Ok, so I've been reading about how the U-20s are doing so well in that tournament (I can't remember the name) and my question is this: how does their success against world soccer powers now translate to the future? Is there an answer, or must we just wait and see? Any and all answers appreciated.
From soccer365.com: The USA?s speed and skill frustrated Uruguay, and the South Americans tried to combat that combination with physical play. That is pretty cool. Our youngsters are tearing up a south american team with speed AND skill. Grudge match against Brazil should tell us more. How many of our players are professionally bound or professional now compared to other teams? I reead somewhere that we have a younger team than most in this tourney. Better and better!
Success at youth tournaments means one thing. As of now your youth teams are better than their youth teams. What is important in my mind is some of the players that show skillwise that they are as flashy, as brilliant, as creative, as effective finishing, as aggressively defending, shotblocking etc. as their counterparts across the world. These players are the ones that can have an impact on the national team in four, eight or even twelve more years. For instance, our U-20 team performed well yesterday and have done very well in the tournament in Spain. But what is more important is that someone like Ed Johnson for instance has looked extremely impressive from match accounts. A perfect example of this was the fact that our U-17's I believe placed fourth at the 1999 (I think) U-17 World Championships. What was most important rather than the result was that one Landon Donovan and one Demarcus Beasley played fantastic in the tournament winning the Golden and Silver Boots. Doing well in youth tournaments = potential european contracts early or potential MLS contracts = no college = better national team because the youth develop in a professional atmosphere. Granted the bigger MLS gets, the more young players on the U-20's will already be in MLS so it also is good exposure for MLS.
the other thing about tourney in spain. we are playing a true u-20 team to get prepared for the youth championships next year and most of the other teams ,with the exception of costa rica, are playing older teams of players that wont be able to play in the youth championships next year as they will be too old. and we are still kicking butt...
I think this is telling of youth teams: Portugal's Golden Generation: U-17 Championship U-20 Championship Euro 2000 Semi-Finalists Games won at the word cup? 1 Score againsted much maligned American team after 30 minutes? USA 3 : Portugal 0 That should tell you all you need to know about translating Youth sucess into World Cup success
Portugal's golden generation had a great run except that they ran into a tough SS U.S. team. They were a few calls from making the finals of Euro 2000 so they were definitely talented. From a talent standpoint, this U20 team is the most talented and deepest that we've ever had. Most of the college guys on this team should be signing professional contracts after qualifying this fall. And of course there are more pros on this team than ever.
Just imagine the 2005 team!!! But yeah, the 2001 edition had 5 pros. This team should be at least half pro.
Youth Teams This is an excellent cautionary tale. However, it does not tell us all we need to know about youth success. Take a look through the files of the Youth championships and you will see a whole lot more countries named "Brazil" and "Argentina" and "Italy" advancing to the final stages than countries named "Jamaica" and "Iceland" and "China." Success at the youth stage does not guarantee success at the World Cup, but it's certainly a favorable omen. The converse is also true: I doubt you could find a single world power that year in and year out, is lousy at the international youth level.
Re: Youth Teams I agree, but I was just warning the original poster about getting too hopeful from our youth teams. Personally I think we won't fail because Bruce Arena made such impact coaching wise. I think Portugak proved that Coaching is more important than individual talent at world cup level. but what gets me pumped? knowing we have the talent coming up AND the coaching in place. USSF knows what kind of coach we need and I don't think they will let the ball drop AA (after arena)
Exactly. Our youth teams have been doing so much better in the last decade and does ANYONE expect us to make the QFs in the World Cup anytime soon?? Oops, mindless response needs update.
Re: Youth Teams Your generalization isn't entirely true. A country's success has a lot to do with the amount of emphasis it places on the competitions. This year, the USA played warm-up games prior to L'Alcudia (tying Mexico and and losing to Canada). Other countries didn't prepare. Advance preparation may be a reason that Ghana has been a youth power for years. As for the converse, try Romania. It's been over 20 years since they qualified for a worldwide youth competiton, and their youth teams have consistently struggled in European competitions. Over the same period, they've done well in World Cups and European Cups.
Re: Re: Youth Teams Hasn't Romania sucked at the last (2) WCs(they didn't even make it to this one)? If so then his generalization, if taken in recent terms, is more true than not.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Youth Teams They weren't a 1/8 finalist in '98 IIRC. They were ousted by Croatia in the round of 16. And they didn't even qualify this time around.
Wrong. They got knocked off in the round of 16. They were 1/16 finalists. Quarterfinalist means the same thing as 1/8 teams left. Wrong you say? Nope. Semifinalists is = 1/4 teams left. Group play = 1/32 Second round= 1/16 Quarterfinalists = 1/8 Semifinalists= 1/4 Finalist=1/2.
It should be self-evident that if referring to a QUARTER-finalist one could just as easily, and correctly, write "1/4 finalist". It does not refer to there being four teams left. That much is obvious. It refers to the stage in the tournament. Specifically, at that stage there are four games, the winners of which, play in two games (semi-finals) and then the Final. Going back one round then, the 1/8 finalists play in one of the 8 games at that stage. I happen to think that we should avoid using terms like "1/8 finalist" to avoid confusion, but it is a correct and consistent way to describe a team that makes the second round.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Youth Teams Yes, and they effectively killed England's hopes in 98(though the English weren't quite bright enough to figure it out, sadly).
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Youth Teams What do you mean?? England played Argentina in the second round and lost on PKs. Romania was the group winners and they lost to Croatia in the second round. Croatia won third place that year. I would imagine that Croatia is tougher than Argentina in 98.
success breeds success just a pleasant thought...the success of the big boys this summer has to be a big confidence boost to US youth teams taking the field against established international powers. And having kickass world youth tourneys under your belt can't hurt you when you start playing full internationals.