US v. Belgium - Let's do this

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:43 am

AB_skin_test wrote:It would have...they didn't call offside, it was for a potential foul on Belgium away from the play. Officials said as much afterwards.

I'll tell you what...for as shitty as that shot was, you have to tip your cap for the creativity there. The hop-shot is the right play but you can't let that ball bounce. It increases the difficulty level tremendously. Dempsey had an easy hop-shot off of the free kick play they set up for him and he shit the bed and kicked it right into the goalies chest. He may be a decent athlete but dude has no vision.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:43 am

Where in the hell does tiny Belgium get all of these athletes? Lukaku looked like he could have been Josh Gordon were he born in the US.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:44 am

Jerloma wrote:
AB_skin_test wrote:It would have...they didn't call offside, it was for a potential foul on Belgium away from the play. Officials said as much afterwards.
I'll tell you what...for as shitty as that shot was, you have to tip your cap for the creativity there. The hop-shot is the right play but you can't let that ball bounce. It increases the difficulty level tremendously. Dempsey had an easy hop-shot off of the free kick play they set up for him and he shit the bed and kicked it right into the goalies chest. He may be a decent athlete but dude has no vision.

I think that was the two-point play that Tomlin keeps in his pocket.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:44 am

Jerloma wrote:
AB_skin_test wrote:It would have...they didn't call offside, it was for a potential foul on Belgium away from the play. Officials said as much afterwards.
I'll tell you what...for as shitty as that shot was, you have to tip your cap for the creativity there. The hop-shot is the right play but you can't let that ball bounce. It increases the difficulty level tremendously. Dempsey had an easy hop-shot off of the free kick play they set up for him and he shit the bed and kicked it right into the goalies chest. He may be a decent athlete but dude has no vision.

I just wish he could have gotten it on goal at least. Most likely it would have been at the goalie if so, but you HAVE to get that on goal.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:46 am

Gunpowder wrote:Where in the hell does tiny Belgium get all of these athletes? Lukaku looked like he could have been Josh Gordon were he born in the US.

THE CONGO!

No shit, Lukaku's dad was from the Congo.

"Lukaku was born in Antwerp,[49] a city in northern Belgium. His father, Roger Lukaku,[50] played professional football and was capped at international level by Zaire."

Post by **brian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:47 am

SportsDoc wrote:Very proud of US squad. Had a couple huge opportunities, one to win in reg and one to go PK at the end.

Having said that, without Howard, we would have been fucked puppies, no? 16 saves, many fantastic, especially the kick saves.

And in 2002 we got to QF and lost to eventual Runner-up Germany, so is this team better than that team? If so, why. Trying to grasp the "Big Picture" here as to the future.

It's hard to project the future, but the US appears as if it will have a MUCH deeper team than the 2002 team when 2018 rolls around. And it will have a lot more young offensive minded players so (again, theoretically) than the US has ever had so we should be better suited to playing the kind of soccer than Klinsmann is trying to develop in all American squads from the youth squads on up to the national team. So it's not really a comparison between 2002 and 2014 in my mind.

Other advantages? The Copa America Centario will be a HUGE tournament since it is in the US and will be getting a lot of world attention -- an unusual chance for some of our younger players to get some seasoning at an almost World Cup-type level that we seldom get.

If we can win the Gold Cup next year, we clinch a spot in the Confederations Cup in 2017. Again, I think a big advantage -- the 2010 team said as much about its 2009 Confed Cup.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:51 am

That's a big point--we took a hit this cycle by not qualifying for either the Olympics or the Confed Cup. That's a lot of competitive games we missed out on where guys could have gotten some experience. Especially the Olympics for the young guys.

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:54 am

Petition to change the name of Washington National Airport to Tim Howard National Airport.

I signed it. Better than Ronald Reagan.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:55 am

Are you afraid of burnout?

2014 World Cup, 2015 Gold Cup, 2016 Centenario, 2017 Confederations Cup, 2018 World Cup.
Plus qualifying and friendlies. That's a heavy load especially for european-based players.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:56 am

degenerasian wrote:Are you afraid of burnout?

2014 World Cup, 2015 Gold Cup, 2016 Centenario, 2017 Confederations Cup, 2018 World Cup.
Plus qualifying and friendlies. That's a heavy load especially for european-based players.

Of which we have very few.

