News: Matt Crocker steps down as Sporting Director with immediate effect

Since there hasn't been reported that there was, I would guess the answer is no. It would be entirely dependent on what was in his contract with USSF.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-soccer-legacy-mauricio-pochettino-emma-hayes

I'll skip past the coaching hires part of the article that I think is a bit overplayed and to some of the stuff we've been discussing here:

 

In my opinion the swing towards more athletic and defensive playing with pressing has Brazil the most. Their players aren't as much of two way wonders as the best in the other top countries. I think it has also hurt Mexico and even Argentina (despite winning the last WC). The beautiful game gets disrupted by the modern game. It also can't help that most of their players are all over the place getting different training (that hurts the US too). It has hurt their style while we have never really had a consistent one except for (used to be) try really hard.

 

https://www.ussoccer.com/pathways-strategy

I guess we'll know pretty soon whether the "Co-design of the Pathway Strategy" actually comes out. I'd say if it doesn't by around WC time, we'll know they're tearing it up and starting again, like last time.

 

Did he have a right hand man? Could he just step up and tale over for at least a few years so there is continuity? I guess USS could make that a prerequisite for the next guy but would any want it with that requirement? Maybe Gooch could run it?

 

Let's just agree that Matt left US soccer for more money and soccer politics.

 

I mean hopefully? At the bottom, there's a "note from JT and Cindy." Well, Cone and Batson are still there, as is Onyewu.

 

Yeah I saw that but that seems to mean that they are each picking up part of what he did and he didn't have an assistant. What exactly does Gooch do and is he a candidate to take over. If not who are some leading candidates and no way Wynalda has a chance.

 

It seems to me the disappearance of the street as the primary incubator of elite talent has had one of the two biggest impacts on National Team fortunes. Kids are no longer in the streets or at the parks playing unsupervised with their friends. They're inside on social media or are playing video games. Countries that have made huge investments in player development, whether through public or league funds, have been able to overcome this transformation in the childhood playing experience. Belgium, France, and Spain made huge public investments in player development. In England, investments eventually started to come through clubs. Italy failed to make these investments and have slowly fallen out of the elite. Brazil have only made 1 World Cup semi-final since its 2002 triumph.

 

🚨 OFFICIAL: Saudi Arabia sack head coach Hervé Renard with immediate effect before World Cup! 👋🏼🇸🇦

Renard had returned for a second spell as Saudi coach at the end of 2024. pic.twitter.com/yhwU0OMAkS

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 17, 2026

Crocker making moves quickly

I guess I'd rather lose the sporting director this soon before a WC than the team's manager.

 

Next Up: Poch to Saudi Arabia for $40M a year.

 

Herve had turned around Saudi's WCQing campaign to qualify them. I wonder what happened to get him fired.

 

Forgot to mention Germany who had also made huge youth development investments via the DFB during the 'Das Reboot' years after 1998.

 

Indeed.

Even then, these "bigger nations" with powerful and wealthy FAs also go thrus ups and downs.

Germany hasn't advanced past the group stage at the last two World Cups.

Seem like they're on the upswing again.

Our federation doesn't have the resources that the FA or DFB or FFF or RFEF do.

Our USMNT coach is being paid by donations. Our new USSF complex in Atlanta is being paid for, in large part, by donations.

When people say the USSF should do X, Y, and Z..................I often wonder where they think the money is going to come from. We aren't even paying the salary of our coach. The Canadian federation can't afford the salary of their coach either. That's coming from the Canadian MLS clubs.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has more money than Crocker probably knows what to do with.

Where is the money within the sport in the US? Its in MLS. That's where the power is. Don Garber is the most powerful person in US Soccer. Soon he's retiring, and it'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

Might he be our next coach? His career has been in national team management, which I like.

 

They need to reboot their reboot. Their last reboot has sunk as Das Boot.

Maybe he's the player to be named later?

 

That and pay to play.

On a less ironic note, it will take like a decade, but I have hope* that NCAA soccer will grow to be like college baseball, or women’s basketball…not men’s basketball or football, but still a sport seen as a revenue source. A year round season + investment from the B1G Ten plus SEC, both swimming in football money, could be a game changer. Imagine Michigan creating a partnership with Ann Arbor and Detroit clubs, Alabama and Auburn fighting for supremacy via a network of connections with clubs there, Dook, UNC, and NC State turning the Triangle into a development hotspot instead of a dead zone. Maybe UTEP soccer becomes like Nebraska volleyball. (Check out their attendance.)

It’s a happy co-incidence that big college towns and big pro towns tend not to overlap. Big time college programs, just a top 25 or so, would cover most of the population centers not covered by MLS.

*More of a low probability hope, for sure.

 

I really don't understand why we don't see more partnerships between pro clubs and local Universities, especially with eligibility rules disappearing.

Why doesn't SDFC become the main feeder for SDSU? They already share a stadium. Academy kids can come through -- if they aren't ready for MLS, send them to college at 19, 20. If they are ready for MLS, have them play MLS but give them the ability to go to classes for free at SDSU.

These days, MLS could even keep them on a pro contract while they played for SDSU. SDFC could provide coaching but basically use it as the U22 squad and the players could get educations.

 

Who the hell knows what's going on with college sports....................................................??

Its just another one of the complications for a guy in the position of Matt Crocker within the USSF.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia is giving him more money than he could possibly ever know what to do with to build.

Lest we forget, Saudi Arabia is hosting WC34. Matt has plenty of time and plenty of money.

 

USSF actually pitched to the NCAA that they be brought under the umbrella. I seem to recall they even offered some money to defray costs. College soccer could be one of the better third divisions/late bloomer development pathways in the world. But if the NCAA listened, I haven't hear that. And it might have been a Crocker baby that could get dropped.

 

But by the way, it did catch my eye that the Saudi sovereign wealth fund pulled back on the Pro League and is strongly rumored to be about to pull out of LIV golf.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cz902873dnko

 

1. As to your first paragraph, that’s easy…the rivalry between college coaches and MLS, plus, the academy systems are relatively new, and what you suggest is a later stage of development.
2. As to the rest…that’s a point I haven’t thought of. If you’re the parents of a 15 year old phenom from Phoenix, and SDFC wants to sign your boy, you’re going to be worried about him getting lost living so far away. You’re going to worry about him putting all his eggs into the soccer basket and jeopardizing his college chances and a non soccer career. A partnership between the club and the college allays those fears. If there’s a great prospect in Charleston WV, the Crew partnered with Ohio State is a more appealing option than the Crew alone.

 

I think that you have a good point on the aspect of their game that has been a relatively large issue but isn't that actually a function of training? If you look at pickup type games (in virtually any team sport), don't they typically skew towards offense? A player learning and practicing the game at home, on the streets, beaches and/or playgrounds is more likely to be focusing on the "flash". In a structured environment, there is going to be far more tactical focus and organized defense where everyone (forwards included) have a role to play.

 

Yep. I think it has a ton of value for the players, especially on the edges. Obviously, college is an option always, but basically having a spot locked up and an ability to learn even if you MLSNP would be great.

It should have a ton of value for the University, because they get consistently trained talent, and it's not like they are getting guys right now that can play in MLS anyway. The best of the college players are often guys who didn't make it right away.

And for the team, there's probably the least value. But it's a recruiting tool, and I think by allowing MLSNP kids to go to school, you can keep options open longer on cheap labor that might choose different paths.

And it really wouldn't cost you much.

 

The symbiotic relationship can go both ways. The Sounders scouted Christian Roldan from UDub, and he now has over 400 appearances with the senior team. They ended with Alex Roldan in the bargain.