Is US Soccer at a Crossroads?

[Unregistered]

On and on

It's a gift if your kid is good enough to play at the highest level. Take women's soccer, the USA competes very much at the top. Now look at men's soccer its just not the case. I would argue that most high level athletes in the USA do not pick soccer because of other more popular sports I.e. money. Most soccer players in the USA are leftovers from other more popular sports. Sorry I know it stings a little for you purists but that is how it is. Soccer just does not draw the best athletes, it gets the leftovers. You can train your kid till your blue in the face and broke but if they don't have it (the gift) there isn't much you can do except play for fun. That's ok too. Imagine Walter Patton with a soccer ball at his feet or Magic Johnson in goal, or Jerry Rice as a winger, I could go on and on. Soccer should also take a lesson from other successful American youth sports . The year around soccer model is not good. Iam sure any doc would argue differently, after all, your money and child, are their paycheck. So it is year around they go, crazy!

you could go on and on but it wouldn't be any more persuasive. The arrogance of US sports fans that think US athletes who play football and basketball are so superior to those who play other sports or those in other countries is staggering. No I could not imagine Magic in goal. He's too tall. Walter Payton with a ball at his feet, so what? Is he faster than Bale? No. Is he stronger than Christiano? No. Same with Jerry Rice. There are plenty of kids who are just as athletic as any other kids who play because they want to, not because they aren't good enough to play other sports.

[Unregistered]

It's a gift if your kid is good enough to play at the highest level. Take women's soccer, the USA competes very much at the top. Now look at men's soccer its just not the case. I would argue that most high level athletes in the USA do not pick soccer because of other more popular sports I.e. money. Most soccer players in the USA are leftovers from other more popular sports. Sorry I know it stings a little for you purists but that is how it is. Soccer just does not draw the best athletes, it gets the leftovers. You can train your kid till your blue in the face and broke but if they don't have it (the gift) there isn't much you can do except play for fun. That's ok too. Imagine Walter Patton with a soccer ball at his feet or Magic Johnson in goal, or Jerry Rice as a winger, I could go on and on. Soccer should also take a lesson from other successful American youth sports . The year around soccer model is not good. Iam sure any doc would argue differently, after all, your money and child, are their paycheck. So it is year around they go, crazy!

Cultural change will produce better soccer players. MLS will continue to grow and the money will be there some day. Women's soccer - The rest of the world is catching up! Brazil, Germany, Japan, etc...have fewer resources and are catching up to the USWNT if not surpassing them. We need a soccer passionate culture to succeed in the world scene. Maybe someday we'll get there...it'll take time and continued success of the MLS and a change in the system! Klinsman should have been hired when Bradley was given a second term!

[Unregistered]

you could go on and on but it wouldn't be any more persuasive. The arrogance of US sports fans that think US athletes who play football and basketball are so superior to those who play other sports or those in other countries is staggering. No I could not imagine Magic in goal. He's too tall. Walter Payton with a ball at his feet, so what? Is he faster than Bale? No. Is he stronger than Christiano? No. Same with Jerry Rice. There are plenty of kids who are just as athletic as any other kids who play because they want to, not because they aren't good enough to play other sports.

Hakeem played in goal and he was 7' tall. He just found basketball and decided he liked it and in the end, he made more money than he would have in Nigeria playing soccer.

And as far as Walter Payton not being as strong as Christiano, well I would have to disagree.

But those are nit picks. I am not sure what you are saying exactly, but the US is a football culture. And after that it is a basketball and baseball and to some extent, a hockey culture. A ton of our great athletes also choose Olympic sports to focus on. Now some of those athletes would be great soccer players. And some great soccer players could be great in the other sports too.

In this country, and I cannot compare it to other countries, kids choose very early on what they want to specialize in. And they have to in some sports. At 12, you don't then decide to become a gymnast for example. Not all sports require this early committment, but many do, and I think soccer is one of them.

Which, in my opinion, is why Portland doesn't have quite as many good soccer players as some other places which have similar or smaller populations. What I see here is so many kids like to do a lot of sports for a longer period of time. They don't committ solely to soccer early. They like to play baseball, or softball or basketball. That's all well and good, but those sports use hands and you don't get touches on the ball. But that is just my opinion. People may disagree.