I think US soccer needs to promote the shit out of the GOld Cup...keep the good feelings coming wrt the american populace.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:59 am

too many tournaments is a better problem than not enough, and the US suffers from not enough. this cycle will be different

SportsDoc · Post by **SportsDoc** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:02 am

How do we compare MLS with Premier League, and how many of our players are in the Premier League?

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:05 am

SportsDoc wrote:How do we compare MLS with Premier League, and how many of our players are in the Premier League?

It's nowhere close to the EPL. And off the top of my head, only Howard, Cameron and Guzan are in the EPL currently. We have 2-3 in the German Bundesliga I believe as well.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:10 am

Is Atlantic 10 versus Big 12 basketball a good comp? A-10 very best players would start somewhere in the Big 12 and the next level of good ones could be rotation guys?

SportsDoc · Post by **SportsDoc** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:13 am

AB_skin_test wrote:
SportsDoc wrote:How do we compare MLS with Premier League, and how many of our players are in the Premier League?
It's nowhere close to the EPL. And off the top of my head, only Howard, Cameron and Guzan are in the EPL currently. We have 2-3 in the German Bundesliga I believe as well.

OK, so where do we go from here?

Do we try to get more of our elite players in the EPL? Or do we try to elevate MLS to their level?

It's obviously preferable to elevate MLS, but is it realistic to expect that to happen over the next 10 years?

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:16 am

AB_skin_test wrote:Yedlin can play for my team anyday. That kid could be really special...he crosses as well as any US player I can recall and he's just 21. I could see him making a move to a European squad in January. Right backs who can fly and cross the ball aren't easy to find.

Yeah, I had been happy with Johnson's play on that wing. But Yedlin was WAY better. He made a difference in the first few minutes he came in.

And for as much as I heard about how great Zusi crosses the ball - again Yedlin was so much better. Zusi hit a good one once in every 3-4. At least a third of his balls instead sailed across everyone.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:20 am

AB_skin_test wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Are you afraid of burnout?

2014 World Cup, 2015 Gold Cup, 2016 Centenario, 2017 Confederations Cup, 2018 World Cup.
Plus qualifying and friendlies. That's a heavy load especially for european-based players.

Of which we have very few.

I think US soccer needs to promote the shit out of the GOld Cup...keep the good feelings coming wrt the american populace.

If Costa Rica wins the world cup you've really got something to promote. The Evil World Champions.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:24 am

SportsDoc wrote:
AB_skin_test wrote:
SportsDoc wrote:How do we compare MLS with Premier League, and how many of our players are in the Premier League?
It's nowhere close to the EPL. And off the top of my head, only Howard, Cameron and Guzan are in the EPL currently. We have 2-3 in the German Bundesliga I believe as well.
OK, so where do we go from here?

Do we try to get more of our elite players in the EPL? Or do we try to elevate MLS to their level?

It's obviously preferable to elevate MLS, but is it realistic to expect that to happen over the next 10 years?

Elevate the MLS.

The EPL is quite flawed, it isn't as great as people say. It's a very fast and physical league but not that skillful. It's only popular because it's English, the international language for marketing. EPL teams are getting killed in Champions League now because they are disorganized and chaotic. Also the schedule is demanding. EPL+FA Cup+League Cup+European. An American player would flourish more in the Spanish or German league. The play is less robust and there is a winter break.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:45 am

SportsDoc wrote:Having said that, without Howard, we would have been fucked puppies, no? 16 saves, many fantastic, especially the kick saves.

Nah. Nick would have kept a clean sheet.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:56 am

SportsDoc wrote:
OK, so where do we go from here?

Do we try to get more of our elite players in the EPL? Or do we try to elevate MLS to their level?

It's obviously preferable to elevate MLS, but is it realistic to expect that to happen over the next 10 years?

MLS has a long way to go, but it has steadily gotten much better. There seems to be a heck of a lot fewer Americans playing in Europe, and I think the improved MLS plays a role. The other issue is Americans with a lot of potential go to Europe, and then don't get any playing time. I mentioned Brek Shea, as he was a young MLS star and showed potential with the National Team. He signed with a club in England, and doesn't even make the bench. When he was subsequently called into the National Team, his timing was off, he lacked confidence and was a complete mess. Now he is almost completely off the radar. Bradley and Dempsey came back for the same reason. Dempsey starred for a mediocre English team, Fulham, and is actually the club's EPL career goal leader. He moved to a better team, Tottenham, and didn't get much playing time so he returned to MLS. Bradley did the same thing. He was a star and I think captain of a mediocre Italian team in the highest division. He moved to Roma, a bigger team. At first he was starting, then when he picked up an injury, his replacement stole a lot of his playing time. When Roma signed another player to compete with Bradley for playing time, he moved to an MLS team to remain in top form for the World Cup. At least that is my opinion.

