Identifying Talent - How and When?

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by UglyParent, Oct 4, 2012.

  1. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Sorry I'm a little late with this, but thank you so much for taking the time to post this level of detail in analyzing the video. He and I definitely discuss his game video, although sparingly (video review is cited in a few articles as one of the things that contributes to burnout at this age). You make several great points that I can bring up with him over the summer. Much appreciated!

    As a general comment, I think you're picking up on something he and his coaches have been discussing recently - how quick he is to get rid of the ball. Most of the time, it's the right thing. But occasionally I and his coaches will see a play that, while decent, could have been something much better if he had taken a touch or two more. Believe it or not, it's a weight / strength issue. He has never had a thick frame, and doesn't carry much weight. It's always a fight for him to stay on the ball when challenged, and, to be honest, he hasn't historically won that fight very much. Technically, he has the skill to keep it - he gets bullied physically. When he senses that a defender(s) might be closing in (whether they truly are or not), his gut reaction is to make a pass immediately. One of the things he and his coaches are working on is his attitude when challenged, to have the will and confidence to stay on the ball for that additional touch or two and find the killer pass, not just the first pass.
     
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  2. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    So I'm going to take you to task a little, hopefully in a respectful way. I think that we, as a soccer nation, have a bit of the "kicked dog" syndrome going on, and it's keeping us from looking at our situation objectively.

    Mexico is respected as a soccer nation, and it should be. The culture is certainly there, El Tri draw massive crowds, and the domestic league is strong. The same can be said for quite a few Latin and South American nations, as well as European countries.

    But mighty Portugal just barely made it out of a group that included Iceland, Hungary, and Austria. El Tri just crashed out of the Copa in historically humiliating fashion. And we are supposed to be all doom and gloom because we got whipped by the best side in the world, which happens to include possibly the best player to ever lace up the boots? What if we beat Columbia tonight? Or play them to a draw and lose on PKs?

    What Argentina did to the U.S., they could do to any side on the planet, on a given day. Spain, Germany, doesn't matter - if you don't play well, Argentina can put a 4-0 result on you. We should not be looking at that one game as any type of referendum on the state of US Soccer. The reality is that we will finish as one of the top 4 teams in a tournament that included some of the historically great soccer nations. How can that not be taken as a sign of great progress? Should Brazil be taking "a hard look at the level of competition"? Should Uruguay?
     
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  3. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006

    I too offer you respect..

    We are the US, NOT Mexico, the fact that that squad gave up after 3-0 (7-0 final) is entirely on them and they will need to answer for their actions. That being said lay the cards completely on the table, we may compete with Mexico, we still do not have a record of placing our players on top teams worldwide your Chicharito,Marquez,Guardado etc. Individually they have better talent now and they have in the past. This is not the whole story but it has to be noted.

    "Mighty Portugal" has not been mighty anything for a long time. They are a one trick pony, as a team they adopt the petulance of their star player and the way he goes the way the team goes ( compare to Whales a team with a star that is playing as a team, but augmented by a star).

    I think you miss a gigantic point that the team needs passionate constructive criticism...You are dead wrong with most of what you say... No shots on net, no possession, no poise, no passes strung together, leaving Messi open at the top of the box two minutes into the game = UNACCEPTABLE. Losing has nothing to do with anything, it is the way in which they lost... You do not need to beat Argentina or Columbia...YOU NEED TO SHOW against Argentina and Columbia.

    Brazil fired their coach and president. Uruguay has won a World Cup and was playing sans the best finisher in the world. I do not get the logic in listing other teams that bottle a tournament... "don't feel so bad because there are other teams that are awful too..."

    Tell me about the way they looked vs Columbia and Argentina...Argentina being without Kun Aguero and DiMaria ???

    And I repeat my point from an earlier post, the nosiest critic of the state of US soccer (Klinsman) had two of the least technical players starting up top. If he actually ate his own cooking you would have had Pulisic\Nagbe starting....

    Anyway that is my rant...They are adults. We can let our lids lick their wounds, professionals including a well paid professional gasbag can hear it from US. Its is not good enough....When you have a captivated audience and yuou are representing this country you need to show up.
     
