There are some posters who are really knowledgeable about the game and the teams and they provide carefully written, well-thought-out posts which contain zero BS. Works for me.
45 minutes to kickoff,,,need a miracle on ice performance tonight! USA
- Thread starter LaJolla Lion
- Start date
bwifan
Well-Known Member
Agreed.. Bradley was mostly awful this tourney. He had so many turnovers I lost count. He was feast or famine. Mostly famine...
Really? I actually thought he had a decent, but not great tournament. Not a great passer, never has been, but somehow he always seems to be involved in plays or disrupting attacks. Good high pressure and gets back on D. He's always the goat when we lose, and never gets the praise he deserves when we win.
Today will be a lot of classic overreaction from the media and US soccer fans. Yes, we looked terrible last night, but that was the #1 ranked team in the world. They make everyone look silly. US Soccer fans think we will contend for World Cup championships but this is a long, long process. Perhaps even generational.
Don't forget: the goal all along was to reach the semis. That alone, represented a step forward for US Soccer. If nothing else, this team gets to play another solid team in the 3rd place game. That's one extra game situation where JK can test out practices before we head into World Cup qualifying.
The reality is 4-0 to the number 1 team in the world, it could have been worse. Guzan could have done more on two of them and Wondo and Birnbaum, responsible for the other 2, never should have been on the pitch. We were missing 4-5 players from our player pool that are better than probably 3 players who started. If the only positive to come out of this game is that Wondo never makes a US international roster again, then fine.
I will say though Brooks had one turnover but overall looked like he played well again. While @LaJolla Lion is right that Yedlin playing the ball out of the back is a pain too watch at times, he also really brings something to the attack and is the only US player that can run down an attack and stop it all on his own. We either get a rematch with Colombia or a test against the number 5 team in the world (who hopefully used up all their goals against Mexico) with some of our guys back.
Looking ahead, Wood and Brooks really come out of the tournament as head turners. I am hoping for a big Bundeliga season for Americans. Pulisic looked like a talented 17 year old, having a few good runs, but ultimately not really ready to be the spark that ignites, but I think he could still contribute in the 3rd place game if given the chance to be on the pitch with Wood. Dempsey solidified he should continue to be on the roster, but I think his role will be more of a late sub, probably for Altidore, who I doubt will ever be able to go 90 again. Getting Wood and Altidore out together should be a short term goal. Additionally, I think it is a must to call up Cameron Carter-Vickers for the next qualifier and cap-tie him asap. As I said in a previous post there is probably no better option than Jurgen to guide this team and program, so you just have to bear down and keep grinding. Finishing 3rd with a win over a top 5 team would be a massive accomplishment.
I will say though Brooks had one turnover but overall looked like he played well again. While @LaJolla Lion is right that Yedlin playing the ball out of the back is a pain too watch at times, he also really brings something to the attack and is the only US player that can run down an attack and stop it all on his own. We either get a rematch with Colombia or a test against the number 5 team in the world (who hopefully used up all their goals against Mexico) with some of our guys back.
Looking ahead, Wood and Brooks really come out of the tournament as head turners. I am hoping for a big Bundeliga season for Americans. Pulisic looked like a talented 17 year old, having a few good runs, but ultimately not really ready to be the spark that ignites, but I think he could still contribute in the 3rd place game if given the chance to be on the pitch with Wood. Dempsey solidified he should continue to be on the roster, but I think his role will be more of a late sub, probably for Altidore, who I doubt will ever be able to go 90 again. Getting Wood and Altidore out together should be a short term goal. Additionally, I think it is a must to call up Cameron Carter-Vickers for the next qualifier and cap-tie him asap. As I said in a previous post there is probably no better option than Jurgen to guide this team and program, so you just have to bear down and keep grinding. Finishing 3rd with a win over a top 5 team would be a massive accomplishment.
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bwifan
Well-Known Member
He had 1 good game. Countless turnovers. In fact the announcers even talked about Bradley not playing well during this tourney. They were careful not to criticize him too much on TV. I am a Bradley fan but this was not his best tourney by a long shot. U.S. took another step forward but they are at the point where it's a big step up the ladder to be able to play with the top 5 teams in the world i.e. Argentina. I don't feel I am overreacting at all just looking at things without emotion. Even Bradley when interviewed after the game last night said the 3 suspended players would have not made a difference. Argentina and the other top teams are just on a different level than the US currently. Doesn't mean the US can't get there but it's going to take more time and we are not there yet.