[Unregistered]

DA Teams will end P2P for Boys

Because you do not have to pay to be on an MLS DA team boys W/O $'s will no longer be shut out of the process.

In 3 years and you will see the effect on the mens team!

[Unregistered]

Because you do not have to pay to be on an MLS DA team boys W/O $'s will no longer be shut out of the process.

In 3 years and you will see the effect on the mens team!

Yes because poor kids are the best soccer players

[Unregistered]

Yes because poor kids are the best soccer players

Yes! Finally you see the light!

[Unregistered]

And what do most poor boys in the US like to play???? Hmmm... soccer? No. Basketball and football are at the top with baseball right behind.

There are other sports that experience the same issues. Look at hockey. It isn't as though US born athletes are filling the major leagues. It is a sport that takes a huge commitment in terms of money and time from mom and dad and it doesn't pay as well as other sports. It is what it is.

[Unregistered]

And what do most poor boys in the US like to play???? Hmmm... soccer? No. Basketball and football are at the top with baseball right behind.

There are other sports that experience the same issues. Look at hockey. It isn't as though US born athletes are filling the major leagues. It is a sport that takes a huge commitment in terms of money and time from mom and dad and it doesn't pay as well as other sports. It is what it is.

Agreed. But that is my point. Those poor kids in Basketball, Baseball and Football rise to the top because of the system...not so in soccer in the US.

Hockey is not the most popular sport in the world. I would argue that soccer is. Hockey has probably leveled out in terms of growth. Soccer in the US continues to grow and will eventually have more of corporate US behind it. My whole point is that the pay to play model doesn't work if you want to compete internationally.

[Unregistered]

Reality Check

you could go on and on but it wouldn't be any more persuasive. The arrogance of US sports fans that think US athletes who play football and basketball are so superior to those who play other sports or those in other countries is staggering. No I could not imagine Magic in goal. He's too tall. Walter Payton with a ball at his feet, so what? Is he faster than Bale? No. Is he stronger than Christiano? No. Same with Jerry Rice. There are plenty of kids who are just as athletic as any other kids who play because they want to, not because they aren't good enough to play other sports.

It's not arrogance. I'd submit your post is ignorant.
If every NFL DB grew up playing soccer we would have numerous near Christiano level soccer players in terms of pure athleticism. Sure there are those phenoms like Messi and Christiano but they are few and far between and always will be no matter what sport. In my purely hypothetical scenario we'd put 20 freak athletes with excellent soccer skills on the US National team vs what we have today.
If you don't believe me go to any NFL training camp or the NFL combine and take a look at the unbelievable athleticism and pure physical superiority of these freaks. Put a soccer ball at their feet at infancy vs. a football and it would be a blood bath internationally.
Not arrogance ..... reality.

[Unregistered]

Delusional

It's not arrogance. I'd submit your post is ignorant.
If every NFL DB grew up playing soccer we would have numerous near Christiano level soccer players in terms of pure athleticism. Sure there are those phenoms like Messi and Christiano but they are few and far between and always will be no matter what sport. In my purely hypothetical scenario we'd put 20 freak athletes with excellent soccer skills on the US National team vs what we have today.
If you don't believe me go to any NFL training camp or the NFL combine and take a look at the unbelievable athleticism and pure physical superiority of these freaks. Put a soccer ball at their feet at infancy vs. a football and it would be a blood bath internationally.
Not arrogance ..... reality.

If every DB played soccer, they'd weigh 165 not 200 and they'd look like any number of players elsewhere in the world. The arrogance of saying go to an NFL combine and look at the great athletes and it would be a blood bath internationally is staggering. What, is the rest of the world short on athletes? Only the good ones here and they all play football? The world doesn't work that way. You need to get out more.

[Unregistered]

If every DB played soccer, they'd weigh 165 not 200 and they'd look like any number of players elsewhere in the world. The arrogance of saying go to an NFL combine and look at the great athletes and it would be a blood bath internationally is staggering. What, is the rest of the world short on athletes? Only the good ones here and they all play football? The world doesn't work that way. You need to get out more.

