USMNT 2018 World Cup

[ill]

 

[bksballer89]

it just goes to show how little we "care" as a country. we cant field a decent team from this giant population, even with loopholes to get guys from other countries on the roster.

Yet a country the size of Corpus Christi TX qualified for the WC in a much tougher region in Europe

 

[fordman84]

this sucks. the only reason to care about soccer in this country is team USA making it to the WC.

So is there a system of "alternates" or "sponsors exceptions" like in golf? Otherwise a lot of US TV stations just lost hundreds of millions of dollars. No one in the US except those already watching Euro soccer are going to watch overnight games now that the US isn't in it. The womens team will still draw eyes, so at least they have that.

 

[fordman84]

Yet a country the size of Corpus Christi TX qualified for the WC in a much tougher region in Europe

It's because we beat their asses is basketball, football, and in some years baseball. Those are the sports we play from the age of 2, not competitive soccer. Soccer in the US for the most part is a way to tire out kids on weekends, nothing more.

 

[ill]

It's because we beat their asses is basketball, football, and in some years baseball. Those are the sports we play from the age of 2, not competitive soccer. Soccer in the US for the most part is a way to tire out kids on weekends, nothing more.

we put in over $1B into developing talent in soccer every year. I wouldn't say it is just a way to tire kids out. There are many kids who travel and play a lot of soccer. We should be better than we are.

 

[fordman84]

we put in over $1B into developing talent in soccer every year. I wouldn't say it is just a way to tire kids out. There are many kids who travel and play a lot of soccer. We should be better than we are.

Soccer, IMO, is still the 4th or maybe 5th most important competitive sport. Little kids play it to learn to run and be on a team, not many move on beyond that. Then it's baseball & football next, then basketball, and even hockey is pretty big for kids here in Dallas. Soccer isn't a competitive sport. I played it until middle school and our team was really good, going to state and tournaments. But then our team dissolved and we all walked away to other sports. In HS our soccer team was an excuse to smoke pot and skip class.

 

[ill]

Soccer, IMO, is still the 4th or maybe 5th most important competitive sport. Little kids play it to learn to run and be on a team, not many move on beyond that. Then it's baseball & football next, then basketball, and even hockey is pretty big for kids here in Dallas. Soccer isn't a competitive sport. I played it until middle school and our team was really good, going to state and tournaments. But then our team dissolved and we all walked away to other sports. In HS our soccer team was an excuse to smoke pot and skip class.

4th or 5th is still pretty damn good.

as a tennis player/fan, it is good to see American men finally get back into competing for titles. The women have been doing it for years, but with our population, we should be dominating all sports.

 

[Guy Incognito]

wait they called that a goal?!?! Or are you just pointing out this play resulted in a PK?

That was the "goal" that tied the game for Panama.

 

[Payton]

Is there a NIT for soccer?

Maybe we can qualify for that.

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a proposal of that nature gets floated out there... Just so we can have a tournament to play in...

 

[game]

Can anybody explain to me why Arena was brought back? I'm not huge into soccer, but I enjoy it. Even I knew he sucked.

 

[Payton]

It's because we beat their asses is basketball, football, and in some years baseball. Those are the sports we play from the age of 2, not competitive soccer. Soccer in the US for the most part is a way to tire out kids on weekends, nothing more.

I'm pretty heavy into the club soccer "scene" and I can guarantee you that there is no shortage of players playing competitive soccer. But as has been mentioned, there is a "Pay to Play" model in the U.S. that excludes a large swath of kids from getting better training and coaching. Also, it is expensive to get more advanced coaching licenses in the U.S. which is another part of the model that sucks...

We start early with an issue of accessibility for our young athletes.

 

[xpuctaqpGT]

Soccer, IMO, is still the 4th or maybe 5th most important competitive sport. Little kids play it to learn to run and be on a team, not many move on beyond that. Then it's baseball & football next, then basketball, and even hockey is pretty big for kids here in Dallas. .

Talent follows the money.

Visualizing MLS Salaries Compared to Other U.S. Leagues

MLS average salary is $226,000. Median salary is $92,000
NFL average salary $1,900,000 Median $770,000
MLB average is $3,800,000 Median $990,000.
NHL average is $2,700,000 Median $2,000,000
NBA average is 4,150,000 Median $2,250,000

The current MLS salary is enough that someone can make a living doing it, but not enough to lure the top talent into soccer. Anyone who is a natural athlete that could play a bunch of different sports will probably not pick soccer.

I mean, back in 1990 we didn't even have the MLS. It is at least luring *some* talent towards soccer.

