# USYNT coaching org change aka when will US Soccer cut the internal re-org politics & get on with it?



## Kante (Feb 12, 2019)

first, thx to Jane Dough for posting the news about Peay leaving.

Second, with today's  (2/12) notice that Peay (he was the u15 ynt coach and attended January's Western Region Training Camp in lieu of the unhired u14 coach) is leaving US Soccer to join NCFC, I think Tab Ramos is the only YNT team coach currently still employed. Is the following correct?

u14 YNT coach = tbh (was Peay who left to become u15 coach))
u15 YNT coach = tbh (was Peay who then left to go to NCFC)
u16 YNT coach = tbh (was Tsakiris)
u17 YNT coach = tbh (was Hackworth)
u18 YNT coach = tbh (was Namazi)
u19 YNT coach = tbh (was Friedel)
u20 YNT coach = Tab Ramos (under contract thru 2021?)
u23 YNT coach = tbh

If yes, that's accurate ... well, words fail. 

What does Greg Berhalter think about all this?


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## 66 GTO (Feb 12, 2019)

that is what youth soccer clubs look like....
1 Coach for 3-5 teams


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## boomer (Feb 12, 2019)

Kante said:


> with today's  (2/12) notice that Peay (he was the u15 ynt coach and attended January's Western Region Training Camp in lieu of the unhired u14 coach) is leaving US Soccer to join NCFC, I think Tab Ramos is the only YNT team coach currently still employed. Is the following correct?
> 
> u14 YNT coach = tbh
> u15 YNT coach = tbh
> ...


Shocking, isn't it? "Words fail". Well said.


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## jpeter (Feb 12, 2019)

Lights on but nobody wants to take those jobs in Chicago


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## Kante (Feb 14, 2019)

From SoccerAmerica.
*The troubling case of U.S. Soccer coaching vacancies*

by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, 41 minutes ago
I would give the boys U.S. youth national team coaches a high grade for their work over the last couple of years. In fact, the boys YNT program under Youth Technical Director *Tab Ramos *has had unprecedented success -- providing a reason to be optimistic about the state of American soccer in the wake of the USA’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Yet there is a reason to be concerned: U.S. Soccer has failed to keep its youth national team head coaches on board, while failing to hire replacements.

There are five boys U.S. youth national teams without head coaches. Three of the coaches who haven't been replaced left more than half a year ago.

The U-18s, U-17s (which have World Cup qualifying in two months), U-16s, U-15s and U-14s do not have a head coach.

*YNT head coach departures:*
*Clint Peay* (U-14/15): February 2019
*Shaun Tsakiris* (U-16): December 2018
*John Hackworth* (U-17): July 2018
*Omid Namazi* (U-18): June 2018
*Brad Friedel* (U-19): November 2017

You would think that U.S. Soccer, with its $5 million annual budget for its boys youth national team (including the U-23s), should be able to run a fully operational YNT program. Instead, Ramos, who is also the U-20 head coach, does double-duty with the U-18s. And for the last year he has shuffled coaches around to fill vacancies.

In 2018, U-15 coach *Dave van den Bergh* was re-assigned to the U-19s to fill the Friedel vacancy, and in January headed the U-17s, which Tsakiris had been coaching in Hackworth’s absence for the latter part of 2018. U.S. Soccer failed to land either Tsakiris or Van den Bergh for the U-17 job. Van den Bergh remains in charge of the U-19s.

The latest to leave was *Clint Peay*, the U-14 coach who also spent time heading the U-15s during the shuffle created by earlier departures. U.S. Soccer lost Peay to an assistant coaching position at North Carolina FC, one of the strongest USL teams.

So, the boys youth national team program finds itself with two head coaches for seven teams.

U.S. Soccer confirmed that one obstacle in maintaining some of its staff has been its requirement of relocating to its headquarters in Chicago, an issue that also narrows the field of new candidates.

Why is that necessary in this era of telecommuting? Besides, national team camps are never in Chicago.

“Having everyone together in a collaborative environment,” says U.S. Soccer spokesman *Neil Buethe*, “allows us to connect members of our men’s and women’s senior and youth coaching staffs with the other full-time people in the Federation, such as high-performance experts, team managers, talent identification directors, Development Academy leaders, and many others. Aligning our soccer philosophy throughout our national teams, Talent ID, Club Development and other departments is a priority. We made a huge step in this direction when our men’s national staff, including our General Manager [*Earnie Stewart*] and head coach [*Gregg Berhalter*] moved to Chicago.

“In terms of our soccer philosophy, that daily connection allows us to develop style of play, player profiles, methodology, curriculum and integrate high performance and analytics in a meaningful way across all of our programs.

“It’s not that we couldn’t have those conversations if we kept the status quo and continued to have everyone separated and living in different areas across the country. But we strongly believe that set-up isn’t as beneficial or productive to having everyone under one roof as often as possible. We all know we need to get better, and the question is how can we accelerate that process. One significant way is to have everyone in the same room.”