  4. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006
    And not to be all doom and gloom...prior to the Argentina game.....

    John Brooks and the back four were positives.

    John Brooks and Bobby Wood hopefully are now played as regulars.

    Prior to the yellow card accumulation\red cards the starting 11 were starting to look like something.

    And more importantly, we are not "kicked dogs", that would be England and English fans...forever circling a bottomless drain of limitless expectation....
     
  5. Sobek

    Sobek Member

    Jun 9, 2016
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Absolutely agree that regularly discussing video with a young kid is going to drive all the joy out of the game for them. Not something I do with my own son/team - mainly because we tend not to video games - and my personal view is that it should really only be done to highlight positives and add in a couple of what ifs when appropriate. If he makes it to an academy he'll need to understand it as a tool and be able to take the criticism when he is older so there is no harm if done constructively.

    My whole team has had problems with size for the last 3/4 years if not longer. We lost our larger players to 'better' clubs and felt the pain when we could no longer stand toe to toe in a physical match (which the opposition spotted and made the most of)

    Long term it has had real positives for us. At 15 my lads have now narrowed the physical gap and are starting to run rings round teams which used to hammer us - mainly because we had to get better as footballers just to compete and things have swung further the other way than even I expected when the lads physically closed the gap. We now have the situation where players are looking to join us from 'better' teams.

    My experience is that some of the physically smaller and/or less aggressive players fall by the wayside. One exceptionally talented player who was just 'too soft' on the pitch is still one of my regrets and finally quit when his dad gave him a very hard time for not making a tackle that cost us a goal and lost us a game. I was disappointed as a coach but more upset with the father whose opinion, ultimately, the player valued much more than mine.

    Parents - By all means be honest with your kids and want to help them improve but Never underestimate just how much your child needs you to be the one to tell them "it's okay" and "there's always another day". They need you to tell them that it's not making a mistake that matters, it's what you do to make up for it. Their coach should also say it but, if they don't, or even if they do - it's your disappointment that hurts them the most. They can change team but not their parents.

    I still live with the day I took the poor performance of the whole team out on my son in front of his peers - blaming him for a losing goal on his side of the pitch when he was playing out of position (right mid instead of left back) and three other players missed tackles or clearance opportunities is still the moment I am most ashamed of.

    Those that make it through the hard years until they catch up physically fall into three pots in my opinion:

    1. Those for whom a light switches on and they just decide that they will not back down. My son is one of these. He just decided that he was going to give as good as he got and I still smile at the memory of a moment when he decided to take charge. The opposition had a 13 yr old striker approaching 6 foot. My team were terrified of him and backed away from him whenever he got he ball. He had scored two and was looking for a third when my son decided to come across from left back, over to where the right CB was and just put this striker on his backside with a standing tackle that could be heard all round the pitch. He beamed from ear to ear as he then passed the ball to our right back to start the counter.

    He is still shorter than most but is developing very quickly now and has developed a lot of upper body strength which means that he will probably be a bit terrifying when he catches up height wise (he has cousins over 6' 4" so will be be 6' plus in my opinion.

    2. The skilful player who realises that it is part of their role to attract fouls. I am not talking about diving. We encouraged our players to counter the physical difference by being better with passing and movement. We have now started to dance around teams and our smaller players often get the benefit from the referee because the challenge tends to mistimed and/or heavy.

    A skilful player can often force a defender into allowing them to go or concede a foul. The weight, timing and direction of the touch away from the defender plays a big part in this - as does an understanding of when to play with your back to the defender and turn/back into them.

    You don't have to win the physical battle if you can force the foul. This is hard work and takes a long time for some to understand let alone develop the skills for. Understanding the use of the arms helps them with their confidence on this. We have what we call King of the Ring which is a one on one drill around this (not just shielding).

    3. A combination of the two. Very rare and Messi is a great example of this. It is interesting to see when he decides to fight and when he does not. Keeping the opposition guessing about when you're going to pass or attack is a vastly underestimated skill in my opinion.

