- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Dan Wetzel blames "Travel Ball" for the lack of development of US Soccer
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:00 pm to moneyg
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:00 pm to moneyg
quote:
This is true. An investment into mens college soccer probably would be a significant benefit.
By the time a player is at college age they would be too old to be a prospect. Most of the global professional clubs expect their prospects to be pushing their way onto the senior team by the time they are 16 or 17. Maybe if you're a late developer they'll hang on until you're 18. Otherwise, they wash players out of their system that haven't shown promise by then. They'll get kicked down to one of the smaller teams like League 1 or 2 in England.
As for the problem being travel ball, it's not that it's travel ball specifically, but it's a structural model that just doesn't work for soccer development. Pay to play is a big issue, even recreational travel leagues cost over $1,000 to play in. Europe and South America these types of leagues are free because the professional teams subsidize them to have a pipeline for new talent. Second issue is coaching. Other nations have some of their best and most long tenured coaches in the youth teams.
3
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:01 pm to Adam Banks
quote:English is widely spoken in Europe.
but only be able to do so on the opposite side of the world where you don’t know the language and your friends and family will likely never see you play in person and probably not even on tv….you in?”
And most US pro athletes don’t end up playing on their hometown team, so their family and friends have to get on a plane to see them play anyway. For someone on the east coast, a flight to western Europe isn’t a whole lot longer than flying to the US west coast.
And honestly, a lot of American athletes that grew up poor would be best served getting as far away from their family and friends. Too many people with their hands out and/or friends who live lifestyles that will get anyone close to them into trouble. Living in Europe would be a benefit
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:03 pm to real turf fan
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:17 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
By the time a player is at college age they would be too old to be a prospect. Most of the global professional clubs expect their prospects to be pushing their way onto the senior team by the time they are 16 or 17. Maybe if you're a late developer they'll hang on until you're 18.
The argument here isn’t that we could get good pros out of collegiate soccer. The argument is a lot of kids in the 10-13 year range quit because there isn’t a future in soccer like there is for baseball, basketball, football. Keeping that 10 year old playing soccer with the dream of playing for (insert favorite college) is the goal there.
I don’t think there is one root cause and there definitely isn’t one quick fix. Football is declining in popularity at the youth level and soccer needs to capitalize on that at the club level, high school level and college level.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:18 pm to Not Cooper
quote:
Football is declining in popularity at the youth level and soccer needs to capitalize on that at the club level, high school level and college level.
There was a glimmer of a chance with this WC game and the USMNT choked.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:24 pm to RedSoloSpitCup
quote:
Communities used to be built around the local church. Now they're built around getting hammered and hitting on Braxtyn's mom.
And we wonder why our society is failing.
Oh for frick's sake. You must be a blast to hang out with.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:24 pm to Not Cooper
quote:
Football is declining in popularity at the youth level
from the outside looking in, flag seemed to make up the difference in elementry level
This post was edited on 7/8/26 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:26 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
Our best athletes arent going to play soccer because they wont get extremely wealthy playing soccer.
This is the answer. They can play in other countries, but that is what they'd need to be prepared to do.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:32 pm to Adam Banks
quote:
There was a glimmer of a chance with this WC game and the USMNT choked.
It was an extremely poor game but I think the WC overall was a success for soccer popularity in the US. Now US Soccer needs to capitalize on it.
Looking back at the 2014 squad, we had 7 guys playing in a top 5 Euro league and 2 of those were GKs. 2026 has 14 in a top 5 euro and a couple in the Netherlands/Scotland. The talent level is definitely rising. We just have to keep building it
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:35 pm to teke184
quote:
Problem ain’t travel ball.
But it’s Dan fricking Wetzel. He went to a Houston Dynamo game once, so he should know!
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:41 pm to real turf fan
People are throwing tons of money at the same models for baseball and basketball and neither MLB or the NBA are short on talent. Soccer just isn’t going to garner interest from the top level athletes.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:46 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
By the time a player is at college age they would be too old to be a prospect
True.
