But only a byproduct. The true measurement should be in improvements of skill and team play, unless the whole point of the program is to win a domestic tournament once a year.
US Men's National Team - what went wrong?
- Thread starter Hired Gun
- Start date
But only a byproduct. The true measurement should be in improvements of skill and team play, unless the whole point of the program is to win a domestic tournament once a year.
Not_that_Serious
GOLD
IMO issues arent hard to solve if those in charge are willing to make the changes - also if others will follow the changes. problem is the $ factor. those who FEEL they will lose money will resist. this system has been in place for at least 40-50 years?
If you look at the map, posted in earlier link, where talent is being pulled from you notice not every state is being repped. So my natural thought is to use our gov model. Set up organizing bodies, like Cal South, to run programs under the umbrella of USSF. Bigger states have to be split up. These orgs can certify/verify clubs (remove flyby-night clubs and snakeoil salesman), provide licensing education, player camps, combines, etc. State Orgs can even run a league or combine the ones that exist - too many leagues at the moment and have leagues run in a manner that doesnt improve players.
License costs need to go down and have more dates available locally. Germany A license is roughly $600 with US charging $4k before travel. Thats insane. Offer C's and B's opps to go for A at low cost, or even free. Offer E's and D's opps to improve as well. Our coaching pool improves, player pool will improve. Just need to get into areas that are ignored. Need more organization and USSF cant manage a country this large without help. Again, this is a matter of $ (business) vs improvement. Can make less money and improve quicker or focus on more $ and continue the same.
If USSF really wants to blow things up, they go to community based clubs via an umbrella of State Orgs. So Cal has I believe TWO community based clubs - ones where main admins dont get paid. Feed money via USSF , with partnerships with cities/counties to fund clubs. When cities/counties donate field time, it drops costs. Politicians would jump on projects that would help out get them votes... i mean things that would enrich their districts. Still have to have pay-to-play but allows for more opps for scholarships. You wont get as many club jumpers and get more involvement when you play at your local club. Then again as mentioned, this would involve changing much of the club culture - win now, arrogance, etc. Also, big clubs making $ dont want community based clubs to grow.
If you look at the map, posted in earlier link, where talent is being pulled from you notice not every state is being repped. So my natural thought is to use our gov model. Set up organizing bodies, like Cal South, to run programs under the umbrella of USSF. Bigger states have to be split up. These orgs can certify/verify clubs (remove flyby-night clubs and snakeoil salesman), provide licensing education, player camps, combines, etc. State Orgs can even run a league or combine the ones that exist - too many leagues at the moment and have leagues run in a manner that doesnt improve players.
License costs need to go down and have more dates available locally. Germany A license is roughly $600 with US charging $4k before travel. Thats insane. Offer C's and B's opps to go for A at low cost, or even free. Offer E's and D's opps to improve as well. Our coaching pool improves, player pool will improve. Just need to get into areas that are ignored. Need more organization and USSF cant manage a country this large without help. Again, this is a matter of $ (business) vs improvement. Can make less money and improve quicker or focus on more $ and continue the same.
If USSF really wants to blow things up, they go to community based clubs via an umbrella of State Orgs. So Cal has I believe TWO community based clubs - ones where main admins dont get paid. Feed money via USSF , with partnerships with cities/counties to fund clubs. When cities/counties donate field time, it drops costs. Politicians would jump on projects that would help out get them votes... i mean things that would enrich their districts. Still have to have pay-to-play but allows for more opps for scholarships. You wont get as many club jumpers and get more involvement when you play at your local club. Then again as mentioned, this would involve changing much of the club culture - win now, arrogance, etc. Also, big clubs making $ dont want community based clubs to grow.
Not_that_Serious
GOLD
Wynalda already cut the legs off the MLS bs excuse about competing against other leagues if they change the schedule. Been saying it for at least 5 years. Currently MLS competes against MLB world series, college football, nfl season, and nba. As far as cold season, longer winter break.