Must be tough going through life with a dunce cap on. Evidently you can't grasp the concept that soccer doesn't attract the best athletes in the US. Of course the rest of the world has great athletes ... for what ever their unique reasons are not all choose soccer either?
All I've said is that if the same athletes that currently choose US football were brought up playing soccer we'd have a completely different level of athletic play. Implied in the arguement is that the financial attraction to soccer would also be present and the motivations to earn millions would attract players. reverse of today.
Your assumption that those athletes would weigh less and look like every other soccer player is a bizarre statement.
Too bad we can't prove this .... I'd love to see you eat your words Mr Worldly.

[Unregistered]

You Would Know-Mr. Dunce Cap

Must be tough going through life with a dunce cap on. Evidently you can't grasp the concept that soccer doesn't attract the best athletes in the US. [NEVER SAID IT DID] Of course the rest of the world has great athletes ... for what ever their unique reasons are not all choose soccer either? [WHAT DOES THIS SENTENCE MEAN?]
All I've said is that if the same athletes that currently choose US football were brought up playing soccer we'd have a completely different level of athletic play. [THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAID] Implied in the arguement is that the financial attraction to soccer would also be present and the motivations to earn millions would attract players. reverse of today.
Your assumption that those athletes would weigh less and look like every other soccer player is a bizarre statement.
Too bad we can't prove this .... I'd love to see you eat your words Mr Worldly.[I WOULD NOT BE CONCERNED]

You write "it would be a blood bath internationally" you didn't say it would be a different level of play. I agree with that. The more athletes playing, the more likely the level of play would increase. Your statement, however, was that US superstars would dominate other countries because they're such better athletes. That argument, of course, ignores what soccer players look like and the traits that make them good. It's not necessarily the same traits that make football and basketball players successful. For example, your theory cannot explain Spain generally or Barcelona in particular and offers no explanation for why a country the size of Holland can produce so many great players.

The statement that football players would weigh less isn't bizarre at all. Football players playing soccer would weigh less because they can't carry that much weight and play soccer. 165 may be a little low, but there aren't too many 200 pounders on a soccer field, even the guys who are 6-4 don't weigh that much. Don't you think if it were advantage to being that big there would be lots of players who look like football players? Or, is there something unique about Americans that enables them to get so big and strong that athletes in other countries can't do? There isn't; and there's a reason soccer players don't look like football players: Guys expected to run 5-7 miles in a game can't carry 200+ pounds. Sort of like why distance runners don't look like sprinters.

I didn't write that soccer here wouldn't be better if all US athletes played it or even that the best athletes didn't play other sports. I did dispute the idea that the US has such a tremendous reserve of great athletes that if they played soccer the US would dominate. There's simply not enough evidence to support that conclusion. For example, we all likely agree that the best basketball is played in the US and that soccer is the global game and the best athletes in other countries play soccer. Foreign players are well represented in the NBA and the number is growing all the time. How is that explained by your thesis? Mine is that there are a lot of great athletes here and globally and they play a variety of sports for different reasons. First among those reasons is that they like the sport that they chose to play.

[Unregistered]

US Football Athletes

I didn't write that soccer here wouldn't be better if all US athletes played it or even that the best athletes didn't play other sports. I did dispute the idea that the US has such a tremendous reserve of great athletes that if they played soccer the US would dominate. There's simply not enough evidence to support that conclusion. For example, we all likely agree that the best basketball is played in the US and that soccer is the global game and the best athletes in other countries play soccer. Foreign players are well represented in the NBA and the number is growing all the time. How is that explained by your thesis? Mine is that there are a lot of great athletes here and globally and they play a variety of sports for different reasons. First among those reasons is that they like the sport that they chose to play.[/QUOTE]

You are dismissing the vast number of athletes groomed to play US football. We are talking in the tens of millions and they produce many DB's and receivers who have to have both hand eye coordination as well as total body control. Given them 8 years with a ball at their feet and look out!

