Why isn't there a single great soccer player from the US?

[BLAZO da GAWD]

I doubt the majority of these dudes playing in the world cup even got through middle school.

Footballing intelligence breh...

Again, the coaching at the youth level has lagged behind other countries for decades. Even in high schools, you have primarily hockey and lacrosse guys coaching the soccer team because the school needed someone to do it.

 

[Big Boss]

- 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

this

 

[phxdown]

More and more idiotic posts about "our best athletes play other sports :derp: ".

Have y'all seen any of the African teams? Some of these guys look like cornerbacks in the NFL, yet the continent of Africa has not had an African nation represented in the finals of the World Cup.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ATHLETICISM. That rhetoric is an arrogant line of thinking, and coincides with the deep-rooted belief that the "strongest, fastest, biggest" are always best.

Spain, who dominated the international scene for the past 6 years barely have any speed, strength, or height. Literally, they have 2 guys that are taller than 6' (Busquets and Pique), yet they still have been dominant. The best player in the world in Messi is 5'7 on a good day.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ATHLETICISM.

Huh? African teams might struggle but African players are legit. You act like Africans are terrible at soccer as if there aren't African players playing for Euro squads. You can't say its not about athleticism when players like Super Mario are superstars. Also, maybe Spain would still dominate it if they had more athletic stars running their system.

Why hasn't there been an American Superstar? Same reason why there are no foreign West African nfl superstars. NO infrastructure to develop talent.

 

[mastermind]

If you can't dead any and every pass with your first touch then you are wasting your time playing soccer.

 

[BLAZO da GAWD]

Huh? African teams might struggle but African players are legit. You act like Africans are terrible at soccer as if there aren't African players playing for Euro squads. You can't say its not about athleticism when players like Super Mario are superstars. Also, maybe Spain would still dominate it if they had more athletic stars running their system.

Why hasn't there been an American Superstar? Same reason why there are no foreign West African nfl superstars. NO infrastructure to develop talent.

You completely missed the point of my entire post and changed my words around. I said it's not all about athleticism. Of course it takes some degree of athleticism to be good at soccer, but it's not as easy as "being the best athletically will make us the best at the sport" as some casual American fans and dislikers of the sport are making it out to be.

My point with the African teams was they are athletically superior to much of the world, especially the European powers, however they don't dominate them when they play the Europeans. That adds to my point that being the best athletically will not equate to a better team. I'm well aware that there are Africans that play on some of the best club teams in the world. That has nothing to do with my point though.

 

[MoneyTron]

Huh? African teams might struggle but African players are legit. You act like Africans are terrible at soccer as if there aren't African players playing for Euro squads. You can't say its not about athleticism when players like Super Mario are superstars. Also, maybe Spain would still dominate it if they had more athletic stars running their system.

Why hasn't there been an American Superstar? Same reason why there are no foreign West African nfl superstars. NO infrastructure to develop talent.

Exactly. Like I was saying, put our athletes through a Euro training process...sheiiiit. I'd like to see what comes of something like that one day.

Messi's athleticism is underrated anyway. I bet he's quick as shyt over a 15 yard dash.

 

[BLAZO da GAWD]

Exactly. Like I was saying, put our athletes through a Euro training process...sheiiiit. I'd like to see what comes of something like that one day.

Messi's athleticism is underrated anyway. I bet he's quick as shyt over a 15 yard dash.

So what would you have to say about the African teams that are athletically superior to every team they play against, yet can't reach a WC final? They have the best athletes, therefore they should be the best, right?

 

[AITheAnswerAI]

Because real nikkas play football and basketball that's why

 

[MoneyTron]

So what would you have to say about the African teams that are athletically superior to every team they play against, yet can't reach a WC final? They have the best athletes, therefore they should be the best, right?

Do you they have the same training programs and resources of a Germany or Brazil?

I think the US has a large number of athletes superior to the ones we currently field in international play that would be great had they come up playing soccer with the same resources provided for football and basketball.

And I really think that would make a difference and might even produce a superstar. That's all I'm saying.

 

[BLAZO da GAWD]

Do you they have the same training programs and resources of a Germany or Brazil?

I think the US has a large number of athletes superior to the ones we currently field in international play that would be great had they come up playing soccer with the same resources provided for football and basketball.

And I really think that would make a difference and might even produce a superstar. That's all I'm saying.

Most of the top African players started playing in countries like Italy, France, Spain, and England from middle school or younger, so yes, they have the resources.

 

[phxdown]

You completely missed the point of my entire post and changed my words around. I said it's not all about athleticism. Of course it takes some degree of athleticism to be good at soccer, but it's not as easy as "being the best athletically will make us the best at the sport" as some casual American fans and dislikers of the sport are making it out to be.

My point with the African teams was they are athletically superior to much of the world, especially the European powers, however they don't dominate them when they play the Europeans. That adds to my point that being the best athletically will not equate to a better team. I'm well aware that there are Africans that play on some of the best club teams in the world. That has nothing to do with my point though.

Management and coaching are important. I mean no way was anybody on Argentina ( maybe Manu) better than on anyone on the 2004 US Mens basketball team. America still has better athletes and with better management and development, a superstar will emerge. The American Pele probably foolishly decided to be a punt returner. Gotta generate interest and get kids who are so-so at basketball, etc to recognize career opportunities

 

[MoneyTron]

Most of the top African players started playing in countries like Italy, France, Spain, and England from middle school or younger, so yes, they have the resources.

If you say so.

We'll agree to disagree.

 

[Trip]

It competes directly with football for kids who play a sport in the fall....with most youth programs football is taken far more seriously....soccer was always viewed as a leisure type sport. Basically, it's the coaching.

 

[Scientific]

You're only going to be as good as the level of competition. How can China have 1 billion people, basketball be more popular there than even soccer, but an inner city kid form States mature in the sport much better?

 

[TTT]

There really isnt a strict linear relationship between athleticism and success on the field. There are different football styles so trying to gauge success on only innate factors does not always work. Italy on paper would look slower than the English team they faced but they played a much more controlled game. People are not even taking into account the different skillset required for each position and how teams approach the game differently, Busquets and DeJong are tasked with the same role and go about it differently.

It has already been mentioned but in countries where the culture of playing the game is engrained it is easier to produce good players. Even some of the African players being mentioned were discovered through club structures that are relatively less resourced compared to Europe but the raw material is there. Netherlands with a population of 16 million has produced better players than say Belgium with a population about 5 million smaller. They obviously have the advantage of immigrant kids from other parts of the world as well as Suriname just like New Zealand can produce good rugby players with small populations. In fact the Ivory Coast through ASEC Mimosas, a club team, produced their best talented players right about the time the country was in the midst of huge political tensions, civil war and their country breaking apart.