That room, however, isn’t filling up with the coaches who are crucial to the YNT program.

What I do not know is whether the salaries and terms offered YNT coaches are sufficient to encourage coaches to uproot themselves and their families. What I do believe is that the move-to-Chicago policy comes at a time when recent history shows the YNT coaches have done quite well without daily visits to Soccer House.

In 2017, the USA won the Concacaf U-20 Championship for the first time ever, and Ramos’ team repeated in 2018. Both teams included a large number of players who climbed the YNT ladder after U.S. Soccer expanded the program to include teams at each age group, with full-time head coaches.

The USA was one of only two nations -- besides England, which won both -- to reach the quarterfinals of the 2017 U-17 World Cup (with Hackworth coaching and Tsakiris assisting) and the 2017 U-20 World Cup.

U.S. youth national team players have been going pro at an unprecedented rate. Especially impressive recently, two members of the 2017 U-17 World Cup squad -- *Timothy Weah*and *Josh Sargent* – have already been capped by the full national team, while *Taylor Booth* has been signed by Bayern Munich and *Chris Durkin* played 23 MLS games for D.C. United in 2018.

Ramos attributes the YNT program success in this era to the improved environments for American players at the club level, especially the investment of MLS clubs in their academies. But there's no doubt that a well-run YNT program has played an important role.

Youth national team play led to the discovery by foreign clubs of players such as *Weston McKennie*, who was playing for the U-19s when Schalke 04 scouted him at the Slovakia Cup in 2016. McKennie, like former U.S. U-17 *Christian Pulisic*, is now getting UEFA Champions League experience.

The U-19 national team was one of the gap-year national teams – only the U-20s and U-17s have World Cups -- created on Ramos’ recommendation that have become crucial for young Americans getting international experience and exposure. Not having a coach for the World Cup-aspiring U-17s is especially troubling, but jeopardizing the programming for the other squads is also detrimental. *Frankie Amaya*, the No. 1 pick at the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and an 18-year-old star of the USA's 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship final win over Mexico, reached the U-20s via the U-19s. The 17-year-old *Ulysses Llanez*'s play with the U-18s was key part of his transition to the U-20s.

U.S. Soccer recently expanded its U-14 program and took steps to bolster its scouting network, after which *Tony Lepore*, U.S. Soccer’s Director of Boys Talent Identification, spoke of the important role the YNT head coaches play. Another reason for U.S. Soccer to have them in place. Another case for the urgency of filling the positions.

In the wake of U.S. Soccer being heavily criticized for losing *Jonathan Gonzalez* and *Efrain Alvarez* to Mexico, the YNT coaches, especially Ramos and Tsakiris, succeeded in keeping players such as *Alex Mendez* and Llanez in the U.S. jersey. In the recent U-14 West camp, about 50 percent of the 80 kids were Latino -- a reassuring sign for those of us concerned about the YNT program’s appreciation of Hispanic talent.

So far, the USA is winning the tug-of-war with Mexico for FC Dallas’ U-17 *Ricardo Pepi*. But he recently went down to a mid-season camp in Mexico with FC Dallas, played fantastically, and is again being heavily recruited by El Tri. And now Pepi doesn’t know who his U.S. coach would be.

Who’s responsible for hiring YNT coaches? U.S. Soccer says it’s a collaboration between *Nico Romeijn*, U.S. Soccer's Chief Sport Development Officer, *Asher Mendelsohn*, who joined U.S. Soccer last month as Chief Soccer Officer, replacing *Ryan Mooney*, and Ramos – and they “provide recommendations to [CEO] *Dan Flynn* for approval.”

But U.S. Soccer’s Organizational Chart shows the Chief Sport Development Office (Romeijn, the Dutchman who was hired by U.S. Soccer in June 2015 to be its Director of Coaching Education), and Chief Soccer Officer (now Mendelsohn) are in charge of the youth national teams. Ramos, who has been a part of six world championships as a player, head coach of three U-20 World Cups, and assistant coach at the 2014 World Cup, doesn’t appear in the chart.

I would trust Ramos, the Youth Technical Director, to pick the YNT coaches and decide whether they need to live in Chicago or not and have him make those recommendations to Flynn. But U.S. Soccer appears to take a different approach.

It’s a baffling approach that is interrupting some of the most impressive progress we’ve ever seen from the youth national program.


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## PaytoplayinLancaster? (Feb 14, 2019)

Sounds like US Soccer is still getting in their own way.  Not having coaches because you WANT them under one roof?  Why not move everyone from Chicago to Southern California?  One of the biggest talent pools in the country while being able to sway the kids leaving for Mexico would be a huge benefit.  Our weather is the best in this country, and if you can’t recruit coaches to live in Southern California then they just don’t want the job.  They would save huge amounts of money on travel as well.   So Cal attractions as a vacation destination are an easy draw for year round friendlies.


