Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

Please stop with this tired narrative. Exactly what Argentinian did you see last night that would be a NBA Point Guard or NFL Linebacker, or overweight MLB pitcher? I can't even believe that this is brought up after watching Messi last night. The smallest guy on the field kicked our ass and we think it is because our NBA point guards aren't playing soccer.
Soccer requires more skill and training of those skills than most sports do, not just size and speed. If we don't change our "I can teach soccer skills but I can't teach size and speed", football mentality we will never improve.

Can't agree more.

The point is that top athletes have a variety of options open to them- more so than most other countries' athletes- and soccer is towards the bottom of the heap when you look for long term potential, success and possibly going pro. Lots and lots of athletes choose between sports.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multi-sport_athletes#List_of_athletes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

Please stop with this tired narrative. Exactly what Argentinian did you see last night that would be a NBA Point Guard or NFL Linebacker, or overweight MLB pitcher? I can't even believe that this is brought up after watching Messi last night. The smallest guy on the field kicked our ass and we think it is because our NBA point guards aren't playing soccer.
Soccer requires more skill and training of those skills than most sports do, not just size and speed. If we don't change our "I can teach soccer skills but I can't teach size and speed", football mentality we will never improve.

Can't agree more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

Please stop with this tired narrative. Exactly what Argentinian did you see last night that would be a NBA Point Guard or NFL Linebacker, or overweight MLB pitcher? I can't even believe that this is brought up after watching Messi last night. The smallest guy on the field kicked our ass and we think it is because our NBA point guards aren't playing soccer.
Soccer requires more skill and training of those skills than most sports do, not just size and speed. If we don't change our "I can teach soccer skills but I can't teach size and speed", football mentality we will never improve.

+100,000,000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

The best athletes in our local area from 5-14 play soccer.

Much more physically fit, fast, etc than local baseball players. The slower, less athletic kids or overweight kids trend toward baseball.

Very few play hockey due to expense and convenience.

Most parents have steered away from tackle football due to head injuries--at least until HS.

There is a ton of untapped and wasted talent. Kids give up soccer later --once they realize it's going nowhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

Please stop with this tired narrative. Exactly what Argentinian did you see last night that would be a NBA Point Guard or NFL Linebacker, or overweight MLB pitcher? I can't even believe that this is brought up after watching Messi last night. The smallest guy on the field kicked our ass and we think it is because our NBA point guards aren't playing soccer.
Soccer requires more skill and training of those skills than most sports do, not just size and speed. If we don't change our "I can teach soccer skills but I can't teach size and speed", football mentality we will never improve.

Anonymous wrote:There is no hope for anything that equates to US and soccer. Other than the women's team which who knows how long that's going to last. As long As the rich kids and politiciAn of parents run youth soccer it's going to be shit for the future

It's not just that. It's that soccer is a distant 3rd or 4th behind other big youth sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey). As long as our most talented young athletes are siphoned off to those sports, US soccer will be playing with our 5th tier talent.

^^^

Klinsmann in an interview 6-years ago said it best. In every other country in the world, soccer is a working-class/low income sport with kids fighting to break out. The US has the pyramid upside down with parents paying for kids to play at the bottom for a college scholarship. Completely unlike the rest of the world.

He said it should be more like basketball in this country--where the technique and passion comes out of that lower environment. We ignore all of those kids. Completely. I see it my own County. I see better soccer played by kids that don't formally play rec, travel, etc at the park down the road. This is where my kids love to play because it is dynamic, fun and the kids make the rules. It's playground law fostering community and they learn from kids from many different nationalities....as opposed to the watered-down, white-bread environment with robotic practices at our home club. Boring. At the younger years, that boredom is stifling and a killer. 99.9% American parents have zero idea that what they are paying for is complete crap. It's appalling how bad some of these licensed coaches and Clubs are...truly.

There are three problems as I see it, preventing the US from having a world class soccer league.