    Our arguably most skilful player is also our smallest. He does not back down but is very savvy about when to battle and when to force the foul. I know I shouldn't but I can't help but laugh when he winks or smiles at a player twice his size who has just committed a foul on him.

    Any physical disadvantage is likely to be temporary. My guess is that things start to even out at 15. The most important thing your son can learn now is how it is an opportunity to get better as a footballer and learn skills which will take him really stand out when he is the same size as the rest.

    3/4 years will seem like a long time but will seem less time if there is an end game in sight

    The biggest battle though is helping them understand that contact does not equal pain (don't think you son has that problem from what I remember).

    There is also the need for the whole team to understand (through the coaches) that attacking at speed with numbers is the ideal but attacking in numbers outweighs a quicker attack by one or two players every time. This helps them understand that winning field position/possession by attracting the foul can be just as valuable as a barging run through players.

    I'm going to have to learn to write shorter posts (sorry :notworthy:)
     
  6. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I get it man. Really I do. When I watched the match, I was every bit as frustrated with it as the next fan. And level all the criticism you want. I'm pretty sure I never said "don't criticize." But let's keep it in perspective.

    It's one match. My point regarding Uruguay and Brazil wasn't "don't feel so bad because other teams are awful too." It's that those countries have better perspective. Brazil didn't fire Dunga because he didn't get out of the group at the 2016 Copa. They fired him due to a lack of continuity, a lack of consistent results, a lack of progress, over the course of 2 years.

    If you and I had sat down in April, and I had told you "In the Copa, we will reach the semifinal. We will win all of our matches except three - two losses to the #3 team in the world, one loss to the #1 team in the world." You would have said 'Damn right, I'll take that performance.'

    We are making progress. It's not as fast as we would like, and it's not smooth. It comes in fits and starts. I'm not in love with Klinsmann, but I know what he is and, maybe more importantly, what he is not. The German teams you see today are as much to Klinsmann's credit as anyone, make no mistake. The national program that produced these teams has his fingerprints all over it. He is a program builder, which is what we hired him to do. He is not the guy who takes world class pieces and wins tournaments with them. He's the guy who creates the system that produces the world class pieces. If it works the right way, when we have the talent we will hire our Joachim Low, whomever that might be, and the results will come.
     
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  7. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006
    Can you get a more merit based, results orientated firing than Dunga ? He has Brazil's pool of talent and produces some of the ugliest exits in their history...I think you are missing a large point. Uruguay and Brazil have been to the top of the mountain, they have trophies in their history. I actually do not think they have the perspective you afford them but if they did have perspective perhaps it is because they can act like they have been the before.
    That was one match. Except there have been several deer in the headlights performances, Germany,Belgium,Brazil,Columbia to name just a few. In each, JK will do a press conference shortly thereafter where he implores that...."we showed them too much respect".... Ok...please.. I thought you were the bleeding coach!!!! You get to say that ONCE! Then maybe its your job to fix the problem!!! What you maybe should not get is another big tournament where you can pull out the same quote...


    This is what every talking head out there is repeating...and I don't know, did the Gulati\Klinsman monster not sell itself as something completely the opposite. This reads beat the teams you are supposed to beat, get absolutely taken to the shed in a no show, and will all chalk this up to progress...

    You are using FIFA standings also which are a complete waste of time...Argentina is obviously not the #1 team in the world and Columbia is not the #3... Venezuela absolutely EXPOSED Argentinas back line, I was there, they were\are more than human. I came away from that game saying, we will probably lose BUT we can score against these guys. I more than believed we had a punchers chance.

    So when given the opp, why did the press not ask two questions...

    1. JK, why have you now said twice your teams offer too much respect...What is wrong ? What aren't you doing ?

    2. Given the film you had why could we not build upon what Venezuela exposed ?
    I would respectfully disagree everywhere here..A fair amount of people feel he destroyed programs, this would be at Bayern and the National program, and does JK sell himself this way ? I'm not THE GUY, I'm the guy you hire before THE GUY ? Would he agree with what you write about him ?

    How about his track record with our younger guys ? Have you watched these teams play ? Did you watch us miss Olympic qualification. If I wanted Klinsman fired which I do not, the proof is not the Mens senior team, its the kids.

