3four3 will be interviewing Amobi Okugo and Danny Mwanga Friday night before their Saturday match with the Galaxy. Both were club opponents of ours as recently as last year who have turned professional with the Philadelphia Union. Danny was selected #1 in the MLS superdraft and Amobi was chosen 6th. They are quality players as […]
To Specialize or Not to Specialize?
Someone from a soccer forum I frequent asked for my thoughts on whether a potential keeper should begin specializing (become “full time”) at the U-9 level. There had been an ongoing discussion in a thread with parents falling on both sides of the fence. So here it goes … From a developmental perspective only, at […]
Advice To New Club Soccer Parents
There is so much to know and so much advice that can be given. I’ll offer a couple big ones here. Ones that I think can act as great guideposts over the years. Become a dedicated fan and student of the sport. If your ultimate goal is to have your child fulfill his/her potential, you […]
Luis Gil Signs With MLS: Say Goodbye to World Class!
I was happy for the 16 year old when I heard the news. But as far as his development is concerned, not so much. On the one hand, I did not want to see him continue as an amateur in the “Development” Academy with the occasional NT camps or games. So, it’s certainly a step […]
US Soccer Development Academy: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Academy is a step in the right direction. There’s a list of things that are correct – many of which have been mentioned within the soccer community. The Good A unified national league. Virtually year-round. Extra day of training. Level competition. MLS teams involved. Better logistics for scouts. Phasing out of high-school. Abolishing crazy […]
Possession Soccer: What does it take?
This post is my response to an observation made by one of our readers, CarlosT from the Sounder At Heart blog. In his comment to our possession article, he shared the video below and stated: “It seems to me that while this style of play is associated with hugely talented teams like Argentina and Brazil, the […]
US vs Honduras: Excuses and Another Bob Bradley Indictment
While it certainly would have been different with the 1st team, I view this performance (a 1-3 loss) as a further indictment of Bradley: He doesn’t know what a “true quality” player is. He simply has no tactical understanding. On the first point, does he mean to tell me these “second string” players are the […]
Funes Mori: Example of US Soccer Failure
The problem with US Soccer is not that we lack extremely talented players; we have them! There are loads of players with world class potential here. I see it every week at the youth level, and sometimes college. The problem is we have ignorance and incompetence occupying the coaching and management positions at the higher […]
Fundamental Guide to Soccer IQ
I think we can all agree that Soccer IQ is about decision making. – When to dribble. – When to pass. – When to shoot. – When to send a cross. – When to go forward or backward. – etc. Disagreements arise on what is the correct thing to do – the reason for the […]
Breaking Bad Habits
Most of us have seen that TV show or movie where the cowboy jumps on a horse’s back with the aim of domestication. The wild animal violently resists being ridden and will buck, jump, twist, whatever it takes to knock the cowboy on his ass! After all, the horse is wild and doesn’t want to […]