I love the "gap is closing" argument. You do know the USWNT right now is the most dominant it has ever been relative to the rest of the world? You know it's lost one game (a friendly) in more than two years? You know it's won two consecutive World Cups, the only time the U.S. has ever done so?
I'll take a bite on this too
My dd was recruited for one year by RR as 10 year old. Some make fun but Blues did it all in the open. All clubs not named ECNL were pissed back then. TB would step in and finalizes his new cycle. TB has only coached
5 teams in 35 years and the current one is #6. Amazing if you ask me. Both coaches never once sold "TC" or "YNT" to my 11 year old. They sold one thing: To be the best soccer player possible and human being. When you reach majority around 14-15 and you haven't been cut yet, then we talk about the future for Big Time D1 College. They also recruit a certain type of female athlete which is their choice. So much hate for a club and one man who does it all out in the open. The Gap is not closing at all, the door is shut! The new Philosophy is in full swing. From former Netherlands Director:
U.S. Soccer Director of Talent Identification – Girls’ Mirelle van Rijbroek is leading the training camp, assisted by U-17 WNT head coach
Tracey Kevins (English) and the three Girls’ Talent Identification Managers: Katie Cole (Central Region), Diane Drake (East) and
Marieke Laurens (West).
The training camp aims to introduce the players to
YNT principles as well as
expand the pool of 2005-birth year players before the U-15 Girls’ National Team undertakes international competition next year and moves up to the
U-17 age group in 2021.
Twenty-three states are represented on the roster with the
most players, 19, coming from California.
YNT Principles? Can someone with knowledge on this please explain what she means here. I'm afraid all these woman have no clue on the SoCal Social life or life in Ohio or Michigan for that matter. "No HS Soccer or else they say!!!" It's amazing we have no American woman helping our girls navigate through all this shit and confusion on the West Coast and from what I hear in other states. 08 and 09 dads don't know what to do either. Can we add some red white and blue to our YNT team coaches please and also keep coaches who run Big Clubs now out of the YNT coaching gig too, just my two cents on that.
Expand Pool- Very, very good idea. I would add 60 more and open it up to the other states
23 States only- I guess were almost at 50% of the states represented. It's hard to cover all the states so let's see how things improve for all the other states before we judge
19 Cali- I want to be proud here but I feel other states are being left out so I don't like that. I like sharing with others and a battle of the fittest too.
12 SoCal- 20% shows how dominant we truly are. This is the Mecca of all things Youth Soccer.
U17 YNT- I will 100% be rooting for the USA to win this for sure. I will be the first to come on here and say I was wrong and I will eat my words if we win it all. I promise I only I want the Americans to win all the time, regardless who makes the team. I will never, ever root for another country, ever. I will not watch if our girls are not playing to win. Good luck ladies and always know Justus will be rooting this team on