Germany finishes last in their group (U-17 WWC). USA and Brazil don't even quality (U-17 WWC). Japan doesn't qualify for the U-20 WWC. USA finishes dead last in their group at the Algarve Cup (Denmark crushes them). Norway also wets the bed at the Algarve Cup Wolfsburg beats Lyon in a major upset last year. Lyon doesn't even qualify this year. Denmark knocks off France in the UEFA Quarterfinal. Norway beats Germany in group play. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poland wins the U-17 Euro tournament. Chile sets the world on fire with their upsets. Mexico U-17 knocks off USA U-17 in Qualification. Mexico U-17 looking dominant so far at the U-17 WWC. Venezuela is possibly the best team right now at the U-17 WWC. Ghana is continuing to emerge at the youth level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE? What in the FuzzNuck? The past 12 months have been crazy. I can tell you exactly what it is. It's Parity. P.A.R.I.T.Y Paper Ain't Reality inking this Yield If you want to yield the result. Play the game on the field. It ain't played on paper. Favorites don't win anymore by just showing up. You hear that Germany? (U-17) You hear that USA? (all levels recently) You hear that Japan? (U-20)
there's no parity in south america. brasilian women football teams are operated like banana republic teams with no financial resources even though brasil has the 5th largest economy in the world but leads the world in thieves (cbf).
There is definitely parity in South America, when there are 3 open bids for a WWC (any age level), and Brazil gets beat out by Paraguay, Venezuela, and Colombia.
The objective of youth teams is to learn, not to win. Take a look at the winners of the men's olympic tournaments and the winners of the world cup. Even those who do well by placing in the top 4 of the olympics do not necessarily do well in the next two cycles of the world cup. When i was a kid watching the men's youth tournaments, i just knew mourad meghni, anthony letalllec, and alexandre pato would be superstars as senior players, but in reality they were pretty much run of the mill. So i do not think you can necessarily link success at youth level to success at the senior level.