Why the USMNT lost Jonathan Gonzales

[Unregistered]

Corn feed and big have nothing to do with this. We are not building an offensive line. Quick, Fast and agile. You can see a top player with these skills on any soccer field in a second. Speed and quickness rule in any sport. We have good coaches and our system isn't broke.

If you would add more speed and quickness to our pool ahead of tactical acumen and technical proficiency, I'm not sure what to tell you except this: top-level coaches/scouts/stakeholders that come into contact with top level American youth NEVER say "these kids are good but they just aren't athletic enough". Never.

What they do say is that their problem-solving is poor, that their soccer-IQ lags, and that - and this is a big one - they seem at ages 16+ to be ill-equipped to deal with the rigors of professional academy life. If anything, our system rewards athleticism far, far too much at the expense of kids with actual potential to be soccer players.

You may be to close to this to use a discerning eye.

I can't imagine what that means.

[Unregistered]

You should understand how far outside the debate your "Best Athletes" opinion is. We don't need better athletes: we need better soccer players. "Best Athletes" can pick up a basketball when they're 15 and still make the NBA. Soccer - like it or not - is not that kind of sport. All it takes is one look at the top players in the world and you can see that athleticism is just a small part of what allows someone to excel in soccer. Or, if you need an example closer to home, go watch our big, strong corn-fed Oregonians get smacked around by smaller kids in southern california.

The US is already renowned for its players' athleticism, fitness, and work rate. We're also known for being not very good technically and tactically. It's the latter areas where our largest soccer-first demographic can help us if we integrate them more thoroughly.

Totally agree - we have more than enough athletes. It's how we're training soccer players is where we fail.

[Unregistered]

I think you may have a point on the girls side and it is worth talking about. Is this a issue in Latino Community, or is pay to play limiting access? I can't imagine pay to play leadership at any club not making spots available for kids and families that need assistance.

Some pay to play clubs have scholarships, some do not or are very limited. Problem is they make up 65%+ of all DA clubs, so for the most part many lower income families are shut out. For girls it's far worse as there are almost no free to play girls clubs. It's not just the fees but travel as well. For some families the long distance isn't feasible if there's two parents working and not $ enough to hire a someone to drive like the McMansion crowd can do.

[Unregistered]

A bit of good news, as a reasonably-talented (better than Julian Green, it appears) Army brat from Germany has decided to switch from Die Mannschaft to the US team:

http://www.espn.com/soccer/united-st...-germany-to-us

The '18 cup is probably not an issue for him--Germany doesn't need to put teenagers on its senior team, so he won't be in Russia anyway.

[Unregistered]

If you would add more speed and quickness to our pool ahead of tactical acumen and technical proficiency, I'm not sure what to tell you except this: top-level coaches/scouts/stakeholders that come into contact with top level American youth NEVER say "these kids are good but they just aren't athletic enough". Never.

What they do say is that their problem-solving is poor, that their soccer-IQ lags, and that - and this is a big one - they seem at ages 16+ to be ill-equipped to deal with the rigors of professional academy life. If anything, our system rewards athleticism far, far too much at the expense of kids with actual potential to be soccer players.



I can't imagine what that means.

One thing I've noticed when watching soccer. The fastest quickest kids seem to be better technically and tactically at high levels are playing at a quicker and faster rate then everyone else. The game slows down for them so decision making is easier and not rushed. Lots of great kids who are great on ball but struggle with speed. I think US men's side has kinda quick guys who are great on ball and get gobbled up by other countries. MHO

[Unregistered]

One thing I've noticed when watching soccer. The fastest quickest kids seem to be better technically and tactically at high levels are playing at a quicker and faster rate then everyone else. The game slows down for them so decision making is easier and not rushed. Lots of great kids who are great on ball but struggle with speed. I think US men's side has kinda quick guys who are great on ball and get gobbled up by other countries. MHO

Sometimes the case, but more often than not what you are seeing is cognitive speed paired with technical ability. Playing fast and being fast aren't the same thing.

Or, said another way: there's no amount of speed/quickness/strength that can make up for being dumb.

[Unregistered]

Sometimes the case, but more often than not what you are seeing is cognitive speed paired with technical ability. Playing fast and being fast aren't the same thing.

Or, said another way: there's no amount of speed/quickness/strength that can make up for being dumb.

