mr marcus
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**Official USMNT Soccer Thread**
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by deepinthajeep,
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Getting kids in the US to play soccer is not the problem. It's the biggest youth participation sport in the US by a wide margin.
The issue is making sure there is infrastructure to identify talent at a young age & nurturing that talent so that the players grow on the same level it does in other countries.
The question we have here in the US is how do we go about growing that talent? Are we going to pour money into growing the MLS academies? Do we build additional academies?
We also have to make sure there is a universal accreditation process for every coach in the club/travel soccer scene. There also needs to be a unification process of all the leagues in each state with clear lines of communication set up amongst the governing bodies.
It's a lot more complicated than that but that's the jist.
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Difficult side to break into. Wishing the same for Julian, and Shaqiri.
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I can't find any stats that say soccer is the biggest youth participation sport in the US, can you post some links? I really had no idea it was beating out basketball.
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The thing is that we don't have soccer courts(5 a side or futsal size) and fields as accessible as basketball courts for all of our young people.
Like mentioned before, we're not a nation where pickup soccer is being played like basketball is.
In other nations, it's played on dirt, sand, and of course grass.
People are always playing 2v2, 3v3, etc. with basketball but not soccer unlike other nations.
Even if our kids play pickup soccer more often, organized play/travel leagues are extremely expensive as the best competition is Club-based and not school based as with other sports.
Believe me I want it to happen, but it's very rare that kids make it to the level of a Clint Dempsey by pursuing the route that he did; possible but not likely.
Like mentioned before, we're not a nation where pickup soccer is being played like basketball is.
In other nations, it's played on dirt, sand, and of course grass.
People are always playing 2v2, 3v3, etc. with basketball but not soccer unlike other nations.
Even if our kids play pickup soccer more often, organized play/travel leagues are extremely expensive as the best competition is Club-based and not school based as with other sports.
Believe me I want it to happen, but it's very rare that kids make it to the level of a Clint Dempsey by pursuing the route that he did; possible but not likely.
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its funny, for a moment I was agreeing with the assertion that soccer fields/facilities aren't available for the public at large.....
but after thinking about it for 10 more seconds I realized that in an 8 mile radius from where I live (suburb a bit north of Sac), there are 2 soccer specific facilities, one of which has an accompanying small "indoor" soccer field (its still outdoors) with a rain cover and the other actually has a cover for the stands for rain games.
Not to mention, when I used to work in youth sports, I had to kick out gatherings of soccer players at least once a week for using our fields when we had it booked off already
(and this was 2+ years ago)
all in all, I believe soccer is relatively well in the country. It just has to continue growing and reaching everyone and providing a certain path for our youth in which to follow in order to make it up the ranks.
As PSK noted, its not clear if its building more grassroots academies or adding funds to MLS academies.... I would say the former since there aren't enough MLS teams around in each region.
And as DsLee said, we won't be lucky to have players like Clint (or Cameron) who somehow make it the way he made it
but after thinking about it for 10 more seconds I realized that in an 8 mile radius from where I live (suburb a bit north of Sac), there are 2 soccer specific facilities, one of which has an accompanying small "indoor" soccer field (its still outdoors) with a rain cover and the other actually has a cover for the stands for rain games.
Not to mention, when I used to work in youth sports, I had to kick out gatherings of soccer players at least once a week for using our fields when we had it booked off already
all in all, I believe soccer is relatively well in the country. It just has to continue growing and reaching everyone and providing a certain path for our youth in which to follow in order to make it up the ranks.
As PSK noted, its not clear if its building more grassroots academies or adding funds to MLS academies.... I would say the former since there aren't enough MLS teams around in each region.
And as DsLee said, we won't be lucky to have players like Clint (or Cameron) who somehow make it the way he made it
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DeadsetAce
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What's Clint's Story ?
trailer park kid. family couldn't afford to have him play on elite teams as he was growing up. but he found a way (his wiki says teammates' parents helped out) to keep playing and moving up and developing his game.
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Came up through the college ranks rather than the IMG academy or going pro at a young age because he wasn't discovered early enough.
Although to his credit, once he was discovered he exploded
Besler is another player that went that route.
Although to his credit, once he was discovered he exploded
Besler is another player that went that route.
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Don't forget that Deuce honed his skills playing in local Latino leagues in East Texas (different type of competition and helped his game become well rounded)...
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This is what I was getting at when I mentioned Jurgen getting more kids into soccer. Maybe he can have the USMNT practice at high schools and hand out some copies of FIFA, I don't know. He can help us cultivate the soccer culture. I'm not expecting him to overhaul our programs, that seems like something the MLS/NCAA can work on.
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Yeah Deuce played in Mexican Adult Leagues, I believe, as a teenager and was out there getting physically punked but gained toughness through it.
I will dedicate more time to watch MLS with my little boy though and take pride in what America has to offer in terms of soccer. It may not be the best, but it won't have a chance of being one of the best leagues if we don't support it as a country.
I will dedicate more time to watch MLS with my little boy though and take pride in what America has to offer in terms of soccer. It may not be the best, but it won't have a chance of being one of the best leagues if we don't support it as a country.
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DeadsetAce
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amen, dude.
and we had like what, 10 dudes on the USMNT that play in MLS? fun to be able to watch them and see how they develop, and then even follow them overseas if they make it to a team over there. MLS has some talents worth watching for sure.
DeadsetAce
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Omar on Conan tonight
Conan did his best to make him blush. seems like a nice dude
Conan did his best to make him blush. seems like a nice dude
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Has anyone seen that DeAndre Yedlin is being looked at by Roma and Liverpool. Guess his World Cup play left a good impression on some Euro teams.
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Girls on my FB thirsting over:
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lyon too
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He's got the upside at 19, big game experience, showed poise and maturity. He just needs to get better at tracking back and just get more games under his belt.
My-T.
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Julian Green will travel with the first team as Bayern tours the US.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2...ncluded-bayern-munichs-first-team-us-preseaso
http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2...ncluded-bayern-munichs-first-team-us-preseaso
mr marcus
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Hope Green gets on the field against the All Stars. He'd get a huge reception
mr marcus
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I'm sure he will
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Yeah, no chance Green doesn't play significant minutes in that game.
DaMarcus Beasley will sign with MLS this week. No real solid rumors on his final destination, tho. DC keeps coming up, but he could always go back to Chicago (his first club/near his home in Ft. Wayne).
DaMarcus Beasley will sign with MLS this week. No real solid rumors on his final destination, tho. DC keeps coming up, but he could always go back to Chicago (his first club/near his home in Ft. Wayne).
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DeadsetAce
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good for green. hoping he shines
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Timbers could use a better-than-Harrington defensive back. Come to Portland, DaMarcus
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