IMO, soccer is a "skill" sport more so than an athletic sport, so we need a better level of skill from our players. We're merely "okay" in that category. Part of developing that skill is to have an developing an understanding of what's needed to create great skill in our players, not just create great athletes. The interest is there, but there seems to be a problem with the execution. Or something else in the grassroots that is missing. I think it relates to how much our young kids are exposed to soccer at a high level, but maybe there is more to it. How do we increase the skill level of our players overall is the question we need to answer. As far as "The US arrogance" of being the best at everything, I think that is part and parcel to our competitive nature. We are a very competitive country, and therefore, we desire to be the best at whatever we are competing in. We don't compete for the simple enjoyment of competition. We compete to win. This has been an American trademark for years.
We need better technical skill, certainly--a better first touch alone would vastly improve American soccer IMHO. But we also lack tactical awareness. Our players don't "think" the game very well (easy for me to say from the sidelines for sure). My son is off to his second year of college soccer, and he recently bemoaned the fact that he's never had a coach who seemed to know much about tactics. He played club soccer for 12 years at three different clubs, HS for three out of four (injured one year), and has a year of Div. I college ball under his belt, and he doesn't think he ever had a coach who really knew or cared that much about tactical training. FWIW.
Agree completely. There is a scene in Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams talks about knowing about art or love from books but never really experiencing it. That is US soccer...the game can be taught from a practical sense but few coaches teach about spacing, awareness, 'a sense of the game', intuition or feel. My son had been fortunate to have a few coaches who taught this way, most influentially U8-10...it is like learning scales versus playing jazz. There can be music either way but one of them will not promote the understanding and creativity needed for long term success. When you see it, you know it. Passes that are not predictable, players who see, think and pass in 360 degrees, players that know when 1 touch is better than 3 and vice versa. But even in National League and regional tournaments the soccer vs. kickball war continues and the kick ballers win a lot of games. I'd rather my son be an aspiring jazz musician than be successful sitting at a 'player piano'. Anyone under 40 may have to look that up!
The first coach I had who spent any time on tactical training was the new coach my college team hired my sophomore year. Before that, everything I knew about tactics I learned from watching soccer on TV. I'm a little surprised this is still a problem, though -- my senior season was 2003.
In fairness, my son was hardly an elite player. He was on good but not great club teams, and his HS team was pretty mediocre overall. I'd wager the kids around here (Northern VA) playing on elite club teams or academy teams might experience better. But still--he was a serious player who really wanted to get better, and you would hope that some level of tactical improvement would have trickled down by now. At any rate, his college team is an improvement if only because the talent level is there and the coach lets them play a more technical game (lots of short passing, keeping the ball on the ground, etc.) so it's an improvement.
Is this something that can even be taught? Or is it something that arrives innately within each player as they play with and against other quality players? The "feel" of the game I don't believe is something that one can truly be taught. But I agree, I think this is certainly missing even amongst the top elite.
My perception is at a young age players can participate in drills that open their minds to the possibilities. Drills requiring passes through certain players or spots on the fields can help teach young players how to find open space, move away from pressure and leverage players you can't see if you don't have your head up. It is true not all of them will 'get it' but the effort needs to be made. I'd wager most of the U8-U10 teams are told not to pass backwards and never to the keeper. This type of mindset is hurtful long term. It could be it is also an inate ability...what I've seen, in a sample of one, is consistent feedback over the years that he understands the game, positions himself well and sees the field better than most recruits. I will say, pulling in another thread, he played other sports...playing short stop, right field, street hockey or point guard may help with some of the above.
This is something I have heard from Ex-pat friends as well even at the pick up game, rec league level. They say American players often have the same or even superior technical skill to players back home what they lack is that tactical nous, like book learning versus experience.
There is no one answer but I'd love to see more futsal played in this country. At least in my personal experience it helps with the 1-2 touch passes in tight areas, among other things.
For those who saw the MLS interview with Schweinsteiger, he said US sports are heavily based on hard charging at the goal to score but that isn't how soccer is played in Europe. I think he said we have all the puzzle pieces but we don't put them together properly. I felt he was spot on from my experience with 15 years of club, school and college soccer in US along with watching too many MLS games.
We have a strange hybrid of styles, I think. While we mostly play too direct a style, strangely enough, American attacking players are often hesitant to shoot when they have a look at goal, and instead look to pass the ball around for the perfect chance. It's almost as if American strikers think a goal only counts if it's a tap-in.
Ha. That rings a bell. I think this is coaching as well, players who have not been trained to use both feet and/or who have not been trained on how to shoot, when to shoot and when to realize a shot is not the best choice often leave the watcher puzzled. Some simple final-third drills can help. A visitor from Spain watching one of our games said this of our striker, "he shoots when he should pass and passes when he should shoot". And this was our 'star' player. In an ironic turn of events, HS soccer has the least credibility and lesser coaches but has the equipment and time to provide video feedback on games while the more trusted club soccer generally does not. A really good club coach gives the player some feedback while most offer no player specific feedback, especially of situations in which their judgment was off. Sure, there might be a yell of "we can't give the ball away there" etc. but no real analysis of options or teachable moment.
I played mostly as a striker through college. Can't say I was ever the star player (wasn't a starter at that level), but I had the exact same problem until my college team got a coach who knew what he was doing. Same guy who started doing actual tactical training.
i think we are not better because the money isnt there like in other sports. The moment that money comes into play for US soccer, we will see more of an emphasis on learning the game. Some of these absurd NBA contracts have me wishing i could shot a jump shot and be 6 inches taller.
Hard charging is in our country's DNA. Good luck with changing that. Perhaps the USA is better suited for Rugby Union than Soccer.
Average MLS attendance the year after the 1998 World Cup---14,282 Average MLS attendance the year after the 2002 World Cup---14,898 Average MLS attendance the year after the 2006 World Cup---16,770 Average MLS attendance the year after the 2010 World Cup---17,872 Average MLS attendance the year after the 2014 World Cup---21,574 Maybe it isn't the U.S. national team that's providing that boost, but something certainly is.
MLS has had 20 complete seasons other than its first one. The average percentage change in attendance compared to the previous season was 0.27% for the 15 seasons not after World Cup years and 4.39% for the 5 seasons after World Cup years.
This was my experience growing up in England. "Do we have any tactics sir?" "Just go out and play your hardest."
Obviously he hasn't watched many lower division English matches. Because most people my age should have more important things to do, like taking advantage AARP discounts on early bird meals. Told ya!