re: The "US can't compete because athletes choose other sports" Argument

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It's a silly argument. The US players are as fast and agile as any other soccer player in the world. It's the touch and vision that sets them apart.

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While true, we all saw what a difference the elite speed Charlie Davies made for us before his injury.

Now imagine Beckam tearing things up on the wing? Its not that we don't have good athletes on the team now, its that there aren't enough elite athletes that have soccer first. Guys who are so fast, so quick, and so good at soccer that they take over games.

We have no one like Sterling in our player pool. Someone like that makes the opposition have to plan around them. They can't keep playing the high line or he'll beat them behind.

Hell - Yedlin might be the closest we have to this now (though as a defender), and he's been brought in by a higher English club, despite his other liabilities. There was no route through Holland or Fulham - though he'll probably be loaned for experience.

BTW Beaseley was that quick in his prime. He had truly elite speed. He was never a great soccer player though.

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It's a silly argument. The US players are as fast and agile as any other soccer player in the world. It's the touch and vision that sets them apart.

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One element difficult to replicate in the U.S. is the hunger kids grow up with in other countries. In some countries, soccer represents a payday and a way out of poverty. In others, soccer has a long history and kids have a desire to mark their place in it. We have to remember the U.S. only started going to World Cups again about 25 years ago.

In the U.S., players at the youth club level have to have some resources to travel and compete on weekends. They generally aren't poor kids off the streets. There are club dues, jersey fees, hotels, gas and food, etc. There aren't professional clubs taking poor talented kids in and paying for them to develop and compete. This limits exposure at younger ages to kids of a certain economic status. It's hard to take middle class kids and impose the same type of hunger to develop that kids in other situations have.

Clint Dempsey tells the story of his family committing all of their resources to placing him on a club where he could get access to better competition. He represents that kind of hunger and desire we want in the U.S. player. But that's just one story. We need to find a way to impose a desire in young kids and give them the resources they need to succeed. It's a great challenge.

One goal JK had as technical director was to introduce soccer to youth in larger cities (greater exposure). Another was to identify kids at a younger age and find better ways to develop them. I hope we can continue to improve in those areas.

And just so this post isn't misinterpreted, I'm not saying that kids from a middle to high socioeconomic background can't succeed at the highest level. I'm just saying we need to find ways to put those kids in environments where they are instilled with a greater hunger to develop technically and mentally into world class players. Also, we need greater exposure to the game and a better ability to identify kids at younger ages to put them into situations to succeed.

But its not a numbers game. Not really. We have more kids playing and focusing on the sport from a going age than most countries. Its what they're focusing on that's the problem. And that is changing.

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BrittMcHenry: Odell Beckham Jr. turned down playing for the US national soccer team for football. Example of why we'll never have European caliber soccer

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This logic is asinine. Jozy could have been a great football/basketball player...who knows.

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ou know why Sterling is so good? Because he has fantastic technique, in addition to that speed

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Right, because he started focusing on soccer at a very young age. He didn't play football, baseball, basketball and soccer and spend only 3 months a year playing soccer, with one practice a week and one or two games a week. And then when he got a bit older, after it was too late, start spending more time practicing.

Ok, so I'll give you that... maybe those players would be marginally better if they focused on soccer instead of playing other sports simultaneously.

BUT- here in the US we don't have the resources (yet) to develop elite talent. Until we do, our players have a ceiling that is lower than that of other countries, even if they devote themselves only to soccer from day one (we already have many kids who do that. Let's not forget how large of a population we have).

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the two most visible factors in this sport's domestic growth

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There is exactly one visible factor right now that is pushing the sport of soccer in the US and it's not MLS. It's the one Jurgen is in charge of.

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There is exactly one visible factor right now that is pushing the sport of soccer in the US and it's not MLS. It's the one Jurgen is in charge of.

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I'm going to disagree with you. I'm in minority, but I think when we look back at US soccer in 50 years I think the the USMNT and the MLS will have similar growth patterns (in terms of caliber of players and fans) and the MLS will be given much more credit than it is now. I just don't see how having an exciting national league could do anything, but support the growth of the USMNT, that is when we get the youth development shite down.

This is still the best single class that our youth system has produced.