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## MWN (Feb 15, 2019)

@Kante,

I appreciate your passion on this subject.  I, however, disagree with the impact.  The youth national teams are glorified "all-star" teams pulled from clubs that do the real training.  These kids are not "trained" to any appreciable level by the US Soccer Coaches, so the lack of a permanent coach isn't a big deal in my book.  

These kids all train with their local clubs;
U.S. soccer holds camps a year (each about 1 week) to get them to gel and play as a team, 
Then they go back to their home clubs where the real training occurs, 
Then they run off for a few friendlies in various parts of the world,  and
Then they go back to their home clubs and continue their real training continues.
52 weeks out of the year, US Soccer has these kids for about 4 to 5 weeks, their clubs have them for about 45-47 weeks.

Whoever the US YNT coach is really isn't that important.


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## Kante (Feb 16, 2019)

MWN said:


> @Kante,
> 
> I appreciate your passion on this subject.  I, however, disagree with the impact.  The youth national teams are glorified "all-star" teams pulled from clubs that do the real training.  These kids are not "trained" to any appreciable level by the US Soccer Coaches, so the lack of a permanent coach isn't a big deal in my book.
> 
> ...


@MWN, the piece where there is "passion” is in sharing info and helping to make things more transparent. it's important for folks to know what’s going on.

You make some very good points, and the full impact on players of the US Soccer decision to clean house re: the ynt coaching staff will be seen, one way or the other, in eight to twelve years. 

So far, seems like the lack of u14 coach directly led to an 16 month-ish lack of u14 ynt tc's. Certainly there was correlation, and intuitively, it seems like there is also causation. Haven't yet seen this yet in the other age groups, so maybe what happened with u14 is an outlier, but it's early.

From some first hand experience, participation in ynt tc’s can bump players, particularly younger players, up to the next level. to be fair, it may just be a placebo effect that increases confidence, but in an article about Pulisic, the writer mentioned this bump up happening with Pulisic when he was about 14/15 due to YNT participation.

Also, lots of studies indicate that people improvement is triggered when their day to day environment changes. In this kind of scenario, club training provides the baseline/foundation, and the YNT tc’s provide the trigger. Food for thought.

a couple of other near term impacts. 1) An org can't treat quality employees poorly without some blowback in the form of significantly increased difficulty hiring new quality employees in, particularly in world as small as US Soccer. don't know any of the ynt coaches personally, but many, not all, seemed to be solid 2) Many top quality USYNT prospects could also go play for the Mexican national team. by not having YNT coaches in place, USYNT is making a big piece of Mexico's recruiting pitch for them.

on the glass half full side, maybe US Soccer had/has insider info on Osorio leaving Paraguay and is just cleaning the table for him to come in and run the US YNT/DA program in partnership w/ Tab Ramos and guidance from Gregg B. and Earnie S. 

Or maybe not. 

Maybe there can be only one... (which would be too bad)


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## numero15 (Feb 16, 2019)

MWN said:


> @Kante,
> 
> I appreciate your passion on this subject.  I, however, disagree with the impact.  The youth national teams are glorified "all-star" teams pulled from clubs that do the real training.  These kids are not "trained" to any appreciable level by the US Soccer Coaches, so the lack of a permanent coach isn't a big deal in my book.
> 
> ...



I agree these sessions are not for development, but when you say they go back to their clubs for real training...what does that mean? Training for what? Isn't the goal of the DA to develop players for the national team? (I will stop here. Too many details for me to go through...and I am probably not even qualified). 

But I'd say a coach matters greatly.
Without a coach, there is no identity, core values, style of play, curriculum, etc... Without these concepts, how should the team play?  What is the directive to the scouts? What are they looking for? What is the style of play? What does a 10 look like? What is the style the 6 should play? From the top down, it has to be a coordinated effort. 

If the directive to the scouts is to just go get the 'best' kid...define 'best'? In the end, the scouts are not as effective as they could be, scrimmages are just pick up games, assessments are not as accurate, and ultimately the quality of play is lowered. 

For example, I was at the NorCal v. SD game at the West camp too. IMO, their are a couple of SoCal 05 teams that would have beaten the NorCal team straight up... I might even dare say relatively easily. 

Why? Well, I am not saying that each and every kid on those teams is better than the NorCal team players...I have no idea. However, what I am saying is that a Team is better than a bunch of individuals, especially in Soccer. And the Coach is who creates that structure and environment.


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## MWN (Feb 16, 2019)

@Kante,

Help me understand your conclusion/statement:



> ... the full impact on players of the US Soccer decision to clean house re: the ynt coaching staff will be seen, one way or the other, in eight to twelve years.



Are you saying there is a correlation between how the Men's national team performs and the U14 or U15 YNT?




