While the system and philosophy of soccer in the US as a whole must change, I’m telling you that if we had a coach with a soccer brain we would take a huge stride.

If someone like Marcelo Bielsa (I know he’s off the table) took over …

The Current National Team Pools Would be Decimated

Maybe 2 or 3 guys from the current NT would survive, and if given control over the youth NTs (ie his coaches/staff), the current pool of preferred players there wouldn’t survive either. He would clean house! Why? Because the players in these pools are mindless automatons. Sorry. They’re just not good.

People say Bob Bradley did the best he could with what he had.
I say he did the best he could with what HE selected.

Sure “the system” with all it’s “already identified national level players” was what he worked with. But the true talent is not in those “identified pools”. Those pools are WRONG. They do not identify the best! And it’s a mistake to think so.

It’s also a mistake for our head coach not to spread his tentacles much much further.

What Players Would be Selected Then?

So the criticism I always receive through emails or blog comments is:

“Ok Gary, who are the best then? You never disclose names on what players are better. Why? Because there aren’t any and you’re full of shit!”

I understand that sentiment, and I know exactly where you stand. These are statements I just can’t respond to (not to your satisfaction anyway). You want me to shoot off names? You would have no idea who these guys are! If I had said Michael Hoyos or Funes Mori a couple years ago, you would say: “Who? What are you talking about?” Let me tell you there are hundreds of players of that caliber and higher in the States. They never see the light of day because the best are usually on the bench, rarely play, or not utilized properly in MLS, college, or even youth club. The best are not picked when ripening on the vine. Instead they end up rotting and wasted.

So how do I know? Well because I’ve seen it first hand weekly, year after year, at the youth and college level. From 14 – 18, we have junk selected for our NTs. It is absolutely unbelievable how bad it is! And if you are not in these early pools, consider your future inclusion almost impossible. That would change with NT coaches with a clue. They wouldn’t care about pedigree – what team, club, league, or college you play for. They will get a player that has never played club and in a Santa Ana Mexican Sunday league team if he has quality.

In college there’s more junk being selected. And of course we know how D1 is incorrectly seen as all that matters. So more talent residing in lower tier colleges are toast! I’ll go further, if your D1 school is not a traditional NCAA power or doesn’t rack up wins in conference and tournament, you’re likely toast as well! If you don’t have “the stats”, you’re toast. A NT coach with a clue could care less where you play or how many “points” you have. Come to think of it, he may very well focus less on D1 schools where academic requirements have filtered out most of the better players. I’m willing to bet the JC’s have diamonds that are far superior. If you have quality, you’re in!

Of course there are massive logistical issues in scouting. But I’m telling you true quality far greater than what we currently have would be identified.

Everyone would be shocked if someone like Bielsa came. He will find the talent! He would have no problem debuting an 18 year old from the academy or from a Sunday league on the Senior Team! No U18 or U20 team, the Senior Team! (Moises Orozco would be one of them). Our NT would have complete “no names” on it. But “no names” with true quality!

The Larger Scale Effects

And those “no names”, that would otherwise ended up a Starbucks barista, would then have MLS contracts. The level of MLS would then rise.

And this effects “the system” and its philosophy. It tells everyone what the right model is! For the first time it correctly tells everyone in this country what a quality player looks like and hence what they should look for and try to produce.

Furthermore, by playing great soccer and performing better than his predecessors, a Bielsa also shows everyone how they should play and that we do have the talent and capacity to be great.

Another added effect is that his selections will be purchased by quality teams in Europe and actually play! This opens further doors into the virgin US market.

Having the right man and his staff at the senior and youth NTs will work wonders!

We all know the whole system and structure needs to change. But I contend it will commence along the right path and much quicker if we have the right coaches and staff for our national teams.

Thoughts? Opinions? Criticisms? Your comments either way are always welcome!

The goal that saved US Soccer!

For anyone who is a fan of US Soccer or has a child that aspires to big things in the sport, you should say: “Thank you Ghana”.

I know I made my position clear last week, but this can’t be emphasized enough.