I'm not overly concerned about last night. Argentina's second 11 would be a borderline top-10 team in the world right now. Last night proved that we aren't close to that level, but I still think the tourney as a whole showed that we're one of the top 15-20 teams in the world. We've plateaued a bit when looking at our results over the past few cycles, however the depth of the player pool continues to grow, and the young talent coming along has more promise that any other group of young players in USMNT history. I still don't think that Klinsmann is a great tactical coach or is great at player selection/talent evaluation, however his ability to "recruit" is unmatched by anyone else that could be coaching the US right now, and that is huge as we continue to build the talent base.
Looking ahead to Russia, it would be a disaster if we don't qualify (though possible when you look at how much better the rest of CONCACAF is these days), pretty disappointing if we don't get out of our group, somewhat successful if we make the knockout stage, and a big success if we can make the final 8. I'm hoping that come 2022, we'll keep moving forward and hit the point where we have a legitimate expectation to win a knockout game. We're at a bit of a crossroads right now where the "older" generation (Dempsey, Jones, Cameron, Bedoya, Besler) are on the decline, but the younger generation isn't quite ready to step in there and take their places. I really think that 2022 cycle is the time where we'll see the full impact of a lot of the young talent.
Looking ahead to Russia, it would be a disaster if we don't qualify (though possible when you look at how much better the rest of CONCACAF is these days), pretty disappointing if we don't get out of our group, somewhat successful if we make the knockout stage, and a big success if we can make the final 8. I'm hoping that come 2022, we'll keep moving forward and hit the point where we have a legitimate expectation to win a knockout game. We're at a bit of a crossroads right now where the "older" generation (Dempsey, Jones, Cameron, Bedoya, Besler) are on the decline, but the younger generation isn't quite ready to step in there and take their places. I really think that 2022 cycle is the time where we'll see the full impact of a lot of the young talent.
For me, Zardes and Wood were the most pleasant surprises. Guzan did well. He should've been able to defend that first Argentinian goal (the header). He had some great saves in other games. Everyone seems to clamor for Howard, but Tim has aged a ton in the past two years since his WC performance. He isn't what he used to be.
That game was over before the first goal was scored. Argentina is light years ahead of the US right now.
With that logic, so was the 2009 Confed Cup game again Spain (or any other big soccer upset). They squander a bunch of chances, we score against the run of play, they tighten up, and next thing you know, we win.
Nope, watched the same game, but understand that soccer results don't always match up with the stats or talent. In the 2009 Confed Cup, Spain put out a lineup that featured Casillas (in form, not what he is today), Pique, Puyol, Alonso, Ramos, Xavi, Cesc, and an attacking duo of Villa and Torres. And then brought Mata and Santi Cazorla off the bench. They outshot us 29-9, and we had two shots on goal. Their advantage on corners was 17-3. On paper, we should have gotten destroyed, but won it 2-0. Soccer can be a very unpredictable game. I'm just asking, was the 2009 Confed Cup game against the best team in the world over before the first goal was scored? The gap between that Spanish team and us was every bit as big as the gap between Argentina and us last night.
That Spain game was a complete anomaly. It was a one in a hundred chance. And like you said, results don't always match up with stats or talent - so why use the Spain game as an example?
rankly, the result last night could have been even worse than 4-0. Watching it once again made it painfully clear that the US is not even close to the top tier. Except for about 5 total minutes of game time, the US couldn't manage to maintain possession for more than a few passes. The skill gap is enormous and there is no composure with the ball. As soon as they pressed us, it was an instant giveaway. If we could have passed/dribbled our way out of the press a bit, they would probably have eased up. That didn't happen and they gave zero respect to any US player with the ball.
Because I find it ridiculous to see "That game was over before the first goal was scored. Argentina is light years ahead of the US right now."
Argentina is much better than us right now, but if we play them 10 times (and go straight to PKs after 90 minutes), we probably advance once. I was just saying that the game wasn't over before it began last night (regardless of what happened on the field). They don't score in the 3rd minute and it could have played out much differently. It's not like Argentina was playing Barbados last night (where they would have a >99% chance of advancing). The US had a chance and didn't take advantage of it.
The US played like pussies. They worshipped argentina from the get go. Of course Argentina is more talented (they have more talent than anyone in the world), but Veneuzuela played them tough and they don't have the talent the US does. They should've been way more aggressive. They basically didn't foul anyone all night when 6-7 yellow cards would've shown some guts.
