Wash Post::More about Soehn

[Mountainia]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/AR2006122100823.html

Soehn had input on recent trades, almost went to the Goats, and other tidbits from our favorite reporter, Steven Goff.

[Lowecifer]

MLS Notes: Mark Simpson, on Nowak's staff since 2004, will become Soehn's top assistant. . . . Kasper rated Argentine midfielder Matias Donnet's chances of re-signing with the team at "50-50." . . .

[Allan Quatermain]

Also of interest in that piece (though perhaps it belongs in the alumni pages) is that Curt Onolfo has hired as one of his KC assistants none other than fleet-of-foot former United Kris Kelderman.

[Th4119]

Also of interest in that piece (though perhaps it belongs in the alumni pages) is that Curt Onolfo has hired as one of his KC assistants none other than fleet-of-foot former United Kris Kelderman.

Surprised it took Goff so long to get this. Andrulis sent this out about a week ago.

[AMERICANS SC]

Interesting quote from Ben Olsen :

Asked to contrast the Polish-born Nowak and the Chicago-bred Soehn, he added: "Their personalities are different, but most of all, Tommy's an American soccer player and he might understand the American player a little more."

[Bill-DC]

I guess Mark Simpson takes over the reserves now with the appointment as top assistant. Good for him.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Surprised it took Goff so long to get this. Andrulis sent this out about a week ago.

Goff may have had it; but where does he put it? It's more of a snippet at the end. Do you put it with the Nick trade, Nowak move, Soehn replacement? space may have been an issue as well.


Really, is it that urgent that the news be timely (at least for this fact) excluding Kelderman's immediate family.

[BigKris]

Interesting that the question asked (and the lead for the story) is that Soehn was in on the Adu decision and would have done it anyway. I'm wondering about the Prideaux deal - if Soehn is more flexible than Nowak about sometimes playing four in the back (which, granted, is no more than BS speculation at this point) he may be regretting that we just let go our fourth-best defender.

[Eastern Bear]

The Washington Times article on the same subject also indicates that Jay Nolly has not been returning any of DCU's phone calls. I guess we will have to go to the well for a backup this year. Hope Perkins stays healthy.

[grumpydcu]

Interesting quote from Ben Olsen :

Asked to contrast the Polish-born Nowak and the Chicago-bred Soehn, he added: "Their personalities are different, but most of all, Tommy's an American soccer player and he might understand the American player a little more."


This something I have never been able to understand. What makes an American player any different than other players from around the world? The non-Americans in MLS don't seem to be any different than the Americans.

Are Americans less skilled, mentally deficient, can't follow directions, speak better english? What makes American players so hard to understand.

[revelation]

Are Americans less skilled, mentally deficient, can't follow directions, speak better english? What makes American players so hard to understand.

Something about the fact that the guys who make MLS have been treated like the worldclass players growing up because they can run circles around most other US American soccer players. They didn't grow up in the grind of the European/South American player development, where 1,000's try for 1 spot.

[BigKris]

This something I have never been able to understand. What makes an American player any different than other players from around the world?

Y'know, I wonder about this, too. So, I don't know either, but here's a theory: Maybe what it means is having a good sense of the gaps in the American system of youth soccer that these guys all came up through, and as a result having a good sense of what skills remain to be taught to young American pro's.
A non-American coach might dismiss a guy too quickly for certain types of deficiencies. Just because a guy is missing this particular tool is not a sign that he's a fundamentally flawed player and will never amount to anything, but rather it's a sign that as an American it's never been stressed enough that he has to be super-good at that particular aspect of his game, so he didn't work to develop that part of his game. Such tools might be: tactical awareness; how to give a rough challenge without being called for a foul; or how to break down a defender one-on-one.

[seahawkdad]

That is one damned good question. I've never seen it explained...anywhere (other than BigKris' rational surmise above). It's just stated as a fact...perhaps it's one of those urban myths.

[GUTuna]

What makes an American player any different than other players from around the world?

Well I tend to think that the reason Americans are different from many other players can be summed up in one word: Why?

Americans always ask why should something be done, even if only in their head. Loyalty to a leader is viewed as a matter of choice, not a matter of right. This leads to a different relationship between leaders and the led in organizations. Just ask the American military, especially when they dealt with conscripts. In any organization, Americans require a heck of a lot of justification when compared with others around the world.