But I’d don’t see anyone in this thread suggesting college be the mechanism to develop players.
quote:
As for the problem being travel ball, it's not that it's travel ball specifically, but it's a structural model that just doesn't work for soccer development. Pay to play is a big issue, even recreational travel leagues cost over $1,000 to play in. Europe and South America these types of leagues are free because the professional teams subsidize them to have a pipeline for new talent. Second issue is coaching. Other nations have some of their best and most long tenured coaches in the youth teams.
This is all the same argument.
Remove barriers (pay elites to eliminate cost) and/or add incentive to the existing system (college possibilities) all move towards the same goal of keeping kids in soccer.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:53 pm to moneyg
quote:
Remove barriers (pay elites to eliminate cost) and/or add incentive to the existing system (college possibilities) all move towards the same goal of keeping kids in soccer.
Playing college soccer isn't a motivator for keeping kids in soccer. At most it's a fallback location if you can't make it as a prospect. No kids in youth teams are wearing college soccer jerseys or have any affinity to play at that level. The isn't a desire path there, NIL isn't going to go to any soccer programs and not something that motivates them to stay in the game. College soccer today is a dead end, especially with MLS now having academies and MLS Next regardless of how flawed they are.
This post was edited on 7/8/26 at 12:55 pm
Posted on 7/8/26 at 12:59 pm to real turf fan
quote:
Guys who want more than just to appear in a Michelob Ultra commercial
He didn't play well but the shitting on Pulisic is getting a a little excessive, especially from do-nothing windbags like Dan fricking Wetzel.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 1:00 pm to Mung
quote:
USMNT will never be competitive.
What is your definition of "competitive"?
We made it to the final 16 in the world, and not for the first time. And, coincidentally, we are also ranked #16 by FIFA.
I know that is not satisfactory, but it does not mean that we are not "competitive". By the way, Belgium is #9.
The following teams that are ahead of us in the world rankings also did not make it to the quarterfinals:
Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Croatia and Italy.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 1:06 pm to Adam Banks
quote:
the opposite side of the world where you don’t know the language and your friends and family will likely never see you play in person and probably not even on tv
English is a global language among soccer players.
Have you noticed that Premier League and Campions League matches are available on 2 of the biggest US over-the-air networks (NBC and CBS)? You don't even need a streaming service to watch them.
But this is the age of streaming, so you could play in Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, etc. and your family back home would have no problems being able to watch your matches.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 1:08 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
Playing college soccer isn't a motivator for keeping kids in soccer. At most it's a fallback location if you can't make it as a prospect
You are thinking at the micro level and I’m discussing a macro level idea.
College as a league would basically replicate all of the low level pro and semi-pro leagues that you see in the UK. Those players aren’t making it to PL or the national squad. But at the macro level it encourages more play for longer. And big picture, if the numbers go up you see results in the elite tier of athletes that exist.
quote:
College soccer today is a dead end, especially with MLS now having academies and MLS Next regardless of how flawed they are.
The kids in those academies at college age probably isn’t who is playing college soccer.
And with all of the changes going on in the collegiate landscape, possible alliances between schools and academies could exist.
If you look at softball as an example, I think that kind of fan response could be achievable in the short term. And in the macro view, that adds interest and participation over time and a reason to choose soccer.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 1:24 pm to real turf fan
This is America. If the demand was truly there…this country would rise up to meet it.
The demand isn’t there…regardless of what these guys say every 4 years.
The demand isn’t there…regardless of what these guys say every 4 years.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 1:27 pm to SlowFlowPro
I went to a high school where soccer was their best sport in years past. Not uncommon to have back to back championships and sometimes even more than that. You wouldn't graduate without at least one ring. Nationally ranked the whole shebang. I can think of one player since the 90s that went on to play college soccer and then semi pro overseas after for a few years before just doing a normal job. The American sports system just doesn't foster long term growth for men's soccer.
Page 7 of 10
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News