Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else concerned about the future of youth soccer in our country? With DA and all these other money grubbing leagues you think we could field teams that can compete. Our first time failing to qualify since 1986!

Very few of the starters on the men's roster for the qualifiers spent time in the DA program, which didn't start until 2007. If you want to judge the DA or the current state of youth soccer in the US, it makes a lot more sense to look at performances of the U17 and U20 teams. The U20 men made it to the quarterfinals in the U20 World Cup this summer, and the U17s are currently leading their group in the opening stages of the World Cup in India.

You are relatively new to this game, aren't you?

Here is the problem, we still don't have coaches properly trained to develop players. We still don't have coaches that can properly identify and train players. STILL!! In 2017!! We have complete arrogance that we can do it better than countries that have been dominating for a century.

"Skill". What is 'skill' to an American? A kid that has some fancy footwork. He/she can do some cruyffs, feints, beckenbauers, etc. Fast too? Automatic first team! DA prospect! We are so clueless.

European coaches aren't focused on those limited things. I have spent a lot of time abroad. I have had the opportunity to ask 'why did you pick that player over the kid over there that has amazing ball skill?"

Answer: That's all he has. He has no vision. He has no idea when or where to pass and when to dribble. His mind is slow. He has no movement or creativity off the ball. His first touch is messy.

Are ANY of those things even selected for in your typical US scrimmage-based tryout? We look at 'result'. We don't look at potential. Oh that kid over there scored a bunch and was aggressive---he's the one. Not the player building the attack, moving, knowing where and when to feed the ball. The kid with the mind. Nope, no way. We also look at the kid for physical attributes before the kid has even hit puberty and the rest of the kids are thrown in the dust bin. Iceland couldn't afford to do that, so they developed everyone. Look where they are in relation to us on the World stage.

I have been frustrated by the amount of young Messi wannabes in this country that dribble the ball into the ground year after year and are lauded as superstars. They can't read or penetrate with a pass. They don't use their team. We have a bunch of individuals kicking the ball down the field or trying to do it all themselves. Unimaginative play. Slow minds. Zero soccer IQ.

We are so.far.behind. The parents so gunning for A team at age 7 and the BEST league, BEST team, BEST record are clueless. It is 99.9% of US soccer parents and coaches.

You can teach your kid shitty American style. Pump him up in the weight room. Put him on the track. He will do well in College. BUT--we need to realize we are playing an entirely different sport than "futbol' in this Country. We either recognize that and ignore it or we actually do something instead of carrying the chip that Americans can do it better and putting up excuse after excuse of why we can't succeed in the sport. 323 million people. You can't tell me the guys (minus Pulisic) are the best in America at that age. Do you know how politicized the system is at the earliest ages???? DA is part of that politicized, closed system. We are still going to be having the same tired conversation 20 years from now.

Whew. Fewer soccer “fan” poseurs will be visible now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else concerned about the future of youth soccer in our country? With DA and all these other money grubbing leagues you think we could field teams that can compete. Our first time failing to qualify since 1986!

Very few of the starters on the men's roster for the qualifiers spent time in the DA program, which didn't start until 2007. If you want to judge the DA or the current state of youth soccer in the US, it makes a lot more sense to look at performances of the U17 and U20 teams. The U20 men made it to the quarterfinals in the U20 World Cup this summer, and the U17s are currently leading their group in the opening stages of the World Cup in India.

You are relatively new to this game, aren't you?

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else concerned about the future of youth soccer in our country? With DA and all these other money grubbing leagues you think we could field teams that can compete. Our first time failing to qualify since 1986!

Very few of the starters on the men's roster for the qualifiers spent time in the DA program, which didn't start until 2007. If you want to judge the DA or the current state of youth soccer in the US, it makes a lot more sense to look at performances of the U17 and U20 teams. The U20 men made it to the quarterfinals in the U20 World Cup this summer, and the U17s are currently leading their group in the opening stages of the World Cup in India.

Well, the US teams that recruit physically large players and play 'physical kick and run win at all costs' soccer from a young age are useless and a complete waste of your money in a developmental sense.
If you're all about short term 'beating up on other teams for your own pleasure' then keep spending your money and time that way , sure. But with this style of play our national team is going to keep getting its butt kicked by the world.

Politics unfortunately occur in every youth sport, hopefully this embarrassment will bring change to our program.

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel bad for them, those guys will still outearn our women's team even though our women are actually good.

Our women will be eclipsed in the sport over the next decade. They play the same shitty physical style as our men. They just starting playing much earlier than the rest of women around the World. The Olympics loss was the shot across the bow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel bad for them, those guys will still outearn our women's team even though our women are actually good.

Not without World Cup bonuses, they won't. Women's pay structure includes salaries -- by their own insistence, and with good reason, given the lack of money in women's club soccer. These guys aren't getting squat over the next 18 months.

They should pay back whatever they were paid, but didn't earn, over the last year.

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel bad for them, those guys will still outearn our women's team even though our women are actually good.

Not without World Cup bonuses, they won't. Women's pay structure includes salaries -- by their own insistence, and with good reason, given the lack of money in women's club soccer. These guys aren't getting squat over the next 18 months.

Issue is with youth development we are not selecting best players it's still so political and favors the kids with money.

Anonymous wrote:It has been in trouble.
US population 323 million
vs
Panama population 4 million
Costa Rica less than 5 million
Honduras around 9 million
Those countries are all going to the World Cup.
The US just lost to Trinidad and Tobago, population 1.3 million Or 1/250 the population.

Iceland, with a population of 300,000, is going to the World Cup, too. And actually advanced out of the group stages of Euro 2016. We are without excuse. It's totally embarrassing.

I don't feel bad for them, those guys will still outearn our women's team even though our women are actually good.

My son feels sad. Thank god Argentina is in so he can still enjoy Messi's magical performance.

It has been in trouble.
US population 323 million
vs
Panama population 4 million
Costa Rica less than 5 million
Honduras around 9 million
Those countries are all going to the World Cup.
The US just lost to Trinidad and Tobago, population 1.3 million Or 1/250 the population.

Is anyone else concerned about the future of youth soccer in our country? With DA and all these other money grubbing leagues you think we could field teams that can compete. Our first time failing to qualify since 1986!