England 2 U.S.A. 0

[Wee67]

Can't I wait until South Africa to have to face this again?!?!?

[Bo8a_Fett]

I haven't seen the Harlem Globetrotters lose one yet.

Or an american team lose the world series

[Bo8a_Fett]

Hmm a Homerun maybe?

enjoy

The Rules of Cricket

[toys2cool]

I hate to say it,but us Americans aren't really into soccer,I mean there are fans,but nothing compared to other sports

[Marvelmania]

Don't the English chase a big wheel of cheese down a steep hill? Now there's a sport!

[BlackKnight]

I hate to say it,but us Americans aren't really into soccer,I mean there are fans,but nothing compared to other sports

Agreed. Since We are Talking about "Soccer" I have nothing More to Add.

[Zemo]

enjoy

The Rules of Cricket

Agh so it is basically a home run, in the terms that is the best shot in cricket.

[Adam West]

No excuses....U.S. men's soccer is hurting and will not have a major impact on the world stage for another decade or so.

I have played soccer my entire life and can tell you from first hand experience that changes are occurring in the U.S. that will make it a Soccer powerhouse. When I was growing up, my team mates were generally the sons of first generation immigrants. Soccer formations were very rudimentary and creativity on the field was not encouraged. It was all positioning and zone style play. The coaches generally were dad's who have never played soccer.

Today, Soccer is the most popular youth sport in the U.S. You are now seeing even at a recreational level, coaching of parents like me, who grew up playing the sport. My 11 year old daughter is considered an average soccer player but can perform foot moves I that I never learned or could have performed. There are programs out there that can meet anyone who wants to play at any level which is much different from when I was growing up. I am going to be placing my daughter in a local soccer academy in the Fall. They are set up to develop kids at a much faster pace and in a more competitive environment than I can offer. They are ferreting out prodigy kids and placing them in DDP's (District Development Programs) and ODP's (Olympic Development Programs) as early as 12 and 13 years old.

Take a look at U.S. Women's soccer. They are ranked #1 in the World and I do think they would have won the World Cup had it not been for some poor coaching decisions. I watched them play Canada live a few weeks ago and they beat them easily 6-0 and Canada does have a good National Women's Team (I believe they are ranked #9). It happened because Women's soccer was not a big sport in any country so the U.S. had no catching up.

I doubt it will happen but the U.S. best short term solution is to get rid of Bradley, bring in a really good foreign coach and set our sights on developing our best up and comers like Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore to at least give us something for 2010.

I do think we have things set up right now to develop 10 and 11 year olds as well as anyone in the world. Unfortunately, it is going to take that long before we have an impact but I do think we will. We just have a lot of catching up to do.

[clemso]

I can't speak for the USA soccer team but England are rubbish at the moment.
We are hardly World beaters (or even Euro beaters)
Our best players are nearing the last part of their careers and new young 'English" talent is yet to surface.

Clem

[Adam West]

One thing I will add is to yesterday's loss is that the U.S. men fielded a team of players that play in European leagues and did not play all of our best players some of who still play in the MLS (Landon Donovan being one of them).

Again, no excuses but the U.S. is not fielding their best talent but more of their pre-season team. Last year, when I saw the U.S. play Brazil, it was U.S. best players against Brazil's best players. Brazil did not dominate us and the U.S. took the lead twice before Brazil striked a PK late in the game and a free kick just outside of the penalty box.

[Adam West]

U.S. Youth Soccer is using a general training program which is centered around a Dutch style of learning which includes small sided play (we currently play 7v7 as opposed to 11v11 to give players more touches on the ball during game) as well as building foundational skills such as ball control and movement with an emphasis on individual skill development. Team tactics is incorporated later.

There is also a lot of emphasis on South American and specifically Brazilian style soccer which encourages a lot of free form, superb ball control, and creativity. We encourage players to play in a variety of positions and to not feel that because they are playing as a defender or back that if given the proper circumstance, could take the ball down the field and incorporate themselves into a counter-attack in a positive environment that encourages taking risks without harsh criticism.

