Hi guys, Just a little update on what’s going on, and where that final report on how the MIC tournament concluded is at. After returning from Barcelona, there’s been a ton of activity behind the scenes. Some things are very ugly, but some things are great. Brian is now at Chivas USA (that of course […]
Coach
US Soccer Development Academy Coach Threatens Friendship
What follows was a text from the head academy coach at a US Soccer Development Academy club who we’ve known for … I don’t know … around six years. I won’t say who it is or when this happened, but it gives you insight as to the types of things that go on. Dear Brian, […]
Full Access to the Greatest Club in the World! Yes, we’re in Barcelona, Spain!
Once a year for my coaching staff and I at the Barcelona-USA Academy, it’s all about “THE TRIP!” The last four years I have been traveling to Barcelona to further my coaching education – all possible through our network of contacts and through Barcelona-USA. Full access to Barca’s youth Academy training sessions, Barca B (professional […]
3 Scenarios on Klinsmann and the National Team Player Pool
I have no verdict on Klinsmann yet, but I have splashed some thoughts in the comments area. In short, I’m not exactly thrilled and the reasons have nothing to do with score-lines. What seems to surface time and again, is the notion that the national team player pool “is what it is“. The implication being […]
Klinsmann: Will He Go German on Us?
My Worry is German Soccer Everyone knows Germany is a consistent international power. They’re always a contender. Gary Lineker* once said: “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.” I think that would suit most people just fine. But you know what, German […]
Klinsmann: The Upgrade
World Cup champ, Euro champ, Germany 2006 coach, Bayern Munich, blah, blah, blah. Looks great from 10,000 feet, huh? That’s the resume/pedigree trap. Don’t fall into it, because it loves to claim victims. Hopefully it’s understood by now that sparkling player resumes don’t correlate with quality coaching. And coaching resumes? Well, we need to 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 […]
Player Development: Accountable for What? And to Who?
I don’t know if real accountability for player development is possible. What are the metrics? Is it how many players you place in college? Is it the number that get called to youth national teams? Is it the number of professionals you’ve touched while they were amateur? Certainly these things are important. But we need […]
On Replacing Bob Bradley, Rongen, and the Whole Entourage
What are the expectations? That is key. I think people are getting it confused. Hiring a manager who actually has a clue will not get us the World Cup final, and perhaps not the quarters this cycle either. That is not the discussion we should be having. That is not the appropriate metric to use. […]
College Soccer Recruiting: On Being A Player Advocate
On a lighter note, here’s a post offering some behind-the-scenes insight. The following is our original email sent to the University of North Carolina, arguably the nation’s most prestigious women’s program. I’m sharing this now that our girls team (our first and likely last) has aged out. Hello Chris and UNC Staff, I am writing […]