Interesting topic. These are questions US Soccer is asking itself as they try different things at the youth level. Not an easy question to answer. I am originally from Spain, now living in the US. I mention this because I think one of the positive things in the US, has become a negative for player development. Soccer clubs in this country are impressive. Soccer tots, kinder kickers, U8, etc, etc. Very well organized, nice facilities, great fields, nice uniforms and way too structured for those ages. Kids in other countries would kill for facilities and fields like those... but I think they'd be bored by the structure that accompanies the access to these fields. In Spain - like many other countries - kids grow up playing pick-up games more so than organized games. They aren't in situations where the coach is yelling "don't dribble, Jimmy is open behind you" ... they dribble and dribble and dribble some more. As they get older they figure out the one-twos, the movement of the ball, the use of space, etc. I know it isn't as simple as pick up soccer. They learn from their older brothers, from their fathers, neighbors, etc. I think it is very different when you pick up this way versus having someone drill it into you. I am not saying structure and organization in the game isn't important, but not at too young an age. I hope this next point doesn't offend any youth coaches out there... From what I have seen, the vast majority of coaches working with the younger players are not fit to do so. In way too many cases they are people that did not grow up playing the game - and more importantly understanding and loving the game. I see too many coaches that learn how to coach from "Soccer for Dummies" books and that do so to get credit for volunteer hours back at the office. It is painful to see. They have kids running drills that look nice and organized, but they end up being ineffective. Want to have a kid lose interest in the greatest game ever invented? Drill them to death at young age. Kids need coaches that know the game. Kids need coaches that will get involved in practice, showing them stuff that books can't ever explain. By the time these kids get into more competitive levels, the fact is they don't have the feel for the game that their counterparts in other countries do. They can tell you what part of the field their assigned to, but they don't really 'know' the game. I think this is a big part of kids not understanding all the movement off the ball (great point by the person that mentioned that); it isn't learned from experience... it is drilled. Not the same in my opinion. I strongly believe that too many US players don't process the game or see the game well enough. It seems like it take that extra second or two ... or five ... to make a decision with the ball. That comes from playing a ton of soccer growing up, but not just any soccer. I think it comes from kids putting themselves in situations on the pitch that an ultra-rigid system doesn't allow. I've seen coaches run practices where the last 30 minutes are called 'streetball' or 'free for all' or whatever. It is a srimmage with no assigned positions, no refereeing and no coaching. It is great to see because the kids do things they don't otherwise try. The kids enjoy and you can see the effort in trying to outdo one another - while still defending and passing and trying to win. Like I said, it isn't an easy question. I could go on and on about other things, but I'll spare you the pontification. Sorry.
Like I've been told my whole life, us Keepers are all a bit crazy, so I apologize for jumping on that then. It could also be that American Football influence that made me want to knock your block off. Adeus!
TO be a great team like brazil, soccer has to Filter through soccer, in other words soccer has to become part of the culture lifestyle, like some of countrys in latin america and europe, until that is done U.S. or any other team will never be able to become world champs. its true, and if any haters disagree...well i have nothing to say, the examples are their and have been there through history. Soccer has to be looked at more then just a Sport. If u dont agree, then i dont blame you, you probably dont know any better.
Just curious, did Rivaldo/Cafu/Robinho dance Samba at parties when young? They grew up very poor, Rivaldo and Robinho didn't even get to eat properly, I don't know about dancing Samba at parties. Having "white bread" players hasn't stopped Italy and Germany from winning 4 world titles each. I'd be surprised if anyone would say similar things about black players.