Somebody is really reaching IMO to say that changing MLS schedule will help the national team. The points made in the article seem pretty silly to me.
Not_that_Serious
GOLD
was pointed out by Wynalda, and other that players on the USMNT, that players often do not play at 100% full potential/effort when they know they have a callup looming. so they arent prepared for the level of intensity mentally and often pop a hammy because of it. said syncing the schedule would allow players to prepare properly. it also affects the transfer market and hurts players in MLS trying to go overseas to play- euro teams dont grab players during current transfer windows due to the MLS schedule.
Didn't know this, but OTOH these points could also be made by players in other pro leagues. Lot of managers complaint because they have to rest players who play a lot during international break, and lot of players get hurt right after international break due to overuse injuries. I've read managers and players in different leagues around the world complain about the international schedule.
I think hurting the transfer market is the main point, I can see European teams not wanting to buy a marginal player because he has already played a full season. However, again, I just don't see this as a big deal.
younothat
PREMIER
1,834 Days by CHRISTIAN PULISIC
in my heart, I knew it was over when we walked off the field. I think we all did.
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/christian-pulisic-usmnt-world-cup/
"The first thing I want to say here, obviously, is that I’m not an expert. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who know a lot more about national soccer programs than I do — and I hope those are the people we’ll have in charge of American soccer over the next World Cup cycle. Me, I’m just a 19 year old, in my first full year with the national team. So any insight that I can offer is only based on what I’ve experienced and observed in my career so far.
The second thing I want to say here is that I’m not a prodigy — or a “wonderboy,” as some have put it. I was always, you know, a decent player growing up. And yes, I was born with a certain amount of so-called “natural ability.” But I also worked and sacrificed a lot to try to maximize what I was born with — which I think is important to point out. I think it’s important to make clear, you know, that the problem with American soccer … it isn’t talent. In fact, I’m sure there are kids who are going to be reading this article who are more talented at their age than I ever was.
And then the third thing I want to say here is that I love American soccer. Which maybe sounds obvious — but I think a lot of people have this weird idea of USMNT players who have come up in Europe. They’ll talk about how we’re somehow less passionate about U.S. Soccer, or less American about it. That we’re these ringers or something — these outsiders brought in as, like, a cheat code to beat European sides. And it couldn’t be further from the truth.
It really frustrates me when people say, “Oh, he’s barely American,” or, “He grew up in the Dortmund academy,” or anything like that. First of all, it’s not true: Until I was 16, I came up through the U.S. youth system. I did all of the camps, the academies, the residency programs, the travel teams, and everything else it had to offer. I’ll always be a part of that system, and I’ll always be indebted to it. Second of all, I think that’s just a dangerous attitude in general: Having a closed-minded view of what does or doesn’t constitute being an American. And I hope it’s an attitude that we can keep out of this conversation in the years to come."
When people ask me what has been the biggest game-changer of my career — when they ask me, you know, “What’s the one thing that has had the biggest impact on your game so far” — that isn’t the easiest question to answer. I’ve had a lot of good fortune over the years: from supportive parents, to amazing youth academies, to incredible teammates, and on down the line.
But one thing that I’m not sure people realize, when they talk about my game, is just how lucky I’ve been to have a Croatian passport — and just how much of a difference it’s made for me.
As a result of my dual citizenship, I’ve been able to play in Europe, training at the Dortmund academy, since I was 16. Without it? I would have had to wait until I was 18. And for a soccer player … man, ask anyone and they’ll tell you — those age 16–18 years are everything. From a developmental perspective, it’s almost like this sweet spot: It’s the age where a player’s growth and skill sort of intersect, in just the right way — and where, with the right direction, a player can make their biggest leap in development by far.
