U 20 Women's World Cup

[socalkdg]

A friend told me, Japanese trained youth players must be able to juggle the ball 1000 consecutive times without messing up. I wonder how many of the U20s can do that.

Juggling can make a big difference, even with beginners. This past fall I had 11 year old girls that could juggle once or twice, and they have improved to 5-6 times by end of season. Tough with only 3 hour a week in a AYSO league, but still happy with their progress. Noticed that some of the girls used their knees to deflect the ball in the right direction, plus were able to control bouncing balls a bit better during. It does help with first touch as well.

I was amazed at the poor first touches by the US girls. I'll just take a first touch in the direction that you want to make a play as opposed to a touching it back towards the defender that is charging. So many bad first touches, lack of aggression on 50/50 balls, and poor strategy by the coaches. So they bunkered. OK, fine. Why they didn't keep Pugh and Sanchez up high while bunkering with the other 8 girls I'll never understand. Even when they got a steal or turnover, there was no one available to counter attack as they were helping on defense. The few times those two did get a chance, they did make some things happen, even when they didn't score.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Good point about the coaching culture and pay. "The intense pressure to deliver wins at all costs is the real issue." This I could not agree with more wholeheartedly, from the top of the US game down to the bottom. And you are right that I probably shouldn't compare football because it undercuts the real point I was trying to make, which is that college is the end game for US girls in soccer, rather than becoming a professional international player.

P.S. We'll have to start a college football thread to debate my SEC comment. My point about NFL rosters has to do with where those players grew up (south). Lots of those elite Big 10 and ACC players are from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, etc. I grew up in Dixie, and say with all due respect, unless you've lived there, you can't appreciate just how much perspective they lack with regards to football. There are some great places (which you mentioned) that do match SEC Saturdays for passion, but in the South, it is a 7-day a week religion to the point of absurdity. No comparison.

I was actually born in the South and spent waaaaay too many summers there. I agree nothing like Southern sweet tea and the fans knowledge of their local football teams (college, pro and high school) is pretty much unmatched (I have seen old high school football tapes with 30,000+ fans for a regular non-championship game!). Plenty of those SEC players are from outside of the South though but your point is well taken about the players. Unfortunately some of them see it as their only way out of Dixie so the focus is there.

Back to soccer, I agree that the end goal isn't to be an international professional. Most of our pro players retire after 3-5 years so that they can "get a real job." It is sad but true that for us it is about college. I am okay with that and still think that we can look good competing on an international level AND play to win. It's all about the coaches. Given the right incentive I think that something can be done.

 

[outside!]

I don't understand why we can't develop our own, successful soccer culture. We are not Europe. We have sports in schools. Instead of treating that as a negative, why can't we maximize the positive sides of that. It would help if club, high school and college soccer could agree on some unifying themes with regards to development. College players are adults and should play FIFA laws of the game so that they can be prepared for the international game. High Schools should be encouraged to provide full width fields and 3 ref crews to minimize injuries. High school soccer is similar in many ways to World Cup soccer and should be able to offer some developmental opportunities. Club soccer should scale back their seasons a bit, and club tournaments with multiple games in one weekend should go away, especially for the youngers.

 

[pulguita]

I don't understand why we can't develop our own, successful soccer culture. We are not Europe. We have sports in schools. Instead of treating that as a negative, why can't we maximize the positive sides of that. It would help if club, high school and college soccer could agree on some unifying themes with regards to development. College players are adults and should play FIFA laws of the game so that they can be prepared for the international game. High Schools should be encouraged to provide full width fields and 3 ref crews to minimize injuries. High school soccer is similar in many ways to World Cup soccer and should be able to offer some developmental opportunities. Club soccer should scale back their seasons a bit, and club tournaments with multiple games in one weekend should go away, especially for the youngers.

"We are not Europe." I think those are some of the most powerful words. We are not and that is a major problem, here's why. We are the US. Everyone has been taught that you make it by hard work, by your own bootstraps. You know "I". Soccer is a collective sport - a socialist one if you will. Europe definitely has that advantage. If you play collectively, everyone does their part you will be successful. The achievement and accolades will come. We don't teach that here. Maybe the 1980 US hockey team had it but our soccer culture certainly does not. It was not more plainly to see than in this U20 WC. Give it to the "stars" and they will do it. Not even Messi can do it for Argentina or Barcelona for that matter by himself. There are maestro's and then there are the people that carry the piano and tune the piano. All are key members. We don't get that. Soccer is a 5 v 5 game. Not a 1v1 game. Until we learn that - forget it.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Here is an interesting perspective:

http://www.soccerwire.com/blog-post...849a39ba67a00c6&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=2&at_tot=8

 

[outside!]

Pulquita,
While I agree that teamwork is important, to say that it is not part of US culture is just BS. There are too many examples in our history of teamwork winning the day. Examples like WW2 for instance, on the day after a date which will live forever in infamy.

I was fortunate to meet one Pearl Harbor survivor and hear his story. It is amazing how brave those people were. RIP Earl

 

[Eusebio]

I actually think it's the complete opposite.

We (Americans) are generally a capitalist and individualist society. Europe on the whole is generally more socialist. But the roles seem to be reversed when it comes to sports. Our popular sports are very much team focused. Even our superstars are ultimately defined by team success (winning records, championships, and etc). Overall we are about "winning". Outstanding individual performances are great, but only if they are a "winner", which requires a team effort.