Nowak was raised in an Eastern European Soviet-style sports system. The coach is god. No one questions the coach. Soviet hockey is a good example of this. Nowak then played most of his career in pre-Bosman Germany. German coaches definitely are as in charge as you get in Western Europe. Sure Nowak was able to refine his approach while playing in the US. But his background is light years away from the one most American players grow up with.

I'm not saying one viewpoint is correct. I just think that Americans, and therefore American soccer players, view their relationship with coaches far differently than most others around the world.

[DoctorD]

This something I have never been able to understand. What makes an American player any different than other players from around the world? The non-Americans in MLS don't seem to be any different than the Americans. You have answered your own question. In most parts of the world it is taken for granted that each nationality has its own style and ways of getting things done. Only in post-1960's America is it assumed that everybody is the same and everybody can do and learn things the same way. Thus, only an American would ask the question you did.

My English colleagues stereotype their German coworkers in ways that would get me sent to "sensitivity training". But you know what? On average, my German coworkers like setting up and following rules, while on average my Italian coworkers aren't good at following a plan, but improvise brilliantly.

[JoeW]

Really good article by Goff with a ton of useful tidbits.

1. The news about the GMU assistants (Kelderman, etc.) indicate that Andrulis is pushing his ties to MLS and contacting coaches and GMs. Why is that relevant? Expect DCU to scrimmage GMU teams several times this season. Or GMU might provide space and facilities for DCU youth/academy initiatives. And expect GMU to continue to try and be a resource/practice field for the NT on East Coast events. That bodes well for GMU to have a guy (Andrulis) who is reaching out to MLS.

2. Soehn was almost hired by Chivas--whew--that was close.

3. 50-50 on Donnet. What that tells me is that the team likes him, admires his skill but either he wanted to explore other options before signing (and DCU was being fair--which makes it easier to attract other foreign talent. We basically did the same thing with Gomez (he came on a loan which means he gets to try out America before he agrees to a transfer). This is effectively the same thing with Donnet.

4. Knows American players? Here's the deal--I remember talking with Kyle Rote Jr. once about life on the Dallas Tornado in the old NASL. He talked about how the locker rooms always served tea--never OJ. That after the game or training, the expectation was that the team would strip down and then they'd all get in the communal whirlpool together (that to most American males would seem kind of gay).

I've coached teams with a range of different nationalities on them. I've talked to a range of other coaches (some American, some other countries). The group (personality-wise) that we're most often compared to is...the Dutch. Fabio Capello insisted he wants no more Dutch players on any of his teams. The Dutch he say, insist on talking about everything. It's not okay for a coach to say "do this!" and then they do it. They want to know if other options have been discussed, what assumptions are being made and was everyone consulted. I shared this with a some Dutch I know (2 former players, a coach and a guy who's a rabid fan) and all 4 of them were like "yes--that's us--those Italians are such fascists--our society believes in talking everything through, getting consensus, hearing from everyone." Relevant to that, Americans want to know "why?" We're really lousy at doing something "just because"--we really want to know the explanation or rationale for something. That's been my experience and I've heard the same from 2 Americans who have coached overseas (the Australian players as I recall seemed to have a similar nature--they want to hear a reason before they accept an order).

