Klinsmann's comments were a tired bigsoccer cliche when I joined. In the 1990s. It's easy to say we shouldn't have pay to play, but as everyone who knows anything about anything knows, the problem is that the ratio of "money you can make playing in the local domestic league" divided by "average middle class salary" is worse in the US than probably anywhere in the world, certainly of any country that is seriously trying to make the World Cup. You can't just wave a magic wand and create a hunger for kids to make it MLS where they can make about twice the national average if they are a good-not-great player. If JK can figure out how to pump enough money in the development system to make this work, he shouldn't be the coach. He should jump right past that and just be God. I get what he said, but folks, is this really worth a thread? I'll end with this...I'm not sure having a GERMAN, for goodness' sake, making those kinds of comments about inner city kids, running the national team. Too much historical and racial baggage there.
For whoever knows me from the "Gooch to Milan" thread, I reintroduce myself. Born and grew up playing in Italy and AC Milan's season tickets holder. Came as exchange student in high school and was offered a scholarship at a DI school where I played four years (00-03). Have been in the US since then, although I still follow AC Milan religiuosly, I have become a big fan of the US team as a kind of "revenge" for all the making fun received by friends in Italy for playing in the US ("you must be a phenomenon there", "Americans are horrible at soccer", etc). The "goods" about US soccer from my perspective: 1. The winning mentality embedded in American culture. Everybody takes training very seriously in high school and college, and the physical fitness reached in the US, I think is unmatched elsewhere. I still remember the days in Italy, where people would slow down their run in training as soon as the coach turned the other way, for instance. This system creates some very good athletes. 2. The chance to play all year round between club and high school and for who can afford it travel to play teams from other states. In Italy we only played the teams (althugh very numerous) from the North/West side of Milan where I grew up. That's also I guess because as I'll explain later evry single town in Italy has its team. 3. The cultural/ethnic mix of players. In Italy I only played against Italian kids. In the US I often played with or against many kids of other nationalities. That can do wonders for the game. Now the "bads" which will need to be addressed if this country ever wants to be prominent at this game: 1. Technique in soccer is what makes the most difference. Coaching/training is what needs the most help in the US. College and most high school coaches don't understand the game, playing physical fast players over technical ones. That's why you have a Findley starting as forward. Are you really trying to tell me there is noone in the country better at finishing? Because in case people didn't know that is what a forward is paid to do. I already said how with a foreign coach Buddle would have started over Altidore too. 2. The other issue with US soccer is the absolute lack of "number 10" creative type of players. This is due to the fact that they are overlooked on a regular base by coaches who prefer phyisical/fast players. Just like they prefer big physical forwards than somebody who can actually finish the ball. You know how many Americans have tried to convince me that Inzaghi ( I mean Inzaghi, the best scorer of all times in European playing and about to beat Muller's long standing record) was not a good player? I was very much that type of player and although I was succesful at the college level, I was completely overlooked at the next level. 3. What Klinsmann said. The ability for everybody to play soccer at every social level. The way it works in Italy is that every town no matter how small has one team carrying the name of the town itself. That promotes a sense of belonging for the people in the town. The team fields all levels from U6 to the Men's squad (just as a Serie A team would). It has always its own soccer field with locker rooms/showers so that you grow as a sort of professional at every level. The federation works as a pyramid on a relegation system from Serie A down to the hundreds "Terza Categoria", the 10th level in the order. What I mean is that there are teams like Chievo which have moved througout the entire ranking or so. They are usually sponsored by the richest guy in town, who is happy to put his money to finance the club. As a reference I have friends who play in the 7th and 8th levels of the pyramid and are paid 200-300 euros/month to play. Consider the average salary in Italy for a school teacher is 1,100 euos. Of course that means that they have a real coach unlike adults soccer in the US and that they train 2 times a week minimum and everybody goes to training. Materazzi at age 23 was playing in Serie D as a reference (the 5th level of the pyramid). At that lavel players tipically make their living "barely" playing soccer already, although the pro-level starts officially at the 4th division of the pyramid. 4. The changing of rules. Subs/in and out does not belong in soccer. Don't do it at any level. Certainly not in college. Make it realistic (3 subs).
He basically said things we've been getting into discussions wise for ages here on BS. But now its finally getting to the 'public' not just some soccer nerds here on this web board. Key things I like waht he said, how soccer is a sport for the richer families in the states, compared to world wide where its for anyone, mostly the middle class/poorer class in other countries, and how it has to do with paying a ton for select, and how kids develop for scholarships for school,where world wide the goal is to become a pro player, not a meal ticket to college. Again all stuff we've talked aobut here. MLS academys are going to be the difference maker. Look at Andy Najar, had it not been for DC Uniteds system, he'd never play select, and would only be a good player to play Varsity HS soccer, which as we see frmo Jose Flores (chivas USA winner of the who sueno MLS, was highest scorer for varsity team but really was still 'hidden' despite that), doesnt mean much and isnt where the best play, so not many great players get scouted too much at the HS level, compared to select and big tournaments where scouts come to see talent.
We can do that...just as soon as MLS generates the kind of revenue that MFL generates, and the US standard of living drops to Mexico's. Where is that money gonna come from? If a bigsoccer poster wrote the same stuff JK said, it would draw a yawn. Look, I wanted us to go after someone like Pekerman or Houllier because I wanted someone who would revamp the entire program to integrate the MLS academies and the Fed's new youth initiative. I still think that we need that to be our #1 criterion for the new coach, less than the Xs and Os as we lead up to Brazil 2014...in the long run, I'll accept a coach who isn't the best at the top level just to ensure we improve our youth system. But why in God's name do people think JURGEN is the man for that job? Look at his resume. You can't find the answer there!