In the U.S. system, too often the best player on an under-17 team will be treated like a “star” — not having to work for the ball, being the focus of the offense at all times, etc. — at a time when they should be having to fight tooth and nail for their spot. In Europe, on the other hand, the average level of ability around you is just so much higher. It’s a pool of players where everyone has been “the best player,” and everyone is fighting for a spot — truly week in and week out. Which makes the intensity and humility that you need to bring to the field every day — both from a mental and physical perspective — just unlike anything that you can really experience in U.S. developmental soccer.
Without those experiences, there’s simply no way that I would be at anywhere close to the level that I am today"
in my heart, I knew it was over when we walked off the field. I think we all did.
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/christian-pulisic-usmnt-world-cup/
"The first thing I want to say here, obviously, is that I’m not an expert. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who know a lot more about national soccer programs than I do — and I hope those are the people we’ll have in charge of American soccer over the next World Cup cycle. Me, I’m just a 19 year old, in my first full year with the national team. So any insight that I can offer is only based on what I’ve experienced and observed in my career so far.
The second thing I want to say here is that I’m not a prodigy — or a “wonderboy,” as some have put it. I was always, you know, a decent player growing up. And yes, I was born with a certain amount of so-called “natural ability.” But I also worked and sacrificed a lot to try to maximize what I was born with — which I think is important to point out. I think it’s important to make clear, you know, that the problem with American soccer … it isn’t talent. In fact, I’m sure there are kids who are going to be reading this article who are more talented at their age than I ever was.
And then the third thing I want to say here is that I love American soccer. Which maybe sounds obvious — but I think a lot of people have this weird idea of USMNT players who have come up in Europe. They’ll talk about how we’re somehow less passionate about U.S. Soccer, or less American about it. That we’re these ringers or something — these outsiders brought in as, like, a cheat code to beat European sides. And it couldn’t be further from the truth.
It really frustrates me when people say, “Oh, he’s barely American,” or, “He grew up in the Dortmund academy,” or anything like that. First of all, it’s not true: Until I was 16, I came up through the U.S. youth system. I did all of the camps, the academies, the residency programs, the travel teams, and everything else it had to offer. I’ll always be a part of that system, and I’ll always be indebted to it. Second of all, I think that’s just a dangerous attitude in general: Having a closed-minded view of what does or doesn’t constitute being an American. And I hope it’s an attitude that we can keep out of this conversation in the years to come."
When people ask me what has been the biggest game-changer of my career — when they ask me, you know, “What’s the one thing that has had the biggest impact on your game so far” — that isn’t the easiest question to answer. I’ve had a lot of good fortune over the years: from supportive parents, to amazing youth academies, to incredible teammates, and on down the line.
But one thing that I’m not sure people realize, when they talk about my game, is just how lucky I’ve been to have a Croatian passport — and just how much of a difference it’s made for me.
As a result of my dual citizenship, I’ve been able to play in Europe, training at the Dortmund academy, since I was 16. Without it? I would have had to wait until I was 18. And for a soccer player … man, ask anyone and they’ll tell you — those age 16–18 years are everything. From a developmental perspective, it’s almost like this sweet spot: It’s the age where a player’s growth and skill sort of intersect, in just the right way — and where, with the right direction, a player can make their biggest leap in development by far.
In the U.S. system, too often the best player on an under-17 team will be treated like a “star” — not having to work for the ball, being the focus of the offense at all times, etc. — at a time when they should be having to fight tooth and nail for their spot. In Europe, on the other hand, the average level of ability around you is just so much higher. It’s a pool of players where everyone has been “the best player,” and everyone is fighting for a spot — truly week in and week out. Which makes the intensity and humility that you need to bring to the field every day — both from a mental and physical perspective — just unlike anything that you can really experience in U.S. developmental soccer.