And there's nothing wrong with this attitude/phiolosphy. Even in Europe when you see this applied to soccer at the highest levels (ie. Barca) it can make for some beautiful soccer.

But Barca is the end-product after all the individual foundation has been properly made. The problem with US Soccer is that we take the "Winning/Team" all the way to the younger age groups. How many times has a U-Little coach put Little Billy at defender for the entire season because even though Little Billy could be a great midfielder, the coach put him permanently at defense for the sake of winning games. Conversely you see under-sized players put on the bench or big players not challenged enough, again all for the sake of winning games.

We have a generation of under-developed players precisely because team victories/trophies are over-emphasized at the younger ages instead of individual development and growth. Our culture's obsession with team victories/trophies even with pre-school age kids and the lack of marketplace incentives for individual development pretty much keeps us in a permanent state of mediocrity

The problem with our youth national team player isn't that they are too selfish and don't want to pass. The problem is too many of them can't even make accurate passes or receive passes under pressure. Or many cases they don't even see the pass. This is because we systematically eradicate almost all the technical and intelligent players at the young ages and keep pushing the big aggressive players who may or may not understand the subtleties of the game for the sake of again....winning games. This was fine we were the only women's game in town but now many other countries have caught up and are using the training philosophies from the men's game and applying it to their women's programs.

It's great seeing teamwork and players working toward a common goal. It's one of the reasons why the World Cup is so fun to watch. Players not playing for contracts but for team and national pride and glory. But ultimately soccer is a skilled sport. At the highest levels all the teamwork in the world isn't going to help if half the roster can't pass out of pressure or doesn't possess the game I.Q. to properly maintain possession off throw-ins.

 

[chiefs]

I actually think it's the complete opposite.

We (Americans) are generally a capitalist and individualist society. Europe on the whole is generally more socialist. But the roles seem to be reversed when it comes to sports. Our popular sports are very much team focused. Even our superstars are ultimately defined by team success (winning records, championships, and etc). Overall we are about "winning". Outstanding individual performances are great, but only if they are a "winner", which requires a team effort.

And there's nothing wrong with this attitude/phiolosphy. Even in Europe when you see this applied to soccer at the highest levels (ie. Barca) it can make for some beautiful soccer.

But Barca is the end-product after all the individual foundation has been properly made. The problem with US Soccer is that we take the "Winning/Team" all the way to the younger age groups. How many times has a U-Little coach put Little Billy at defender for the entire season because even though Little Billy could be a great midfielder, the coach put him permanently at defense for the sake of winning games. Conversely you see under-sized players put on the bench or big players not challenged enough, again all for the sake of winning games.

We have a generation of under-developed players precisely because team victories/trophies are over-emphasized at the younger ages instead of individual development and growth. Our culture's obsession with team victories/trophies even with pre-school age kids and the lack of marketplace incentives for individual development pretty much keeps us in a permanent state of mediocrity

The problem with our youth national team player isn't that they are too selfish and don't want to pass. The problem is too many of them can't even make accurate passes or receive passes under pressure. Or many cases they don't even see the pass. This is because we systematically eradicate almost all the technical and intelligent players at the young ages and keep pushing the big aggressive players who may or may not understand the subtleties of the game for the sake of again....winning games. This was fine we were the only women's game in town but now many other countries have caught up and are using the training philosophies from the men's game and applying it to their women's programs.

It's great seeing teamwork and players working toward a common goal. It's one of the reasons why the World Cup is so fun to watch. Players not playing for contracts but for team and national pride and glory. But ultimately soccer is a skilled sport. At the highest levels all the teamwork in the world isn't going to help if half the roster can't pass out of pressure or doesn't possess the game I.Q. to properly maintain possession off throw-ins.

Agree with what was said; the big aggresive player is the easy way out from youth to YNT. only a few Coaches/Parents dont want to take the time to develop a team for variety of reasons (both the coach/parent do not have the patience to wait it out). The selection process from youth (ODP) to U20 YNT is atrocious, and even if they do have the right players, the coaches do not put the player in a position to succeed. Culturally speaking, I think US parents soccer expectations are lower than the rest of the world, which plays in this part as well.

 

[bruinblue14]

Just like how some scouts/coaches seem to think it's easy to convert a forward to a defender, they also seem to think that just anybody can play as a midfielder. Doing so requires a really special skill set, imho, and some kids have a natural, equally valuable talent for it. It was apparent in this recent World Cup that you can have some of the best forwards in the world but without a strong midfield it doesn't matter. Of course I am biased because my kid is a midfielder. Makes me sad that my kid may never get a look because she's not up top and honestly has no desire to play up top.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Just like how some scouts/coaches seem to think it's easy to convert a forward to a defender, they also seem to think that just anybody can play as a midfielder. Doing so requires a really special skill set, imho, and some kids have a natural, equally valuable talent for it. It was apparent in this recent World Cup that you can have some of the best forwards in the world but without a strong midfield it doesn't matter. Of course I am biased because my kid is a midfielder. Makes me sad that my kid may never get a look because she's not up top and honestly has no desire to play up top.

It is unfortunate too. The best two of the best 3 midfielders that I saw all season are pretty petite and don't fit the mold of the typical US midfielder. Both extremely skillful and only 5'4. It worked out for them though so don't be discouraged. One starts for her country's full national team and the other had been called into several full US WNT camps. A good player will get their due eventually. The great thing about college is that a good coach will always be able to use a great player. And a great player will play great which will eventually be recognized if they persevere.