Thank the lord the US lost to Ghana on Saturday! Or in the words of Landon Donovan: “It makes me believe there is good in the world.”

This country now stands a chance at a brighter future.

Even though there are still people who naively believe the US performance showed we are improving, there are many who have started to ask questions and are attempting to identify what the problems are. And let me tell you, there are horrific problems – some of which we’ve only begun to articulate on 3four3.

Could you just imagine if the US won or heaven forbid, gotten to a semi-final! Problems, what problems? The US Soccer Federation and all the misguided, but well intended, masses would be the only voice in town. It’s interesting right? I mean these “types” of players, this “type” of coach, along with the whole US Soccer infrastructure and philosophy could have been validated with just one result.

Such is the delicate balance of public opinion. More specifically, the opinion of those who lack a sound fundamental understanding of the game.

It’s true. The most resounding and recent example; the Confederations Cup last summer. When the US got abused by Italy and Brazil in the group stage, the fanbase was up in arms (some even questioning Bradley’s continuation). Then just a week later, when the team beat Spain (regardless of being thoroughly dominated) and had a respectable score against Brazil in the final, the fanbase was lauding the “arrival” of US Soccer. Praising the likes of Onyewu, Demerit, Altidore, and company as quality players. Bob Bradley was now a genius!

I felt like vomiting!

Thank you Ghana and thank you US!

I’m also extremely happy those disallowed goals in the group stage can not be pointed to as any reason for failure. It would have been excuse #1 and everyone would have bought it. They’d say “we would have won the group if it weren’t for those damn refs”, then who knows … “likely have beaten Ghana & then even Uruguay”. But they’d be wrong and Ghana proved it!

Now it’s back to the matter at hand. For us back to articulating the problems and later, the potential solutions.

For the fan-base it’s back to asking questions, searching for answers, and exchanging ideas and opinions with one another. And hopefully in the process exerting pressure on USSF and soccer at all levels to improve.

Oh and in case I forgot, one more thing:

Thank you Ghana from the bottom of my soccer loving soul!

In just 120 minutes, you did more for our future than you can imagine.

The Academy is a step in the right direction. There is a laundry 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 tournament schedules.
• Training is taken more seriously.
• … and other things

The Bad (but fixable with time)

• Pay-to-play persists which filters out a HUGE number of talent from the pool.
• Club interests are not aligned with “development”. There’s no incentive to “develop” a player.
• No clear accountability metric(s) that are aligned with “development”.
• … and other things

The Ugly

The ugly, and unrecognized, monster which will keep the spirit of the Academy from fulfilling it’s promise is coaching. First, let’s be clear what development at the U-16 & U-18 level is all about – Soccer IQ.

It’s not about improving technique. If by U-16 a player does not have great quality on the ball, there’s nothing a coach can do. It’s up to the individual to spend hours upon hours, 7 days a week to catch up to his peers. It’s also not about the list of good things above. Those things only provide an improved infrastructure.

Developing a player at this age is all about programming his computer. Tactical structure, positional roles, correct decision-making, and vision. These are the things that develop you, and this is where 9 out of 10 coaches in this country fall flat on their face! This is the nationwide crisis at all levels.

If the coaches themselves don’t have a developed Soccer IQ, how are they supposed to give proper instruction? And of the small minority who might actually have it, they also need to be a capable teacher/trainer to transmit whatever understanding they have.

Without the right teachers, you will never get developed players.

Funes Mori should be in MLS. But ...

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 levels.

The latest example is an 18 year-old player named Funes Mori who played with the U-18 FC Dallas academy team.  Originally from Argentina, his family immigrated to the States when he was 10. In 2008, he won the “Sueno MLS” competition held in Dallas – a high profile MLS youth combine of sorts. Diaro Ole, a highly regarded publication in Argentina, reported the young player stating:

“MLS was supposed to make me a professional contract, but that never happened.”

So instead of landing back with the youth team, he packed up, jumped on a plane, and went to trial for River Plate in Argentina.

