If you read one story about Jonathan Gonzalez's decision and the bigger picture, this interview w/ SA's @MikeWoitalla is it. Brad saw Jonathan as recently as New Year's Eve. (And yes, Brad is Alan's son.) https://t.co/ZNpDYC1q9x— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) January 10, 2018 https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...henberg-our-federation-lost-jonathan-gon.html Far-reaching, eye-opening, at times frankly embarrassing interview with the president of Alianza de Futbol. The problem is ours, it is systematic, and it goes to the top. Too many quotes to pick anything out. What a shameful job we have done in this country of supporting and developing this community of talented young players and their families. Soccer America is worth the subscription, IMHO.
So true and so sad. "If anybody at U.S. Soccer thinks they did enough to keep Jonathan, then they should resign before the new Federation president fires them."
If it makes you feel better. You have been a defender of all things USSF/SUM/MLS recently. I thought it was odd you would post this.
Let’s see here.. who can we ostracize more, the German-Americans, Mexican-Americans, or Keaton Parks?
Fair point. I just want to look at a bigger picture than just the cluster that was the USMNT in 2017. I think SUM, which was designed successfully to preserve MLS’s survival, has become problematic in that it’s business interests are often mutually exclusive to the USMNT’s interests. With SUM’s influence, a Mexico friendly in Santa Clara will benefit the San Jose Earthquakes, who should have had a hand in developing Jona Gonzalez but didn’t, and not really the US Men’s National Team, not as much anyway. El Tri is the most popular soccer team in the United States and its not close and it’s a huge business success with influence on US Soccer’s and MLS’s bottom line. If the next Chicharito grows up in LA, plays for LAFC and plays for Mexico, Don Garber and SUM have absolutely no problem with that and USSF needs player development and player selection policies and business infinitives that protect their competing interests in this situation. I don’t think that sending Wynalda or Solo or Martino in to blow up the Death Star would be a productive solution. I have a deep respect for the financial foundation that has been built around the sport of soccer in this country and I recognize that the US Men’s National Team is not necessarily the controlling influence or maybe even the fourth or fifth biggest influence. I’m ok with that. We need to make sure our disappointment in the US Men’s team this year is not destructively played out on the infrastructure of rest of the sport in this country. I think this conglomerate of interests could be conservatively divested and grown in different verticals and that it should be largely done by smart business people not former players with big opinions. The business of player development in this country hasn’t really even started yet and that is the real gold mine with really big money potential. We have so many good players in this country we wouldn’t need to have a conversation about dual nationals. Alianza is a fantastic and facinating business model as a pilot for what the potential could look like.
One of the things I find completely preposterous that article touched on is this focus only on "affiliated" players and sanctioned events. A good player is a good player. Do we really not allow coaches to scout a player if they haven't signed the right forms and they're not playing an event blessed by the powers that be? That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard as to how US soccer operates, and that's not an easy list to climb to the top of.
When I went to write about @alianzadefutbol back in 2014, there were so many Mexican coaches and scouts present. No one from the US. https://t.co/Vizdbk2Du0— Zito (@_Zeets) January 11, 2018
Yeah, this was one of the items that jumped out. Some of the others were Thomas Rongen and Hugo Perez. From the outside, I don't see why Rongen is still involved with scouting. One of the last time that we had this conversation, it was about Subotic. Guess who was involved at that time? Time for a change. Speaking of changes, all I hear is good things about Hugo. Yet, somehow he was "let go" and is not part the USSF system. I understand that there are different opinions, but can USSF afford not have Hugo involved at some level?
I'd like to know the full story on why Perez isn't working with the Fed any longer. He appeared to have a decent track record with the youth teams and from what I've read seems to have a good eye for spotting young players. He's obviously going to have better access to Spanish speaking communities. It's really hard to imagine how there's no spot for someone like him.
So that's what US Soccer journalism looks like! Seems the only publication that gets it. Yes. From talking to these [Mexican] coaches over the years, they see way more potential in these players than I think our coaches do. Jonathan Gonzalez is an example. While he was known by U.S. Soccer, his style and size may have hurt his chances with the narrow mindset of the current coaching staff. Mexico appreciates players like Jonathan and simply has a better system to give players like Jonathan opportunities. The Mexican coaches see their talent, but they also see a certain level of discipline. Many of these kids who come here come are from families who have literally crossed borders, have overcome obstacles I've never seen before to give their family a better life. And that ethos informs these kids who don't take anything for granted. These kids are fighting for everything they get. The Mexican coaches see a certain level of fierceness. They also find that the Latino kids who are born and raised here are fitter and stronger than Mexico-raised players. And Mexican coaches say some of that has to do with their diet in the U.S.