> So far, seems like the lack of u14 coach directly led to an 16 month-ish lack of u14 ynt tc's. Certainly there was correlation, and intuitively, it seems like there is also causation. Haven't yet seen this yet in the other age groups, so maybe what happened with u14 is an outlier, but it's early.





> From some first hand experience, participation in ynt tc’s can bump players, particularly younger players, up to the next level. to be fair, it may just be a placebo effect that increases confidence, but in an article about Pulisic, the writer mentioned this bump up happening with Pulisic when he was about 14/15 due to YNT participation.
> 
> Also, lots of studies indicate that people improvement is triggered when their day to day environment changes. In this kind of scenario, club training provides the baseline/foundation, and the YNT tc’s provide the trigger. Food for thought.




I don't dispute that being recognized by US Soccer as one of a few kids with potential could certainly cause a few kids to rededicate themselves.  I don't give too much weight to the argument that these YNT team candidates, who are already very driven (prepubescent) athletes, need YNT coaches to take them to the next level.  The are already there from a club perspective.  If we really wanted to impact their training, we would send them to a full-time DA program where they leave home, train and go to school and train some more.

That said, the 2019 U14's are not a priority for US Soccer at this time because they are still 2 years off from making a debut at the U17 World cup (assuming 1 or 2 can play up).  The U17 FIFA Youth World Cup cycle occurs every 2 years.  The 2019 U17 for 2019, then the 2019 U15's for 2021, and then the 2019 (future) U13's for 2022.  The U14s are gap year kids in the U17 cycle and are going to be too young or too old, as are this year's U16's for the upcoming U17 World Cup.  The U14's are, however, on the U20 track, but still 3 cycles away.  Virtually the entire team will turn over by the time we get to the 2025 U20 games, which will be made up of mostly 2019 U14's and U13's.  In short, all of our energy right now should be on the U17 and U20 teams.  The U14's are and should be an afterthought, especially given the fact that all of the boys have yet to hit the back side of puberty.



> 2) Many top quality USYNT prospects could also go play for the Mexican national team. by not having YNT coaches in place, USYNT is making a big piece of Mexico's recruiting pitch for them.


There is no dispute that Mexico is doing a great job of recruiting dual nationals to go south of the border and play professionally (and hopefully switch flags to the Red, White and Green).  In the case of Jonathan Gonzales, he switched in large part because the US Soccer team dropped the ball and lied about it and Mexico was offering him a nice payday.   While there may be a few defections yet to come, the draw to Mexico isn't the National Team but a more developed and better paying professional league.  The USL and MLS are the impediments here (and the primary repealing force).


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## timbuck (Mar 6, 2019)

What does US soccer pay for USYNT coaches?


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## jpeter (Mar 6, 2019)

timbuck said:


> What does US soccer pay for USYNT coaches?


Apparently not enough to consider relocating to Chicago


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## messy (Mar 6, 2019)

Here is the bad news. 
We suck. The scouting is poor and the training is terrible. 12-year-olds in Europe receive far more sophisticated tactical training than 18-year-olds here.
Unfortunately, we also start out behind the 8-ball...and I know this is old news...because we are not yet a multi-generational soccer culture that attains technical expertise by exposure to family and playgrounds all over the country. So we aren't as good technically to begin with and, by the time we start learning proper tactics, we are not as good with the ball and vision, etc., as kids from other countries.
Then we see kids with vision and efficiency and don't pick them for our academies and national teams, etc.
We will not become a Top 10 soccer country for the foreseeable future.


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## Chizl (Mar 6, 2019)

messy said:


> Here is the bad news.
> We suck. The scouting is poor and the training is terrible. 12-year-olds in Europe receive far more sophisticated tactical training than 18-year-olds here.
> Unfortunately, we also start out behind the 8-ball...and I know this is old news...because we are not yet a multi-generational soccer culture that attains technical expertise by exposure to family and playgrounds all over the country. So we aren't as good technically to begin with and, by the time we start learning proper tactics, we are not as good with the ball and vision, etc., as kids from other countries.
> Then we see kids with vision and efficiency and don't pick them for our academies and national teams, etc.
> We will not become a Top 10 soccer country for the foreseeable future.


Having seen the level in other countries I couldn't agree more! We are years behind.....


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## boomer (Mar 6, 2019)

messy said:


> Here is the bad news.
> We suck. The scouting is poor and the training is terrible. 12-year-olds in Europe receive far more sophisticated tactical training than 18-year-olds here.
> Unfortunately, we also start out behind the 8-ball...and I know this is old news...because we are not yet a multi-generational soccer culture that attains technical expertise by exposure to family and playgrounds all over the country. So we aren't as good technically to begin with and, by the time we start learning proper tactics, we are not as good with the ball and vision, etc., as kids from other countries.
> Then we see kids with vision and efficiency and don't pick them for our academies and national teams, etc.
> We will not become a Top 10 soccer country for the foreseeable future.