The reality though is that until the US gets more technically sound players, getting out of the group stage at any international tourney should be seen as an accomplishment. Pulisic, Woods, Brooks and Cameron will help in that department, but if the field is full of Zusi, Beckerman, Zardes, Wondolowski', and Altidore (all good MLS players but below average international players) this is what is going to happen on occasion.
Also, I want to repeat what others have said-Bradley needs to be better. He is playing a tough position in the middle of the field, but he looked atrocious at times when, by some accounts, he is their best player. He almost caused a goal in the first half with a ridiculous pass and just looked weak all around. they were gutless last night and were embarrassed as a result.
The reality though is that until the US gets more technically sound players, getting out of the group stage at any international tourney should be seen as an accomplishment. Pulisic, Woods, Brooks and Cameron will help in that department, but if the field is full of Zusi, Beckerman, Zardes, Wondolowski', and Altidore (all good MLS players but below average international players) this is what is going to happen on occasion.
Also, I want to repeat what others have said-Bradley needs to be better. He is playing a tough position in the middle of the field, but he looked atrocious at times when, by some accounts, he is their best player. He almost caused a goal in the first half with a ridiculous pass and just looked weak all around. they were gutless last night and were embarrassed as a result.
In a sense, this is correct. I didn't care as much about the final score of that game as I did how the US looked against a top tier team. I wanted to see if they could move the ball in the midfield and create some scoring opportunities. I wanted to see if our skill had improved where we would see quick one touch passing or dribbling to escape pressure. I saw none of this, so in a sense, the game was lost before a goal was even scored. If we had gotten lucky and pulled a miracle I would have been pleased, but not satisfied (like the Spain game).
and I think your speculation is way off. If we played Argentina 100 times, we are lucky to win 1 or 2. Even without Messi, we win 3 or 4. We didn't even register a shot last night. Not a shot on goal - just a shot
Folks do realize that Argentina fielded a bumper crop of generational players, right? Brazil did the same in 2002 (Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, etc.).
That's not your average Argentinian squad.
Now play a US squad clearly in transition and 4-0 isn't too surprising...
That's not your average Argentinian squad.
Now play a US squad clearly in transition and 4-0 isn't too surprising...
The odds at Pinnacle Sportsbok to advance last night closed at Argentina -555/USA +465. Taking out the vig (it becomes -487/+487), it given the US an implied probability of 17.3% to advance. The sharpest sportsbook on earth isn't going to put up a line that far off (lining something with a 98%-99% chance of occurring with odds that imply an 83% chance). Even after seeing the results last night, the books will still give the US a >10% chance of advancing if they played it again tomorrow.
The gap between the #1 team in the world and a team in the 20's isn't as big as you think it is. Just like the gap between Chile and Mexico isn't nearly as big as it looked the other night. But playing like the US played last night (or Mexico played over the weekend) might make it appear that way.
If you watched that game last night and honestly thought that the US is anywhere near the top tier of world soccer teams, then you don't watch enough soccer. It was actually embarrassing.
I went to my online sportsbook about 2 hours before kick and the US was +780 to win in regulation. I won't haggle over a few percentage points. I'll judge with my eyes and what I saw was like an NFL team vs a college football team.
No offense, but this line about the 'next generation', being the one has been said for the past 20 years. I think it was Altidore as a 19 year old who was going to bring the USA to the promise land when he got some experience. Soccer has been a huge youth sport for the last 25 years so plenty of time for guys to be able to come up through legit programs. Until US soccer gets a Messi type home grown uber elite , best in world type player, I don't see them moving apppreciably from where they are now.
I can't claim to be a great soccer Xs and Os guy, but this is how I feel too. I was hearing in high school how in 20 years, soccer will be bigger than football....look at all the kids playing soccer.....
I didn't expect to win last night, but good grief we didn't look like we belonged on the same field. We can talk all we want about great depth, great young players...blah, blah blah...I don't see the results on the field. Its always some excuse...now its a "generational" thing- our experienced players are too old, our good players are too young and don't have experience, but just wait 5 years. Well, I've been waiting for 20.....
I've seen lots of explanations- we don't develop youth players right, our top guys don't play in Europe...etc, etc. I think the actual answer is fairly straightforward....
In the United States, let's say (for round numbers) out of every 1000 high school boys, 10 of them are world class athletes. In this country, out of those ten kids, NINE of them are going into football, baseball or basketball. The other one is playing soccer. In Argentina, NINE of them are playing soccer.....