    He's not getting fired I don't want him fired ( he came to us with a list of demands that he will be granted, one of which is what his tenure would be be, 2 WC cycles). There is very passionate optimism\advocacy\\kool aid drinking on these boards, (I would direct anyone to the crazies lobbying for a hall of fame bust of Jozy Altidore and his scoring proficiency).

    If JK is saying again and again that we somehow lack grit, then I would remind him and others that well PRIOR to his arrival we OUTPLAYED Germany in a WC semi, and shortly thereafter all but beat Italy in 2006, in probably the grittiest performance I have ever seen. Where did the guts and guile go???
     
  8. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I think our players in the US can't play out of the back when high pressured. They are instead encouraged to clear the ball and hope a team mate can get it. So we lose the ball any way. Just further back. The really good soccer powers even at the youth level play out of high pressure situations.

    I thought Jurgen is an incomplete coach. He may see the big picture but does work on the little things that can get you to that big picture. Some players do the same thing over and over again that a small coaching point can fix. He or his coaches don't make those coaching points.

    All he did in 5 yrs was bring in some German American players. Has he built on the game we already had in all that time. Do we have a counter attack or a quick strike attack? Do we surround our Germans with speed players to help with that. No we surround them with stupid older players who hit opponents late in a game we are trailing in. What do we do on the rare occasions when we complete a pass. Is their another player close enough to the receiver in the congested space to make a break out pass. I did not see one no plan of attack.

    No organized defense to prevent a counter against us. You can prevent a counter by move players into the gaps before we lose the ball. Not after we lose the ball.

    Keeper stays on his line instead of leaving to stop threw pass before it happens or as it happens. He stares at it instead of reacting to it.
     
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  9. BP9175

    BP9175 Member

    Aug 2, 2011
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    I was at the Argentina vs USA game. I had good seats, about 15 rows up field level. There were a lot of glaring weaknesses on the U.S. side but the one thing that really stood out, besides messi, was the difference when it came to first touch. Argentinas first touch was impeccable, near perfect. Usa's was below average. They couldnt string more than 4 passes before the ball bounced off a u.s. player.
     
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  10. R. Carrillo

    R. Carrillo Member

    Aug 15, 2013
    Long Island, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I'm coming from a youth development point of view. Trying not to let regional or fan prejudice taint analysis, when you watch USA in the Copa, how did they play? I saw many bad touches (every country has bad touches, but some do it rarely (Arg, Chile etc) very little creativity (even the most positive players, Dempsey and Wood, mostly just bowled over or ran into people or simple crosses) a lot of hustle (even in the Arg game I don't think USA stopped hustling) and a lot of "grit" (see Colombia 3rd place game). Very little was displayed in terms of teqnique and build up. Other posters have raised the same concerns: 1) lack of build up from the back, 2) poor first touch. I would add, I didn't see much in terms of 1v1 play. When a US player on the wing has a 1v1, is it a potential goal scoring opportunity like it is for other countries. I would say no. I am no expert, but I haven't said anything that has not been quoted before. Finishing 4th is respectable, but watching the tournament I would say that the result is misleading.

    I am not a fan of the US, but I as a father I am a fan of american kids. Too often I see my son's teams and other teams playing a certain brand of soccer in order to avoid defeat. Always punting from the back, any loose ball in their half gets booted upfield (usually accompanied by clapping), ferocious effort defending, no coordination in any attacking movement, trying to pounce on loose balls and poach a goal vs. creating a gol from scratch. Sound familiar? I don't know so much if its a style vs a coping mechanism for playing against a much better opponent. This is terrible for learning. You can't learn to cope with pressure and play out of the back when you are 14, you must start doing it at 6, 7, 8, when the pressure is not that great (both on and off the field). Also, I see a premium for fast, strong, tall players, when slower but more technically capable players could play better team football and may end up being faster, stronger, taller in the future (and no I am not a disgruntled parent as my son benefits from this prejudice as well). This is beating a dead horse, but when we drive the kids to practice and talk to their coaches, if the parents increase their knowledge of the game, maybe it will lead to an overall improvement in youth soccer, which will reap benefits in the future.
     
