Correct 'cos being like Ronaldinho actually requires both the soccer skills (while Eddie has little to none of those ... OK, he's a semi-decent ball striker) and a superior tactical perception of the game (once again, Eddie strikes out there too). I'll also add that one of them is a Bradenton graduate and another went to some poor shlobs at Gremio. It's pretty moronic indeed ... not to see the difference.
In the Army guys like Hackworth would be fast tracked to General(one reason why I got out). So in short if he's not fired soon I expect him to be promoted to Technical Director or something.
Pardon my naivete in this matter, and perhaps this deserves its own thread. But what (if anything) can we as fans do to steer the Federation in a different (or any) direction? The feelings of helplessness and futility after having watched the last two U-17 classes should not be tolerated. What can we do?
I don't get too worried about Bradenton, it's a sideshow for 40 players. I do get worried when the U14 National Camp chief says, as he did one year ago about the '93s, that none of them excite him. That they all look and play the same ... pod children. That's a broad-based indictment of the system, long before the players ever get to Bradenton. I'm not sure that the guy is correct, mind you, but his statement did give me pause.
http://blogs.reuters.com/2007/09/12/are-the-us-really-progressing/ ... One of the players from the past {USSoccerPlayers.Com, Ken} Pendleton mentions, Wynalda, now works as a television commentator on ESPN and during the Brazil match he was asked would the U.S ever produce a player with the exciting skills of Ronaldinho or Kaka? Wynalda blamed the coaching system in the U.S and said they produced “robots” whereas the Brazilians ensured that individuality survived the maturing process. Which raises some questions. Firstly, is Wynalda right? If so, why do U.S coaches prefer the robotic to the creative? Is it a result of a sporting culture heavily influenced by the ‘game plans’ and rigid routines of other sports? Is it an over reliance on textbooks at youth level? Is it to do with the U.S’s strange lack of self-confidence in soccer? (More of which another time). ....
What you're saying is that if EJ had grown up in Gremio, he could be the same type of player as Ronaldinho. Why don't you think on that one for a while, Jaime.
If indeed true, I'd suspect that to be the consequence of pervasive "pod coaching". If the Federation can't even be counted on to set minimally higher standard of expectation from its coaches, it would seem to have either no ability or inclination to help free our players from their pods at any level. If so, Bradenton is actually worse than a sideshow. I'm looking for solutions, as I'm uncertain what influence, if any, fans can wield. If my pro team sucks (and they do), my fan dollars can go elsewhere, as my fanaticism is contingent. Not so with country.
Well, the Academy could help (notice waffle language) if: 1. someone from above in USSF, whoever that might be (yes, more waffling) would institute a common training theme in all the Academy programs and 2. that theme revolved around tactics that promote offense based on numbers and building up from the back and risk taking/creativity. Will that happen? I doubt it. Manny can complain all he wants about robotic players, but until someone with real power agrees with him, teaching risk taking and creativity will not be a priority. Rather, "getting stuck in" and "playing simple" will remain the priority. Players return from national camps saying that aggressiveness, work rate, not losing possession and one touch soccer are the primary themes of the camp, not risk taking, creativity or trying something special or different. We've reached a point in this country where U10 boys in socal are trying bicycles in games, but the coaches in the national program apparently don't believe the new crop is ready for primetime. I'll probably go to the Academy championships at HDC in Carson next June or July, but I don't expect to see anything different than I would see at the USYSA or ODP national championships. In fact, my guess is that coaches will put winning the championship ahead of showcasing the players or allowing the players to try anything risky. We'll see.
I don't know. I'm confused. I've certainly seen coaches who seek robots, in fact I would say that most ex-defenders fit that description very well, but I've also seen plenty of exceptions. So I don't know.
True enough, you do tend to see teams alter their normal playing style at the big tournaments. Lots of people behind the ball, few numbers on the attack, with the hope of scoring on a breakaway or a set piece.
i know you aren't particularly fond of sfs, but the point does hold water. A talented, motivated player in a better environment should become a better player right? Maybe not necessarily the world's best player, but at least a good one.
Maybe the argument would have more sway if Ronaldinho and Henry were not the measuring sticks. Saying that better coaching would have turned our current nats into Fifa players of the year seems a bit much. IMHO. I figure it will be another seven years or so before we see what impact MLS will have had on soccer development in the US. I may even go out on a limb and say that a strong domestic league is far more important than any national team programs in regards to the future success of American soccer. IMHO.
Why? We have a lot of kids playing soccer, not as many as Brazil but a lot. Being conservative, we have 10% as many young players as Brazil who are pursuing the sport seriously. Kids who grew up playing the game early, and who play it more than just at club practices & games. So why shouldn't we have 10% as many great players, instead of our current percentage of 0%? To answer my own question, it is indeed because EJ and his ilk played for local clubs, then Bradenton, rather than Gremio. That is the prime difference, I should think.
Relating to Brazil is pointless in this regard. Soccer is an ingrained part of Brazilian culture. Do you really think that there are 1/10th of the Brazilian number for "serious" soccer players in the US? Are you counting the women? How many Fifa players of the year have England, Spain, and Argentina had? How many have Liberia had? Using these types of players makes no sense. Everytime a player does not become great he should blame it on bad coaching. Hey coach I am not a Fifa player of the year, you failed me. I could have challenged myself to improve but it was your robotic coaching that stifiled my growth. Ronaldinho the American, bag boy at Giant.
The raw materials (EJ) simply aren't there to produce a world-class product (Ronaldinho). And they're not even remotely the same type of player. Also, as far as the career travails of Eddie Johnson - he's lucky he's playing in the US, because in a competitive environment like Brazil, he'd have been washed out of the system a few years back.
Can someone tell me why that should happen? Where is the youth coach who is going to say, "I better 'promote offense based on numbers and building up from the back and risk taking/creativity', because that's what the National team will need in 5 years. Is someone saying that the Brazilians promote that for some reason other than winning games? Not at all, in the creativity, skill based Brazilian world, EJ would have learned the skills and knowledge he needs to excel. Isn't that what this thread is about?
1) Yes. 2) Because the Germans set up the coaching schools in the USA. Most Brazilian kids learn the game and the skills of the game by.....playing the game. In much the same way that many American kids learn the skills of basketball...by playing pick up basketball games all day.....without coaches.
Now that I could agree with - OR - maybe he learns early on that he has to get control of his mental game if he wants to make it past U14. In fact that is what is happening with my own child, right here in the good ol' US of A. IL U14 is extremely competitive and he's learning that in order to convince the coach to play in a way that will benefit him that he must produce tangible results - every practice, every match. And I will tell you there are kids who could and should be able to match his ability but can't 95% because they don't have a pro dad at home teaching and filling in the blanks.
This is a big part of the "problem"....the emphasis on winning games for 13 year olds.....developing a love and appreciation for the game would be better....much better.