River, one of the greatest clubs in the world, debuted him on the first team this December! Last Wednesday, he started and played 83 minutes against Boca Juniors in what is one of the greatest “classicos” in world soccer. The stadium is always packed with hostile fans and the entire footballing globe tunes in to watch. What pressure for an inexperienced teenager who barely debuted several games ago …

He ended up scoring the game winner.

You see the difference? In Argentina they don’t mess around. First off, they know what talent is. Second, if you’ve got it, they throw you on the field. They don’t care if you’re a scrawny 18 year old that came from America or any other factors. No stupid bull shit or excuses! If you have it, you play; end of story!

How could US Soccer let a talent like this go? Simple. We are inundated with completely clueless morons who don’t know jack shit about the sport we love.

Exception?

If Funes Mori is an exception, it’s only because he left the country instead of having his talent go to waste here. There are tons of Funes Mori’s in the US (many better), who go unrecognized as he did. They either stop playing competitively after club because there’s no option for them afterwards, or end up rotting in some college soccer program – again unrecognized.

But what makes this story most remarkable, is that Mori was not an unknown like these other players I describe. The “decision makers” – the guys who could make something happen and make him an MLS pro – knew about him and watched him play. There’s no excuse!

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 change it’s nature. It has always had complete freedom to roam as it pleased.

Coaching has some parallels. There is a new player on your team that has a certain notion of how to play. You, as a coach, try to bring him around to your (hopefully better) philosophy and teach him to leave much of his past behind.  Depending how much of a gap there is and the age of the player (younger is obviously better), this transition can be smooth or a nightmare.

Some players may integrate immediately, others may take months, and some may never adapt.

I want to provide my take based on experience and observation on how this relates at the youth and professional level.

Youth

At the youth level, this is generally not a huge obstacle since the coaching here is horrific. Meaning there isn’t much structure or tactical requirements imposed on players like in top soccer nations – the kids here have free-reign by comparison. Coaches choose a formation, assign positions, throw 11 on the field and say “work hard”.  There is no identity to a team (no style), and so no well defined detailed roles for each player. Actually, nevermind … if there is one ubiquitous role that every player is lectured on here, it’s:
“Go Forward”

As a result, going from one club to the next is pretty much the same. Unfortunately, since we want to truly develop our players, this situation makes our job that more difficult. Virtually all players that we’ve had, have never been exposed to excellent instruction. It’s always been a constant battle to bring them around and see the light.

In our experience, if we catch them early on – before they reach 16 – then chances of success are good – the earlier the better. Sixteen to Eighteen year olds have proven to be less malleable and we have had our share of failures. Although I will add that it seems to also be a function of their soccer heritage.

This has huge implications for the future professional American player.

Professionals

Since these guys came up through this horrendous system – quite frankly receiving ignorant instruction. If and when some team in Europe gives them a chance, most never adapt. All of a sudden their coach wants to place them in a clearly defined tactical role.

This is shocking! Failure is eminent. This horse can not be broken.

It’s easy for the blind faithful to spout off the following as evidence we have “arrived”:

• Qualified 1st to the Wolrd Cup out of CONCACAF
• Got to the final in the Confederations Cup by knocking out #1 ranked Spain
• Got to the final of the Gold Cup

But like I said in the last post, we need to inspect a team’s full body of work and categorize the results according to who the opponents were. Only then can you begin to appreciate where we stand.

We head into 2010 and South Africa in the same form as years past – with the US clearly demonstrating it is a middle tier B-level soccer nation. There have been no breakthroughs people!

Along with Mexico, we are the CONCACAF giants. This has been true throughout the decade. The problem I see is the perception our fan-base has. We are suffering from the same delusion that Mexico has been suffering for decades.

We know we’re not on par with the world powers, but we believe we are on the verge of getting there. That is, we are among the top of the B-list nations. We’re not there yet, and won’t be within the next decade unless big changes happen in our philosophy.

Look no further than our youth national teams.  Their records indicate we will have more of the same – losing consistently to A-list teams and splitting results with the B-listers.