As opposed to, say, Bull Connor? This argument "from Political History" to dismiss Klinsmann , after you have admitted his point is correct, is exactly the sort of substitution of cant for reason we've come to expect from you.
I haven't read through the entire thread yet, but on this point, my immediate impression was that he was staking his ground for the job, not now, but for when the US is named host, so that he may take us to the promised land. Whether he can overcome the challenges of the US system would still remain the major obstacle, but by then, maybe enough changes will be in motion.
I've often wondered why some of the larger, longer-established youth clubs don't migrate to become full-blown football clubs and field USSF D2 / D3 / PDL sides under their own crests? Some of those clubs have built up their own facilities; adding stands and facilities for a professional club seems the next evolution.
Pekerman would be PERFECT to coach our youth NTs, and to help form a system over time. He knows what he is doing, is one of the greatest youth coaches for Argentina, and has had numerous SUPERSTARS pass through him, and his YNT, and had them win for him.
Ahhh. Everyone keeps talking about the US team's poor first touch. And who has the worst first touch on the team (next to Beasley)? Coach's son. At inside-mid, no less. (But, hey. He's a hard worker / grinder). Hire Klinsmann.
Yeah, MB only plays because Daddy is the coach. It's so unfair!!! I'm going to cry in my pillow now!!!
you're out of your mind. Bradley showed pretty good first touch. But how you can possibly rank him behind Bornstein and Demerit is remarkable.
And how does he want to change it? Can we see a business plan or something? The central academy city system is completely misguided because you'll have it in too few cities compared to our national population due to the ultimately limited finances of USSF and will only guarantee those with connections or rich parents will see their kids move to a different city for the purpose of playing soccer at a young teenager age, which then creates a clique from which it'll be difficult from anyone outside that clique to break in to youth national teams, etc. down the road, which is just how it is now. And all this will be done by the parents so that little Johnny can maybe get a job in the future as a soccer player where if he's lucky he'll be good enough for MLS and make $40k a year? If Klinsmann wants the head coaching job, he needs to stay away from the class comments, especially in our PC culture. It doesn't matter if he's right on it or not, our culture says he's not allowed to talk about it. If he has a publicist, it's the first thing that he or she should tell him.
His first touch is abysmal, particularly for an inside-mid who's supposed to be a midfield "general" / playmaker. Instead, we have a hard-working "grinder." Precisely the problem Klinsman is talking about.
JK for President....of the USSF. Our system is "Pay to Play." Since it is "Pay to Play" parents have the attitude "play to win." I think this is our biggest problem in the youth system. People are paying, and they want to see results, Wins. There is too much emphasis on winning games, more so than learning the game. Coaches also coach to win, they dont coach to teach. This is why we dont have enough technical players in our youth system. Often times, the most athletic kid, the kid who is bigger, stronger and faster gets the praise over the kid who is a little smaller in stature, but has a better touch and more skill.
This sounds like what's been written and said over and over and over again for the last decade or so. Does anybody have a clip of it?
For those of us who don't know, what is this pyramid of which he speaks? Can anyone describe for me? thanks
Layman's terms: In America, white suburban families pay youth clubs like ACES and Schwabben to develop little Johnny's soccer game so he can get a scholarship at North Carolina and became an accountant, married with two children, and have a white picket fence. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. Except that Eduardo and LeBron also want to play soccer in America, but there families come from the inner city and they can't afford to cut a check to ACES or Schwabben every month, so they end up playing other sports. In the end, America loses, although it seems that the USSF still wins somehow. (P.S. ACES and Schwabben was what was popular in my area, I have no idea if they are good youth clubs or not.)
What about high school soccer? Not good enough? Can't we use high school as our youth system like we do for every other major sport?
There is not enough time for a player to develop in the time they spend with the HS coach. Most time is spent with the club team. Also, development needs to start at 7, 8 and 9. Not 14.
an article on how MLS undermines it's own academy system. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=578695&cc=5901 this was from 2008. has anything changed?
Klinsmann is wrong about targeting the lower class. I'm sure that model works in Ghana, but not the United States. The backbone of athlete development and identification is HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS. Parents send their kids to basketball and football camps at age 6, 7, 8 is so that they can make the team in HS. Kids love it because they know that "making the team" is tied to HS popularity. We need to make high school soccer more popular. But, right now, the Friday night lights of American football dominate the high school stage. I'm going to propose something radical. The USSF should call American football out for what it is...the endangerment of children. Check out this video about concussions in HS football. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007...469/high-school-football-s-hidden-danger.html The USSF should make an advocacy group of parents and physicians. Send this group to meet with school boards and advocate for football to be discontinued in particular high school districts. You start by targeting a few of the wealthiest school districts in the country with predominantly white and Asian populations. They won't have any trouble getting a football ban through in those places. After a few victories, you'll have state school boards asking why football is too dangerous for wealthy school districts, but kids in poor school districts are allowed to bash each other into permanent brain damage. Across the country, you'll see HS football stadiums converted into soccer stadiums. The best young athletes will gravitate towards soccer. College football and the NFL would be cut off at the knees.
HS American Football is the only sport that is used as the main tool in its youth system. Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Volleyball, Track, Swimming, Softball, and many more use the travelling teams, or national federations for their youth development. HS sports are great for helping kids feel like they are part of something but they are not the main way that athletes are developed, other than American Football.