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  11. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006
    I am curious as to what happens to the kids I see with ability?

    In this the season that so many of us have our kids playing with Barca camps,Ajax,Dynamo Zagreb, AC Milan ??? There seems to be a desire\want\investment\knowledge of HOW we are supposed to play...I see kids here with great technical ability ???? Where does everyone go ? Is it as simple as these guys seem to be good but in fact as the get older they cannot "beat" the bigger and faster guys???

    Does anyone really think Ramos,Klinsman,Herzog are surprised by the technical limitations of the roster they put out there ?

    I don't hear anyone saying a defeat would be unacceptable. I'm frustrated only that HE\THEY had the opportunity to go the way HE said this team was going, start Pulisic, start Nagbe and lets talk young guys and the future.

    Zardes\Wondo is supposed to be our past.
     
  12. StrikerMom

    StrikerMom Member

    Sep 25, 2014
    I have seen quite a few girls 11-14 yo with superior technical ability not make state/regional/national teams at 15+ because they don't really understand the game, don't like physical contact, lose desire/burnout or their bodies aren't cut out for soccer and/or training at an elite level. Not all players are suitable for the mental and physical demands of a big tournament.
     
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  13. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    When they are close to goal they start to think and play after they touch the ball. That is too late have to have a plan of attack before they touch the ball. That is what practice is all about. A lot of play close to goal has to be practiced and perfected.
     
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  14. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Ten years ago, these camps weren't even here. Just five years ago, they were here but were pretty poorly attended. I don't think it's a matter of "where does everyone go?" I think we are just now getting enough volume of kids being trained the right way, and willing to make a commitment to this game through their teenage years. It takes a tremendous volume of kids doing it the right way to get one or two that can shine on the international level. We are just now getting to that critical volume.
     
  15. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    This is what I noticed as well. When we get into the final third, the movement and awareness gets much better. We did not have any type of plan for the 5 seconds after we won possession in our defensive half, which is, of course, the 5 seconds when good teams are going to expend the most energy trying to win the ball back. Arg were animals for the 5 seconds after they lost the ball, and we just couldn't handle it, technically or tactically.
     
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  16. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006

    I don't mean to pick apart every point you make but for sake of discussion.

    I hope you are right but I don't think these add up to much, my son does quite a few every year. In my experience and we probably go back four years, you are much better off when these are sparsely attended. I also find that when say you and I "discuss" a "good program" whatever that may be, you can rest assured that word gets out and when you get a high volume camp the level that the program can teach to plummets...Some of these are very good, (as I believe we have discussed before in another thread) to be blatant some programs are con artists.

    In summary, these hopefully get kids excited, raise kids and parents general awareness of what the game should look like and eventually yes that translates to a positive....I say that because from experience and other threads, ANY program that gets you playing a style etc for a week...maybe two....You maybe depending on who you are go back to a club or team that cannot or does not play that way...

    I actually believe the "just win" mentality insidious but deeply embedded psychosis is what needs to slowly get chipped away at...And back to my basic starting point...Commander in Chief, who has been most vocal against all things US had an opportunity to put the future center stage and chose to do otherwise.

    I think it also is not hard to reason that what "works" in MLS, "works" in the NCAA, "works" in high schools across this country, does not also trickle down to our youth ranks. It would seem sophomoric on paper that somehow a dominant "brand" you can somehow keep a group insulated from. Don't take the previous too literally, Im trying to describe a pervasive acceptance\attitude that we live under not a week in the summer.

    Players need to play better. JK and crew need to coach up, its their job. Take a look at the Euro and you can see we should be DONE with excuses.

    Any of the predominant excuses are really starting ring hollow.
     
  17. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006

    This is hesitation. It speaks to yes not being prepared, and gulp...Getting swallowed by the moment.

    Again this "stuff" is so twenty years ago ?? He fielded a very one dimensional cast of characters...World class hold up play is not in their arsenal.

    The best I can offer is that he was trying to "steal" a goal and bunker for as long as it took....Genius he is.
     
