No, we haven't developed shite. What was implemented, was a piss poor system that created a bunch of CMF's who are generally mediocre in everything. Their technical ability might have shown improvement over their predecessors but can you truly say that we've gotten quality in any single position?
um, thats my point is that we've improved technical skills across the board but lost the point of particular positions. but our youth production pre-18 year olds is good. our kids compare very well despite our population and the lack of popularity of sport.
the youth tournament business is a weird one... I don't really understand the selection process of teams or players are that well, and similarly, performance of youth teams are so subject to narrow age windows and missing talent at positions.
Korea is still doing better in U19/20 business than other countries, Japan, Australia, Iran. Iraq is an exception but probably due to their flexible chronology, so to speak.
Korea will never develop quality players domestically because we don't have street footy culture and our infrastructure is a joke. We have to acknowledge limitations and send kids to train in Europe.
The street culture argument is valid in US where most kids generally aren't developing the touch and technical skills that come with enough touches on the ball. Korean footballers on the other hand are generally praised for their technical ability coming into Europe. Also touch and technical skills are fully cooked in a player way before our kids would go to Europe. You're not joining B teams or u17/u19 teams to learn how to play. They're figuring out if you can compete. Maybe one attribute we've underrated Son and the big difference in his story vs many others is his aptitude with language.
To expand a bit, theres no point in sending over good kids to arbitrary programs in Europe. If we think our players are worse than European standard, then they won't succeed as all youth programs are designed to find the top 1-2 kids per age bracket with the best ones finding few more during bumper years. If our kids are at all behind say at 98% on a team with 3-4 99%, guess who's gonna get less minutes / attention. There are plenty of terrible youth/reserve programs too. If we think our kids aren't good enough as is, how do you think they'll get into top programs where they've had pick of litters for years? No you just get one with a good first team but terrible program, or just an outright terrible program. If we think language is at all a factor in how coaches perceive how they understand the game, again they drop that 1% between being first-team material and forever reserve. If our prospect is even with another kid at same position, but that other kid has been a coaches favorite throughout his local development, guess who will get the attention. Youth programs are much more of a weeding out process rather than teaching environment. Do you think Pulisic reflects the development skills of US academy? No its individual development through his dad and self improvement.
This whole thread is so hysterical that I can't help but laugh. So many of you were talking shite about these desert leagues. I guess that guy who is contracted with Villareal has taught you guys a lesson. By the way, he isn't so petty that he has to make fun of Son. His mother is from Yemen, where there has been a civil war since 2015. That is why he was paying tribute to the soldiers who were wounded, in all likelihood. Besides, Son injured his right arm - he didn't lose his left.
Ppl who thought his celebration was to humiliate Son are fking retarded. How would he even know Son needs to go to army soon? 한류 made some ppl think Korea is the center of the world lol.
This isn't like baseball where players can still get substantially better at 18+ Footballers turn professional younger than any other big sport, 13-18 is extremely important for the development, especially attackers/midfielders. "We struggle traditionally with our 18-23-year-old generation," Klinsmann said a day before the U.S. was scheduled to meet Paraguay in their final group stage game. "Here, in the U.S. you call a younger player a rookie at the age of 22. At 22 in Europe, if you're not broken through yet, you're done. They move you down to third or fourth level. I think every country that doesn't have their 13-18 year olds competing with the best talent will lag behind in first touch, passing through the lines. It's always the same countries winning and it will most likely continue to be that way regardless of all the chinese/arab money being thrown around.
Nah, your just thinking ABC, 123. If it was that easy every country in the world would have done your genius idea. You realize not only Korea wants to improve right? Why didn't 150+ countries just ship 100 youngsters to Europe, 2-3 are bound to turn out ok, then you'll compete in the WC. Sounds easy enough, If an African country wanted to break into the phone industry and make their own Samsung/Apple and beat them do you think they'll be able to? We're essentially in that situation, trying to break the monopoly of countries that have advantages that are more of less unbreakable at this point. The fringe countries like us get excitement seeing one or two of our players make it in the CL while they make millions off shirt sales. It makes me sad seeing full stadiums for European pre season tours playing their B/C teams at 50% speed while no one cares about the local teams.
I agree with the rich Arab countries but Chinese might be a different story. Much bigger population and plenty of poor chinese youth who won't get proper education so will look towards sports at an early age. If they invest in infrastructure and coaching, they can hit some jackpots in 20-30 years.
This. Also China has a decent track record of showing that when they care about a sport, they can produce competitors. Tbf Korea punches above its weight in this aspect as well, which is something that has been sorely lacking from our KNT ever since PJS hungs up the boots.
No. China has shown it can produce competitors when it's easy to identify would-be competitors. (E.g. people who are tall and lean, ceteris paribus, make for better swimmers). I'm not sure you realize how much China actually does care about the sport. The Chinese president is a huge fan, and CSL matches draw quite a bit of interest for how sh!te and corrupt it is. At this point, China's failure in soccer is down to the fact that they are not good enough, not that they don't care.
I don't agree at all with your statement. First of all, there is no science that says that a 18+ footballer can't get much better after he reaches a given age. I think that the development of a player is based on talent, work ethic, great mentality and enviroment in wich a footballer can express and improve his talent. If we see a player who doesn't improve after he's 20, that means he has no talent to begin with...it's not a matter of how old is. I think that the story of Lewandowsky and Balotelli prove my points, unless we want to say that the polish league is better than the k league and that there are better facilities (might be true, but not so much better i guess).
But before, China did not spend a lot of money in soccer. It's only been recently that CSL and Chinese football in general are getting tons of money and being invested in. You can't just see improve come out of nowhere right off the bat, especially when there are footballing nations (even in Asia) who are established and have been for decades now. If China continues at this rate of investing and spending money in football, they can definitely be a big contender coming out of Asia in 20-30 years.
What are you blabbering on about? Lewandowski and Balotelli were both highly regarded prospects. If you want to use an example of a player coming out of nowhere, use Vardy or Luca Toni.