100%. Yes, this is old news. It is also current news and future news. All starts with the lack of quality in coaching and scouting. Get those pieces right first, them maybe we can get somewhere.


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## Iknownothing (Mar 6, 2019)

messy said:


> Here is the bad news.
> We suck. The scouting is poor and the training is terrible. 12-year-olds in Europe receive far more sophisticated tactical training than 18-year-olds here.
> Unfortunately, we also start out behind the 8-ball...and I know this is old news...because we are not yet a multi-generational soccer culture that attains technical expertise by exposure to family and playgrounds all over the country. So we aren't as good technically to begin with and, by the time we start learning proper tactics, we are not as good with the ball and vision, etc., as kids from other countries.
> Then we see kids with vision and efficiency and don't pick them for our academies and national teams, etc.
> We will not become a Top 10 soccer country for the foreseeable future.


I couldn’t agree with messy more. I don’t see US soccer, scouts, mls clubs, and coaches changing their stubborn ways of thinking. IMO mls still plays balls over the top, playing their bigger more athletic kids all the time looking to win while their smaller, more technical thinking players are left on the bench and it’s a real a shame. I can only speak of the 04 and 05 age groups cause that what I see. It’s the same old boys going to the training centers and camp. Nothing against the boys going now,(good luck to everyone) but I know some real quality 04 boys with real high iq’s and technical on the ball ( I mean never lose possession and always make the right pass) who never get picked. I never see scouts at games, so they must keep picking the same boys from before. If the coaches have any input then they need to start recommending the higher iq players. I see too much recruiting players, I see too many players jumping from team to team, I see to many coaches jumping from club to club, and I see mls always putting winning first. When is it gonna become about having an identity? Every country out there has one. Galaxy, LAFC, Surf, every club out there... we suck!!  We win but we still suck!!  Doesn’t anyone get it?? Playing good soccer is easy, playing simple soccer is hard..  ( however that saying goes) and IMO the boys out there playing simple soccer get left on the bench and left out of the training centers. Wake up America!!!!


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## justinwatkins07 (Mar 6, 2019)

Iknownothing said:


> I couldn’t agree with messy more. I don’t see US soccer, scouts, mls clubs, and coaches changing their stubborn ways of thinking. IMO mls still plays balls over the top, playing their bigger more athletic kids all the time looking to win while their smaller, more technical thinking players are left on the bench and it’s a real a shame. I can only speak of the 04 and 05 age groups cause that what I see. It’s the same old boys going to the training centers and camp. Nothing against the boys going now,(good luck to everyone) but I know some real quality 04 boys with real high iq’s and technical on the ball ( I mean never lose possession and always make the right pass) who never get picked. I never see scouts at games, so they must keep picking the same boys from before. If the coaches have any input then they need to start recommending the higher iq players. I see too much recruiting players, I see too many players jumping from team to team, I see to many coaches jumping from club to club, and I see mls always putting winning first. When is it gonna become about having an identity? Every country out there has one. Galaxy, LAFC, Surf, every club out there... we suck!!  We win but we still suck!!  Doesn’t anyone get it?? Playing good soccer is easy, playing simple soccer is hard..  ( however that saying goes) and IMO the boys out there playing simple soccer get left on the bench and left out of the training centers. Wake up America!!!!


Yup, I see the same thing to!  It is a shame!


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## outside! (Mar 6, 2019)

It would be interesting to get the smaller, technical players with good soccer IQ together on a team to challenge the training camp team.


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## justneededaname (Mar 6, 2019)

Couple comments, questions

Why do we think that the more technical kids with the good IQs are always the smaller kids? Is it Messi-syndrome? Can't big kids have a high IQ as well?

I am not sure which 04s you all are looking at but ER is not a large player by any means, has always made his mark based on his IQ and skill, and he is the starting 10 for the national team. I think the scouts pretty much got that one right.

For the 05s, the most technically gifted midfield in the age group in socal, and the one consistently called into training centers, belongs to Surf, and all three of those players are on the small side.


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## SoccerisFun (Mar 6, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> Couple comments, questions
> 
> Why do we think that the more technical kids with the good IQs are always the smaller kids? Is it Messi-syndrome? Can't big kids have a high IQ as well?
> 
> ...


I would assume that the answer to your first question is because their kids are small and not getting picked.  Why else continue to complain about it over and over again when it is not based on reality, as you just pointed out.


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## focomoso (Mar 6, 2019)

Iknownothing said:


> I can only speak of the 04 and 05 age groups cause that what I see...


I see the exact same thing with the 07s and 06s.


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## outside! (Mar 6, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> Why do we think that the more technical kids with the good IQs are always the smaller kids? Is it Messi-syndrome? Can't big kids have a high IQ as well?


I don't, but it runs counter to the BSF stereotype.

I will say that I have seen many kids that are very fast as youngers struggle with first touch and vision as olders. I have also seen the kids that are great dribblers as youngers struggle to connect a pass as olders since their default is to dribble out of trouble.


