USMNT - The Pochettino era

[carolinablue232]

Canada are light years ahead of us now. Sad stuff.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Does the team look really bad right now? Yes

Are there players in this side actually playing games on the pitch that couldn't sniff the bench in League Two?

Also yes.

It's hard to care right now to be honest given who we have out there.

Aside from all that though, we do have real problems at GK and centre half, which were positions that have historically been very solid for us. Not having a premier league worthy keeper for the first time in 3 decades will have an impact on the whole team.

 

[pfim]

I don't like to get into the soft side of the game, but I truly feel this is the first time in our history that many of the players care more about their club teams than the national team.

We've programmed them to seek out the best opportunities abroad, to the point that coming back and playing in Concacaf events is not a priority.

I honestly think Pulisic opting out of these games makes sense theoretically, but you can't skip games like that and expect to be a leader in the squad. It just doesn't work on any level.

At the same time, I agree, we are bereft of talent at CB and GK. I've been banging on the CB drum for 4 years, and we're still trotting out Tim Ream and it's 100% merit-based.

Even Richards his partner hasn't exactly been the same player. I believe they'll eventually need to go to a back 3 permanently to replace Ream and get the best out of Richards.

What you hope from this current group is that a few players (Luna, Aaronson, Tillman, Wright) either continue their good form (Luna) or start to show their good club form (the other three) in a USMNT shirt.

 

[carolinablue232]

I don't like to get into the soft side of the game, but I truly feel this is the first time in our history that many of the players care more about their club teams than the national team.

We've programmed them to seek out the best opportunities abroad, to the point that coming back and playing in Concacaf events is not a priority.

I honestly think Pulisic opting out of these games makes sense theoretically, but you can't skip games like that and expect to be a leader in the squad. It just doesn't work on any level.

At the same time, I agree, we are bereft of talent at CB and GK. I've been banging on the CB drum for 4 years, and we're still trotting out Tim Ream and it's 100% merit-based.

Even Richards his partner hasn't exactly been the same player. I believe they'll eventually need to go to a back 3 permanently to replace Ream and get the best out of Richards.

What you hope from this current group is that a few players (Luna, Aaronson, Tillman, Wright) either continue their good form (Luna) or start to show their good club form (the other three) in a USMNT shirt.

1. They’re just not as good as we thought they were going to be
2. The Euro guys seem to have a false sense of superiority. Like, they’re not even remotely threatened that someone might take their spot
3. Generational difference, and they’ve been told how great they are for years while prior gens were told how crap they were and had something to prove

 

[carolinablue232]

Does the team look really bad right now? Yes

Are there players in this side actually playing games on the pitch that couldn't sniff the bench in League Two?

Also yes.

It's hard to care right now to be honest given who we have out there.

Aside from all that though, we do have real problems at GK and centre half, which were positions that have historically been very solid for us. Not having a premier league worthy keeper for the first time in 3 decades will have an impact on the whole team.

Turner has been crap for a while. Not playing does that…Whether it’s Freese, a healthy Steffen, or someone else, we need a GK who plays.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Turner has been crap for a while. Not playing does that…Whether it’s Freese, a healthy Steffen, or someone else, we need a GK who plays.

Even if they play, they aren't good enough for a European league. Sure, playing is better than sitting, but the fact remains we don't have a high quality keeper for the first time in 3 decades

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

1. They’re just not as good as we thought they were going to be
2. The Euro guys seem to have a false sense of superiority. Like, they’re not even remotely threatened that someone might take their spot
3. Generational difference, and they’ve been told how great they are for years while prior gens were told how crap they were and had something to prove

There's something to be said for #3. It gave the whole side a chip on their shoulder.

While I don't even think it's arguable our main guys are "better footballers" than what we've had before, they lack the chip on their shoulder that enabled the guys with less talent to punch above their weight in the past.

 

[pfim]

Even if they play, they aren't good enough for a European league. Sure, playing is better than sitting, but the fact remains we don't have a high quality keeper for the first time in 3 decades

Brady has promise and is probably for the next cycle, but I watched him the other week fumble 2-3 crosses in a match and was deflated.

It really is that bad. We had 3-4 PL keepers in our player pool at one point.

 

[Drico]

I've always had a soft spot for the US national team: one had to admire such un-American activity in an environment where a college degree was seen as a subversive act of deviance and soccer was regarded in much the same way as homosexuality.

But with the dictator in the White House and the US hosting the big show next year, right about now is a tremendous time to be resolutely crap.

See? US footballers really are the good guys.