It doesn’t have to be this way! We do have players with world-class potential in our country. I see it every week at our youth levels, and to some extent college.

If our goal is to crack the A-list, which I think it is, we must not only learn to identify these ballers, but develop them through good coaching and ensure their future with a system that lifts them and filters out the weaker players.

Well, duh! Everyone knows that right? Yes, in theory but not in practice.

There are at least some beacons of hope. Soccer continues to grow at the youth, college, and professional levels. The pro game from around the world continues to infiltrate more households. There is a Colombian at the helm of our U-17s, and if nothing else, identified Luis Gil and gave that team an inkling of identity.

What do you guys think? Too harsh? Is looking at our 2009 results this way incorrect?

The day US soccer starts demonstrating combination play like this, is the day we’ll graduate to the next level.

How many times have you ever seen it on our National Teams or MLS?

Here’s the video. (If you can’t see it, click here).

This is what we should be striving for, this is what fans should be demanding, this is what parents of our youth should look for in a coach, this is what should be taught from youth to professional!

It can be done and we do have the players to pull it off. But do we have the coaching?

Allow me to introduce one of the many scourges in US soccer. What I like to call the “Freshman Syndrome”.

A lot of high school and college coaches suffer from this idea that simply because you are a freshman, you should smell the fresh-cut grass from the bench, or not at all!  Sure, in general a freshman has had less experience and time to develop, but there are many that are better soccer players. Unfortunately, they may not be recognized due to their coach’s syndrome.

This can manifest itself in many ways:

1. They don’t even make the team (player is relegated to Junior Varsity, cut from or redshirt on college team, dropped to the reserves or the bench on a pro team).
2. They only get playing time in a game that is not considered important.
3. When a game is “on the line”, coaches resort to their seniors.
4. No consideration for awards.
5. Penalty kicks, free kicks, corners, etc … all go to the upperclassmen regardless of quality.
6. You are the ball boy and water boy.

What’s the Problem?

The first, and what I believe to be the root, is that these coaches don’t see the full extent of a player’s quality and how he can lift a team’s performance. Instead, they once again focus on size and speed where it’s likely these freshman or rookies are a bit behind their colleagues.

Yes, I’m sure statistically there are few elite freshman that come around with the necessary quality to make an immediate impact. But just because this is historically the case, these coaches should not turn a blind eye and predestine them without a proper evaluation (if they’re even capable of accurate assessment). This is actually what happens!

In other cases, some coaches may just flat out be chicken shits.  Maybe they have identified a freshman as having the potential to make an impact, but …

“How would it look to the upperclassmen if one of them is displaced or their overall playing time and responsibilities are diminished?”

This could introduce a rift in the team, especially if the coach has not been running a merit-based ship! Also, consider that the players themselves likely have the syndrome – they are not immune. As a result, the coach’s judgement may be called into question. Who wants that?

Finally, there may be a cultural component for this syndrome. The working class in this country, as opposed to the executive, entrepreneur, or expert in a field, likely works in a seniority based or politically charged environment – promotions and benefits come to those who are senior or well connected.  Merit-based environments are rare.

This issue transcends coaching of course. Last year I was attending a Cal State Fullerton game where one of our former club players was on the field as a freshman. He was playing, to the coach’s credit (though he is not entirely cured), because his quality was absolutely undeniable. Were he not to have played, the coach would have proven to been a Supreme Donkey – maybe King of all Donkeys and been immediately institutionalized. In any case, the player lined up to take a free-kick and a person nearby in the stands said

“Why are they letting a freshman take it?”

I wanted to kill myself!

Coaches

You may have a jewel on your hands, or at least someone better than what you already have. Please try to maintain your objectivity. You are hurting your team and our future stars!

Parents and Players

Those of you who are looking into college soccer …  try to do your homework on coaches and look at their track records as far as freshmen are concerned. It may or may not be indicative of the “freshman syndrome”, but having the information is better than going in completely blind.

Everyone

This is curable! Keep an open mind and continue to educate yourself. And by all means due not perpetuate this idea – it is highly contagious!

