Question was brought up on another thread but thought it deserves it own. What is wrong with the US Men's program, why can we not get over the hump? Is it because of training and development? Are we not finding ways to encourage our best US born athletes to play our sport? Are we pricing many families out of soccer? If it is development why has the women's side been so successful?
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Our best male athletes play other sports football(American), basketball, baseball and hockey. Just follow the money in the US. That is why in Europe and central/South America the follow the money is to soccer. -
I think know one wants to admit it but we price a big portion of potential Athletes and soccer players out of the sport. My husband is from Holland and he thinks it's crazy what it costs to play youth soccer in the US at a competitive level. We have made a business out of it here, the non profit status is almost a joke. Hard for me to see a single mom and intercity kids being able to afford $3000 a year for soccer.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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I think that's bogus. When you see countries with small populations doing well then a country as large as ours doesn't have an excuse. If you look at the number of young people playing soccer in this country, and I mean playing serious soccer, I bet we have a larger population to choose top players from than many small countries (who outperform us). Personally, I think it's a deeper issue for the US. We have plenty of players in this country who are good enough athletes to play with international players.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Cost is high
Basketball and football are both held in very high regard by players and the general public.
Go to a big basketball tournament some time. Girls everywhere. Attractive girls.
Same with HS basketball games.
Go to a HS/college football game and observe how many attractive girls are present, plus cheerleaders. Two thousand people in attendance.
Go to a high school soccer game. Note that 90% of the attendees are mom and dad.
What's on prime time TV? Basketball and football.
Entire towns in Midwest shut down for? High school football games.
Might not seem important, but it is to young men.
All things considered, the US was very competitive in the World Cup this year.Comment
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Most stud athletes play football and basketball. It's pretty clear at high school level.Comment
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Just last week while on layover, I walked to a bar, asked the bartender to put on a live MLS game and then got outvoted by a loud margin for a replay of a college football game from the 90's!! I had to watch the soccer match on my tablet.
Bet that doesn't happen in other countries.Comment
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Soccer in the US allows us all the privilege of paying MORE money the better you get as a player. The best players aren't always the wealthiest.
The National team is about money, exposure, and who you know.Comment
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Soccer requires years of work to develop muscle memory and foot skills and the abilities to play the game well.
Football and basketball, not so much. We've had NBA and NFL players who hardly played youth ball but then become professionals.
We've got plenty of great athletes who could play soccer, but it requires work and they are lazy.Comment
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I think this is the issue. As I understand it, I'm no expert for sure, but most countries outside the US subsidize their youth programs from professional and National programs. I understand the the PDX Timbers are not in it to promote our build our national program, its a business first. However you would think that as a long term thought they would be pumping money into the home town programs instead of the other way around. Everyone is greedy and want a piece of the pie but if the PDX Timbers were really serious about development they could eliminate the OPL by simply investing in our local youth and being more inclusive. Who ever thought it would be a good idea to have a Timbers Alliance? Seems backward when your trying to make Timbers fans and future Timbers out of everyone in your footprint.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Why stop there? Timbers are doing it backwards, I agree and the other clubs solution is to double the prices to be in an elite league.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Both are screwed up and killing us. Very sad to see the wealthy pulled away and separated from the not as fortunate. Money will continue to separate and pull a divide in a sport that was created in the streets, the jungles, the ghettos. Too bad neither side in OR can get it right.Comment
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Consider....
Soccer requires a field, goals, etc. None of that is free. There is not enough money in it at the professional level to warrant non-paying youth teams. Just not enough money coming down. Until there are better revenue sources, this is it. That, and of course, willing parents to pay anybody with a foreign accent to coach their kids, qualified or not.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Still crap. Soccer requires people that actually care about it. Field, goals, etc. are just extras. Brazil didn't start with that fanciest facilities, and still don't have them. Look around the world.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Look at basketball in the US. Street Ball.
Money is not needed to build soccer in the US. Problem is bigger than thatComment
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Soccer takes less resources than just about any sport out there, why do you think it's played so much in relatively poor countries?! You don't need giant fields and goals, just a make shift ball and a couple rocks to mark goals. It's simply cultural. US kids don't spend as much time playing the game. How many pick up games of soccer do you see? How many kids take their soccer ball everywhere they go? Check out your nearest hard court, does it have hoops or goal posts? It's about that simple.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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It is how we train kids and our over emphasis on winning too early in children's development years.
MLS also hurts development. Too few professional clubs, no investment in players and the pay to play model.Comment
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