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## focomoso (Mar 6, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> Why do we think that the more technical kids with the good IQs are always the smaller kids? Is it Messi-syndrome? Can't big kids have a high IQ as well?


It's not that smaller kids are necessarily more technical, it's that size and strength are being prioritized over technical skills. A big technical kid is going to make the DAs and get called up, but a smaller kid has to be that much better technically to get noticed.


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## justneededaname (Mar 6, 2019)

focomoso said:


> A big technical kid is going to make the DAs and get called up, but a smaller kid has to be that much better technically to get noticed.


But that is just common sense. A big, technical, high IQ player is the dream. A smaller kid is going to have to make up for their lack of size with superior IQ and technicality. IQ and technicality being equal, or even close to equal, and the larger, more athletic player should be chosen.


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## messy (Mar 6, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> But that is just common sense. A big, technical, high IQ player is the dream. A smaller kid is going to have to make up for their lack of size with superior IQ and technicality. IQ and technicality being equal, or even close to equal, and the larger, more athletic player should be chosen.


You are making my point about American soccer. Thank you.
Now go watch Messi or Aguero or Modric or Iniesta, but it sounds like you may prefer Lukaku and Yaya Toure.


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## justneededaname (Mar 7, 2019)

messy said:


> You are making my point about American soccer. Thank you.
> Now go watch Messi or Aguero or Modric or Iniesta, but it sounds like you may prefer Lukaku and Yaya Toure.


Modric and Hazard are my personal favorite players. But, I think for the US, Pogba is probably the archetype we are looking for.


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## messy (Mar 7, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> Modric and Hazard are my personal favorite players. But, I think for the US, Pogba is probably the archetype we are looking for.


Never gonna happen. Those kids in the US are already being told that technical doesn't matter and just go over the top and score. Breck Shea, Gyasi Zardes


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## boomer (Mar 7, 2019)

messy said:


> Never gonna happen. Those kids in the US are already being told that technical doesn't matter and just go over the top and score. Breck Shea, Gyasi Zardes


Yep. The typical coaching approach at the younger ages is to allow these physically superior players to dominate the game with their size and speed. It's shortsighted and only hurts those players when they get into their teen years. By then, it's too late and their ceiling is limited. Outliers exist, both players and coaches that teach even the big kids proper soccer, but they are too few and far between. The ideal is to bring these physically superior athletes and professionally superior coaches together at the youngest ages. But there are so few quality coaches out there, the chances of the proper connections are slim. Make better coaches, who in turn make better players...regardless of size.


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## RocketFile (Mar 7, 2019)

messy said:


> Never gonna happen. Those kids in the US are already being told that technical doesn't matter and just go over the top and score. Breck Shea, Gyasi Zardes


I'm not sure what guys who were coached as kids 15 years ago has to do with what we are coaching kids today?

I think we have something like two dozen young Americans scouted from our youth systems over here who have been snapped up by European clubs in the last couple of years.

We have Pulisic and Tim Weah and Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie and Josh Sargent and Alex Mendez and Uly Llanez and dozens of other teenagers either playing in top leagues around the world or getting looks. Our MLS rosters are getting younger even with the addition of aging international stars.

I think you are diagnosing a problem from 5 years ago or even a decade ago. Missing the 2018 World Cup was not an example of the problems with today's youth system but yesterdays.

American soccer is on a serious uptick and with all of its flaws, the development academy system has contributed meaningfully to that momentum.

The negativity is misplaced and useless.


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## RocketFile (Mar 7, 2019)

We have an expanding and improving MLS and an expanding and improving second and third tier pro soccer structure with USL. Money is flowing into pro soccer in the US. USL games are now broadcast on ESPN+. Soccer specific stadiums are popping up all over the country. Our USWNT are defending World Cup champions and the #1 seed going into the Summer's WC. Our Men's U20s and U17s have looked impressive on the world stage. We have the World Cup coming in 7 years which will only heighten the focus.

Stop the whining.


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## focomoso (Mar 7, 2019)

justneededaname said:


> But that is just common sense. A big, technical, high IQ player is the dream. A smaller kid is going to have to make up for their lack of size with superior IQ and technicality. IQ and technicality being equal, or even close to equal, and the larger, more athletic player should be chosen.


But it's not common sense in other parts of the world because they know that this size difference isn't going to matter when they get older. Spanish and Dutch academies don't require that the smaller kids be better than the bigger ones to "make up for their lack of size". They rate the kids based on their technical ability and leave size out of the equation altogether. This means they'll loose games now but they really don't give a sh_t whether their academies win games. That's one of the big differences between the US and Europe. In Europe, all of the academies have track records and feed into professional clubs and the prestige of the academy is tied to the pro club's record and the players they produce, not how well they do in the DA standings at U15 or whatever. They can be secure taking the 20 most technical kids they can find despite size whereas in the US, where we've deluded ourselves into thinking that winning a youth game translates to anything meaningful, they take big kids who are clearly _less_ skilled because they know it'll help them win games.


