How can the Americans get better at 'Soccer'?

Alan_Breck said:
America being the greatest country on earth is taught from kindrgarten. Watch some of the YouTube videos of Americans visiting the UK, the distain they have for other nations, and because it isn't American it's "weird" (the favourite word used by Americans along with awsome). That's a generalisation, but it's how it comes across, and having Trump as their leader reinforces greatness without proof, and that awful MAGA/GOP culture.
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Yep, that's every single one of the 340 odd million American's summed up, just watch a few Youtube videos and hey presto you know all about a country.
 
Nero said:
This idea was part of a strategy for rugby union over there too. An ex England player took over as CEO and had a grand vision of getting college kids not making it into the NFL into rugby. That was about 10 years ago. Nothing has happened with that one either.
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Rugby is developing out there, but is suffering from a lack of funding - my nephew was on a university scholarship to play rugby, and each year more kids were given scholarships. At the end of his first year he was part of the "All Stars" team of the best university players who came to Europe & beat the French Universities team
 
Uwefuchs said:
I keep seeing Americans ask this on social media, they can't believe countries like Norway and Belgium which are smaller than some US states can be better than them at a sport.

Also they can't understand why they can't dominate the sport when they 'have the best athletes in the world'.

What do you think, will they ever become a major force in international football?
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In fairness the USA women's team is probably the best in the world
 
USA will continue to develop a National Team from players based in Europe, Mexico & South America
This can only grow 'Soccer' back home.

* The word soccer, comes from the delightful students at Oxford in 1880s who used it to distinguish between Rugby Football & As-soc-iation football.

The soccer name is used in Canada, USA, Australia, Ireland to distinguish it from their own Unique games of Football (Gridiron football, american football, Aussie Rules, GAA )
 
A but like some of the Asian countries, they can produce technical and athletic players, but struggle to produce flair players. Last really good one I can remember was Roy Wegerlee!
Not sure if that is cultural and not being a truly passionate football nation
 
WexfordSmoggie said:
Rugby is developing out there, but is suffering from a lack of funding - my nephew was on a university scholarship to play rugby, and each year more kids were given scholarships. At the end of his first year he was part of the "All Stars" team of the best university players who came to Europe & beat the French Universities team
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Interesting.
 
Decent_Left said:
Have been dipping into a lot of US Youtube channels before and during the World Cup where this issue is constantly discussed. On the plus side there are a lot of well considered advocates for change, on the downside they dont see how a system like the US has for every other major sport can be avoided, but plenty of ideas.

I found the disdain for how the MLS has set up was quite widespread in sticking to the US Sport status quo. There is a bit of optimism that there could be change due to another league called the USL where the more succesful teams recently have been taking up options to "franchise" into the MLS having a rethink and taking all the leagues under its remit and start to look at replicating the global model of promotion and relegation, but its not moving very fast.

I dont have any answer but want to lay down that this is a very live issue over there and I feel like once again the US could actually progress something over there outside of the the typical US sport model
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There are advocates for change but as is often the way there would be large resistance from the established model who are profiting massively. Most Americans don't care about being good at football so there will never be a demand to change things. A bit like healthcare over there, they are all aware the system doesn't work but the established model is entrenched and won't give it up. It's all about making money.
 
My view of US soccer hasn't really changed.

Their sports systems produce superb athletes, well-versed in the technical aspects of the game, but they lack some flair and improvisation. The phrase I have for it is "coaching manual correct".

Their forward players with the most flair such as Balougan and Pulisic have spent all or most of their formative years in Europe.

I think the one US sport where you see that improvisation and flair is basketball, and it comes from thousands of kids playing the sport outside of any coaching set up. I don't think they have that for football, and won't be able to coach it in to them. They'll thrown money at it and try though; that's the American way.

I do think their game has progressed massively since the last US WC and they are a legitimate top 20 team.

As for greatest nation on earth, they need to get public health and gun crimee sorted if they want to be a top tier nation. Median wealth is well below many countries in Europe too.
 
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Colgates_shaving_foam said:
They probably don't identify talent.

