The thing that caught my eye in this article was this paragraph describing the first camp back in October 24: "Christian Pulisic, the team’s star, left that camp early to return to AC Milan, a decision that was described as “load management” and roundly criticized by U.S. national team veterans, including Tim Howard and Alexi Lalas. Pochettino went along with that plan publicly, but it was symptomatic of dynamics that had to be fixed. He encountered players who had too much power, who dictated time off, and who sometimes used it for golf outings or meals with friends." So sending everyone home was not Poch's decision? He just went along with it? And if so, who did make that call, and more importantly, why would you go through all the trouble to bring in Pochettino and then not let him make those kinds of personnel decisions? Or is this writing just oversimplifying the situation? I am very confused.
My interpretation: Pochettino was angry but didn't want to start a fight with the top US star in his first camp managing the team.
I think most everyone would’ve been happy enough to make the quarterfinals regardless of the scoreline there. Well, maybe not 6-0 but a two or even three goal loss to Spain and we’re talking about the tournament being a huge success, begging Poch to stay, etc.
He seems to have wanted to avoid a confrontation with Pulisic throughout. This still seems a little weird. Is this Pulisic conveying either directly or indirectly that he is only willing to play one game? Maybe the other players who left were injuries. (I think I remember some of them being so.)
October 13, 2024 - Having played a significant amount of minutes in the last month for the USMNT and AC Milan, Christian Pulisic has been released back to his club for load management. Marlon Fossey, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi and Zack Steffen have minor injuries and will return to their clubs for continued evaluation and treatment. “As we have said, we are always going to make decisions that are in the best interest of our players and respect the relationship we have with their clubs,” said Pochettino. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/10/five-players-depart-usmnt-camp Pulisic and Pepi played in the first match against Panama that window, but Steffen, Fossey, and McKennie didn't play at all.
Spot on. Our collective 1v1 ability - facing and beating an opponent with deception / pace - has improved tremendously, but our back to the goal (with the ball) hold-up play both in the center and on touchlines is not yet there. I see smaller South American and Mexican players who hold their own against bigger opponents. Freeman, Richards, and Jedi are beasts...others, not so much. (I can remember the days when Carlos Bocanegra would instantly pass the ball when a defender got within 20'. Now, Richards, Freeman, etc. confidently manuever with the ball past onrushing opponents and make them regularly whiff. We loved Boca...but were happy when he passed the ball.)
I would argue there were three blunders: Dest & co letting the ball drop in the box for the first goal, Freese's howler, and then Freeman and Richards consecutively faffing about and giving it away on Lukaku's goal. Was just short of the fullback equivalent of the Freese debacle.
No, but 16 UEFA teams qualified, and Italy lost to world #71 Bosnia/H in the playoffs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)
I have been watch Italy lose (or fail to win) since Ireland 1-0 in 1994. (Saw Ws over Norway & Bulgaria.) 2006 1-1 USA. 2010 Slovakia 3-2. 2014 Uruguay 1-0. Haven’t had the opportunity since.
We all (myself included) complain about the USMNT and the USSF but by comparison, the FIGC and the Serie A is a complete joke. The bottom line is Italy needs to get more Italians playing on their club teams. The Serie A has seen a significant shift toward foreign nationals in recent seasons and when there are non-Italian players making up nearly 70% of all appearances in the league or rather only 30% to 32% of total domestic players playing, you won’t have much of a national team. Winning the Euro 9j 2021 was great but they still failed to get into two more World Cups right after that. Hiring Maldini and Leonardo to head the FIGC is a start but seeing is believe. Let's hope they start making changes with the upcoming season.
My opinion is that the lack of Italian talent on the top teams in Italy is a symptom of worse player development, not a cause. Just like with MLS -- a lot of the stars are not American or Canadian, but that's because better talent can be found elsewhere. It's not MLS's role nor Serie A to develop young talent...that happens at the youth and academy level.
MLS anyway, has been boasting about their academies since they started implementing them in the late 2000's. The problem with them is, they develop what is for them top talent and sell players overseas. In some ways it's helped the national team but then there are no domestic players on club teams. MLS also has 70% foreign players. Italy is a different story though with another dynamic. They develop academy players , then tell them to give it up at their 19th Birthday or sell them to Serie B , C or D Clubs. Players in MLS academies have the option to go to college, continue their educations and play soccer at the same time. That doesn't exist in Italy or anywhere else , for that matter. . Either way, as long as the Serie A club presidents keep signing foreign players as opposed to Italian ones, the existing problem with the national team will remain.
This is such an incredible scam, that makes me so angry every time I hear about it. All this is is a way for "professional" coaches and organizers to keep the gravy train rolling all year around without an off-season where they are not getting paid. It ignores an incredibly long history in this country of multisport athletes later becoming a professional in one of the sports, without any negative impact on their development by playing those other sports. Makes me want to vomit, that parents buy this…
Greece won Euros in 2004. Denmark won in 1992. Wales reached Euro semis in 2016. Denmark made semis in 2021. our only hope is to copy/emulate those teams. Play really defensive, get favorable draws, and have a few star players who can shine.
How much government support is given to top national teams? Do governments build training centers for them, for example
Not sure about other countries but I know Coverciano , which is located in the southeastern part of Florence, Italy , indirectly gets payments form the government. They are owned by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, or FIGC who directly receives public funding from the Italian government, primarily channeled through the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
We absolutely love doing the NFL thing and copycatting whoever is in the ascendancy, so a reminder: Spain had a great league and the undisputed biggest clubs in the world for decades, a century even, before making their first WC semifinal in 2010. Think about that. The lesson? Embrace Cruyffianism.