I know our soccer infrastructure doesn't really develop players well, and that most of our athletic talent gets shifted into other sports by adolescence (i.e. everyone plays soccer as a kid, but it ends there), but it makes no sense that in a country of 300 million+ we can't churn out a single elite player. Soccer's not that unpopular here. It just doesn't make any sense.
Why isn't there a single great soccer player from the US?
- Thread starter Jermio
- Start date
- Poor youth development structure (that's vastly improved over the last few years)
- The existence of college soccer. 18-19 potential greats are playing for the big clubs. Ours are starting for Notre Dame. That's changing though.
- Lack of technical training. We got the athletes, but it's the mental and technical part of the game that makes the greats.
- MLS not being a strong enough league just yet.
- Not scouring the poorer sections of the country for potential talent
- The existence of college soccer. 18-19 potential greats are playing for the big clubs. Ours are starting for Notre Dame. That's changing though.
- Lack of technical training. We got the athletes, but it's the mental and technical part of the game that makes the greats.
- MLS not being a strong enough league just yet.
- Not scouring the poorer sections of the country for potential talent
Who's the best American player right now? Dempsey? Bradley?
Nobody really cares about soccer like that in the U.S. the only time people really care is every four years. Once world cup is done its right back to square one.
chuckifubuck
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football is a lot more dependent on technical skill than athleticism, and you can only develop that with a good training infrastructure
You really just answered your own response. Another reason is the cost to play in this country. While most poor countries play for free it cost thousands of dollars for kids to play here. You join a club team that travels and it gets real expensive.
Really though it's the lack of coaching at a young age. It's mom or dad with very little knowledge of the sport coaching their kids. Club teams are trying and there is growth in the sport, but we are still a few decades away from really getting to where we'll have a true superstar.
Its gotta be either of those two or Tim Howard.
Thats just me guessing as a casual fan though.
Out of a billion people, China only had one good basketball player.
Ed MOTHEREFFING G
Chances make champions
...Out of a billion people, China only had one good basketball player.
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that is a great point
He's probably top 10. Not sure if he was ever top 5.
When football is finally outlawed in 2040, many of the US''s best athletes will be playing soccer, ushering in a new era of world sports domination.
Until then...
Imagine Russ, D-Rose, Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, etc. as soccer players coming up through a structured farm system.
UNSTOPPABLE.
You can't tell me they wouldn't be some of the greatest soccer players playing right now.
Until then...
Imagine Russ, D-Rose, Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, etc. as soccer players coming up through a structured farm system.
UNSTOPPABLE.
You can't tell me they wouldn't be some of the greatest soccer players playing right now.