It's really not much of a mystery to me. Although I have never read the full story either, there is enough evidence out there to strongly suggest that he pissed off the Jersey-centric establishment with too many recommendations for improvement that went against the prevailing philosophy and biases. The JoGo "defection" only serves to highlight what happened to Hugo: Then there is the style of play. As much lip service as coaches pay these days to the importance of playing attractive and attacking soccer, American teams continue to prioritize physicality over technique, pragmatism over creativity. The mind-set can alienate players of a certain temperament. “Mexico has a better style of play,” Perez said. In the four years he spent as a U.S. youth national team coach, Perez tried to address these issues. He looked for players outside of the academy system, such as Gonzalez. Perez also championed a more offense-minded approach and searched for players who could play that style. The U-14 camp to which Perez invited Gonzalez included another technically inclined player who would make his name for himself in the relatively near future: Christian Pulisic, the current No. 10 on the U.S. senior national team. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-usa-mexico-hernandez-20180109-story,amp.html
Exactly. We don't need a USMNT legend with the real respect of players everywhere and Mexican Americans in particular, the guy that got JoGo into our system in the first place. What we do need is to keep cutting paychecks for Sarachan and the rest of the hangers on that already proved their incompetence down in Trinidad? Knowing Jonathan well and his family I wish him the best he deserves it I wish he would have stayed with us because we need those type of players Mohammed saw in him what we could not in the US that is why he is a starter in one of the best teams in 🇲🇽— Hugo Perez (@HugoPerezDT) January 9, 2018 I know Jonathan always wanted to play for US I knew him well but US did not sad a good person an excellent player— Hugo Perez (@HugoPerezDT) January 8, 2018 He is pretty clearly saying the existing staff didn't rate Jonathon Gonzalez. Did they actually want him for the Portugal game in the first place, let alone actually try to speak with Jonathon directly? http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/us-n...shing-away-jonathan/unkzx30ko8bo1k03bkm4l55mw The U.S. national team had a chance to bring him into the fold for the November friendly against Portugal but did not. The belief at the time was that he was left in Mexico because a call-up would interfere with playing for Monterrey, but that wasn't the case and one source tells Goal there was a belief within the current caretaker coaching staff that Gonzalez wasn't quite ready to be called in. This despite the November squad including several young players and national team newcomers who had little, if any, more experience than Gonzalez. WTF actually happened? At some point persistent incompetence becomes wilful malevolence.
Oh and who was the guy we were paying to stay in touch with Jonathon Gonzalez all year instead of USMNT Legend Hugo Perez? This guy: #automatiseren will never happen with country. Immense natural talent. His lack of high soccer IQ makes him average w Argentina though. https://t.co/CeAK3yWvvY— Thomas Rongen (@TRongen) October 7, 2017 Yeah, our Chief Scout was the stable genius who thinks Messi does not have a high soccer IQ.
You can't have people who don't understand football (soccer) picking players. When you do, you have the results we have. This is a big part of the problem. Bad coaching at all levels ... starting with Bruce Arena and going down from there.
[QUOTE="Rahbiefowlah, post: 36223613, member: 18015". If the next Chicharito grows up in LA, plays for LAFC and plays for Mexico, Don Garber and SUM have absolutely no problem with that .[/QUOTE] They would prefer it, right?
You know what, thank you for calling me out. Now they're starting to sound tone deaf and I’m coming around to wanting to change it. “Revenue, Revenue, Revenue...” Maybe I’m just saying “Wynalda would be a little Trumpishly stupid and destructive.”
I WISH I could say that there is some real shocking stuff in this thread. And there is. It's just that NONE OF THIS IS SURPRISING IN THE LEAST! The GOB that runs USS like a small minded, cult sport for their own and their cronies benefit must be blown up or moving forward will be tres difficile. Tres, TRES, difficile.
From Rongen thread - Herc Gomez provides shocking new details in the Jonathan Gonzalez drama. - Gives some background Richie Williams giving Gonzalez 10 minute take it leave it offer to Bradenton (smart move leaving it) and Rongen. lying about visiting his family.
I was confused by the format of that page. Is the Williams/Gonzalez discussion contained in the podcast that has the Bradley interview. As an aside, it looks like Bradley got the word "soccer" beaten out of him in England.
Yes it is contained in the last quarter of the Podcast. Enjoyed Bradley - Bretps says he'd love to get in a real conversation about what needs to be changed so Bradley the asks him what he thinks needs to be changed and Bretos comes up with nothing. Bradley's not going to go on record giving opinions on people in the business, but you can tell by things he does say that he's got strong opinions and is a smart guy.