No....their Club teams wouldn’t release them for Olympic Qualifying.Yep, it's as if they didn't want to qualify. Maybe those players just couldn't be bothered? Disfunction to say the least.
No....their Club teams wouldn’t release them for Olympic Qualifying.Yep, it's as if they didn't want to qualify. Maybe those players just couldn't be bothered? Disfunction to say the least.
I agree. IThe same can be said for ECNL.No. The DA made the US men’s team even worse than it was before. The one thing that makes a country great at soccer is more people play it, more often, for a longer span of years. The DA took a very small group of mostly middling kiddie athletes (but super cute circus jugglers) to move forward, while relegating 99% of pre pubescent boys to second class training, competition, and training until completely running them out of the sport by age 13-14. Even with those chosen few mediocre athletes, it limited how much they can even have fun playing their sport. This is the worst possible way to create a great national team. So the US is now stuck with one itty bitty guy who can play a little at Chelsea so long as he’s surrounded by real athletes, plus mostly a bunch of crap that dumb Americans wistfully claim have “potential” because occasionally they get the privilege of carrying water for real players like Haaland and Ronaldo.
The new crop of players have never even won a real NT soccer game before. Not one. Speculating they can win the WC is crazy talk.
Yep, it's as if they didn't want to qualify. Maybe those players just couldn't be bothered? Disfunction to say the least.
Well, it kinda is..FIFA wouldn't release them. Perhaps they see the Olympics as a distraction from their business.
For the Olympics (soccer) the clubs can refuse to release the players (unlike senior FIFA competitions when they have to release them). So it may be that clubs said "no way" to releasing players to travel to Mexico to play. IDK but it seems more likely than not IMO.Try explaining to people why 4+ of our best u23 players are in Europe playing a friendly rather than in Mexico helping us qualify for the Olympics.
Anyone who makes the team at any of the examples in the article is doing it on merit. None of the professional European clubs are charities and none of them are picking US players for altruistic reasons. The professional teams could care less wrt the nationality of the players, aside from any national federation restrictions (on foreign) players or legal visa requirements.No. The DA made the US men’s team even worse than it was before. The one thing that makes a country great at soccer is more people play it, more often, for a longer span of years. The DA took a very small group of mostly middling kiddie athletes (but super cute circus jugglers) to move forward, while relegating 99% of pre pubescent boys to second class training, competition, and training until completely running them out of the sport by age 13-14. Even with those chosen few mediocre athletes, it limited how much they can even have fun playing their sport. This is the worst possible way to create a great national team. So the US is now stuck with one itty bitty guy who can play a little at Chelsea so long as he’s surrounded by real athletes, plus mostly a bunch of crap that dumb Americans wistfully claim have “potential” because occasionally they get the privilege of carrying water for real players like Haaland and Ronaldo.
The new crop of players have never even won a real NT soccer game before. Not one. Speculating they can win the WC is crazy talk.
It really shouldn't matter. With the amount of soccer being played in the US and our population size, the fact we can't put together a team (even without those 4 players) to beat a tiny country like Honduras speaks volumes.For the Olympics (soccer) the clubs can refuse to release the players (unlike senior FIFA competitions when they have to release them). So it may be that clubs said "no way" to releasing players to travel to Mexico to play. IDK but it seems more likely than not IMO.
The professional teams could care less wrt the nationality of the players, aside from any national federation restrictions (on foreign) players or legal visa requirements.
EOTL coming on strong today. So far bro, best post today. Keep it to soccer and you might make a come backNo. The DA made the US men’s team even worse than it was before. The one thing that makes a country great at soccer is more people play it, more often, for a longer span of years. The DA took a very small group of mostly middling kiddie athletes (but super cute circus jugglers) to move forward, while relegating 99% of pre pubescent boys to second class training, competition, and training until completely running them out of the sport by age 13-14. Even with those chosen few mediocre athletes, it limited how much they can even have fun playing their sport. This is the worst possible way to create a great national team. So the US is now stuck with one itty bitty guy who can play a little at Chelsea so long as he’s surrounded by real athletes, plus mostly a bunch of crap that dumb Americans wistfully claim have “potential” because occasionally they get the privilege of carrying water for real players like Haaland and Ronaldo.
The new crop of players have never even won a real NT soccer game before. Not one. Speculating they can win the WC is crazy talk.
I don't agree. The big teams come and play in their pre-season. Their games are being broadcast. They have their faux affiliations at the youth soccer level. They don't need a "flagship" US player on their roster to tap the US market.I think this is a bit short-sighted. The US is essentially an untapped market for international soccer. Really the only one. There are some additional incentives for European teams to produce a US soccer star.
Agree to the general point, but the whole "big country should beat small country" is a silly argument/stance.It really shouldn't matter. With the amount of soccer being played in the US and our population size, the fact we can't put together a team (even without those 4 players) to beat a tiny country like Honduras speaks volumes.
Agree to the general point, but the whole "big country should beat small country" is a silly argument/stance.
Belgium is the #1 ranked team in the world. Honduras has a similar population.
You can compare the investment, infrastructure, level of coaching, budget etc. and no way the US should lose ... but just the "we have more people" thing has no merit.
Honestly I was worried about Pulisic, Lampard did not seem to like him and when Tuchel took over I thought he was on the outs but now it seems he has played his way back into the good graces of the coach. How is it Werner gets every chance in the world and Pulisic plays a bad game and he is benched? If Pulisic can stay healthy the sky is the limit for him.Anyone catch Real Madrid v. Chelsea? Pulisic is emerging as a true first tier player, if not on par (yet?) with the legends, certainly as good as other starters currently playing in the Champions.
Anyone catch Real Madrid v. Chelsea? Pulisic is emerging as a true first tier player, if not on par (yet?) with the legends, certainly as good as other starters currently playing in the Champions.
Pulisic even though he came off the bench was awesome and that assist was both unselfish and lovely. Perhaps an American in a Champions League final.
Also it's an all English final. The top of the premiere league is really pulling away from the rest of the world (and the rest of the EPL), and with the failure of the Superleague, that's only going to continue particularly given the financial difficulty the Spanish and Italian clubs find themselves in (I don't know the financial condition of PSG and Bayern)