For the life of me, I don't understand what our shambolic federation is doing. You would have thought that after the debacle of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, that our Fed would have put every effort into ensuring our NT program from the youth all the way to the first team - is organized and has a plan to make sure not qualifying never happens again. Instead, we got the exact opposite, which is a clusterF of epic proportions.
Except, that is neither of their jobs. Tab Ramos has that job. I'm sure Tab is looking at candidates all the time but he can't hire them. That is Dan Flynn's job I guess. But, I'm not sure Flynn has been able to do his job since early 2016.
Correct. Some of the scheduled training sessions during camp never took place with no real explanation to players
Do you have first hand knowledge of this? I am not doubting you, I am only asking because if this is true, it is more egg on the face of our incompetent Federation. Think about it, many of these kids were called in for the first time and the experience they got was cancelled sessions and a coach that announces he is leaving the program. What the hell is going on with this program?
No offense taken if you doubt me; honestly, I'm not sure that one would need additional information to exacerbate the current state of our YNT system...15's, 16's, 17's, 18's.. To your point, the players who were called in for the first time may have not known any better (no previous camp experience for comparison); however, you can ask the "seniors"...
Why hasn't the media covered this clusterf**k? Now, we're not only dealing with vacancies at most YNT levels, we're losing coaches now? Yikes. I wanna see 3G integrate the European players in March, a big enough job as it is. But in the intervening month, 3G, Earnie, and the Fed need to be bombarded with requests for info. It's farcical that we had such a regime change devoid of even surface-level changes. It's not even us hiring has-beens, or bad coaches. We're not hiring anyone whatsoever...
I don't understand what the fuss is all about? Our youth teams seem to be doing fine -- getting results, developing players, identifying players, playing mostly good soccer, etc. Youth national team coaches are not vital roles, and certainly not 365 days a year. There are big competitions that need preparation, and the overall program needs strong leadership, but these positions can be filled quickly and brought up to speed within a couple of weeks. The important thing is that there is a vertically comprehensive plan guiding the entire thing and that the right people are put in place. It's not like the youth teams have come to a screeching halt, and there is plenty of time before the next big competitions.
Shrug. We don't seem to know why Clint Peay left. It seems like a bunch of these guys wanted the U17 job. When it was offered to van den Bergh, they all threw a hissy fit. Then of course the USSF wasn't able to agree with van den Bergh, so the whole thing looks bad. Tab Ramos needs to get on this. Don't forget that we still don't have a U23 Olympic coach either. To me that's the highest priority. Then the U17s. The rest can have interim coaches for all I care. I mean, the U18s and U16s are just "casting a net" camps and teams. They aren't really "teams" per se. We live in a world right now where there seem to be a ton of jobs opening up in MLS, USL, etc. for youth coaches. In those jobs the coaches get to work day-to-day with the kids as opposed to sporadic camps.
I agree with some of your post, but vigorously disagree with other parts. A specific YNT coach is not a vital role, however, having a coach in place to run camps in a consistent manner in any give age group is vital. Part of our issue as a soccer culture is this line of thinking. Preparation for big competitions begin at the very first camp at the U14 level. Coaches will change, players will change, but a central message to the players in every camp they attend helps them prepare for any competition as they move through the program. Furthermore, the more camps they have, the better - especially when they can invite new players in for the first time. For some of these kids, this recognition is all they need to kick on and become full of confidence. That alone, is reason enough for our Fed to put forth and consistent, well communicated product in YNT camps. I would also argue that with all the changes and kids having no idea who will be leading the camp from one to the next, the follow up on evaluations when camps break is non-existent. Let's say a CM players sits down with Clint at the end of camp and Clint tells him he really needs to work on checking his shoulder and his weak foot. Clint leaves and the message hasn't been communicated to the rest of the staff - who is following up with the kid? I think its a disaster and can't believe more hasn't been made of it.
I would like to see Tab step up to the Olympic job after the Championships. He has spent enough time at the U-20 level. If he can prove he knows how to qualify and get results in the Olympics then I believe he’s the heir apparent to Berhalter when he moves on. Also, I’ve noticed in my local MLS academy teams that they go through coaches like crazy. I’m guessing the coaches are not paid well or have benefits. I bet anything that they just take the job so they can put it on a resume. I assume the same thing is happening at the youth level in USSF. It’s almost like an unpaid internship.