Additionally, there are some cultural pieces that are less glaring as the world gets to know our soccer players better and we get more world exposure via guys playing overseas and FSC and so on but they're still there.
--Americans don't really get the concept of a third place match. The NFL used to have one and Vince Lombardi once said of it (and this is rough quote) "it's a loser bowl for losers." The USNT that had the inspired Copa run in 2005 laid an egg in the third place match and this was part of Sampson's explanation.
--the Olympics matter to us greatly. Frank Stapleton accused Alexi Lalas of being a traitor to his NE teammates by accepting an offer by Arena to be one of the overage US Players for our Olympic team in the Atlanta games here in the States. The rest of Europe is just mystified why us, Africa and maybe Brazil (only trophy they haven't won) care about Olympic soccer.
--a focus on rigidity and plays and the coach controlling from the sideline. Our mentality, we tend to coach stuff to-death. As a result, I think our players (especially at higher levels) are lousy attackers tactically. And b/c our soccer history is so young, it's rare to have a native born American coach who has credibility as a former player or can demonstrate the technical elements.
--an emphasis on everyone has a ball at the younger levels. One of my youth teams, the family was from the UK (and the dad was a former player). When the family moved back to England, both parents told me that their son (who had come here as a GK, defender and left as a striker) was ahead of his English peers in ball skills. In England at the youth levels, he'd been playing 11v11 versus small-sided games here in the states (which we got from the Dutch) and the emphasis in our club (and through much of the States) of everyone brings a ball to practice and you spend a huge percentage of practice doing stuff with the ball. Their son had acquired more ball skills here in the States with how we coach soccer than his peers had in the UK over a comparable period.
--connection to the culture (and increasingly, this includes a hispanic element, not just a suburban whitebread/middle-class perspective). Being able to connect to players, use symbols or references that matter to them. Example--I recall an NFL football coach (white of course) who was going to schedule practice during the same date as the original Million Man March until a group of black players came to him and told him that if he insisted on doing so, they would just have to be fined for being no-shows. After a big win with two late goals that were also phenomenal pieces of skill, I told two of my stars (one American, one Peruvian) "wow--you guys just hit a pair of homeruns there" and the American gave me a big grin and the Peruvian kid looked at me like "eh--WTF?" so I said "Golazo" and he beamed and the American didn't get it. Another time before a match, I told my team this game was a classico or derby for us and all of the foreign-born kids got it and the Americans were clueless so I said "gang--this is the cowboys-Skins game" and my Americans got charged and psyched up.

Doesn't mean foreign-born coaches can't be successful--they have their edges as well. But Arena has always been a guy players like to play for, in part b/c he knew what buttons to push and how to appeal to players. I think Nowak is a great coach but I don't think he's as good (in part b/c of language) in understanding "what makes a Rimando tick?" or "how do I get the best out of Alecko?"

[Mr Hanki's Throne]

The article also mentions that one of the best Shootout marksmen, Kris Kelderman was signed as an assistant for KC, so let's hope that the DC/KC matchups next year don't end up.... tied.... well never mind.....

[uniteo]

That is one damned good question. I've never seen it explained...anywhere (other than BigKris' rational surmise above). It's just stated as a fact...perhaps it's one of those urban myths.

Beyond the national characteristics inherent in pretty much anybody from the U.S., most American soccer players have at least some college.

If, as a coach, you make a big deal about your players cleats being cleaned, polished and stored properly...well if your players have been in academy since they were 13 or 14 and it has been an issue all along they think nothing of it. If your players are 22 and just graduated college, they're thinking "what's up with the stupid shoe thing?" even if they're not saying it or showing it.

[SteveWWJ]

Really good article by Goff with a ton of useful tidbits.

1. The news about the GMU assistants (Kelderman, etc.) indicate that Andrulis is pushing his ties to MLS and contacting coaches and GMs. Why is that relevant? Expect DCU to scrimmage GMU teams several times this season. Or GMU might provide space and facilities for DCU youth/academy initiatives. And expect GMU to continue to try and be a resource/practice field for the NT on East Coast events. That bodes well for GMU to have a guy (Andrulis) who is reaching out to MLS.

As much as I'd like to see this happen (as a GMU alumnus), I'm pretty sure Kelderman's selection had to do with his relationship with Curt Onalfo going way back to their playing days at UVA. More recently Kelderman has served as the Technical Director for Curt Onalfo soccer.

Not sure Andrulis had much to do with it... it's actually more likely Andrulis hired Kelderman and Tenney on at Mason based on their being two highly regarded coaches in the DC area, and his own limited knowledge of Washington area soccer. Good to have those guys around when you're not local to the area and are trying to turn a D-1 program around that's located in a richly talented youth soccer region, but has never done anything in regards to tapping into it.

[nobletea]

Doesn't mean foreign-born coaches can't be successful--they have their edges as well. But Arena has always been a guy players like to play for, in part b/c he knew what buttons to push and how to appeal to players. I think Nowak is a great coach but I don't think he's as good (in part b/c of language) in understanding "what makes a Rimando tick?" or "how do I get the best out of Alecko?"

Agreed.

And so, basically what you're saying is, that if Soehn tries to tell one of his players to send anyone to the hospital, we're in BIG trouble.