Our mission here is education. Education so you can make better soccer decisions and have more sophisticated, well-grounded opinions. I think it boils down to two main components: The soft skills. Specifically, a continual and unvarnished discussion of soccer philosophy that reflects the values of the greatest teams, players, and managers in the world. The [...]
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Happy mad-libbing! _______________ (Possession/4-3-3/Passing out of the back) like __________________ (F.C. Barcelona/Spain/Ajax) would never work for a __________________ (Mid-low table Premier League/Major League Soccer/NCAA Division I) team. The __________________ (British/American/American College) game is too ____________ (Fast/Physical/Aggressive) for a ________________ (British/MLS/College) team to play like that. The only reason ______________ (F.C. Barcelona/Spain/Ajax) can play like that is [...]
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I attended 4 of the sessions and both games versus Klinsmann’s senior team. Caleb Porter First and foremost, if our praise for Caleb Porter hasn’t been evident, let me repeat, Caleb Porter is legit. Previously, we’ve been judging him solely from watching his Akron team (on TV and in person). Meaning we’ve never seen him [...]
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This is my response to reader John, who left an excellent set of comments. The last of which I’ll address here. Specifically: I’d love to see you talk about specific tactics, Gary. I have no doubt that you are very a bright guy, but I wish you’d share your knowledge with us. Tell us about [...]
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There is nothing high-level available for this group of players during their off-seasons. That hurts, and it must be fixed! During the holidays we held a 4 day camp for them. It was a pilot program really, as we have never done such a thing, but I was pleased with the turnout. Here’s the list [...]
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Oh how everyone talks as if they know what “development” is, and how to do it. Sigh … Let’s talk a little bit about “playing up” and whether it helps or not. This weekend our U11′s are going to play in a U12 tournament. This isn’t the first time competing up either. The last was [...]
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For those not aware, the Hermann Trophy is soccer’s equivalent to the Heismann. So I’m scanning the blogs out there, and I came across the following comments on this post concerning the 15 semifinalists for the award. Mark said: 12 forwards and 2 mids in that list. Seems like the trophy is skewed towards goal [...]
Tweet“We’ve made good progress in the last 20 years.” Yes we have, and we should all be happy for it. However, it’s easier going from 40% to 70%, than it is from 70% to 100%. The first jump involves broad strokes. You know, the “common sense” stuff. The second jump involves the details. You know, [...]
TweetThe following was inspired by Lalo’s latest comment. He makes good points about leadership, and poses questions about the work on this blog. What follows is not intended as a full response, but I preferred to post here instead of in the comments. On the statement: “Leadership is doing the right thing”. I agree. But [...]
TweetWhat follows is an initial list of 25 things obstructing the US from becoming a soccer powerhouse. The “what’s wrong” topic is always around and maintains a certain level of attention. Then, when our national teams flounder, the topic spikes and dominates the discussion. And of course everyone and their mom has an opinion. Errrr [...]
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