Unfortunately, socceramerica has gone to a subscription model, but you can still read and article or two each day for free.
And this one is important: https://www.socceramerica.com/public...athan-gon.html
The important point, I think, is not that we lost Jonathan Gonzales to el Tri because of a phone call.
It's because various parts of US Soccer tend to ignore the Latino community in various ways.
* Pay-to-play clubs are not affordable by many poor and working-class Latino players. In some places, predominantly-upper-class clubs may even be indifferent or hostile to Latino players, especially lower-income ones. (Often times the problem is class rather than race, but racism certainly exists).
* Many clubs like to emphasize, for lack of a better term, an "English" style of play (or bootball and other corruptions thereof), that focuses on athletic ability over technical ability.
* US Soccer seems to have no clue about reaching the Latino community.
* And quite a few MLS clubs have no clue either. The Timbers, despite having a lackluster academy program, are better than quite a few MLS clubs at this actually. But Gonzales, a kid who was a fixture with US youth teams for quite a few years and who won the Sueño, didn't get a sniff from MLS and ended up in Liga MX. And like a hot girlfriend who moves away from college--how soon before her heart starts to wander?
And this one is important: https://www.socceramerica.com/public...athan-gon.html
The important point, I think, is not that we lost Jonathan Gonzales to el Tri because of a phone call.
It's because various parts of US Soccer tend to ignore the Latino community in various ways.
* Pay-to-play clubs are not affordable by many poor and working-class Latino players. In some places, predominantly-upper-class clubs may even be indifferent or hostile to Latino players, especially lower-income ones. (Often times the problem is class rather than race, but racism certainly exists).
* Many clubs like to emphasize, for lack of a better term, an "English" style of play (or bootball and other corruptions thereof), that focuses on athletic ability over technical ability.
* US Soccer seems to have no clue about reaching the Latino community.
* And quite a few MLS clubs have no clue either. The Timbers, despite having a lackluster academy program, are better than quite a few MLS clubs at this actually. But Gonzales, a kid who was a fixture with US youth teams for quite a few years and who won the Sueño, didn't get a sniff from MLS and ended up in Liga MX. And like a hot girlfriend who moves away from college--how soon before her heart starts to wander?
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