Why Does The United States Produce So Few World Class Players?

[Unregistered]

I think we have the players here in the US, but the same guys (nerds) that have been running US Soccer don't do a very good job of IDing talent. They keep looking at the same type of players year after year, and this has been going on since the late 1980's. I don't believe they can spot a top level youth player. I am certain that if Messi was growing up in the US he wouldn't have been selected into regional/national pools. It is nice to see Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna involved, but we need a better scouting system with new people involved. The likes of the John Hackworth types in the sport need to go! The Hackworths (and the likes) are keeping the game down and these guys don't want to see new blood come into the system. Most couldn't play, they don't coach at a high-level and they don't want people around that that can.

Well said. The region/national evaluators overlook skill and soccer IQ for size and athleticism hoping they can turn the bigger kids into soccer players. You are absolutely correct. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta wouldn't stand a chance of getting IDd in the current system.

[Unregistered]

Well said. The region/national evaluators overlook skill and soccer IQ for size and athleticism hoping they can turn the bigger kids into soccer players. You are absolutely correct. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta wouldn't stand a chance of getting IDd in the current system.

I think what it comes down to being a great soccer player is having the intangibles that are most often overlooked and easily missed. A perfect example is that I know of kids that have garnered national team looks due to speed, sometimes size and strength. They do not consistently make the right decision or make players around them better, but the few times that they get it right, it looks great. Now the kid that makes the correct decision 90% of the time, is most often in the right place on the field and makes other kids around him look better, most times get overlooked for the bright shiny object. The national team needs to be looking more at complete soccer players and trying to develop them.

[Unregistered]

I think what it comes down to being a great soccer player is having the intangibles that are most often overlooked and easily missed. A perfect example is that I know of kids that have garnered national team looks due to speed, sometimes size and strength. They do not consistently make the right decision or make players around them better, but the few times that they get it right, it looks great. Now the kid that makes the correct decision 90% of the time, is most often in the right place on the field and makes other kids around him look better, most times get overlooked for the bright shiny object. The national team needs to be looking more at complete soccer players and trying to develop them.

Kind of like Messi and CR 7...Messi makes others around him look better...CR 7 , not so much

[Unregistered]

Soccer is currently the MOST participated in youth sport in America. Know some facts before you spew your drivel!

Lets give some facts, not opinions then. Hoops is the real king because it's for girls too.
Baseball and soccer start off fast, but by the time kids reach age 9, basketball becomes the most popular competitive sport, according to the SFIA's regular/frequent count. Meanwhile, two sports played largely by one gender -- football for boys and volleyball for girls -- grow fast from ages 11 through 14 but never come close to catching up.

Even through age 17, basketball remains dominant because both genders continue to play organized ball. In a study done for the United States Tennis Association Don Sabo looked at data from 2010 to 2016 via an annual survey of about 50,000 students a year and found that 40 percent of adolescent boys and 25 percent of girls play competitive hoops. Soccer and track are the next most popular with both boys and girls, followed by swimming.

[Unregistered]

I think we have the players here in the US, but the same guys (nerds) that have been running US Soccer don't do a very good job of IDing talent. They keep looking at the same type of players year after year, and this has been going on since the late 1980's. I don't believe they can spot a top level youth player. I am certain that if Messi was growing up in the US he wouldn't have been selected into regional/national pools. It is nice to see Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna involved, but we need a better scouting system with new people involved. The likes of the John Hackworth types in the sport need to go! The Hackworths (and the likes) are keeping the game down and these guys don't want to see new blood come into the system. Most couldn't play, they don't coach at a high-level and they don't want people around that that can.

Travel to Europe or Brazil or Argentina and play the top teams and tell me if you still think the same way. You are way the **** off.

[Unregistered]

Soccer is currently the MOST participated in youth sport in America. Know some facts before you spew your drivel!

Brand new middle school in my town.

2 full basketball courts next to 2 full size state of the art turf soccer fields. Both lit until 10 pm.

The soccer fields are empty 90 % of the time and then only for organized practices or games. There is seriously never any kind of pick up game going on.

Basketball courts are full all day and night. All ages.

Soccer may be highly participated in, but passion wise it's not in the same league as other sports in the US.

No passion-no drive to become world class.

[Unregistered]

TEnnis? Have u been under a rock the last 10 years , when the Serena sisters retire , it's all Russians and on the men's side I think Andy R was the last consistent threat... it's all about the money money money

I keep forgetting the reading audience on TS. I suppose I should have included badminton or ping pong to make the cynicism more obvious.

[Unregistered]

Soccer is currently the MOST participated in youth sport in America. Know some facts before you spew your drivel!

It actually number 2 behind basketball. Compared to the rest of the drivel on this post, the answer is no worse.

[Unregistered]

"Pay to Play" filters out a huge amount of talent.

[Unregistered]

I think we have the players here in the US, but the same guys (nerds) that have been running US Soccer don't do a very good job of IDing talent. They keep looking at the same type of players year after year, and this has been going on since the late 1980's. I don't believe they can spot a top level youth player. I am certain that if Messi was growing up in the US he wouldn't have been selected into regional/national pools. It is nice to see Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna involved, but we need a better scouting system with new people involved. The likes of the John Hackworth types in the sport need to go! The Hackworths (and the likes) are keeping the game down and these guys don't want to see new blood come into the system. Most couldn't play, they don't coach at a high-level and they don't want people around that that can.

short player dad detected

[Unregistered]

https://coachdibernardo.com/2017/07/...class-players/

Because of the DA system.

[Unregistered]

"Pay to Play" filters out a huge amount of talent.

This one statement says it all about our great process.

"Unfortunately in many cases, it comes down to who you know, and many times, how much money you are willing to spend to make that top team."

http://www.zprofutbol.com/why-i-never-make-top-team/

[Unregistered]

Because the US coaches are too worried about their club rival than to focus on truly developing players. It is an ego thing. When it becomes about players rather than egos you will have a great USA player.

USSF is trying to change this in their education. Don't have to agree to everything in the coaches license course, but as long as Clubs and their DOCs promote education amongst their coaches, and coaches get the message about development before winning, we are headed in the right direction.

Yes- college soccer is terrible. A great opportunity for lots of kids to get an education and all that, but it stops player development at age 18. Some may benefit as a freshman playing with older players or foreign has-beens, but that's about it. The passion for the sport dies quickly in the 3-month season in college. While college is a catalyst for going pro in the game their major sports in the US, for soccer college is a road block....

[Unregistered]

Brand new middle school in my town.

2 full basketball courts next to 2 full size state of the art turf soccer fields. Both lit until 10 pm.

The soccer fields are empty 90 % of the time and then only for organized practices or games. There is seriously never any kind of pick up game going on.

Basketball courts are full all day and night. All ages.

Soccer may be highly participated in, but passion wise it's not in the same league as other sports in the US.

No passion-no drive to become world class.

What middle school in Florida is this?

[Just a Coach]

Tim Howard
Donovan

They are decent players, but by no means are they world class. A world class player is one that makes an impact on the game, not the other way around.