There can be no player development factory without monetary incentive. First let me be clear; without competent coaches, all the money in the world will not develop a quality player. So assuming there’s a capable coach, what makes you think he will do everything in his power to develop his pupils? And I assure you, that’s [...]
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This year has made me a bit more optimistic for the future of the US game. When compared to my sentiments in years past, this one has been by far the best. No our national teams have not shown any progress, MLS and college remain barely watchable, and our youth development is still piss poor. [...]
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This winning vs development argument always seems to revolve around technique. I discussed a bit in part I of this series how a coach can only go so far in technical development. But people talk over and over again about how our professional player’s lack of technique is the biggest problem. Again, we’re missing over [...]
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I’ve said it before and will say it again: We have only just begun the discussion on what’s wrong with soccer in the States. This discussion always surfaces, and rightly so, when we flounder on the international stage. Perhaps most recently when the US women lost to a lowly Mexico side, and subsequently limped in [...]
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After I published the US needs a high level soccer coach, a great discussion ensued in the comments. Today I want to focus on a particular topic that arose. Specifically, is it difficult to identify an elite player? And if so, why? The answer is quite involved, but I will offer a good starting point. [...]
TweetWhile 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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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. [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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