Until the money and the adoration level changes, it ain't changing. Say "Lebron James" and 99% of people know who you're talking about, even if they aren't NBA fans. Say "Clint Dempsey"....how many people have heard of him?
The average salary for the top 100 players....
MLB $16.4 mil
NFL $8.9 mil
NBA $11.9 mil
MLS.....$874,000
I am NOT saying great athletes aren't playing soccer....I'm saying that more of the great athletes are drawn to other sports.
Why do they need Messi? He is arguably the greatest player of all time. They don't need Messi, they need a two deep or close to it of players who can play on the international level. Right now they have Brooks, Woods, Dempsey, Cameron (?), Bedoya, Johnson, Pulisic, Yedlin, Bradley (?), and Jones. Maybe we could argue one or two others, but that is a pretty sparse lineup. And a few of those guys are at the end of their career. They need about 10 more guys like that AND a few of those younger players to develop into excellent, maybe not great, international players (maybe pulisic, brooks, and woods). If they can do that, then doing better than merely making it out of the group stages of international tournaments becomes a possibility.
Because a superstar raises the game of everybody around him. Take LebronJames of the Cavs and give them 3 quality players and they don't win. That is why.
Yes, certainly having arguably the greatest player of all time would be great. Messi is way beyond even Lebron James because of the numbers of people that play soccer in comparison to basketball. But, having a Messi is not imperative in terms of moving the team forward. However, to your point it would be great if the team could develop a great striker-because it is simply fun to watch and it is a player they have never had. Dempsey isn't really a striker. But overall they need more international caliber players-players that play in the top leagues in the world. People hate when Klinsmann talks about hoping his players don't stay in the MLS, but it's true. They need to play in leagues like the Premier league against the best players in the world every day.
Wondo plays really well (for the SJ Earthquakes) in MLS play, but his performance in international play has been less than stellar.
I'm wondering if this is the real reason Morris was left off the copa roster. Came back to bite him when he had to play Wondo...
It's been abysmal. Literally worst player on the pitch in every game he appears in; ok maybe that's an exageration, but he lost us the Belgium game. I guess I can appreciate the fact that he was responsible for Messi's goal since it was one of the best free kicks I've ever seen go in and was indefensible by any goalie living or dead.
Yes. [Wood btw]
No.
Add in though players that are US eligible, some of which are cap-tied: Chelsea- Miazga; Arsenal- Zelalem; Bournemouth- Hyndman; Tottenham- Carter-Vickers; Porto- Palmer-Brown; Freiburg- Stanko and Steffen; Hoffenheim- Canouse; Molde- Horvath; Utrecht- Rubin; wherever Green ends up this year but still under contract with Bayern; and Gyau in a similar situation but a little better with Dortmund.
I know I'm forgetting some, but all of those guys are under 22 and playing in Europe's top leagues. Those are the guys that are the "next generation." Hopefully some of them stick and give the US a deeper player pool with talent from top flight European leagues. There are also a few duel citizens, much like Carter-Vickers, not on that list that are not yet tied to a country that we are watching. Also, there are older players like Chandler at Frankfurt and Johannsson at Bremen.
Even as the MLS gets better and becomes a refuge for former European stars we desperately need to keep sending the best 14-17 year-olds to the European academies. It is starting to pay off and will continue to. Just think about a year ago, who knew who Christian Pulisic was.
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No, I get it with those guys, but I was just thinking of the guys who made the roster. I have high hopes for Miazga and Zelalem in particular, but if a bunch of those guys develop soon things will be looking up.
Totally agree. We also MUST stop making STUPID mistakes..the first goal..a header ..man was unmarked. Messi's Direct Kick..Brilliant...but what a dumb , dumb foul which enabled the free kick at close range all brought on by emotion...
Soccer is as much a technical game as it is a mental game...
Very interesting to see how US comes out with their 3rd place game. If lack of effort ( see Brazil 3rd place World Cup game) then IMO we have a serious lack of leadership as well.
This^^. The South American and European countries have training academies where kids eat drink and sleep soccer. Our kids practice maybe a few times a week for a few hours. We won't compete until we develop academies like this or send our kids overseas to attend them.
It's true that a lot of our elite athletes play football/basketball/baseball. However, we have a population 8 times that of Argentina. We should still be able to have 1 in 8 elite athletes play soccer and be on level ground with them.
We have enough "athletes" playing soccer.