Cruyff once noted he makes up for his lack of footspeed by starting his runs earlier. He makes it sound so simple, of course--but in reality, the cognitive and tactical ability that he had which allowed him to play in this way, are pearls of great price.

[Unregistered]

Cruyff once noted he makes up for his lack of footspeed by starting his runs earlier. He makes it sound so simple, of course--but in reality, the cognitive and tactical ability that he had which allowed him to play in this way, are pearls of great price.

Point taken and Gretsky once said something very similar. However both Cruyff and Gretsky were very fast and lightning quick.

Note: Although high speed actions only contribute to 11% of the total distance covered, they in fact constitute the more crucial moments of the game and contribute directly to wining possession of the ball and to scoring or to conceding a goal. ------ Johan Cruyff


Often supremely gifted people believe that they have a nugget of insight or have worked harder in training then a foe or teammate. At the highest levels that is doubtful. In reality they just may be quicker.

[Unregistered]

Sometimes the case, but more often than not what you are seeing is cognitive speed paired with technical ability. Playing fast and being fast aren't the same thing.

Or, said another way: there's no amount of speed/quickness/strength that can make up for being dumb.

Agreed you need the trilogy to be great. Speed, Quickness and smarts

[Unregistered]

Point taken and Gretsky once said something very similar. However both Cruyff and Gretsky were very fast and lightning quick.

Note: Although high speed actions only contribute to 11% of the total distance covered, they in fact constitute the more crucial moments of the game and contribute directly to wining possession of the ball and to scoring or to conceding a goal. ------ Johan Cruyff


Often supremely gifted people believe that they have a nugget of insight or have worked harder in training then a foe or teammate. At the highest levels that is doubtful. In reality they just may be quicker.

Is that a Cruyff quote? Not sure "high speed actions" means what you think it means.

Look, all else equal, of course being fast is better than being not fast. But a fast player without technique and IQ is far, far more useless than a kid without pace but with technique and IQ. That's a harsh truth, especially for American parents of kids that pour in goals at 12, but there it is.

[Unregistered]

Is that a Cruyff quote? Not sure "high speed actions" means what you think it means.

Look, all else equal, of course being fast is better than being not fast. But a fast player without technique and IQ is far, far more useless than a kid without pace but with technique and IQ. That's a harsh truth, especially for American parents of kids that pour in goals at 12, but there it is.

Not a lot of slow kids with great technique at high levels. That is the harsh truth as well. Again you need both to be good and play at high level. Speed and brains. But if IQ's are fairly equal then speed wins....

[Unregistered]

Is that a Cruyff quote? Not sure "high speed actions" means what you think it means.

Look, all else equal, of course being fast is better than being not fast. But a fast player without technique and IQ is far, far more useless than a kid without pace but with technique and IQ. That's a harsh truth, especially for American parents of kids that pour in goals at 12, but there it is.

The quote in question (taken from here: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articl...ff-quotes.html) is

"What is speed? The sports press often confuses speed with insight. See, if I start running slightly earlier than someone else, I seem faster."

And age 12 is a dangerous year to assess talent, simply because of the wide difference in strength and speed between the kids who have gone through puberty and those who haven't. I've seen quite a few players who look old enough to shave on various 05 teams....

[Unregistered]

If you combine money making coaching licenses that don't reflect the actual quality of a coach along with the money making leagues they are trying to take over with it's pretty easy to see that development isn't US soccers priority.

One nation one team? I call bs US soccer. You claim the right to represent the US when you are universally hated around the county and have shown to be more about smoke and mirrors money making then the players.

[Unregistered]

If you combine money making coaching licenses that don't reflect the actual quality of a coach along with the money making leagues they are trying to take over with it's pretty easy to see that development isn't US soccers priority.

One nation one team? I call bs US soccer. You claim the right to represent the US when you are universally hated around the county and have shown to be more about smoke and mirrors money making then the players.

Might be true. We should fix this.

[Unregistered]

Might be true. We should fix this.

This template has been replicated at our local non-profit neighborhood 'soccer/football' clubs in an even sicker fashion. Trickle down from US Soccer-- Truly a disgrace, I agree.

Without a BOD or membership calling these fools out what can you do? Take over the board and clean house at the monetized daycare centers (clubs?)