Without those experiences, there’s simply no way that I would be at anywhere close to the level that I am today"
Not_that_Serious
GOLD
Got Soccer presidential "debate" - all these guys are nice to each other
These guys could cut up Paul Caligiuri's character in 2 minutes. Loved his answers on club soccer, how he skips over his real past with club soccer and why he doesnt want to change much with club soccer. The other candidates should hand out posters with his face and say "This is why I need to run US Soccer"
These guys could cut up Paul Caligiuri's character in 2 minutes. Loved his answers on club soccer, how he skips over his real past with club soccer and why he doesnt want to change much with club soccer. The other candidates should hand out posters with his face and say "This is why I need to run US Soccer"
Mystery Train
GOLD
I saw a recap of this on ESPN FC and posted it in another thread. Really impressed with Pulisic! If only this level of logic and honesty was the norm in US soccer.
When gotsoccer is putting together a forum for the candidates to run Us soccer, then our problems are bigger than we realize.
Not_that_Serious
GOLD
Yeah no kidding. Just had to rub my eyes to make sure it was really Paul Caliguri running for prez. Now that puts our issues into perspective
The more I learn about Pulisic, I just think to myself, what a great kid and what an incredible job his parents did.
I happen to agree with Pulisic in that I don’t think he is the most athletically talented player, and there are plenty of players with athletic talent as great as his, or even better. I think because he doesn’t have top notch athleticism, he has stretches of games with Borussia Dortmund where he is invisible.
But I still think Pulisic is special and he has world class qualities as a player. First, he has incredible vision and anticipation, and to me it’s obvious that he has developed his vision because he loves the game and is always thinking, what could I have done better, could I have timed my run better, could I have passed it at a better angle? Players like this just get more efficient, their passes and runs are on time and at the right places, and they make their teammates better.
Second, I think Pulisic does have one special physical talent, and that his ability to make great touches, passes and shots when he is running full speed and all stretched out. Usually even great talents are hit or miss when they are stretched out, but I’ve seen Pulisic make so many plays running top speed and stretched out that I am convinced it is not luck. I think the kid has surprising rubber band flexibility and strength.
I think these two special talents of Pulisic, his vision and ability to make plays on the run fully stretched out, combine in a highly synergistic way to produce world class plays. He had made so many assists where defenders 1) didn’t think he could make a play on the ball and 2) didn’t see his passing angle.
I happen to agree with Pulisic in that I don’t think he is the most athletically talented player, and there are plenty of players with athletic talent as great as his, or even better. I think because he doesn’t have top notch athleticism, he has stretches of games with Borussia Dortmund where he is invisible.
But I still think Pulisic is special and he has world class qualities as a player. First, he has incredible vision and anticipation, and to me it’s obvious that he has developed his vision because he loves the game and is always thinking, what could I have done better, could I have timed my run better, could I have passed it at a better angle? Players like this just get more efficient, their passes and runs are on time and at the right places, and they make their teammates better.
Second, I think Pulisic does have one special physical talent, and that his ability to make great touches, passes and shots when he is running full speed and all stretched out. Usually even great talents are hit or miss when they are stretched out, but I’ve seen Pulisic make so many plays running top speed and stretched out that I am convinced it is not luck. I think the kid has surprising rubber band flexibility and strength.
I think these two special talents of Pulisic, his vision and ability to make plays on the run fully stretched out, combine in a highly synergistic way to produce world class plays. He had made so many assists where defenders 1) didn’t think he could make a play on the ball and 2) didn’t see his passing angle.
Hired Gun
SILVER ELITE
Carlos Cordeiro is the new President US Soccer - second in command currently - don't see how this is going to change things.... Also not a soccer person.....
Ghostwriter
SILVER
We will repeat this nightmare over and over again.
If Carlos wants to make an immediate impact, he will:
1. Appoint Wynalda as the VP of Professional and National Teams
2. Appoint Martino as the VP of Grass Roots soccer.
And he will run things as a money manager and ultimate decision maker.
(And then he’ll use me as a consultant to keep his head out of his ass).
1. Appoint Wynalda as the VP of Professional and National Teams
2. Appoint Martino as the VP of Grass Roots soccer.
And he will run things as a money manager and ultimate decision maker.
(And then he’ll use me as a consultant to keep his head out of his ass).
outside!
DA
Do you specialize in avoidance or removal?