physicality. It’s a style of play that works if you have the best athletes. If you run in to teams with equal athleticism the teams with the higher skill(including coaches skills) will win. The game has changed. It evolves. Look at the best clubs teams men’s or women’s. Their style of play is nothing like the USWNT. That style of play will make you competitive(specially with our region) but the athleticism and size advantage will not be there in the knockout rounds. Let’s see if Emma Hayes can change things? This is the first world class coach for USNT team(men and women). |
Imagine focusing on letting your players develop rather than focusing on winning to all ends. Especially winning by thrashing a team when you’re already clearly playing down. What a novel concept! The US no comprende. |
How much better are the varsity ncaa teams than their club counterparts? It sounds like it might be closer than we all think? Would love some insight. |
| I’ve watched both club and varsity college soccer closely over last 3 years. The quality of club soccer at their national tournament surprised me. I would say the top 8-16 teams nationally would compete against bottom half power 5 or now power 4 conferences and top half of remaining d1 conferences. Now considering these club woman only play part time and lack year round coaching or training programs I would say that is rather stunning. That’s why I say from the pool I could identify 14-15 girls that if they trained like professionals they would be truly elite…I have found college coaches are lazy with their scouting with most relying on ecnl coaches to do their work. That’s not entirely horrible but it does produce low quality product. It is fascinating to note that college teams bringing in international players more and more is something to watch and is rather telling…watch how Iowa state plays for example… |
| Now that we are all educated on the flaws of the US soccer program we can watch tonight more informed. I’ll be look at mid play focusing on possession and whether or not we can execute quality passes or will we just send long balls down the wing and go chase…only to be thwarted by a solid defense |
Why wait. Just watch this game. https://youtu.be/6-VCmdDsoqM?si=EWyWWTzuwGI06kJ4 |
College soccer coaches have no pressure to win. As a college soccer coach you hang around for decades with a losing record. |
| Women still get recruited from colleges to pro teams so still worth it imo if the player wasn't picked up by a pro team before college. It can't hurt. |
The ACC is excellent and there are excellent players in many of the conferences. If your daughter isn't being recruited by a high level school, getting money and having a real chance of playing in Florida State vs. Stanford game as an example then it doesn't matter anyway. The people on this strand ripping on the college coaches and games don't have kids that can play at that level. Look at the roster of the US women the other night. MOST of the team were college players including the young and new additions. The really young players are a rare exception like the Netherlands girl...she developed at AJAX, at a real club that has the infrastructure and resources to develop these players. Going pro and skipping college HERE TODAY rarely makes sense with our current structure and support for these girls. Hopefully the clubs will continue to grow and create an environment for younger players. The first two draft picks for the SPIRIT graduated from college. They are both excellent players and they have both been called up to National camp. The system we have today if far from where it could be, but it still works. |
Yes! It's not all gloom and doom. US women's team has been going through what all accomplished teams go through - players age, get complicit, coaching stagnates. There has been an influx of very good, young players and a new coach that has brought a revived energy. This summer is really the first glimpse we'll get of the new era. Give the coach and the new players a couple years to get comfortable with each other and we could be looking at another run for a great team. The entire system doesn't need to be scrapped. Just needed to change out from the old guard. No country's team stays dominant forever it goes in cycles. |
I have seen too many college soccer games with the “top” teams playing to believe you over my own eyes. I have had to watch the ACC tournament, Big East, Pac10, SEC, etc and tournament for work for years. College is the continuation of ECNL and it is horrible. The speed of play way too slow, the talent on the field is spotty and inconsistent, the players lack technical skill, etc. I have watched high level women’s soccer in Europe and two days later watch the “best” in college teams play each other. It is shocking how slow the college game is. It does not prepare you for a pro league. I am tired of people like you think college soccer is high level. It is not. It is a part time amateur league and does not prepare anyone for the professional leagues. Even for the NWSL.
https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2024/4/15/womens-soccer-probability-of-competing-beyond-high-school.aspx#:~:text=NWSL%20draft%20data%20from%202023,47%20%2F%206%2C658%20%3D%200.7%25). Remember on average 3/4 of those drafted will be out of the league in 3 years. When you ask those players what is different between college and the pros it is always about the technical skill and speed of play. You can not have a bad touch. |
Well I have no idea what work you are doing nor will I judge your eyes and your opinion...but I will say the US has spit out great player even if it is by accident. The perfect example is Trinity Rodman and Korbin Albert. Trinity Rodman is a gifted athlete playing soccer who is technically weak because she skipped everything and jumped into the "pros" which was a weak league at the time, but keeps getting stronger and stronger as she gets older and matures so she has great value and will keep getting more technical, she will run by and run over any european player and get crosses/service though she has a long way to go to be a goal scorer...Korbin Albert is technically one of the best players to come up through the system in a long time and her feet and skills are on display on the national team and in europe. You say the college game stinks, but there were plenty of women playing the other night that were pulled from those crappy games that looked excellent. We have the talent here. We will contend if not win the next world cup despite what your eyes are seeing. We sent the worst/old/political team to the world cup the last round and lost is a shoot out. Saying the world has caught us and will pass us by because of the ECNL and College soccer is a total overreaction in my view. But again, I respect your opinion. |