 

[evertondotcom]

Honest question and not baiting.

Why are US footballers so poor? They have a strong history of producing the most unreal athletes - why have we only ever had Landon Donovan who has shone as a “soccer” player?

I get its not a predominant sport in the states, but it amazes me most are trousers.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Honest question and not baiting.

Why are US footballers so poor? They have a strong history of producing the most unreal athletes - why have we only ever had Landon Donovan who has shone as a “soccer” player?

I get its not a predominant sport in the states, but it amazes me most are trousers.

It's a complicated one, but I think from most people in the US you'll hear variations of the following

1) Until about 15 years ago, it was a distant 4th in terms of team sports our athletes choose to do
2) It's not in our culture. It just isn't
3) We don't have proper coaching at all levels here.
4) These 3 are a good base from which to build the biggest argument - "soccer" here is still mostly a rich kid's suburban sport. While there are plenty of athletes there to be found, when you add to the fact numbers 1, 2 and 3 this becomes difficult. And you're getting ZERO from urban areas/ poorer areas.

Obviously I'm generalizing here, but that's a start.

The women have always been great, in my opinion, because our country has pumped a ton of money into women's sports for decades, and women playing sports is part of our culture. Even though women's soccer has the same "rich kid" aura, because of the culture of women's sports, for a country of our size it hasn't matter. It's apples and oranges to the men

Interested to hear from my compatriots on this one

 

[evertondotcom]

It's a complicated one, but I think from most people in the US you'll hear variations of the following

1) Until about 15 years ago, it was a distant 4th in terms of team sports our athletes choose to do
2) It's not in our culture. It just isn't
3) We don't have proper coaching at all levels here.
4) These 3 are a good base from which to build the biggest argument - "soccer" here is still mostly a rich kid's suburban sport. While there are plenty of athletes there to be found, when you add to the fact numbers 1, 2 and 3 this becomes difficult. And you're getting ZERO from urban areas/ poorer areas.

Obviously I'm generalizing here, but that's a start.

The women have always been great, in my opinion, because our country has pumped a ton of money into women's sports for decades, and women playing sports is part of our culture. Even though women's soccer has the same "rich kid" aura, because of the culture of women's sports, for a country of our size it hasn't matter. It's apples and oranges to the men

Interested to hear from my compatriots on this one

All of the above makes sense to me, thanks for taking the time to explain.

It’s still surprising all the the same. But I feel I know a little bit more now why this is the case.

 

[pfim]

Honest question and not baiting.

Why are US footballers so poor? They have a strong history of producing the most unreal athletes - why have we only ever had Landon Donovan who has shone as a “soccer” player?

I get its not a predominant sport in the states, but it amazes me most are trousers.

While the MLS is less than 30 years old, the academy system is even greener. It’s really only been taken seriously in the past decade or so. Before that, the path to pro soccer was through pay to play schemes (and still largely is), and then college soccer. It’s was (and still is to a large extent) a fractured, inefficient method of developing talent. Imagine Wayne Rooney didn’t become a professional until 22 years old because he was at university playing a short schedule with limited training opportunities…

It has changed quite a bit but still lags behind any sort of successful European model.

 

[Lineker]

While the MLS is less than 30 years old, the academy system is even greener. It’s really only been taken seriously in the past decade or so. Before that, the path to pro soccer was through pay to play schemes (and still largely is), and then college soccer. It’s was (and still is to a large extent) a fractured, inefficient method of developing talent. Imagine Wayne Rooney didn’t become a professional until 22 years old because he was at university playing a short schedule with limited training opportunities…

It has changed quite a bit but still lags behind any sort of successful European model.

Imagine if, during his youth career, Wayne had multiple coaches that had never even watched a game.

The above was true for all 3 of my children, and I live in a sports-mad part of the los angeles metropolitan area, not exactly the middle of nowhere.

It's changing. My grandchildren will have a better chance as my kids generation are the first to really grow up without the "soccer is for insert slur here" mindset that was in America.

 

[Hellerad]

Honest question and not baiting.

Why are US footballers so poor? They have a strong history of producing the most unreal athletes - why have we only ever had Landon Donovan who has shone as a “soccer” player?

I get its not a predominant sport in the states, but it amazes me most are trousers.

Lack of any cohesive organization from u5 to u18 that isn’t expensive and socioeconomically segregated

Lack of any cohesive identity or playstyle beyond “Grit” which we haven’t shown since 2010

A carousel of poor managers changing tactical and squad selections every few years

A vast improvement of talent in CONCACAF countries from the growth of MLS and other regional leagues