They might be failures, but kids learn a lot from failures. Maybe more so than success at that age. As for the German thing, if they thought the problem was that they weren't taking the youth tournaments seriously enough and that was hurting their senior team then I understand the change. But here's the thing: We're talking about the U.S. Not the German youth squads. The problem over here IMO is that we were taking those tournaments way too seriously at the expense of long term development. Yes, of course you want to win every time you step on the pitch. Why play the game? However, I still don't group the failings of the U.S. youth squads in this past year as anything negative against the program. I personally don't care about youth results at all. Edit: In the long run the U.S. will have to find a way to develop players with high level skill combined with that "never say die" attitude that has been a hallmark of U.S. soccer and has probably allowed us to punch a little bit above our weight in the past. I mean, what's the point in developing highly skilled players who are soft? In that regard, yes winning is a very important mindset that we should not give up at the expense of developing raw talent. But we also can't be upset when results don't go our way at the youth level.
Because it's a team failure. The objective of youth development is not to develop and deliver winning youth teams, but to deliver top level individuals (players). Therefore these so called "failures of our top youth players" are not failures of youth development per se. The point is: 'the youth development system' should develop/deliver two top players per generation (year). With the average top level career lasting for approximately 8 seasons it should be more than enough players to seriously compete in the World Cup.
Realistically all players should concentrate on club football and National team games should be secondary. Nigeria has 3 U-17 World cups, no Over 23 WC. But personally I would like to think that “making” the U-20 WC is a good thing, losing in Concacaf (happens to even Mexico youth levels) is not a good thing. JMO.
Well the clubs would love that, but then I think you were referring to just youth teams, while they would love for it to be all of it.
Youth Development happens at the club level; at the National level it should be lining up the best available prospects at that time to give them international playing time and allowing the head National coach to evaluate them in pressure situations. Winning is not all of it, but the more you win, the more games you get to play. Not making the Youth WC is not terrible, but it is not a good thing for sure.
I did mean all players regardless of age. The Club pays the bills, that is were development happen. Don't get me wrong there is a balance, but yes over all club should come first.
Youth tournaments might be even more important for us than other countries. Nearly all of Mexico's players play in Mexico, Germany in the Bundesliga etc. Our players are scattered across the globe, Scandinavia, North America, Germany etc.
True. But hopefully this will change and must change. @ Ceezmad USSF should coordinate youth development at club level. This is what most of the big federations do (probably with the exception of Brazil and Argentina). Leave it to the clubs is leaving it to chance. This is what Claudio Reyna's master plan is all about. From top to bottom. Even soccer moms have to know what 4-3-3 is and how to coach it.
So the USSF should tell all clubs with American players to play a 4-3-3? Coordinate as much as possible sure, but if the USA has good youth players, then they will go to bigger clubs, there they will have to learn the system from their head coach, I doubt an American 16 year old will tell say the Roma manager, "hey I only play a 4-3-3 coach."
Club before country! We the fans must recognize that National teams are superfriendly tournaments, the players make their money with the club, this is not the Olympics. I go the other way from you, I think FIFA is trying to take too much power from clubs with all those FIFA dates.
The difference is that I couldn't care less about club football compared to international football. I'm not really psyched about cheering for Corporate team X. FIFA has an amazing scam going on, there is no doubt, but it's a scam that I enjoy.