A few things have held back the US in soccer. First, even though many kids play soccer, the best athletes usually end up focusing on other sports. Kobe Bryant loves soccer. Imagine if he was playing striker instead of shooting guard. Kevin Garnett loves soccer, too. Imagine having him as a target man on corner kicks. Until recently, there were very few black players in the talent pool. Inner cities lack the space for playing fields, so basketball is a more realistic option. Eddie Johnson grew up in projects, but a guy started a soccer program for the kids living there, which is the only way he would have discovered the sport. With more outreach to poor/inner city communities, we will bring more kids into the sport. Dempsey had to travel 3 hours from his trailer park to play games. If his parents weren't so devoted to him, and I think few would be, he never would have played.

In Europe, professional teams have youth academies. They sign the best kids at very young ages, and have live on site. They get professional level training from a young age. Until US Soccer created a development program similar to this, we had nothing. Only a tiny number of players go, as compared to the numbers of European players at academies. The first class produced a number of USMNT regulars, including Beasley, Donovan, Onyewu, Beckerman and Convey. MLS teams are starting to follow this model. Which should help with my final issue. Until recently, the best high school players went on to college, where in Europe, they all go into professional soccer. Euros learn the rigors of professional soccer and the dedication while Americans are doing keg stands at frat parties, and only practicing and playing for a few months a year. They are getting a 4 or 5 year head start in Europe, and learning better habits young. The early batch of Americans in Europe were all shocked at the dedication it takes to be a professional. And for many it was too late.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:28 pm

AB_skin_test wrote:Also, if I'm Klinsmann, I find the best technique coach out there and I offer him a lot of money. The US needs better first touch.

This leads to my biggest question. How possible/practical is it to develop fundamental ball technique beyond a certain age (17? 20? 25?) I invite comparison to the sports I know well (hoops and baseball). As an off the top generalization, I've seen guys drastically improve their shooting late in life, but not their dribble/passing skills, which seem to be pretty fixed by the time they reach the association.

tennbengal wrote:I am hoping the first touch mantra bleeds to all levels of US soccer. I have been wrapped up in a good Club program with my son the last three years, and, developmentally, getting the kids to understand and value the first touch is a massive challenge.

It seems bengal and I had this same convo in 2006. iirc, your answer to my big question above was that it has to start young. You, and anyone else, see progress on this count in youth soccer? Are the star youngsters at age 15 or 18 willing to put in the tedious, boring, mind-numbing work to improve their basic skills?

I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club. But those reflexes will significantly erode by Russia 2018. I don't know soccer but I do know Father Time.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:31 pm

howard wrote: I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club. But those reflexes will significantly erode by Russia 2018. I don't know soccer but I do know Father Time.

He has already started doing color commentary work on EPL games. It seems very bizarre to have a current EPL player commenting on EPL games, but who knows better than an actively playing goalie? I think he has a strong career in the booth ahead of him.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:35 pm

The Sybian wrote:
howard wrote: I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club. But those reflexes will significantly erode by Russia 2018. I don't know soccer but I do know Father Time.
He has already started doing color commentary work on EPL games. It seems very bizarre to have a current EPL player commenting on EPL games, but who knows better than an actively playing goalie? I think he has a strong career in the booth ahead of him.

So long as we can't see him fiddling with his beard, it's cool. And yes, I know he can't really help that.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:15 pm

howard wrote:I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club.

And risk the wrath of MetroStars Nation?

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:26 pm

rass wrote:
howard wrote:I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club.
And risk the wrath of MetroStars Nation?

I am clueless about the depth of his connection with MetroStars/Red Bull, that was a long time ago. Or if he still lives in Jersey. I just figured the new club would be more inclined to throw large piles of cash his way. I certainly would do that were I the NY Citeh owner.

Plus, I want to like this new club because it is so much more convenient for me to follow, just four subway stops away. Despite the Yankees.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:29 pm

I was kidding, and purposely used the old team name because typing "MetroStars Nation" made me giggle.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:43 pm

I was concerned I may have offended. You Jersey people are a proud folk.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:16 pm

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:17 pm

howard wrote:I was concerned I may have offended. You Jersey people are a proud folk.