The long term success of US soccer needs a domestic league that at least pays in the $300k range. If the MLS median salary was $300k, we'd be luring some of the top talent from North and South America to play here, and the level of competition would go up. It's a hard barrier to break. The general public doesn't want to pay good money to watch a shitty product. You have to build up attendance figures by providing an increasingly higher quality product.

Right now, as a balance between the short term and long term USA soccer goals, probably about 80% of our top talent should be playing overseas, and 20% playing in MLS.

 

[xpuctaqpGT]

Can anybody explain to me why Arena was brought back? I'm not huge into soccer, but I enjoy it. Even I knew he sucked.

I wasn't a fan of that hire either.

He had a good showing in the 2002 cup. Did miserably in the 2006 cup. I guess he was available and they were hoping the 2002 version of Arena would show up???? grrr.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Can anybody explain to me why Arena was brought back? I'm not huge into soccer, but I enjoy it. Even I knew he sucked.

They were trying to make a last-ditch attempt to qualify for Russia by bringing in someone who "knew the players". They fired Klinsman after losing the first two games of the second round (in Mexico, at home to Costa Rica), and they were hoping to qualify for the WC.

Didn't work, obviously, because Arena is a putz.

 

[Duke of Douchington]

Soccer, IMO, is still the 4th or maybe 5th most important competitive sport. Little kids play it to learn to run and be on a team, not many move on beyond that. Then it's baseball & football next, then basketball, and even hockey is pretty big for kids here in Dallas. Soccer isn't a competitive sport. I played it until middle school and our team was really good, going to state and tournaments. But then our team dissolved and we all walked away to other sports. In HS our soccer team was an excuse to smoke pot and skip class.

Like all other sports in this country, soccer is regional. As is football in the south, hockey in the north and such.

I can tell you that growing up, there was absolutely no shortage of "competitive" leagues. Before high school, there were probably 4-5 tiered (based on skill) leagues of teams, in addition to two "travel" teams in my city alone, growing up.

I can only recall 1-2 team per city for football, hockey had more teams, but nothing to the scale of soccer.

 

[ckhokie]

It's because we beat their asses is basketball, football, and in some years baseball. Those are the sports we play from the age of 2, not competitive soccer. Soccer in the US for the most part is a way to tire out kids on weekends, nothing more.

Anyone playing competitive soccer in the US now has been playing their entire life. Soccer isn't 'new' in the US anymore, and that's why we're pissed. Significant investment in US soccer started around the 1990 WC. That's 27 years ago. Any 22-28 year old wee trotting out there had plenty of resources. A hell of a lot more kids have been playing soccer than baseball or football.

 

[ckhokie]

I'm pretty heavy into the club soccer "scene" and I can guarantee you that there is no shortage of players playing competitive soccer. But as has been mentioned, there is a "Pay to Play" model in the U.S. that excludes a large swath of kids from getting better training and coaching. Also, it is expensive to get more advanced coaching licenses in the U.S. which is another part of the model that sucks...

We start early with an issue of accessibility for our young athletes.

The Developmental Academies are highly subsidized. My parents paid a ton for me to play club, but if you can get to the DA level, things become much cheaper or even free.

HOWEVER our developmental academies clearly suck. We had TWO players on our roster that went through DA. That's embarrassing. We need to scout and develop talent much better than we're doing currently

 

[rsw626]

I always like an underdog story lol.

May root for England as well just because I watch so much EPL that it's only right that I should root for those guys to do well.

England isn't in much better shape. I used to live there and have a lot of friends there still. They and pretty much every England supporter says the same thing. They'll be lucky to get out of the group, and only qualified because they were in the easiest qualifying group. They are NOT optimistic.

This will make us all feel better

ALSO

FUCK YOU MEXICO

I THOUGHT WE WERE AMIGOS

If we handled our business, we wouldn't be out right now. Can't rely on others "helping" you get in

 

[Payton]

The Developmental Academies are highly subsidized. My parents paid a ton for me to play club, but if you can get to the DA level, things become much cheaper or even free.

HOWEVER our developmental academies clearly suck. We had TWO players on our roster that went through DA. That's embarrassing. We need to scout and develop talent much better than we're doing currently

Perhaps, but again, if you aren't able to pay for club soccer, how do you get sufficient training or exposure to where you'd even get a sniff from a DA in the first place?

No, it isn't impossible, but the road is MUCH more difficult and I can only imagine a majority of players and their families would get discouraged long before getting to the DA level.

 

[game]

They were trying to make a last-ditch attempt to qualify for Russia by bringing in someone who "knew the players". They fired Klinsman after losing the first two games of the second round (in Mexico, at home to Costa Rica), and they were hoping to qualify for the WC.

Didn't work, obviously, because Arena is a putz.

Kind of have to fire him already, right? Can't get any lower.