USMNT 2024

[HRE Otto IV]

Athleticism is secondary. The USA needs to develop players with better technical and tactical skills.

We also need to take into account the size of our country. Sure our best athletes might not play soccer, but the US is the same size as Europe minus the Soviet Union and Turkey. There still should be plenty of athletes around to field a better team than we have been.

On top of that we have great training facilities and nutrition programs. Our athleticism should never be a problem. It is the skill and IQ where we lack. A big part of that is development, which I think we have been doing a much much better job of. IMO though a part of that is also our level of competition in CONCACAF. It would stink for travel but I rather see the US join CONMEBOL or even UEFA (Champions League for MLS).


BTW Herculez Gomez was making fun of UEFA for having non big name countries win the EURO, and Italy not making the WC. The arrogance is amazing. UEFA has won 4 of the last 5 WCs with 4 different winners, 8 of the last 10 WC finalists with 6 different countries, and 15 of the last 20 WC semifinalists with 9 different countries. And that is who is is making fun of?

Meanwhile a CONCACAF team has not made a WC semi since the first WC. Only Oceania is worse. Everyone else has a semifinalists in the 2000s. Just qualifying from UEFA is a gantlet, while the US basically has a free pass to the WC every 4 years and still failed to make it in 2018.

 

[upperdeck]

We have tons of bodies for sure. But we also are trying to play tons of sports over here.. Even if you remove that the best are playing bb/fb/baseball. You also lose some to hockey/lax/track as well.

Many kids just dont get exposed to soccer like they do over seas so they dont know if they would be good or better at it.

If the cream of athletes is playing the sport in most of these countries its sure not here in near the same volume which also means the competition and training is a step down as well.

 

[IthacaMatt]

We have tons of bodies for sure. But we also are trying to play tons of sports over here.. Even if you remove that the best are playing bb/fb/baseball. You also lose some to hockey/lax/track as well.

Many kids just dont get exposed to soccer like they do over seas so they dont know if they would be good or better at it.

If the cream of athletes is playing the sport in most of these countries its sure not here in near the same volume which also means the competition and training is a step down as well.

I kind of disagree with this. Soccer is the 4th most popular sport in terms of children's participation, and it's rising while football and baseball slowly decline.

The problem is that beyond middle school / high school programs, the pay-for-play teams keep it suburban and bit elitist because of the cost of participation.

Coaching also needs to be much more about skills on the ball, and tactics (how to line up, how to defend in space), and much less about "winning". It's like how AAU basketball has become all about playing tournaments, and not enough about skill development and coaching.

 

[cusefan88]

I kind of disagree with this. Soccer is the 4th most popular sport in terms of children's participation, and it's rising while football and baseball slowly decline.

The problem is that beyond middle school / high school programs, the pay-for-play teams keep it suburban and bit elitist because of the cost of participation.

Coaching also needs to be much more about skills on the ball, and tactics (how to line up, how to defend in space), and much less about "winning". It's like how AAU basketball has become all about playing tournaments, and not enough about skill development and coaching.

Bingo. Too much youth soccer is by-and-large a scam from teams to get parents to pay lots of money for mediocre coaching. Too many think winning equals development but that is not the case.

You can tell if the most physically built kid is playing forward and the plan is to kick the ball long to him. If you see that, run away.

 

[upperdeck]

I kind of disagree with this. Soccer is the 4th most popular sport in terms of children's participation, and it's rising while football and baseball slowly decline.

The problem is that beyond middle school / high school programs, the pay-for-play teams keep it suburban and bit elitist because of the cost of participation.

Coaching also needs to be much more about skills on the ball, and tactics (how to line up, how to defend in space), and much less about "winning". It's like how AAU basketball has become all about playing tournaments, and not enough about skill development and coaching.

Popular and getting the best athletes is 2 different things.

Just for example at our small local HS which is not great soccer anyway, There may be 10+ pretty athletes playing sports.. Not one plays soccer. FB/BB many play both. A few play baseball and a few run track. Even a couple play golf/tennis but non play soccer.

Now sure at some bigger schools you probably skew to some better athletes, but how many of the best play soccer over fball around Syracuse. Some probably play Lax , but do many play Lax and soccer vs Fb and Soccer? just wondering.

 

[jordville]

It is even worse in the southeast/south in terms of other sports being played in the same season as soccer. Here in Georgia, soccer is a spring sport along with lacrosse, baseball, and track (also golf & tennis)! Football is king and basically alone (competes with cross county) in the fall, so no top athletes will be missed. It has been that in the 22 years I've been in GA. We actually have some really high level soccer in the metro Atlanta area because of the club side and so many players that only play soccer. That is another unfortunate thing that was a change for me since I moved here-- multi sport athletes are few and far between. So many are focused on their one sport... and I've seen many that get burnt out of their sport and eventually stop playing.

 

[upperdeck]

Not that the US can get far enough to play Arg but that display vs Canada tonight was sick on offense. Should have had 7-8 goals easily.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not that the US can get far enough to play Arg but that display vs Canada tonight was sick on offense. Should have had 7-8 goals easily.

Tough draw. Even if we beat Uruguay (a big ask) to win our group, our opponent in the quarterfinals is either Chile (who just spanked us 5-1) or Brazil, who (despite the draw) outshot us 2 to 1 in our friendly.