As I told my wife, to become a truly exceptional soccer player, it has to be your primary focus. There are a lot of competitive sports in the U.S. but I am starting to see very serious players who want to play soccer at the competitive level play the sport year-round which I never really saw much of when I was growing up. This along with the various programs to find and train young phenoms will produce some exceptional players from the U.S. in the years to come.

In fact, the soccer academy that my daughter is joining in the fall has a 14 year old boy who was invited to tryout for the U-15 U.S. Men's National Team so they are finding them even in smaller suburban areas such as ours.

[Bo8a_Fett]

Don't the English chase a big wheel of cheese down a steep hill? Now there's a sport!

Yeah but because it was deemed dangerous they've now changed the cheese wheel into a wooden one...lmao

[Bo8a_Fett]

Agh so it is basically a home run, in the terms that is the best shot in cricket.

certainly score wise but not the most difficult or most skillful shot....

[Hector]

U.S. Youth Soccer is using a general training program which is centered around a Dutch style of learning which includes small sided play (we currently play 7v7 as opposed to 11v11 to give players more touches on the ball during game) as well as building foundational skills such as ball control and movement with an emphasis on individual skill development. Team tactics is incorporated later.

There is also a lot of emphasis on South American and specifically Brazilian style soccer which encourages a lot of free form, superb ball control, and creativity. We encourage players to play in a variety of positions and to not feel that because they are playing as a defender or back that if given the proper circumstance, could take the ball down the field and incorporate themselves into a counter-attack in a positive environment that encourages taking risks without harsh criticism.

As I told my wife, to become a truly exceptional soccer player, it has to be your primary focus. There are a lot of competitive sports in the U.S. but I am starting to see very serious players who want to play soccer at the competitive level play the sport year-round which I never really saw much of when I was growing up. This along with the various programs to find and train young phenoms will produce some exceptional players from the U.S. in the years to come.

In fact, the soccer academy that my daughter is joining in the fall has a 14 year old boy who was invited to tryout for the U-15 U.S. Men's National Team so they are finding them even in smaller suburban areas such as ours.

Excellent post.

[Bo8a_Fett]

No excuses....U.S. men's soccer is hurting and will not have a major impact on the world stage for another decade or so.

I have played soccer my entire life and can tell you from first hand experience that changes are occurring in the U.S. that will make it a Soccer powerhouse. When I was growing up, my team mates were generally the sons of first generation immigrants. Soccer formations were very rudimentary and creativity on the field was not encouraged. It was all positioning and zone style play. The coaches generally were dad's who have never played soccer.

Today, Soccer is the most popular youth sport in the U.S. You are now seeing even at a recreational level, coaching of parents like me, who grew up playing the sport. My 11 year old daughter is considered an average soccer player but can perform foot moves I that I never learned or could have performed. There are programs out there that can meet anyone who wants to play at any level which is much different from when I was growing up. I am going to be placing my daughter in a local soccer academy in the Fall. They are set up to develop kids at a much faster pace and in a more competitive environment than I can offer. They are ferreting out prodigy kids and placing them in DDP's (District Development Programs) and ODP's (Olympic Development Programs) as early as 12 and 13 years old.

Take a look at U.S. Women's soccer. They are ranked #1 in the World and I do think they would have won the World Cup had it not been for some poor coaching decisions. I watched them play Canada live a few weeks ago and they beat them easily 6-0 and Canada does have a good National Women's Team (I believe they are ranked #9). It happened because Women's soccer was not a big sport in any country so the U.S. had no catching up.

I doubt it will happen but the U.S. best short term solution is to get rid of Bradley, bring in a really good foreign coach and set our sights on developing our best up and comers like Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore to at least give us something for 2010.

I do think we have things set up right now to develop 10 and 11 year olds as well as anyone in the world. Unfortunately, it is going to take that long before we have an impact but I do think we will. We just have a lot of catching up to do.

You certainly have improved since '94...and now as you say more people are playing the game at youth level...the sky's the limit....all that untapped potential and wealth of players from which to choose.....look at the African teams emerging now as potential world beaters with players in all the major leagues around the football playing world...it won't be long before you guys can truely compete...long term ....with the top teams.