Depending on which school they go to a player more naturally gifted than messi could be born in the USA and never kick a soccer ball.
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I agree with this, and always question how many of us would have been good at sports we have never tried.

I went to a catholic school and we didn’t play rugby and had very little interest in it. Later in life, I was taken to a few Rugby League games and went up to Scotland to watch the 6 nations a few times and was bitten by the bug, but far too late to play. I would have loved to have given it a go.

I’m not saying I would have been good at it, but do wonder how many others who have had similar experiences would have been.

Regarding football, we played this morning, noon and night and learned the skills by playing street games - 3 pots in, knockout and wally. Playing with older lads developed you mentally and physically. I don’t think kids play like we did in the 1960s, but then, we didn’t have the kids teams they are now and only played 11 a side when we got to junior school or one street against another.
 
As well as grass roots football they need a proper league system rather than the franchise system they have now. Even if they stuck to two major leagues with a promotion system they could double capacity and give a lot more players a chance to play top level football and improve over time.
 
I grew up loathing Americans due to Reagan..attitude softened with Clinton and as I got to like some of their music and films. Bloody detest the buggers again now….particularly that god awful USA chant!

I hope they never get any further at a World Cup than they did this time.

Someone should remind this upstart nation that Norway (Vikings) and Belgium (Flemish) have been around longer than them!
 
Nano said:
There are advocates for change but as is often the way there would be large resistance from the established model who are profiting massively. Most Americans don't care about being good at football so there will never be a demand to change things. A bit like healthcare over there, they are all aware the system doesn't work but the established model is entrenched and won't give it up. It's all about making money.
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I agree about resistance currently, but I think many are waking up to the opportunity of merit vs entertainment when it comes to football. The timescale for this to work is long but at least the USL is attempting to think differently.

One other thing I've picked up from rabbit holing these clips and shows is that there is a recognition from them of the fundamental local team benefit the rest of the world has - you pick a team probably from where you live and stick with them as you know they will be there forever. How do you become attached to an NFL team when they up sticks and LA raiders become Oakland Raiders etc. It the reason why the biggest sport in the US is College Football, that college is never moving is it.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I agree with this, and always question how many of us would have been good at sports we have never tried.

I went to a catholic school and we didn’t play rugby and had very little interest in it. Later in life, I was taken to a few Rugby League games and went up to Scotland to watch the 6 nations a few times and was bitten by the bug, but far too late to play. I would have loved to have given it a go.

I’m not saying I would have been good at it, but do wonder how many others who have had similar experiences would have been.

Regarding football, we played this morning, noon and night and learned the skills by playing street games - 3 pots in, knockout and wally. Playing with older lads developed you mentally and physically. I don’t think kids play like we did in the 1960s, but then, we didn’t have the kids teams they are now and only played 11 a side when we got to junior school or one street against another.
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Kids don't play like we used to, hours of street football and playing all the games you mentioned.

But the difference now is we have 5 and 6 year olds getting proper coaching and some of them going almost every night. You see primary school kids now who are technically miles ahead of how most of us where at that age.

This is the problem for countries like America while they are improving the rest of the world isn't standing still.
 
Uwefuchs said:
Kids don't play like we used to, hours of street football and playing all the games you mentioned.

But the difference now is we have 5 and 6 year olds getting proper coaching and some of them going almost every night. You see primary school kids now who are technically miles ahead of how most of us where at that age.

This is the problem for countries like America while they are improving the rest of the world isn't standing still.
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Yeah, that’s why I mention about the number of teams there is for kids now and that we never got coached until junior school.
 
The US will always produce top athletes but until they get the infrastructure and enthusiasm in place to nail the technical aspects of the game at the younger age they won't compete with the big European and South American nations.
 
They wont.

The grass roots kids football space is screwed in the US. I know someone whoes 1o yr old son plays in travel soccer tournaments, and the club charges about $5k a season, plus there is additional travel, petrol and accommodation on top.

Youth sports in the US is a rich kids game.

the recent quote from Alexi Lallas is mind blowing;

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