The issue is in order to excel at soccer, you also have to have technical ability and know how to move on and off the ball (problem solving).
It's kind of like trying to find the next Jason Kidd and saying we don't have enough athletes playing basketball. Only a few can read the game like he could. In soccer, since mostly everything is unscripted, all 11 players have to have strong Jason Kidd attributes (spacial awareness, anticipation, pinpoint passing).
The issue is in order to excel at soccer, you also have to have technical ability and know how to move on and off the ball (problem solving).
It's kind of like trying to find the next Jason Kidd and saying we don't have enough athletes playing basketball. Only a few can read the game like he could. In soccer, since mostly everything is unscripted, all 11 players have to have strong Jason Kidd attributes (spacial awareness, anticipation, pinpoint passing).
It's not the elite athletes or lack there of. That is a silly argument as Argentina beat the US with the ball at their feet and not in a race. Messi is 5-5 and dominates the world. What 5-5 player is dominating the NFL, MLB, or the NBA? You can take the fastest people on the planet and Messi would have them running around in circles. Part of that is God given, but most of it is a kid that was about soccer 24x7. I think Messi went to Barcelona to train at 12 years of age and the US has had kids that young go overseas to train, but not to Barcelona and none like him.
Yedlin is every bit as big/little and fast as Messi, but he is no Messi. Not in the same universe. The US has more and more kids playing each year and now the youth teams are sponsored by professional teams. The coaching for the youth level is mostly done by paid coaches with very good backgrounds in the sport. That is in the last decade or so and it will start to translate in time, but players like Messi or a Ronaldo don't grow on trees. Think about how many play the sport in the world and we have 2 that really distinguish themselves as the best.
The US also has many kids focus on multiple sports. I played soccer year round and baseball in the spring. I did both in the spring, but when the time came for me to choose, it was always soccer first. Then in high school I couldn't play spring soccer because high school baseball was 6 days a week and sometimes 7 for us. Many more were just like me and that is changing where parents are having the kids focus on soccer alone year round. Same with baseball in the warmer states which have 3-4 seasons a year for kids. South American countries like Argentina play a little b-ball, but not a ton and most taller people aren't thriving in soccer. Soccer is king to the rest of the world and it's not in the US, but it is getting more and more popular with each passing year.
There can obviously be some incremental improvement from 15-20 best team in the world (arbuably where they are now) to 11-15 best in the world with getting generally better players across the board. But that has had the ability to have happened for the last decade based on enrollment in youth soccer programs, etc...the point is without that elite, superstar player, i don't see the US getting to be a Top 5 type team (which is the goal in the end). They need a breakthrough player who can compete AND BEAT the top players in the world and be the guy that scores (or creates) the goal or two a game that the US is not getting now and why they cannot really break into Top 8 in the world.
I think the reason why the US isn't producing that top talent is a combo of two things. As was discussed, in the end the best athletes growing up are migrating to football, Baseball, Basketball (maybe Hockey if they have $$) as they are sports that will in the end get them college schollies and potential for huge professional US contracts. Second, I think that US kids are not playing soccer 24/7 like Latin American kids do. US kids might play a lot of soccer, but that is going to practice and games via local club teams. EVerything is 100% structured and if you watch the US players, they play that way. Latin AMerican kids are playing soccer in the street from the time they can walk. As such, they are just so natural with the ball and creative. Akin to kids that spend hours shooting BBall in the driveway and playing pick-up games and that is how they get good. US kids are not in the cuddlesac playing soccer all the time or going to the park to play a pick up game of soccer.
How many professional football leagues are there in this world? How many for soccer? Same with baseball. Basketball actually has a few leagues overseas. Compare that to soccer which has a league in just about every country in the world. Soccer is now being played year round in the US and even up North as the turf indoor facilities are all over the place. I don't think this mass exodus to play other sports is happening quite at the level it used to. In fact, it's probably way down as compared to 20-30 years ago. The more kids focus on one sport which is starting to occur along with the paid coaching upgrades at the youth level means you will start seeing the talent rise in time. This last generation is the first one that can say they actually grew up watching the sport. MLS, EPL, LaLiga, Bundesliga, and the Serie A all are shown every weekend now. Kids have youtube access to follow their favorite players.