  18. ncsoccerdad

    ncsoccerdad Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    Central NC
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Totally agree that "just win" is still a problem in many locations, and leads to the kind of play that we don't want. Can we agree on these points?

    1. I see "just win" fading in my neck of the woods. Where I am, "just win" soccer isn't played in clubs like CASL, Triangle Football Club, Greensboro United, etc. These are the clubs feeding the USDA. Not sure what you're seeing where you are, but from where I stand "just win" and "kick and hope" soccer are fading quickly.
    2. When we win that battle, we will then need a tremendous volume of young kids who commit to playing soccer through their teenage years. The volume is growing, but there are still too many kids (especially boys) who leave soccer for basketball or football at ages 12-14. Remember, we are competing against countries where essentially every high-level athlete is choosing soccer. We won't need all of our kids to choose soccer, but we will need more than we have now.
    3. When we have enough kids sticking with soccer, and enough of those kids being trained the right way, many more international level talents will emerge (not just a Dempsey or Nagbe or Pulisic here and there). We will then need someone leading US Soccer who can take those young men (and I say young men because we are in very good shape already on the USWNT side) and deploy them in a way that can win.
    I don't see these as excuses. Even in Pulisic's generation, most boys left soccer by their teens, if they ever played at all. We are just now entering a phase where we will have the required volume of kids playing all their lives, like kids from South American and European nations always have. It takes thousands of kids trying to produce just one Pulisic. We will need millions to produce a team full of them.
     
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  19. bostondiesel

    bostondiesel Member

    Oct 23, 2006
    Sure....we always agree. we want better for the kids here.

    1. Sure I can name outposts of quality here there and everywhere. This is a broader subject.

    2.I would disagree, I think the battle is not lost in the teen years. I think its lost in what @nicklaino referred to, Pulisic had his Dad and Grandad getting him tons of touches at a very early age. If your challenged by the basics in your teens soccer will not be as fun or engaging. We are missing the volumes getting the right things young (I think). The hesitation we see at the USMNT is a needed proficiency that is not there yet(in our players), thats lost in the earlier ages. Better coaches, higher standards etc. Not sure it will happen...

    Ok... If guys are leaving soccer etc. I think this speaks to soccers place here, and though you and I love the game we have to be realistic about the other head count sports. If you drop something, be it soccer, football, music etc. it can speak to the overall level of sick endurance you need to level up and get your head above the fray. Your guy, my guy, anyone else's guy or girl, to
    @StrikerMom and others that have said well. The spaces get smaller, the defenders get better, who does this work ? Their is an intense dedication needed, if you have to be convinced to go to practice, to get your touches in..its probably not in your cards.

    There is definitely a conflict with the parent populace. As you have said before, it has legacy of "not being a real sport", literally when I was growing up you were put on the soccer team if you were nursing an injury from football or hockey (not making that up). Yes...long time in the past but I will not dismiss any inheritance.

    I think playing the right way is fun...but a disciplined approach is needed. Playing the right way is fun.

    I think the dominant norm is a crapfest for the younger kids. ( this IMO probably loses tons of kids and parents).

    Your volumes argument really does not stand though if you consider our numbers vs Croatia,Iceland,Whales,NI,Republic of Ireland...name any small country that produces quality and can compete.

    We have numbers...Our numbers lack the talent and cohesion.
     
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  20. kinznk

    kinznk Member

    Feb 11, 2007
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  21. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I liked his post refreshing to see someone really understand with being a player is all about.

    I don't agree with it all, but I do agree with most of it.

    On being able to receive a 10 yard pass in the middle of the field. There is a lot more to it then just the receiver or the passer making that pass. It is a team effort by their off ball movement that makes it look like these players are doing it on their own.

    --------

    Now as far as the individual player goes. Look at a player like Clint Mathis who I believe was one of the greatest players the US has ever produced. He had everything great skill with the ball and great passing ability and great finishing skills and enough speed to beat most players 1v1.

    Then he had his second acl injury. Then he could not beat people 1v1 anymore. He was never the same after that. He was still dangerous but he needed a good pass from other after that.