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## Kante (Mar 7, 2019)

timbuck said:


> What does US soccer pay for USYNT coaches?


Bump.

Senior Managers for US Soccer make about $65k in IL, which translates to about $70k in LA. Assuming that YNT coaches make about 20-30% more, best guess is that for a u14 ynt coach between $85k and $90k in LA $.  Feels low. Seems like a YNT coach should be paid more than a club academy director. Any thoughts/comments?


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## messy (Mar 7, 2019)

RocketFile said:


> I'm not sure what guys who were coached as kids 15 years ago has to do with what we are coaching kids today?
> 
> I think we have something like two dozen young Americans scouted from our youth systems over here who have been snapped up by European clubs in the last couple of years.
> 
> ...


I said not Top 10 as a nation for the next 10 years. We will see. As for your points,  1) Avoiding the NCAA was important for the development of those kids and that's going to make us better, for sure,  2) Tyler Adams grew up in Germany, 3) Tim Weah's dad won the Ballon d'Or and 4) Pulisic started going to Europe as a kid and basically for good by 14.


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## Kante (Mar 8, 2019)

Here's the announcement of the new u17 USYNT coach, Raphael Wicky.
https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ussf-finally-hires-a-ynt-coach_aid45943

Here's the interview with Wicky.
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/03/08/17/17/20190308-u17mnt-raphael-wicky-new-head-coach-qa

Here's a solid article from SoccerAmerica that is critical of the hiring.
https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/81556/swiss-coach-gets-a-gift-from-us-soccer.html

be interesting to see the cultural fit. it's good that the new coach speaks spanish but with Mexico holding their March u17 team camp in SoCal, and including at least two Americans  - Efrain Alvarez and Diego Letayf - in that camp, seems like there's a lot of player attrition risk bringing in a European coach, given the amount of US coaching talent available. 

And it's not just u17 where there's an issue. Three u15s Americans were also just called up by Mexico as well for their u15 camp.

Last item, after wondering who was running the show for USYNT, very clearly it's Nico Romejin and Jared Miklos, and behind the scenes work by Asher Mendelsohn w/ support from Earnie Stewart and Greg Berhalter. What's missing? TR.

Here's updated status for YNT coaching staff:
u14 YNT coach = tbh (was Peay who left to become u15 coach))
u15 YNT coach = tbh (was Peay who then left to go to NCFC)
u16 YNT coach = tbh (was Tsakiris)
u17 YNT coach = Wicky (was Hackworth)
u18 YNT coach = tbh (was Namazi)
u19 YNT coach = van den Bergh (was Friedel)
u20 YNT coach = Ramos (under contract thru 2021?)
u23 YNT coach = tbh


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## messy (Mar 8, 2019)

Kante said:


> Here's the announcement of the new u17 USYNT coach, Raphael Wicky.
> https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ussf-finally-hires-a-ynt-coach_aid45943
> 
> Here's the interview with Wicky.
> ...


Why would players leave because of a European coach instead of of a US coach? Aren't European coaches better, in the main?


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## Kante (Mar 8, 2019)

messy said:


> Why would players leave because of a European coach instead of of a US coach? Aren't European coaches better, in the main?


fair question. would argue the socal soccer cultures are unique, and it might be difficult for a European to make connections and/or communicate effectively, with both the players and the families. 

having said that, DTK and Mexico's YNT man on the street - Sacha Van der Most Van Spijk - are both Dutch and doing an excellent job connecting. could be wrong about this concern. hope so.

there is also a reasonable question about whether or not regional (East coast vs West coast)/personal (the new USSF vs legacy) rivalries within US Soccer are getting in the way of picking the very best coaches available. Check out the SoccerAmerica article. good read. would love to see the list of who else applied for the gig.


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## messy (Mar 8, 2019)

Kante said:


> fair question. would argue the socal soccer cultures are unique, and it might be difficult for a European to make connections and/or communicate effectively, with both the players and the families.
> 
> having said that, DTK and Mexico's YNT man on the street - Sacha Van der Most Van Spijk - are both Dutch and doing an excellent job connecting. could be wrong about this concern. hope so.
> 
> there is also a reasonable question about whether or not regional (East coast vs West coast)/personal (the new USSF vs legacy) rivalries within US Soccer are getting in the way of picking the very best coaches available. Check out the SoccerAmerica article. good read. would love to see the list of who else applied for the gig.


i will read the article. thanks.


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## messy (Mar 8, 2019)

messy said:


> Why would players leave because of a European coach instead of of a US coach? Aren't European coaches better, in the main?


They clearly hired him cuz he looks like Beckham.