What are your thoughts? Have you seen this syndrome up close? Do you think I’m completely crazy (if so, either I’m wrong or you may be infected … hahaha)?

I think we can all agree that the best should always get recognized and rise to the highest level. It is a basic principle that enables any country, company, team, etc to maximize their potential. In the case of a soccer team, we obviously want the best players, coach, management and staff possible.

Today we’ll focus exclusively on player selection for the youth National Teams – “the Top”.

We have had numerous one on one conversations with national team scouts for a couple of years. They do know more than your typical club or collegiate coach! However, their understanding of the game and player quality, although better than most, is not even remotely impressive. These can’t be the best eyes the country has!

The Basic Process

First, the scouts around the country watch the high level club, collegiate, and pro games. Make their assessment of players, then select the handful they believe are elite. These are then invited to National Team Camps, where further evaluation occurs by the National Team coach and staff. Finally, from the camp(s) a final selection occurs to form the team that will participate in a competition.

We’ve been to many camps, and this is where the biggest crime is committed. The players who demonstrated true quality end up not being selected! What on God’s earth is the coaching staff watching! What is their criteria?

If they were judging based on Technical Quality and Soccer IQ, they have it completely wrong. From their selections, they seem to be willing to sacrifice these two critical traits in favor of physical attributes like strength and speed.

Well, looking at historical results, including our most recent U-20 World Cup blunder, it should be evident that something is wrong. We are not getting better!

Now, there are a number of reasons that can be cited for our shortcomings. Anything from infrastructure, to money, to youth development, to college – the list is quite long. But one thing that can be immediately fixed and requires no long term development, is a shift in our selection criteria. Size and speed need to be given a much smaller weight in favor of player quality!

It’s unbearable to think that a 5′6 Iniesta or Xavi, would be cut from our national teams. These are two of the best, if not the best, midfielders in the world. Guess what, if born in this country, I would bet the farm they would never have made the final cut. Instead of enjoying them on TV, you might have them taking your order at a local restaurant!

The country’s best players are not being selected. They are falling through the two final filters in the selection process.

Truly elite players are often times missed by scouts.  And of the handful the scouts do manage to identify, maybe one, if any, end up surviving the final cut by the coaches.

What are we left with? Mediocre players representing our country. Instead of that truly delicious sweet cream we enjoy, we are given sour cream!

The result? Junk on the field, and results to prove it!

The main things to look for in a player when scouting, with the intention to recruit, were covered in the article about elite players.

Now I want to cover one of the properties that is impossible to identify solely by scouting at games.  That is,

WORK ETHIC

A player may currently have great qualities and all the potential in the world, but if they are not willing to work their asses off, I don’t want them – nor should any high level team, or coach that intends to build one.

Not only will this player not continue to develop regardless of coaching efforts, he effectively acts as a cancer to whatever team he is on.

As a coach, if you have instilled a professional level environment where everyone is expected to train hard, you can not have a player who thinks he doesn’t have to work due to his current “talent”.  This attitude is transmitted to other players and begins to strain the unity of the group.  This is unacceptable.

So how can you find out about a player’s work ethic?  Well, you would think that speaking to their current coach would be enough, but unfortunately in this country we likely won’t get an accurate picture.

You see, we’re talking about recruiting to a high level, high intensity environment.  In this country the number of coaches that provide this kind of training is extremely small.  Most players don’t know what a professional level session consists of.  So the coaches making an assessment of work ethic are correct only to the level of training they are providing.  It may very well be the case that when the player in question begins training at a truly high level (out of their comfort zone), they are shocked and don’t have the mental fortitude or willingness to go through with it.

I have been to many training sessions at high profile youth clubs, and in general they are total junk! Not high quality, not high intensity – certainly not a professional level environment.  I have found college session are generally better, but still leave much to be desired. They are not pushing their athletes to the next level.

Under these conditions any recommendation or reference about work ethic is only reliable up to the level of training the player has received.

What’s a scout/recruiter to do? I’d love to hear your ideas!