Now I am offended.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:01 pm

howard wrote:
AB_skin_test wrote:Also, if I'm Klinsmann, I find the best technique coach out there and I offer him a lot of money. The US needs better first touch.
This leads to my biggest question. How possible/practical is it to develop fundamental ball technique beyond a certain age (17? 20? 25?) I invite comparison to the sports I know well (hoops and baseball). As an off the top generalization, I've seen guys drastically improve their shooting late in life, but not their dribble/passing skills, which seem to be pretty fixed by the time they reach the association.

tennbengal wrote:I am hoping the first touch mantra bleeds to all levels of US soccer. I have been wrapped up in a good Club program with my son the last three years, and, developmentally, getting the kids to understand and value the first touch is a massive challenge.
It seems bengal and I had this same convo in 2006. iirc, your answer to my big question above was that it has to start young. You, and anyone else, see progress on this count in youth soccer? Are the star youngsters at age 15 or 18 willing to put in the tedious, boring, mind-numbing work to improve their basic skills?

I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club. But those reflexes will significantly erode by Russia 2018. I don't know soccer but I do know Father Time.

I've been coaching travel soccer teams for about 10 years (my son and now my daughter.) Some observations:

* Me and my co-coach are a dying breed. We played in a division with 22 other teams (we only played half of them, but we've seen the others last season or in tournaments.) We are the only unpaid/volunteer coaches out of these teams. That trend is good for the sport. Our team wins tournaments and we just had undefeated season... we know what we're doing. But most "dad coaches" just don't have the knowledge or the time that professional coaches have to devote to the team.

* I make a point of watching older age bracket games, along with a good chunk of high school games. I live in a hotbed of soccer, and played my club and high school ball here. To say they are playing a different brand of soccer than we did is a massive understatement. These kids make pinpoint 40 yard passes, and the guy on the other end brings it down like a feather. They play "high press" and try tiki taka if they have the overall talent, but if they don't, it's not one long ball launched after another. It is truly entertaining stuff to watch. Back when I played, even if we tried to play possession, we would go up against Route 1 teams, making for ugly pinball game affairs.

* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasley started out, they had to go down to Bradenton, these days most MLS teams have academies, European teams are setting up shop, and more clubs are going this route. They are no longer content to sit in a geographical limited league, but rather they are playing in regional leagues and attending high end, elite tournaments.

We have a long way to go, but these trends are part of what Klinsmann is talking about.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:29 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote:* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasley started out, they had to go down to Bradenton, these days most MLS teams have academies, European teams are setting up shop, and more clubs are going this route. They are no longer content to sit in a geographical limited league, but rather they are playing in regional leagues and attending high end, elite tournaments.

Is this setup more likely to get immigrant and first-generation kids than the current setup that involves expensive "traveling teams"?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:33 pm

howard wrote:
AB_skin_test wrote:Also, if I'm Klinsmann, I find the best technique coach out there and I offer him a lot of money. The US needs better first touch.
This leads to my biggest question. How possible/practical is it to develop fundamental ball technique beyond a certain age (17? 20? 25?) I invite comparison to the sports I know well (hoops and baseball). As an off the top generalization, I've seen guys drastically improve their shooting late in life, but not their dribble/passing skills, which seem to be pretty fixed by the time they reach the association.

tennbengal wrote:I am hoping the first touch mantra bleeds to all levels of US soccer. I have been wrapped up in a good Club program with my son the last three years, and, developmentally, getting the kids to understand and value the first touch is a massive challenge.
It seems bengal and I had this same convo in 2006. iirc, your answer to my big question above was that it has to start young. You, and anyone else, see progress on this count in youth soccer? Are the star youngsters at age 15 or 18 willing to put in the tedious, boring, mind-numbing work to improve their basic skills?

I like the idea of Howard going out on top. A victory lap around Everton, then maybe some money and accolades with a domestic club, maybe the new Yankees club. But those reflexes will significantly erode by Russia 2018. I don't know soccer but I do know Father Time.

Goalkeepers tend to last much longer than field players. Gianluigi Buffon started for Italy this year, and he's 80. And a vampire.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:42 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
Nonlinear FC wrote:* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasley started out, they had to go down to Bradenton, these days most MLS teams have academies, European teams are setting up shop, and more clubs are going this route. They are no longer content to sit in a geographical limited league, but rather they are playing in regional leagues and attending high end, elite tournaments.
Is this setup more likely to get immigrant and first-generation kids than the current setup that involves expensive "traveling teams"?

