Paul Riley speaks on DA and ECNL chaos

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Soccer wire podcast to be released later today:

Big quotes from Paul Riley in our new podcast (coming out later today) on the state of the youth game, including some specific prescriptions for fixing the ECNL vs. DA 'chaos':

“[The DA] wants videographers, nutritionists, they want a psychologist, they want strength and conditioning, you name it they want it. But they don’t talk about training enough for me, they don’t talk about player development enough for me. They seem to be on the outsides. And everything else seems more important, and to me [player development is] the No. 1 priority of everything we should be doing.”

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Quote from Kevin Payne US club Soccer CEO

“I was hoping that we would be in a little higher place internationally with our men’s program than we find ourselves now,” he added. “There’s been too much focus on process and environment and in some ways not enough focus on developing individual players. I think to some extent our men’s players are almost overcoached now. We don’t seem to be producing players with any kind of personality or creativity.”


Along the same lines as above. Not sure when the penny will drop!

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When I watch the USMNT all I can think of is that they have no personality, no creativity. They look somewhat miserable to be there.

The opposite of the women.

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When I watch the USMNT all I can think of is that they have no personality, no creativity. They look somewhat miserable to be there.

The opposite of the women.

Totally agree with this, watching the men play is like paint by numbers.. Hard to watch..

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When I watch the USMNT all I can think of is that they have no personality, no creativity. They look somewhat miserable to be there.

The opposite of the women.

Very true, and about as much fun to watch as they look playing.

Unfortunately, while we are hearing more and more talk of creating players that are more technically proficient, it's not happening. When you take players that are not great technically and try to get them to play out of the back in a possession based style of play, the results are always going to be ugly.

It is going to be hard to fix any of this through club soccer. Kids need to be playing at recess, in the park with friends, in the yard with the neighbor kids, dribbling around the house, etc. The only way that will happen is if becomes more of our culture. So... throw on nbc or fox sports on the weekend and watch an epl or bundesliga game. Record the champions league matches. Make it part of everyday life. All I'm saying, three 1.5 hr practices a week (with a limited amount of that time going to skill work) isn't gonna make Johnny or Suzie the next Messi or Marta.

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Very true, and about as much fun to watch as they look playing.

Unfortunately, while we are hearing more and more talk of creating players that are more technically proficient, it's not happening. When you take players that are not great technically and try to get them to play out of the back in a possession based style of play, the results are always going to be ugly.

It is going to be hard to fix any of this through club soccer. Kids need to be playing at recess, in the park with friends, in the yard with the neighbor kids, dribbling around the house, etc. The only way that will happen is if becomes more of our culture. So... throw on nbc or fox sports on the weekend and watch an epl or bundesliga game. Record the champions league matches. Make it part of everyday life. All I'm saying, three 1.5 hr practices a week (with a limited amount of that time going to skill work) isn't gonna make Johnny or Suzie the next Messi or Marta.

Kids don't need to play anymore soccer then they want to. For most kids, soccer will ultimately be recreational not occupational. For most kids, competitive soccer is a dead end. Spending anymore time than they already do playing soccer is probably a waste of time. There is so much more out there for them to experience.

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Kids don't need to play anymore soccer then they want to. For most kids, soccer will ultimately be recreational not occupational. For most kids, competitive soccer is a dead end. Spending anymore time than they already do playing soccer is probably a waste of time. There is so much more out there for them to experience.

This is so true. I know I’d rather have my kid out smoking dope, drinking, and getting a piece of @ss.

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This is so true. I know I’d rather have my kid out smoking dope, drinking, and getting a piece of @ss.

I don't remember the games I've played in, but I remember the @ss.

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Kids don't need to play anymore soccer then they want to. For most kids, soccer will ultimately be recreational not occupational. For most kids, competitive soccer is a dead end. Spending anymore time than they already do playing soccer is probably a waste of time. There is so much more out there for them to experience.

I don't think anyone's suggesting they do. More a point of it is perhaps a cultural issue here. Soccer isn't seen as a realistic occupation whereas else where in the world it is and alongside that the additional hours are put in off the training field watching games, in the yard and park recreating what they saw on TV.

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I don't remember the games I've played in, but I remember the @ss.

But do those men remember you?

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But do those men remember you?

They took a pounding so you’d think they would remember.

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I don't remember the games I've played in, but I remember the @ss.

I bet you remember the smell of the hair on the back of their neck. A mixture of sticky sweat, Old Spice aftershave and the three dozen raw oysters you fed them down at the Grotto.

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I bet you remember the smell of the hair on the back of their neck. A mixture of sticky sweat, Old Spice aftershave and the three dozen raw oysters you fed them down at the Grotto.

I think I stumbled into the wrong forum.

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They took a pounding so you’d think they would remember.

Man on man with mustaches.

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Man on man with mustaches.

Full frontal Portlandia.