2014 World Cup

[thrill]

The real problem is Germany not producing a legit backup striker for us, what's wrong with their development system?

They did! Jurgen just didn't pick Terrence Boyd for some reason.

[MrSaigon]

Seriously, if not one of our players played a youth game in the States, I'd have an issue, but for now I think we need to get installations if we don't have them already and servicemrn impregnating women in Argentina, Netherlands and Spain.

[thrill]

For new fans, here's what the US is looking at for the next 4 years: http://www.americansoccernow.com/articl ... -in-brazil

1) 2015 U-20 World Cup
2) 2015 Gold Cup
3) 2016 Olympics
4) 2016 Copa America Centenario
5) 2016 World Cup qualifying first stage
6) 2017 Confederations Cup (by virtue of winning either the 2015 Gold Cup or playoff)
7) 2017 Gold Cup
8) 2017 U-20 World Cup
9) 2017 Hexagonal World Cup qualifying
10) 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Copa America is the South American championship - the SA equivalent of the Euro's and will be played on US soil for the first time. It's pretty huge. Going up against Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Columbia, Chile, Mexico etc in a big-time competition. That will be a ton of fun.


Over at NSBB, TT posed the question of predicting a 23 for Russia 2018, so I thought I'd post mine here, too.

So there's two days til the next games and I'm not ready to go back into the USMNT desert, gimme your first pass at lineups/candidates for 2018, as absurd as it will look when the time comes.

4-3-3 with their ages in 4 years

---------------------------------Guzan (33)
Yedlin (24)--------Besler (31)--------------Brooks (24)-----------Fab (30)
--------------------Williams (29)-------MB90 (30)
-------------------------------Zelalem (21)
----------Green (23)-----------Jozy (28)-----------Agudelo (25)
Bench:
GK - Irwin (29), Klinsmann (22?)
D - Farrell (26), Gonzalez (29), Palmer-Brown (23), Klute (28)
M - Trapp (25), Zusi (31), Gil (24), Flores (22)
F - Boyd (27), Jack Mac (25)

Danny Williams isn't my dream pick and maybe someone will step up, but he's young and has the speed to help cover Yedlin's runs forward and help defend the wing in a true 4-3-3. Have no idea who the future #3 keeper will be so I just went with a half-joke/nepotism shout out.

Tough to leave Johannsson out. He could easily figure out how to play against real defenders and be really good. I just think Boyd/Agudelo/Jozy fit into Jurgen's system better. Maybe putting Jack Mac in over him is a stretch, but I'm a sucker for guys that play with his kind of fight. Lot of Deuce in that kid.

Russia is tough to predict because of travel and the US never playing well in Europe hosted world cups, but that squad is a giant leap forward in talent.

[MrSaigon]

How confident are you with Irwin? Johnson's the name I always hear. Sometimes Hamid. But those are mls discussions getting into usmnt, not the other way around.

[Freed Roger]

Regarding development of youth talent for US WC team:

Yeah, it should be better, but seems decent enough. I don't think the "system" we have (youth leagues, club, HS, College soccer) needs major overhaul. If the MLS can become something better for kids to aspire to, that may help. If the US weren't able to qualify for WC, then I'd think it more of a situation needing overhaul.

Maybe I am wrong about this, but I sense development of soccer in US means greater emphasis on clubs/select soccer. I fear that tracking and honing in on talent at too young an age will make for a smaller exclusive net, rather than the wide net that is needed. The "select" scene can develop the talent that is there, but is exclusive to a lot talent.

The nature of sports in US is obviously different than these other countries where soccer is about the only game. Just from personal observations -the "select" sports scene is such a huge commitment for a kid and an entire family. Not everybody has the wherewithal, time and money-wise to commit to their child's sport path at age 7 (or younger).

Maybe for a diff thread - but select sports do not seem long-term positive for any sport in America. Too exclusive. Too much repetition for a kid. A friend's kid plays 100 baseball games this year! Our best players in sports, have historically been well-rounded athletes. How often we'd laugh about seeing a Kurt Warner, Stan Musial, Dave Winfield in another sport jersey from HS yearbooks. I doubt US WC soccer has many multi-sport stars -where you hear about what a good track, football, basketball player they were before focusing on soccer.

[thrill]

How confident are you with Irwin? Johnson's the name I always hear. Sometimes Hamid. But those are mls discussions getting into usmnt, not the other way around.

I like him a lot. He's not the athlete that Johnson and Hamid are, but he's still athletic and he's really smart and focused for 90.

[thrill]

Yeah, it should be better, but seems decent enough.

We want to be better than decent.

If the MLS can become something better for kids to aspire to, that may help.

That will not only help, it already has.

Maybe I am wrong about this, but I sense development of soccer in US means greater emphasis on clubs/select soccer. I fear that tracking and honing in on talent at too young an age will make for a smaller exclusive net, rather than the wide net that is needed. The "select" scene can develop the talent that is there, but is exclusive to a lot talent.