In 2016 we made the Copa America Semifinals with a better draw. We will be very lucky to beat either Chile or Brazil in a competitive game with a trophy on the line.

 

[sutomcat]

I believe we lost to Columbia 5-1 recently, not Chile.

Chile is a much easier opponent to beat. They are ranked as the 40th best team by FIFA, where Columbia is ranked 12th.

Men's Ranking

See latest status of the FIFA-Coca Cola Men's World Ranking

inside.fifa.com

 

[upperdeck]

Tough draw. Even if we beat Uruguay (a big ask) to win our group, our opponent in the quarterfinals is either Chile (who just spanked us 5-1) or Brazil, who (despite the draw) outshot us 2 to 1 in our friendly.

In 2016 we made the Copa America Semifinals with a better draw. We will be very lucky to beat either Chile or Brazil in a competitive game with a trophy on the line.

why did we play Brazil and Columbia pre copa when if we win those are the teams we would probably be playing if we get out of round 1?

 

[IthacaMatt]

I believe we lost to Columbia 5-1 recently, not Chile.

Chile is a much easier opponent to beat. They are ranked as the 40th best team by FIFA, where Columbia is ranked 12th.

Men's Ranking

See latest status of the FIFA-Coca Cola Men's World Ranking

inside.fifa.com

Yes, you're right. Thank you.

 

[sutomcat]

Yes, you're right. Thank you.

Love your posts and passion for USMNT Matt! Keep ‘em coming!

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Kind of sad how the US cares about making money at these games. That isn't what international soccer is about. The Euro has had great crowds at all these games. Meanwhile the US is putting these games in cavernous stadiums and over charging on tickets.

Why put a game that gets 29,864 in a 68,500 seat stadium? Or games that get 43,030 and 53,763 in a 80,000 seat/100,000 capacity stadium?

 

[upperdeck]

how many stadiums are there between 45-60k to choose from

 

[cusefan88]

Unfortunately I still believe USSF is most concerned with revenue and not developing long-term fandom and creating a world class team. MLS is also culpable to a degree in this since they are closely aligned with USSF leadership.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I believe we lost to Columbia 5-1 recently, not Chile.

Chile is a much easier opponent to beat. They are ranked as the 40th best team by FIFA, where Columbia is ranked 12th.

Men's Ranking

See latest status of the FIFA-Coca Cola Men's World Ranking

inside.fifa.com

If you haven’t seen it, the documentary “The Two Escobars” was fantastic. As a consequence of the events documented in this show, Columbian soccer suffered a precipitous fall, as many of the best players, including Carlos Valderrama, refused to play for the national team.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

We have tons of bodies for sure. But we also are trying to play tons of sports over here.. Even if you remove that the best are playing bb/fb/baseball. You also lose some to hockey/lax/track as well.

Many kids just dont get exposed to soccer like they do over seas so they dont know if they would be good or better at it.

If the cream of athletes is playing the sport in most of these countries its sure not here in near the same volume which also means the competition and training is a step down as well.

We have talent. One kid in my son’s club was invited to joint the MU academy. He was 8-9 YO. Parents said no. (Not saying I blame them.)
It’s also very difficult to get to a Euro team to train. USA soccer has to approve it. (Same goes for players from other countries.)
From my experience, American coaches at club and HS level don’t teach possession. (Probably not enough practice time to be effective.)

 

[cusefan88]

We have talent. One kid in my son’s club was invited to joint the MU academy. He was 8-9 YO. Parents said no. (Not saying I blame them.)
It’s also very difficult to get to a Euro team to train. USA soccer has to approve it. (Same goes for players from other countries.)
From my experience, American coaches at club and HS level don’t teach possession. (Probably not enough practice time to be effective.)

You saw the Dutch concede possession to USA in the world cup knowing they can't unlock a defense. Developing problem solvers in attack is an area for improvement.

 

[upperdeck]

Kids want to score, do they want to pass and move,

Much like kids want to dunk and cant make layups.

It all takes practice and the hardest thing to do is get time with others to do it.

Like hockey on the PP. It takes team time to make a good one

But if you go to any big syracuse school and rank the best athletes, how many are playing soccer? Probably because we have Lax some do a cross over there, but Fb kids are not playing soccer.

if you have 10% of the best kids playing a sport your margin for error goes down.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

how many stadiums are there between 45-60k to choose from

Most matches in this tournament would be lucky to get 35k. Play mainly at the MLS stadiums, it is what the fan size dictates for most of these group matches (Portland, Harrison, Orlando, Cincy, LA, Nashville, Seattle, Atlanta). And if you play at an NFL stadium only use the lower deck. But in either case make the tickets affordable. International soccer isn't about milking fans for tickets. That is an American thing.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The atmosphere in the stadium is like a Spring game

 

[NineOneSeven]

Should be like 4-0

 

[sutomcat]

Should be like 4-0

Pepi should have had 2 or 3. He had at least 4 great scoring chances. That was a really tough game for him.

Props to the Chilean keeper, who made a number of good saves.

 

[upperdeck]

Uruguay played the same game vs Panama. Missed several chances but allowed the late one. both +2. Naxt game is huge if we want a chance for a tie to win the group

 

[kirbivore]

Had a 3 leg ML parlay with Spain, Colombia, and Brazil. Pathetic performance by Brazil and the ref.