1) Youth soccer - Unlike, say, gymnastics or tennis, we don't have a system that essentially pulls young players from school and focuses them on the sport 12 months a year. Europeans and south americans do- they look for talented young kids and train them for a decade or more on a full time schedule.

2) Season - Here, for college athletes or even MLS, the season is only a few months long and college athletes are actually forbidden from real training in the off season. Our global competition has them training and playing for many more months each year.

3) Competing sports- we just have so many primary sports- Basketball, baseball, football, ice hockey - most other countries may have one or possibly two other major sports. This siphons off many talented athletes to other games.

I have come to accept that soccer is a huge success in the US. More people of more ages play soccer every week than any other sport.

I don't see it moving forward as a professional sport in the US in my lifetime. We'll just keep watching better soccer played elsewhere. It's fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MLS has an article/"highlight" of Yedlin outracing Messi (http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/21/watch-lionel-messi-victimized-deandre-yedlins-speed-copa-semi). How embarrassing is that? Messi had a goal and 2 assists and probably could've had a lot more...but we'll take some pride in having a player that beat him in a foot race for a loose ball...And that is another reason why the MLS/US Soccer isn't very good -- too much focus on size/speed, not enough on skill and tactical understanding of the game.

To be fair, there weren't many other highlights in that game.

Also, one of the major factors in that game was Argentina's pressure. (In other words, speed, endurance and aggression.)

POSSESION.

Argentina's possession was the difference.

Americans focus on pure speed and size. Their players looked like high schoolers they way they couldn't keep control of the ball or in their possession.

The pp's analysis is typical of the average American.

Anonymous wrote:MLS has an article/"highlight" of Yedlin outracing Messi (http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/21/watch-lionel-messi-victimized-deandre-yedlins-speed-copa-semi). How embarrassing is that? Messi had a goal and 2 assists and probably could've had a lot more...but we'll take some pride in having a player that beat him in a foot race for a loose ball...And that is another reason why the MLS/US Soccer isn't very good -- too much focus on size/speed, not enough on skill and tactical understanding of the game.

To be fair, there weren't many other highlights in that game.

Also, one of the major factors in that game was Argentina's pressure. (In other words, speed, endurance and aggression.)

Anonymous wrote:MLS has an article/"highlight" of Yedlin outracing Messi (http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/21/watch-lionel-messi-victimized-deandre-yedlins-speed-copa-semi). How embarrassing is that? Messi had a goal and 2 assists and probably could've had a lot more...but we'll take some pride in having a player that beat him in a foot race for a loose ball...And that is another reason why the MLS/US Soccer isn't very good -- too much focus on size/speed, not enough on skill and tactical understanding of the game.

Messi made the US team look like a bunch of bitches.

Bradley plays the style our big club loves: running around frantically and muscling people.

That's why we went elsewhere...

MLS has an article/"highlight" of Yedlin outracing Messi (http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/21/watch-lionel-messi-victimized-deandre-yedlins-speed-copa-semi). How embarrassing is that? Messi had a goal and 2 assists and probably could've had a lot more...but we'll take some pride in having a player that beat him in a foot race for a loose ball...And that is another reason why the MLS/US Soccer isn't very good -- too much focus on size/speed, not enough on skill and tactical understanding of the game.

Anonymous wrote:How can you compare MLS and Copa America? Or Eurocup? MLS is comprised of the best players that managed to get placed on teams in the US. This means they didn't get placed on teams in countries where soccer really pays (England, Spain, Italy, etc.).

Copa America and Eurocup draw on the best from each country. That's how you have Messi playing for Argentina and Ronaldo playing for Portugal. Without Ronaldo, watch Portugal's equivalent of MLS. They're not any better than DC United. Ecuador is doing great in Copa America. But their best players don't play for Ecuadorian clubs. They play for Barcelona, Manchester United, etc.

Thank you!

Can't argue with you OP. I love soccer and can't get into MLS. Every time we watch it seems basically like my DCs club team except the guys are more fit.