Imagine for a second that Tab had accepted the offer to coach FC Dallas back in December. One has to wonder if that then only would have justified all the fuss with the WC looming over the horizon.
In the short term, those are pretty insignificant issues. Berhalter just finished his first camp. I'm sure he's working on filling out the personnel that will oversee the things that he wants implemented down through the rest of the program. A couple of kids missing a phone call from a coach they might only see once or twice in their life is not going to make or break anything. And, I doubt many careers have been altered due to a shot of confidence that getting called into a camp gave them (it seems like kids are still getting called in and camps are being run anyhow...). This is all just part of the process given the fact that just about the entire fed has been turned over in the last several months. It's not ideal, but I don't think it's a "mess," and it's well worth it if it leads to a better program.
Yup. Although I think the U17s and U23s not having a full time coach right now is a problem. They're the only teams that have major competitions that really matter on the horizon. I mean, Clint Peay just resigned to take a job in the pros. That's a GOOD move for him. It happens. So now we have to find another U15 coach, and can have one before the next camp. Is this really that big of a deal? U16 coach resigned because he didn't get the U17 gig? I'm sorry if his feelings were hurt, but that's how the real world works. Dave VandenBergh apparently turned down the U17 job because he didn't want to move to USSF headquarters in Chicago. Hello? Sorry...…………...if that's a pre-requisite for the job, then he has to deal with it. Where does he want to live? Fort Worth? How's this...……………..Dave can go back to coaching the U15s or the U16s if he wants to live wherever he wants. Maybe that's what's going to happen here.
Five of the top domestic-based US U15s have apparent dual US/European nationality and thus could potentially move abroad before long. Zach Booth is US/Italy, Brandan Craig is US/England, Rokas Pukstas is US/Lithuania, Evan Rotundo is US/France, Gabriel Slonina is US/Poland. Kevin Kelley, Luca Koleosho, Federico Oliva, Devan Tanton, Aethan Yohannes are the US U15s already in Europe.
Hearing that the u15 are going to a tournament in Italy, April 27-May 4? They have been drawn against India, Mexico, and Slovenia. No word on who’s coaching and what boys will be picked
So is. They will participate in the Tournament delle Nazioni. It is a tournament in which the United States has obtained good results. The editions 2015 and 2017 we went champions. The previous tournament we were eliminated in the semifinals and we won the third place.
Apparently Oliva has been called up. Felicidad total! Convocatoria con U15 USA ....@FedericoOliva15 https://t.co/SJExoFfjwj— Carofeni (@carofenico) April 4, 2019 Based on social media, I'm fairly sure Kenan Hot is related to Sacir Hot. They follow each other and both are New Jersey-born with experience with NYRB's setup and USYNT. Not sure if the relationship is brother, cousin, or uncle. Sacir is eligible for Albania, Bosnia, and Montenegro in addition to the US. However, none of those three are in the EU yet. So it appears Kenan just misses out on joining his US U15 teammates who can move abroad earlier.
👀 Interlanddebuut lonkt...🇺🇸 @aethanyohannes zit in de selectie van Amerika Onder 15, dat een toernooi in Italië speelt.📱 https://t.co/tYawhfq5Nr#AZJeugd #AZO15 pic.twitter.com/WGMNbHS8uQ— AZ Jeugdopleiding (@AZJeugd) April 4, 2019 Yohannes is in, so this is initially shaping up to be a full-strength squad.
US soccer is holding one of their pop-up ID tryouts for Nor Cal 2004 DA players tomorrow night in Sunnyvale. No Earthquake players on the list
There's a schedule for the TdN and our group is indeed us, Mexico, Slovenia and India. There are four groups and, potentially, some traditionally tough opposition should we advance. https://www.torneodellenazioni.com/dev/edizione-2019/matches-3/
'04 Texas-born Toluca mid Nicolas Perez Guillen was called up. He was last with the U15s a little over a year ago.