Here’s the number one lesson to take away from the U23 performance against Mexico: People have a lot to learn about this sport. I mean A LOT! Stop making excuses for not being able to play dominant possession-centered soccer. You can’t play that way because this is college soccer. You can’t play that way because […]
Solutions
Visualizing Youth Coaching Experience with 3four3 Analytics
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 […]
Camp For Young Professionals, College Players, and …
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 […]
Progress
“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, […]
THE LIST
What 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 […]
3four3 Launches Data Product!
Youth soccer in Southern California continues to evolve, lead, pioneer, and at least in my opinion, host the largest density of talent in the country. It’s like a mecca for the youth game. Now we too hope to contribute to this landscape on a macro scale and push the envelope even further! So we’re opening […]
3four3 Turns 2! Thank You Guys!
Today marks 2 years of 3four3! When I first started, the idea was really just to get my thoughts on paper, flesh them out and refine them over time. I thought I would systematically deconstruct all the issues I saw with the sport in the U.S., and methodically build up solutions. Surely that would be […]
Klinsmann: What are the expectations?
This is the first of a multi-part series I’m doing on Klinsmann. I want to stay focused and only talk about one specific theme per post. Now is the time to clearly set up expectations. Be specific! What should his charter be? I’ve stated this before, but let me repeat not only what I think […]
Why Bob Bradley Got Fired
CONGRATULATIONS! Whether you’d like to believe it or not, this is your triumph. I believe Bob was relieved of his duties in large part due to your collective voices. Like the last point in my optimistic piece, 5 positive influences on US Soccer in 2010, suggested, I had never witnessed such a strong and sustained […]
It’s Gotta Be The …
Culture? The following is perhaps the most accepted as insurmountable. Soccer in the Home The scapegoat is usually of the “soccer isn’t popular” variety. Which of course implies that daddy wants to play catch with the kids; not kick the ball. And even if all those daddy’s chose to help their kids with soccer, they […]