Soccer in USA/MLS is ridiculed

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know anything about the status of America's best striker, Juan Agudelo?

The last I've heard of him was fall of 2014 when he couldn't even pass the fitness test for a Championship side (Division 2) in England. Looks like he can't even play in the lower levels in Europe. What a shame.

[Unregistered]

Mr. Klinnsman has one job. Put the best possible team together. Marketing is not his job. And training outside of the MNT is not his job. If Europe is the best training ground for our players then that is where they should train.

MLS is equivalent to the ABA. Bush league. And a good spot for players who cannot play in the big time.

Klinnsman has more than one job. In addition to coaching, he is also the Technical Director of US Soccer, ultimately responsible for the development of our players. His solution to that has been to send them overseas.

The ABA had talent. It merged with the NBA in 1976. Check out the all star rosters in the late 70's. Lot of players from the ABA

[Unregistered]

He can't change a culture that only cares about win loss count from a very young age. It takes just one season on a sideline of u little soccer to realize how invested many parents are in the team winning. Crazy but it is very real and probably interferes greatly with allowing deep development of our players here.

[Unregistered]

If you want a true professional future in football, once you turn 12/13, you have to idealistically consider going overseas.

Otherwise, playing football in America at youth levels turns into who can get into a D3 school and that's not really developing football players for the National Team is it?

Jurgen has a tough job and I'm not sure he can change the landscape within a decade. DAP has just become a way for mediocre players to get into D3 colleges and those with actual talent end up ruining their careers by going to England and realizing they can't actually compete with footballers who have been tactically refined since a young age in English/Spanish/German youth academies.

[Unregistered]

If you want a true professional future in football, once you turn 12/13, you have to idealistically consider going overseas.

Otherwise, playing football in America at youth levels turns into who can get into a D3 school and that's not really developing football players for the National Team is it?

Jurgen has a tough job and I'm not sure he can change the landscape within a decade. DAP has just become a way for mediocre players to get into D3 colleges and those with actual talent end up ruining their careers by going to England and realizing they can't actually compete with footballers who have been tactically refined since a young age in English/Spanish/German youth academies.

Agreed. Some may say the level of soccer at D1 colleges is pretty high. I see the exact opposite. There is more to football/soccer than just pace and athleticism. The tactical aspect of football is probably more important than how athletic a soccer player is.

If you watch the Premier League or any decent, respectable league the players know how to tactically approach the game and where to give the ball, receive the ball, make runs, and defend as a collective unit. I don't really see any of that in American soccer, whether it be the MLS, D1 colleges or DAP.

Those who are athletically gifted and have the tactically awareness are the football players who succeed at the highest level. Ronaldo is a great example, just look at this vision and awareness on the pitch. It's far above anyone elses when he makes runs into the box.

Look at someone like John Terry, he's not a gifted athlete in my opinion but his football IQ is far above anyone else and can make up his lapse in athleticism by positioning himself so well in defense that it's hard to break through him. John Terry even made David Luiz look good lol

[Unregistered]

Agreed. Some may say the level of soccer at D1 colleges is pretty high. I see the exact opposite. There is more to football/soccer than just pace and athleticism. The tactical aspect of football is probably more important than how athletic a soccer player is.

If you watch the Premier League or any decent, respectable league the players know how to tactically approach the game and where to give the ball, receive the ball, make runs, and defend as a collective unit. I don't really see any of that in American soccer, whether it be the MLS, D1 colleges or DAP.

Those who are athletically gifted and have the tactically awareness are the football players who succeed at the highest level. Ronaldo is a great example, just look at this vision and awareness on the pitch. It's far above anyone elses when he makes runs into the box.

Look at someone like John Terry, he's not a gifted athlete in my opinion but his football IQ is far above anyone else and can make up his lapse in athleticism by positioning himself so well in defense that it's hard to break through him. John Terry even made David Luiz look good lol

That's exactly why these 40 year old European players way past their prime can score tons of goals in the MLS! Our players in the MLS may be athletically gifted but they can't understand the game at a tactical level. They get destroyed by players like Theiry Henry who understands the game at a tactical level and exploits MLS defenses.

Freddy Adu, Altidore, Agudelo are all great athletes but have no conception of collective defense or collective attack in football. They just rely on athletic ability and that's where they fail in Europe.

