but is it growing in the right "areas"? one of many problems with american soccer imo is what klinsmann was talking about in 2010. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/07O6qsZT7lc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> 1:25 for US soccer to makes steps forward in becoming a better soccer country is expanding soccer and attempting to build interest in the inner city. for some reason soccer has this "middle-class suburbs" image attached to soccer while in other countries soccer is considered a working class or even lower class sport. when you think of soccer in america, you think of the whole soccer mom image. while in some countries you have poor kids playing soccer in the streets with no shoes (not to say all pro soccer players grew up poor). expanding to the lower class and even converting 5-8 to 6-1 height kids who are told they're too short to play football and basketball would widen our talent pool even more. but even then it still comes down to teaching these kids the right way to play and providing them with affordable academies to become better players.
I've talked with people who actually think Lebron or Adrian Peterson could be great soccer players LMAO. I don't agree with that at all but i think a lot of 5-8 to 6-1 kids that chose to play point guard in america have potential. Basketball is about skill just as much as soccer. It takes time and practice to be able to become a great ball handler/dribbler. it takes time and practice to have great touch around the basket to make creative layups. it takes time and practice to become are respectable shooter. I think "What if those kids put that time, effort, and most importantly passion into soccer as they do with basketball". I can't help but think that a bunch of kids like that would contribute to making the US a little better.
One thing the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) is trying to do is promote players who play on the MLS academy teams. Since 2007, the USSF has issued a strict regimen and schedule of 4-5 days of training and only one game per week. These players are also not allowed to play in any other league, including their high school conference. This is to ensure that the player is not worn out and will not pick up bad habits during the player's training. One of the main problems, however, is the NCAA, who does not allow players to join club teams during the college years. It might be better for many of the top players to go overseas instead of staying here for college. If not, NCAA teams need to form a development pipeline so these players don't go to waste.
all you have to say to those people is, so why didn't Ginobody ever make the Argentina soccer team...their national sport BY FAR. What about Tony Parker playing for France?
i picked d rose and westbrook because they aren't tall or big. they are just great athletes. d rose is 6ft 1 1/2 barefoot. westbrook is 6ft 2 and change. bo jackson ain't tall. they are definitely not too tall for soccer. i think it's silly to bring up guys like bron, kobe. being too tall have some advantages. i think having 1 tall striker is enough. put it this way. what if bradley has d rose speed? what if dempsey could move like barry sanders? what if zusi was as explosive as westbrook? i think there are benefits of having a great athletic ability. it will definitely help.
I dont get it why people bring that the best athletes are not focused on football. what if in Europe, instead of playing soccer, they would focus on playing in the NFL or NBA? I mean Hakeem had an amazing footwork in basketball, because he played football first. Messi, could be a nice speedy PG. Argentina, had a succesful baskeball team, and a succesful football team.
Funny how the U.S. Is the model of capitalism and free markets but not in terms of sports (except for maybe baseball). You will never get world class talents without youth academies plucking 5 year olds and turning them into "soccer geniuses". The high school, college system isn't enough. There are 14 year olds at clubs right now that have done nothing but eat, practice, study, practice, eat and practice again for 6-7 years already. Kids who help support families this way. Seems to be logical that if a kid shows great talent he should be able to start being molded right away and not when he's gets drafted by a club or goes to college. High School level programs are a joke. Until then you could have Messi's clone and he won't be half as good as Messi growing up in the U.S. That also hurts the MLS BTW. Also this fascination with explosiveness and height isn't even that important in soccer. The game is about stamina, finesse and speed. It's a different body type than most american athletes are used to. There are no time outs. There are no subs between plays.
athleticism didn't help the african teams. athleticism is nice but it won't save you from poor fundamentals.
that's just an awful way to look at things. contrary to belief not all of brazilians or french love soccer. there are other sports they participate in. i have no idea what sports ginobli or parker played in their youth. but i'm certain they developed a special talent in basketball early in their age. and i named d rose, westbrook, bo jackson. in athletic scale, these guys are A+. manu or parker would be just a B level compared to these freak athletes.
US soccer fans annoy me I don't even care how experienced you think you are. And many of you are more experienced than me. Difference is: I listen and watch. And we are dorks. The rest of the world does not talk like this. The rest of the world has a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM. Our problem is the NCAA System. We will never win soccer until we rid ourselves on this, or send our 14 yr olds to Europe.
The closet thing we have to that in the US is AAU basketball , all these basketball camps, and basketball academies like Oak Hill. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JXcjqShZr_E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> you don't see america taking soccer as seriously as this as they do with basketball.
in my humble opinion, our country has the biggest athletic pool in the world. simply because we have the resource and the money making machine in nfl & nba. but our youth plays football or basketball. definitely not soccer.
if soccer was #1 sports in this country, i'm sure we would be a championship contender in every world cup. but soccer isn't our priority. football & basketball are.
Ya'll aren't understanding how intensive soccer has been in this country since the 80s -- it's been the most popular youth sport for decades. I played D1 and select as a kid and it was year round and very intensive lots of travel to various tournaments around the state -- we went to a few out of state. This was 20+ years ago so I know it's even more intense now. The US is becoming pretty soccer crazed, but we have to get more players in the big Euro leagues. ____ Side note: does anyone else think Donovan would have been a huge asset to the US team?
This is completely wrong. We rule every sport we invented. Both Baseball, Basketball and Texas Hold 'em. And if you don't think we rule basketball, then let's play some Texas Hold 'em...I'm pretty sure you are blinded and ripe for poker.
uh...Green plays for Germany at age 18 (Bayerns like 4th level team) Anyone want to underestimate heypee's knowledge of the National Team again.
This **** right here is why people hate Americans and why until this excuse becomes EMBARRASSING to Americans this 3 week love affair every 4 years will be just that, an affair. Never a marriage.
boys wants to play in the NFL and NBA, because they want to have big contracts. and in soccer first you have to go the MLS, then if you are very good, then playing in Europe, but still not making what an NFL or NBA star makes.
So what's your point. Are you making excuses? Like if Argentina or Spain say, "If basketball was our #1 sport in this country, I'm sure we would be a championship contender in every world championship.". Ironic thing is THEY ARE, and not even their #1 sport by far distance. We aren't even close,,,and they are in bball. And we like have 10x more population, and still let them beat us at Basketball.
