Misery loves company- US Soccer + 4 others, and Bruce Arena's book

[GwinnettNole]

I know soccer fans already know this but if you are casual observer four other countries (some/all bigger than the US in soccer nostalgia) didn't make the World Cup which begins in mid-June:

Italy, The Netherlands, Chile, Cameroon
http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-world-cup-missing-teams-20180507-story.html



Also, Bruce Arena's book comes out a few days before the World Cup begins in June:
https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2018/4/4/17197062/bruce-arena-book-usa-usmnt-soccer-united-states
Apparently its a "blunt take on soccer in the United States".
I'm going to buy it but I'm assuming he was part of the problem....

 

[Nole Daddy]

Doesn’t it just come down to that soccer is not nearly as big in America as many countries, and the best athletes don’t play soccer but other sports? I also would think money behind the sport is a problem.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Interesting to me that as MLS continues to grow, USMNT is struggling.

I expect the current MLS boom to pull more fans and players into the game, which means more money, and better competition. (Aided by decline in youth football participation)

@GwinnettNole would be great if you could provide a summary of the book once you read it.

 

[fsUTampa]

F Bruce Arena. I won't give that man a dollar. He's at (or very near) the top of what was wrong with the USMNT. Too much good ole boy networking, which included him playing players that didn't belong on the national team anymore up and to the point of costing the USA a spot in the World Cup.

As for the other teams not making the World Cup, it would be nice if they all had kind of an NIT-ish tournament this summer, if no other reason than to have all of those teams' younger players get some international experience/exposure during roughly the same quad timing. Plus, in the USA, it would be a big hit tv-wise. Play the matches here after the Russian games are done each day during the tournament, and boom: instant tv ratings.

 

[SoddyNole]

Wasn't Bruce bringing in younger talent since he has been back with the team? To me it seemed like Klinsmann held on to the older players, minus Landon, more so than Bruce did.

I am tempted to get this book too.

 

[fsUTampa]

Wasn't Bruce bringing in younger talent since he has been back with the team? To me it seemed like Klinsmann held on to the older players, minus Landon, more so than Bruce did.

I am tempted to get this book too.

No, the young talent has been playing ever since Bruce had to quit after the Trinidad fiasco. And they've been crushing it (ala how they were doing on the world stage at their age level of play). Prior to that, he was still playing the old guard that didn't care yet felt entitled to the positions.

 

[GoNolesTX]

No, the young talent has been playing ever since Bruce had to quit after the Trinidad fiasco. And they've been crushing it (ala how they were doing on the world stage at their age level of play). Prior to that, he was still playing the old guard that didn't care yet felt entitled to the positions.

Demarcus Beasley gives a gentle wave.

Honestly though, I'd like to see Tab Ramos get serious consideration for the USMNT spot. He's been the manager for the younger squads that have seen a fair amount of success, seems he'd be most likely to be able to continue on with tactics as skills are honed in professional leagues.

 

[kc78]

I think in maybe 20 years the US can be competitive on the world stage, but it's going to take a lot of changes. It'll take the best players starting to play soccer from childhood on up (Which is slowly starting to happen now) along with a lot of changes in the way we go about training up youth. Right now it's a pay to play model which means that only the rich kids have a real shot, and only a very few of the poorer kids really have a shot to be found and brought up in the academies.

 

[GwinnettNole]

I think in maybe 20 years the US can be competitive on the world stage, but it's going to take a lot of changes. It'll take the best players starting to play soccer from childhood on up (Which is slowly starting to happen now) along with a lot of changes in the way we go about training up youth. Right now it's a pay to play model which means that only the rich kids have a real shot, and only a very few of the poorer kids really have a shot to be found and brought up in the academies.

Right here in the US soccer hotbed of Atlanta they understand the need to get inner city kids involved with the sport... check this out:
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/...ay-soccer-field-getting-global-attention.html

 

[nynole1]

F Bruce Arena. I won't give that man a dollar. He's at (or very near) the top of what was wrong with the USMNT. Too much good ole boy networking, which included him playing players that didn't belong on the national team anymore up and to the point of costing the USA a spot in the World Cup.

As for the other teams not making the World Cup, it would be nice if they all had kind of an NIT-ish tournament this summer, if no other reason than to have all of those teams' younger players get some international experience/exposure during roughly the same quad timing. Plus, in the USA, it would be a big hit tv-wise. Play the matches here after the Russian games are done each day during the tournament, and boom: instant tv ratings.

Beyond shocked if that happened. You cant mention "good ole boy networking" and then think that FIFA will allow those teams to play an NIT tourney, potentially taking away revenue from the WC(maybe they could monetize it though, and make some cash). Personally, as long as Germany is in, I am happy and will watch it.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I think in maybe 20 years the US can be competitive on the world stage, but it's going to take a lot of changes. It'll take the best players starting to play soccer from childhood on up (Which is slowly starting to happen now) along with a lot of changes in the way we go about training up youth. Right now it's a pay to play model which means that only the rich kids have a real shot, and only a very few of the poorer kids really have a shot to be found and brought up in the academies.

I think clubs are doing more outreach to poorer kids but I've observed that many of these kids don't have a way to get across town to train.

I have to believe there is plenty of talent in the US, if only we could identify it and bring it to the front of the line.

 

[kc78]

I think clubs are doing more outreach to poorer kids but I've observed that many of these kids don't have a way to get across town to train.

I have to believe there is plenty of talent in the US, if only we could identify it and bring it to the front of the line.

Pay to play became a big focus after the World Cup debacle. I hope, for our sake, that leadership at every level of US soccer is aware of this and working to correct this issue.

 

[fsUTampa]

Beyond shocked if that happened. You cant mention "good ole boy networking" and then think that FIFA will allow those teams to play an NIT tourney, potentially taking away revenue from the WC(maybe they could monetize it though, and make some cash). Personally, as long as Germany is in, I am happy and will watch it.

I don't disagree it would be a shocker if it happened, more so due to it being May 8th currently which means they'd only have a month to coordinate this "tournament". But the Russia World Cup matches are mostly being played 8am/11am/2pm Eastern time. Play the "NIT" matches at say 6pm and 9pm eastern (or 5pm/8pm?) while playing all of those matches in the USA (something that can be done/set up within a month), and given you're only going up against baseball, you have a good chance of really cashing in on those matches as well while not interfering at all with the World Cup.