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## Kante (Mar 8, 2019)

messy said:


> They clearly hired him cuz he looks like Beckham.


had the exact same thought


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## Kante (Apr 9, 2019)

*Solid article in SoccerAmerica.com

U.S. Soccer names boys U-17 assistant coaches and 'per diem' head coach for U-15s: *by Mike Woitalla 

U.S. Soccer has assigned its Director of Coaching Education and a youth national team program newcomer as U-17 boys national team assistant coaches to *Raphael Wicky*, the Swiss who was hired as head coach last month.
*Barry Pauwels*, who arrived from Belgium in 2018 to take charge of U.S. Soccer coaching schools, and former Canadian international *Ante Jazic*, will be assisting Wicky during the Concacaf U-17 Championship (May 1-16) that serves as qualifying for the 2019 U-17 World Cup, which kicks off in September.

While the U.S. youth national team program still has four head coaching vacancies, PA Classics Director of Coaching *Steve Klein* has been assigned to head coach the U-15s on a per diem basis at the Torneo Delle Nazioni in Italy April 27-May 4. Klein will be assisted by *Christian Gonzalez* (New York Soccer Club Academy Director) and goalkeeper coach *Russell Payne* (West Point head coach). All three have previously served as national team program assistant coaches on a per diem basis.

Pauwels, who served in the Belgian federation’s coaching education department before coming the USA, was as head coach of Belgium’s U-15 boys national team in 2017.

Jazic is a Canada native who represented its national team 36 times. He began his 18-year pro playing career in Croatia, from where his parents hail, and also played in Austria and Russia before finishing his playing career with eight seasons in MLS, with the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.

Upon retiring after the 2013 MLS season, Jazic worked for the Canadian federation, running identification camps for the U-15 national team. He joined Arkansas’ Little Rock Rangers Soccer Club as a technical advisor in 2016 and became its Director of Soccer Operations and Youth Academy in September of 2017.

Jazic’s time at Chivas USA overlapped with Wicky’s during the preseason of 2009. Wicky, who played five games for Chivas USA during his injury-plagued 2008 season, retired before the start of the 2009 season.

*Mike McGinty*, the former St. Louis University head coach and frequent YNT assistant, will serve as the U-17s goalkeeper coach.

Assigning Pauwels and Jazic as assistants is a departure from U.S. Soccer’s recent practice of having continuity within the program and having at least one head coach from a younger team serving as an assistant. The latter, however, wasn’t an option because U.S. Soccer no longer has a fully operational youth national team program.

Five head coaches of the seven youth national teams left between November 2017 and February 2019. Only one, U-17 head coach *John Hackworth*, who left in July of 2018, has been replaced, by Wicky.

The coaching vacancies have led to U-20 head coach *Tab Ramos* doing double-duty with the U-18s, and a shuffling around of coaches. *Shaun Tsakiris* (left in December 2018) and *Dave van den Bergh* had stints as interim U-17 head coaches in the wake of Hackworth’s departure.

For the current U-17s, one of the highest-profile teams in perhaps the USA’s most talented generation of young American talent in history, Wicky became their fourth head coach.

U-15 coach Van den Bergh led U-19 camps when that position became vacant with *Brad Friedel*’s departure in November 2017. Wicky was hired after U.S. Soccer failed to come to terms with Tsakiris or Van den Bergh for the U-17 head coaching position. (*Clint Peay*, who coached U-14s and U-15s, left last February and *Omid Namazi* departed in June of 2018.)

Two years ago, the USA was one of only two nations -- besides England, which won both -- to reach the quarterfinals of the U-17 World Cup (with Hackworth coaching and Tsakiris assisting) and the U-20 World Cup (coached by Ramos).

Despite the unprecedented success during past few years, upheaval ensued because of the Federation’s requirement that YNT coaches live in Chicago and its refusal to trust the leadership of Ramos, the Youth Technical Director.

The team in urgent need of a head coach is the U-16 national team, which will compete at a UEFA Development Tournament in Prague in mid-May. A U.S. Soccer spokesman said that team will, like the U-15s, be handled by a coach from a Development Academy club.

The U-16 squad will comprise of 2003s, while the U-15s headed by Klein are 2004s. This year’s U-17 World Cup is for players born in 2002 or later.

Ramos’ U-20s qualified for the U-20 World Cup that kicks off in Peru in May by winning the Concacaf U-20 Championship last November.
__________

Here's updated status as of this article for YNT coaching staff:

u14 YNT coach = tbh (was Peay who left to become u15 coach))
u15 YNT coach = New: Per Diem: *Steve Klein PA Classics DOC* (was Peay who then left to go to NCFC)
u16 YNT coach = tbh (was Tsakiris)
u17 YNT coach =* Wicky *(was Hackworth)
u18 YNT coach = tbh (was Namazi)
u19 YNT coach = *van den Bergh* (was Friedel)
u20 YNT coach = *Ramos* (under contract thru 2021?)
u23 YNT coach = tbh


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## outside! (Apr 9, 2019)

Makes perfect sense.


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