[Unregistered]

Klinnsman has more than one job. In addition to coaching, he is also the Technical Director of US Soccer, ultimately responsible for the development of our players. His solution to that has been to send them overseas.

The ABA had talent. It merged with the NBA in 1976. Check out the all star rosters in the late 70's. Lot of players from the ABA

Klinnsman obviously does not believe the best training for players is in the US. He is suggesting they go and get trained where the training is superior.

And MLS certainly has some talent. There are a percentage of players who likely could (and have) play on a larger stage. However the number of quality players are the minority not the majority in the MLS.

[Unregistered]

Besides, we already have over-paid athletes here. Do we need more?? I would like to see a cap placed on player salaries.....maybe 500,000....perhaps a million. I suspect that about 80-90% of professional athletes could not find any other job in this country where they would get paid 500K to a million.

Overpaid is very accurate.

I think YOU'RE overpaid. We should cap your salary at half its current level. Who cares if your employer thinks paying you what you're being paid now is reasonable, or why s/he might think so? I think you're being paid far too much. We should place an arbitrary limit on your pay, and everyone else's, that's based on nothing more than my whims.

[Unregistered]

Besides, we already have over-paid athletes here. Do we need more?? I would like to see a cap placed on player salaries.....maybe 500,000....perhaps a million. I suspect that about 80-90% of professional athletes could not find any other job in this country where they would get paid 500K to a million.

Overpaid is very accurate.[/QUOTE]

Another Obama supporter

[Unregistered]

Besides, we already have over-paid athletes here. Do we need more?? I would like to see a cap placed on player salaries.....maybe 500,000....perhaps a million. I suspect that about 80-90% of professional athletes could not find any other job in this country where they would get paid 500K to a million.

Overpaid is very accurate.

Another Obama supporter[/QUOTE]

Oh, you mean that fringe character, Obama? Or are you referring to the Obama who won 2 consecutive Presidential elections by winning more than 50% of the national vote?

[Unregistered]

Another Obama supporter

Oh, you mean that fringe character, Obama? Or are you referring to the Obama who won 2 consecutive Presidential elections by winning more than 50% of the national vote?[/QUOTE]

Yes, that Socialist.

[Unregistered]

Another Obama supporter

Oh, you mean that fringe character, Obama? Or are you referring to the Obama who won 2 consecutive Presidential elections by winning more than 50% of the national vote?[/QUOTE]

I mean the Obama that wants to make the government big enough to control EVERYTHING. Youth soccer may be on his radar as well

[Unregistered]

Interesting how many of you only know how to think on one dimension.

Do you know what impact 1% of the population holding more than 50% of the entire world population's wealth has on national security? Do you think it's possible that there might be just a little less hate towards the US (and Europe) and thereby a little less compulsion towards terrorism if we had a meritocracy executed a bit more fairly? Enjoy your MLK Day. Do us all a favor and go see Selma this afternoon.

[Unregistered]

Interesting how many of you only know how to think on one dimension.

Do you know what impact 1% of the population holding more than 50% of the entire world population's wealth has on national security? Do you think it's possible that there might be just a little less hate towards the US (and Europe) and thereby a little less compulsion towards terrorism if we had a meritocracy executed a bit more fairly? Enjoy your MLK Day. Do us all a favor and go see Selma this afternoon.

I know someone who is pretty bummed about the midterm elections!

Go chain yourself to a barrel on Route 93.

Osama Bin Laden was a multi, multi, multi millionaire. His crusade was not about economic imbalance but about radical religious views. If you hate this country so much go ahead and move to somewhere that is less "hated".

[Unregistered]

Interesting how many of you only know how to think on one dimension.

Do you know what impact 1% of the population holding more than 50% of the entire world population's wealth has on national security? Do you think it's possible that there might be just a little less hate towards the US (and Europe) and thereby a little less compulsion towards terrorism if we had a meritocracy executed a bit more fairly? Enjoy your MLK Day. Do us all a favor and go see Selma this afternoon.

You liberals need a better cause than the whole "income inequality". Too many people looking for handouts and government assistance, which is already up 50 % from when your leader took office.

Romney was right about the 47%.