You are not wrong. That is 100% accurate. It filters out kids who aren't down for that commitment, it filters out parents of kids who aren't ready for the time/financial commitment and it filters out kids from lower economic brackets. It's the biggest flaw in our development system. That's why we want local MLS clubs to foot the bill in an academy setting (which is already happening).

Maybe for a diff thread - but select sports do not seem long-term positive for any sport in America. Too exclusive. Too much repetition for a kid. A friend's kid plays 100 baseball games this year! Our best players in sports, have historically been well-rounded athletes. How often we'd laugh about seeing a Kurt Warner, Stan Musial, Dave Winfield in another sport jersey from HS yearbooks. I doubt US WC soccer has many multi-sport stars -where you hear about what a good track, football, basketball player they were before focusing on soccer.

The US world cup team absolutely had multi-sport athletes on the team.
DeAndre Yedlin was a track star, Tim Howard was recruited to play college basketball (and even the harlem globe trotters), Julian Green was an elite youth hockey prospect in Tampa and later Germany, Fabian Johnson played for 1860 Munich's youth basketball team and while I haven't delved into the bios of every player, I guarantee every player on the team played other sports when they were kids. That's just what we do in America.
The problem with that is if you look at any player on the elite teams, I guarantee you, to a man, they were all identified and developed by professional club's youth academies and focused solely on soccer from a young age. That's where MLS comes in. Professionally coached academies where players attend school and practice and play for their local club team are essential to identifying and developing elite, professional talent.

[Freed Roger]

I will ask my Soccer bro about it when I see him over the 4th - but I do not understand the academy model. Is it like Little League is to baseball-local teams under an overall governing body? How does it differ from select soccer other than having some funding available for chosen disadvantaged kids. Can't imagine there is enough money for a wide talent net. Much more do-able in the smaller countries.

Is HS team soccer becoming obsolete?

Tangent: What about late bloomers? Someone like Tim Lincecum - last night game said he was 4 foot 11 85lbs upon entering HS. Seems like select sports put a hyperfocus on picking who's good or not while they are too young.

My daughter-will play organized but rec soccer for first time this fall - she is athletically fit for her age, but not soccer specific skilled and wired competitively. Over the hill at age 11.

And on yet another tangent, I was a soccer and general sports stud whose athletic career peaked at age 8. W/ 3 older brothers, playing kids my own age/size was nothing at that time. An academy would have been clamoring for me. By entering HS I was 5ft, 100lbs -back in Tim Lincecum's shoes.

[thrill]

I will ask my Soccer bro about it when I see him over the 4th - but I do not understand the academy model. Is it like Little League is to baseball-local teams under an overall governing body? How does it differ from select soccer other than having some funding available for chosen disadvantaged kids. Can't imagine there is enough money for a wide talent net. Much more do-able in the smaller countries.

An MLS academy would work by the club's scouts identifying kids playing in the area they scout. Whether its for a select club team or their school. Or just a 10 year old rolling over other 10 year olds at their park district game. Doesn't matter. The scout approaches the player's family and offers a spot at their academy where he gets to train at the club's facilities, travel on the club's dime and in some cases, attend high school at the club's private school. Most of the time, they would just attend their regular school and play their soccer for their club's academy team. Then when they were ready to go pro, they would not be available for other teams to draft. They move straight to the senior team.

Is HS team soccer becoming obsolete?

College soccer would take a bigger hit. In HS, they would still be playing to make an academy team as 18 year olds. Then, like baseball, they would have the option to get drafted, sign a development contract with the club's youth team or go to college.

Tangent: What about late bloomers? Someone like Tim Lincecum - last night game said he was 4 foot 11 85lbs upon entering HS. Seems like select sports put a hyperfocus on picking who's good or not while they are too young.

Lionel Messi was 4'2 when, as a 16 year old, he signed with Barcelona. They treated his hormone deficiency and he grew to 5'7. Still smaller than Tim Lincecum. He is obviously one of the greatest players of all time. Scouting is scouting. Scouts in soccer don't focus solely on measurables. Kids are going to fall through the cracks. They always do. We're not looking for perfect. We're just looking for better than yesterday and tomorrow, better than today. It's a process.

And on yet another tangent, I was a soccer and general sports stud whose athletic career peaked at age 8. W/ 3 older brothers, playing kids my own age/size was nothing at that time. An academy would have been clamoring for me. By entering HS I was 5ft, 100lbs -back in Tim Lincecum's shoes.

And then if you weren't good enough, the club's academy would drop you.

[Freed Roger]

Thanks Trill. You are a patient dude.

That academy model, very far from being a reality, no? Requires deep pockets from sometimes fledgling MLS teams. Need koch bros,or, george soros if you will, to take liking to it. College soccer Scholarship from SLU is worth well over 100k as a reference.