Sounds kind of like the youth baseball system, and that does ok, so I'd imagine.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:43 pm

Even football and basketball have a lot of these regional-sounding elite camps and in basketball's case, leagues. Both I'd say are very regional.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:48 pm

govmentchedda wrote:
Goalkeepers tend to last much longer than field players. Gianluigi Buffon started for Italy this year, and he's 80. And a vampire.

Yeah, most goalies peak in their mid 30s. Old Man Friedel is still playing, or more accurately still on an EPL team, at 43 years young. I think he could start for a lot of teams, but Lloris is in front of him at Tottenham.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:55 pm

govmentchedda wrote:
Goalkeepers tend to last much longer than field players. Gianluigi Buffon started for Italy this year, and he's 80. And a vampire.

I'm happy for Tim Howard, and Ima let you finish, but Gigi Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.

It's probably not fair to expect anyone to be the first choice keeper as long as Buffon has been.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:57 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
Nonlinear FC wrote:* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasley started out, they had to go down to Bradenton, these days most MLS teams have academies, European teams are setting up shop, and more clubs are going this route. They are no longer content to sit in a geographical limited league, but rather they are playing in regional leagues and attending high end, elite tournaments.
Is this setup more likely to get immigrant and first-generation kids than the current setup that involves expensive "traveling teams"?

Short answer: Nope.

More nuanced answer: Perhaps, over time. DCU's academy team, for one, is actively recruiting in the hispanic leagues. They, along with many others have funds to offset those that need it. I know my club, Rush, is instituting a program to offset costs where appropriate.

The academy set-up, overall, is good because it brings more structure and funding into play. They are motivated and driven by winning. Yes, most clubs have those as drivers, but there's still too much soccer mom, rec ball bullshit at the younger ages. Professionally run academies are going to go out of their way to find that talent.

But it's not a primary driver, at least as far as I can tell.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:04 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote:
More nuanced answer: Perhaps, over time. DCU's academy team, for one, is actively recruiting in the hispanic leagues. They, along with many others have funds to offset those that need it. I know my club, Rush, is instituting a program to offset costs where appropriate.

The academy set-up, overall, is good because it brings more structure and funding into play. They are motivated and driven by winning. Yes, most clubs have those as drivers, but there's still too much soccer mom, rec ball bullshit at the younger ages. Professionally run academies are going to go out of their way to find that talent.

But it's not a primary driver, at least as far as I can tell.

OTOH, most of Brazil's players come from very poor areas where they kick a ball around wherever they can, gaining insane ball control in tight quarters. Organized training is great, but for the Brazilians, this is how they develop their creative style and ball control.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:08 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote:
Steve of phpBB wrote:
Nonlinear FC wrote:* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasley started out, they had to go down to Bradenton, these days most MLS teams have academies, European teams are setting up shop, and more clubs are going this route. They are no longer content to sit in a geographical limited league, but rather they are playing in regional leagues and attending high end, elite tournaments.
Is this setup more likely to get immigrant and first-generation kids than the current setup that involves expensive "traveling teams"?
Short answer: Nope.

More nuanced answer: Perhaps, over time. DCU's academy team, for one, is actively recruiting in the hispanic leagues. They, along with many others have funds to offset those that need it. I know my club, Rush, is instituting a program to offset costs where appropriate.

The academy set-up, overall, is good because it brings more structure and funding into play. They are motivated and driven by winning. Yes, most clubs have those as drivers, but there's still too much soccer mom, rec ball bullshit at the younger ages. Professionally run academies are going to go out of their way to find that talent.

But it's not a primary driver, at least as far as I can tell.

A good Academy example of not $ is Andy Najar. DC United got him after only a few months in the US. They developed him signed him and got the transfer fee. I am guessing Gideon Zeeleman (Arsenal) also was not paying $5k a year for Bethesda's club (or whatever full cost is).

The only said thing I see is club being more important than high school ball. US development academy kids are prohibited from playing for their school. Once again the too much soccer games and not enough time working on skills....but playing for your school is an experience that kids should get to do. Jamie Moreno (DC United legend) kid choose his high school over the DC United Academy because of this decision.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:12 pm

The Sybian wrote:OTOH, most of Brazil's players come from very poor areas where they kick a ball around wherever they can, gaining insane ball control in tight quarters. Organized training is great, but for the Brazilians, this is how they develop their creative style and ball control.

Maybe we should cut down the basketball nets in the projects and have the kids play futsal instead.