    Look at his WC 2002 team under Arena. That team had a tremendous amount of speed that could beat people all through that team. Arena used that speed and it had a lot of skillful players. Arena had a team full of guys who were used to winning games no losing mentality on that team. That is why I liked Arena as a manager.

    It take a lot of skillful players, a lot of speed players who can actually beat the first defender 1 v 1. At least one player who can pass in the center of the field where both sides can benifet from his passing and can also be dangerous on attack in the center of the field.

    Hopefully, a team that can attack in more then one way. First a practiced counter and a quick strike attack. If they can't start it by the third pass after they won the ball. Then they can play a possession game. They also need at least three players who can finish a chance or a half chance.

    On defense good 1v1 defenders through out the team and an organized team defense.
     
  22. PTS21

    PTS21 Member

    Sep 1, 2005
    Charlotte, NC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just wanted to update on my son's soccer development. He just turned six years old this past Monday, so yes he is still very young.

    Last spring he finished his U6 rec league with over 40 goals in 12 games. We won our league and barely lost in the county finals where the other team had players shadowing him. Over the summer I sent him to multiple soccer camps in Charlotte. I received phone calls from two different local club directors wanting us to join their program and the things they were telling me were quiet awesome to hear as a father who loves soccer:

    * I don't think I've ever called parents of a five year old trying to recruit them into our program.
    * He's good enough to play in our junior academy today if he was only age eligible.
    * I'm not going to beat around the bush, your son is one of the best players I have ever seen at his age.

    After doing some research on the clubs, we decided to sign him up for one that had a YDP program which is geared toward getting players ready for their junior academy. They focus on more advanced skill development and it is definitely improving other aspects of his game. I also continue to coach him in our local rec league. After some deliberation, we were granted permission to move him up to U8, and thank God they did.

    We are almost halfway into our season, he's playing kids 2-3 years older and still dominating. He's averaging over a goal a game and is deadly when in space or on free kicks. Any free kick within 20 yards is into the upper corners. He's already faced teams that have a shadow on him. And when parents found out he was five (prior to this week), they couldn't believe it.

    I apologize for bragging, outside of very few family members and friends, I don't have many people around me that appreciate soccer enough to brag to. :)
     
    chungachanga repped this.
  23. StrikerMom

    StrikerMom Member

    Sep 25, 2014
    Wow! You must be very proud. My advice is to develop tough skin because parents/teammates will be very jealous. And find a good coach who will mentor/develop him - not just use him to win trophies.
     
    nicklaino repped this.
  24. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    if I was you prs21 I would not talk to your son too much about how good you think he is just let him play and enjoy himself.

    Once he moves up in class to another team in travel it would be better for his development not to let him play in rec anymore. You can see he is getting better with them. He won't be improving over that with you playing rec.

    Kids of rec coaches are usually the better players in rec. I know you like coaching him but he will do better just by playing with and against better kids with better coaching.

    This is how it usually works about scoring goals in rec. your son scored 40 goals in 12 games.

    In travel playing against better defense he might score 10 goals in 26 games. Nothing wrong with those numbers in his first season. That is the difference in playing travel and rec. he needs a season in travel to get use to the increase speed of play.

    Plus rec coaches have a tendency to use their better players you son when others do not show up to fill in holes with the team. That my hurt your player in the long run.

    When you move to higher levels you will hear words like your sons career when talking about your 6 and 7 year old so get used to hearing that.

    On other coaches talking about your son. They all want the better player I have seen people talking about my players like I was not even there. They say things like this while he is playing a game. "Are you happy playing for them"

    Every coach wants to work with better players hopefully to help their game and so he can say he worked with a guy like Landon Donovan as a kid. To help the trainer or the coaches name recognition.
     
  25. StrikerMom

    StrikerMom Member

    Sep 25, 2014
    Agree 100%

    Not sure what is the best age for him to start travelling to find better leagues, coaches, teams etc because I don't live in the US. But, we started driving 2.5 hour round trip 4x/week to train/play with an elite regional team with professional coaches at U13 and it's been worth it! We carpool with another family.
     

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