Vincent Candela just retired at 33, saying that the game has become a lot more physical and a lot less technical over the years. I know this is very much true with regard to the Germans. YouTube has highlights from the Euuro'88 Netherlands-England match and from the 1992 Denmark-Germany final. In the 1988 group match, Bobby Robson went with an aggressive 4-3-3. Barnes-Lineker-Steven were upfront. Beardsley and Hoddle were in support and Bryan Robson was the nominal defensive mid ... but that was like putting Steven Gerrard in that position. Plus, both fullbacks, Stevens and Sansom, went forward. The Germans, in 1992, went with a standard 4-4-2 Box but both of its deep mids (Sammer, a future European Footballer of the Year, and Buchwald) went forward well and both of its fullbacks (Reuter and Brehme) also played in midfield at various stages of their career. The US coaches, as a rule, use a piss-poor version of these formation, putting skill-less mids in a deep role and keeping its fullbacks away from the ball. So, you go from a 7-man attack to a 4-man. And that pretty much does it for the US on a high international level.
Perhaps, but my point is the original poster blaming US performance on "white bread" players is ridiculous, love to hear him say the same thing about "brown bread" players.
I was just watching Virginia Tech against Tulsa on FSC and there were three players with some imagination and moves. None of them were white, and all had immigrant names. Our white suburban soccer culture reminds me of the old, all-white NBA. There was an approved technique (chest passes, two-handed set shots) and the players didn't deviate much. Players like Oscar Robertson and Dr. J changed the game. American soccer is in the old NBA stage. It's not a skin color thing, but it is a cultural thing. We value grim efficiency, where the only joy is winning, not flash, showboating, risk-taking, joy in skill. But those unnecessary, impractical, selfish things turn out to be gamebreaking attributes that we can't break out when we need them.
I'm not sure how the racial argument holds up considering the success of German, Italy, Argentina, and England all with white players. To say that white players don't have the requisite creativity and black players do is not only racist, but factually incorrect. So you're closer to the truth by pointing out that it's cultural and not racial as the original poster ignorantly claimed
You're missing my point. It's not a skin color thing. It's culture. Zico and Messi are two of my all-time favorite players. They weren't/aren't two hand set-shot white-bread players. White basketball players don't play like the old NBA anymore. But American soccer players do.
This is off 9/15/07 Fulham-Wigan game (don't click if you had taped the match) and I am not giving out the result or any scores. http://www.******************.com/?v=N61THZC3 Look at this play - Davies with a dribble and dish, then Kamara with a dribble and dish. All in close spaces. Clint reads the play and makes a run. In MLS and with the U-17's, it's all one-touch passes into feet with a player with his back to the goal, then the player passed back out or into traffic and there may be a cross. No close quarter dribbling is allowed nor encouraged. Everyone stands in place and no one is making a run. And none of the Fulham guys is a Brazilian and none really made an exceptional move but they play as a team that is pretty well drilled and in tune with each other. This is how people play the "team offense". Dribble, dish and move & dribble, dish and move.
Show big time soccer on TV. Kids dont even see Brazilian players play. Kids mimic what they see on TV in America. Would be a good start
Footballers clearly have better looking WAGs than do players of American sports. That should make American players move like the Brazilians.
Funny you said that. I read somewhere that Brazilian men have had an average of eight sexual partners, which is quite high. I have also heard of an article by some crazy English guy (I forget who) lamenting England's repressive religious and sexual past and blaming it for their failure to develop full soccer potential. What does this mean? Probably nothing. But it is interesting where people can go with these theories.
Tthe average of 8 sexual partners clearly indicates the supply of Brazilian women is greater than demand. I say some trade agreements with Brazil are in order for you guys.
Thats a pretty good description of what it takes! Now, obviously it woud be a strech to make all these points a reality in the present USA. But the most important points can be achieved. - Having a soccer mad parent, and close family, that enjoys attacking creative soccer - Play against older oposition, who are physically able to out do you....where you have to use superior tecknical skills to compete - Watch top notch soccer on tv: La liga, Seria A, Premiership, Brasileirao - Get started in futsal in the winter at least,...don't sit around - Play regularly with skillfull playmates, be it parents, family, or friends. - Be incoraged to play by yourself, develop moves, new ideas, ball control, juggling etc - watch moves on youtube, try to do them - Allow and encorage player to use skill in pickup and organised games....encorage flair over results.