I'm in my early 40's and we did not have that access to the sport, not even close to it. I caught the tale end of the NASL, but nothing after that for 15-20 years other than WC's and the US was barely qualifying for them. Now the US is expected to qualify and advance. They just aren't there yet in terms of elite level talent, but that has more to do with the youth development programs and access to the sport year round. If your kids are playing for any PDA clubs now, your living, sleeping, and eating soccer. There is no second sport now which in time will produce more talent IMO.
LaJolla, did you grow up playing in the NE? If so, what club?
Every play any futsal? Really great game if you want to keep playing but the outdoor game is too tough on the body.
The athletic ability is there. There is no question that America produces world class athletes in every sport, including soccer.
The problem is that our players aren't processing the game as quickly as the rest of the world.
It's similar to the local chess champion playing a grand master: Both can produce identical moves, however the grand master is playing a much easier game because he's not thinking as much -- he's already 10-20 moves ahead.
So is the same in soccer. Watch the international superstars. When a ball comes their way, they have already looked up and taken a mental picture of their surroundings and are fully aware of all their options. They already know what they want to do with the ball before it was securely received.
Not only that, but they know what they are going to do next like run into space, execute a feign/trick, pass, shoot, etc.
Meanwhile the American counterpart is happy just not to lose possession of the ball.
Just watch what happens when we have the ball: we pass it off to a teammate when defenders start closing in. Good players want to draw as many defenders towards them and pass at the last possible minute in order to create space to attack with.
The problem is that our players aren't processing the game as quickly as the rest of the world.
It's similar to the local chess champion playing a grand master: Both can produce identical moves, however the grand master is playing a much easier game because he's not thinking as much -- he's already 10-20 moves ahead.
So is the same in soccer. Watch the international superstars. When a ball comes their way, they have already looked up and taken a mental picture of their surroundings and are fully aware of all their options. They already know what they want to do with the ball before it was securely received.
Not only that, but they know what they are going to do next like run into space, execute a feign/trick, pass, shoot, etc.
Meanwhile the American counterpart is happy just not to lose possession of the ball.
Just watch what happens when we have the ball: we pass it off to a teammate when defenders start closing in. Good players want to draw as many defenders towards them and pass at the last possible minute in order to create space to attack with.
These things can be trained. I sat through a presentation from the Director of Youth Coaching at Real Madrid two years ago at the NCSAA National Convention. It was amazing the things he was doing. Everything progressed from simple to complex in a perfect progression. They train spatial awareness, striking the ball in ALL possible manners, creating space, possession and a whole host of other concepts in every training session. I stole the whole thing, along with I am sure every one of the other coaches there, and now teach it in this country. I have actually had struggles with other coaches over "my" methods, for a whole myriad of reasons. They just are not used to seeing it. The level of coaching in this country is light years ahead of twenty years ago, but we still have A LOT of progress to make. Our goal should be to one day have a viable domestic league where we can keep our young players and have them grow and learn properly. We are not there yet. It is very encouraging the number of players from our U20 and U23 teams who are on professional contracts in Europe.
I agree that what you grew up with is much different that 2016. But what is there now is not a huge different than what was there 10 years ago. Year round sports and club teams were occurring for the elite players starting in the early/mid 2000's in most areas. Back when you were growing up in late 80's and 90's, it was still play the sport of the season with football/soccer in fall, Wrestling/BBall in winter, Baseball/Track in spring/summer. Only the really, really elite kids back in the 90's were playing on club teams and that was pretty loose even at that. But the current players on the US roster, essentially 20-30 years old were playing soccer year round from the time they were 8 to 10 years old for the younger guys and year round from the time they were junior high age for the near 30 year old players. Maybe not exactly the same as today when you can play year round starting at age 4, but plenty enough time playing soccer. US soccer will continue to improve due to exposure, better coaching, and just the massive influx of Latin American's to the United States were at least some fraction of them will be elite soccer players playing for US soccer instead of Mexico or some other Latin american country they immigrated from.
Nice post, Todd. I liked what you said about striking the ball in all possible manners. Some of the best shots and passes I've seen recently in Euro were strikes from the outside of the foot. There's an element of surprise there.
Yes. I grew up on the Jersey shore following the Harkes, Meola, Ramos era up in North Jersey. I played my whole childhood and for a year at a D3 school. I won a NC with a bunch of Colombians and a guy who grew up in Porto's academy as well as others mixed in. That is where I was schooled in dirty play and dives as it was not as prevalant as it is now.
NC was good and bad because I partied a bit too much!!!! I quit after playing in NOLA in August while in the Navy. They had noon games in August...crazy!!! Hard to do that with a hangover.