Yes they would be lighter but they will also be 6 feet plus and be as fast and nimble as all but the Messi's of the world. In the coming years more and more of your most athletic American youth will choose soccer because of the MLS and their DA programs and I expect to hear from the purests that they have turned soccer into a game of set plays as they consistently out jump the midgets for headers. I also expect to hear a lot, and I mean a lot, of whining about how they are fouling the midgets because they are too big and strong.

If you doubt this you need to look at a program from the NBA from the mid 60's where ONLY Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain were over 6'.9" and the bulk of the league was under 6'. Then you need to see film of Wilt moving the floor like a guard and Russel swatting shots like flies on a manure pile. Fast forward to today and nearly every NBA team has a 7' forward like Nowitski or 6.9 forward like Derick Rose or Kobe Bryant and you are too short to play point guard if you are not 6.4.

You will see it first in the MLS in about 3 years and in the balance of the professional leagues about 5 years later as there will be several Blake Griffin's who decide it's more fun to run and play out doors for similar money as the NFL or NBA!

[Unregistered]

Not Likely

I didn't write that soccer here wouldn't be better if all US athletes played it or even that the best athletes didn't play other sports. I did dispute the idea that the US has such a tremendous reserve of great athletes that if they played soccer the US would dominate. There's simply not enough evidence to support that conclusion. For example, we all likely agree that the best basketball is played in the US and that soccer is the global game and the best athletes in other countries play soccer. Foreign players are well represented in the NBA and the number is growing all the time. How is that explained by your thesis? Mine is that there are a lot of great athletes here and globally and they play a variety of sports for different reasons. First among those reasons is that they like the sport that they chose to play.

You are dismissing the vast number of athletes groomed to play US football. We are talking in the tens of millions and they produce many DB's and receivers who have to have both hand eye coordination as well as total body control. Given them 8 years with a ball at their feet and look out!

Yes they would be lighter but they will also be 6 feet plus and be as fast and nimble as all but the Messi's of the world. In the coming years more and more of your most athletic American youth will choose soccer because of the MLS and their DA programs and I expect to hear from the purests that they have turned soccer into a game of set plays as they consistently out jump the midgets for headers. I also expect to hear a lot, and I mean a lot, of whining about how they are fouling the midgets because they are too big and strong.

If you doubt this you need to look at a program from the NBA from the mid 60's where ONLY Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain were over 6'.9" and the bulk of the league was under 6'. Then you need to see film of Wilt moving the floor like a guard and Russel swatting shots like flies on a manure pile. Fast forward to today and nearly every NBA team has a 7' forward like Nowitski or 6.9 forward like Derick Rose or Kobe Bryant and you are too short to play point guard if you are not 6.4.

You will see it first in the MLS in about 3 years and in the balance of the professional leagues about 5 years later as there will be several Blake Griffin's who decide it's more fun to run and play out doors for similar money as the NFL or NBA![/QUOTE]

It's a wonder nobody has thought of that before--get a bunch of big guys. I think that team is called Stoke.

[Fred]

Only one issue really.

The only real one really serious issue in this article is Culture. From top to bottom we simply do not have a culture where soccer is king and until we can ever get to that point, the rest of the issues are moot. I spent some time in Brazil a few years ago and I was amazed at the soccer culture there. On game day for the local club, every corner where there was a cafe or bar or where ever had the game on and people would be milling around. And this was for the local club. I can only imagine what it would be like if it were the national team playing in a big tournament like the World Cup or something.

When our men's national team plays, only the soccer die hards in this country get into it. We simply do not have the culture needed for soccer to really develop. Not only is it pro sports like NFL, NBA, MLB, and to some degree NHL we also have college football and basketball that have a culture needed to producing greatness.

If we removed the financial issues to poor players being able to play and provided transportation for them and focused on development vs results that would not change the culture of soccer in this country that is needed if we want to be a top contender. As part of creating that culture, we need to have one of the top leagues in the world where players can go and develop. While MLS has done well to survive, it is far from one of the top leagues in the world.

The real question is can the USA ever have a soccer culture where we can produce top level players and top level teams? Personally I cannot envision that ever happening in my lifetime. That is not to say we should stop trying, but we have to be realistic that it may never happen. Just enjoy the game and try to make it better where ever you may be.