The current hope for US football is in foreign born US nationals, or players relocating very young. The youth system here is very, very poor. It’s mainly a pay to play system that favours upper middle class families who don’t take sport as seriously as a career. It can be a pathway to a college scholarship, but any player going through the admittedly resource rich college system, will be too old to make a significant impact as a professional when they finally emerge.
The MLS is very poor in terms of quality, and most of the games are on artificial surfaces. Soccer has blown up here as a recreational and youth sport, but again it’s a business not a true development pathway to professional sports. The youth clubs of most professional teams are shite. The local Hispanic teams in our neighbourhood routinely thrash the Chicago Fire A teams at every youth level. And these kids are just playing for fun.
The US has some good and interesting young talents coming through. Still way less than most major nations, but they are all getting their development abroad. That’s the common denominator in their success to date.
From a southerners perspective... Soccer is still well down the totem pole in American sport.
Take for instance the high school sports season... Soccer is a spring sport. So is track and baseball. Football coaches are going to push their skill players to do track and baseball is a traditional pastime that most Americans know and understand.
There’s also a serious negative stereotype issue across America that soccer is “communist football” and “for sissies”.
Finally there’s a coaching problem. Most traditional American sports have plenty of people ready and willing to coach. Soccer still doesn’t yet. A lot of the youth coaches and even high school coaches aren’t really knowledgeable about the sport, which leads to poor development at the most crucial ages to produce a “golden generation”.
Of course they are, but there are still a lot of them.Those that parrot this ideas like Anne Coulter are firmly in the minority now.
Some of the academies are decent. Dallas in particular, but you are right in that their best talents need to move abroad. If MLS wasn’t so delusional and accepted that they were a feeder league then I think it could work out. Players like Sargeant wouldn’t sit a year after running down their academy contract while waiting to be eligible in the EU. They could play that year, or 2, and then be sold on for a reasonable fee.
The pay to play system is an abomination. Enough said.
Yep. Born and raised in ATL, season ticket holder since 2017. Still think Bello has a way to go in terms of his final delivery and positioning but his dribbling and technique is already among the best in our left back pool imo.Are you a fellow Atlanta United fan?
Anyways, agree on Bello. I saw less of Atlanta this year after we moved from Birmingham, but I have always been a fan.
Quick aside, talked with a member of the local USL team who knows a ton about US Soccer. When I asked him about Carlton he just should his head and said “what a fecking waste”.
Anyways, based on what I saw from Miazga today I want to see Richards fast tracked as Brooks partner. Brooks looked so comfortable building from the back against Wales. Imagine what he could do if he was not having to carry Miazga or Long or Zimmerman!
Yep. Born and raised in ATL, season ticket holder since 2017. Still think Bello has a way to go in terms of his final delivery and positioning but his dribbling and technique is already among the best in our left back pool imo.
I agree about Richards being paired with Brooks, both are so comfortable on the ball. Miazga, Long, Zimmerman and Ream all have one glaring weakness or another in their game that makes me distrust them.
Another Atlanta boy, Miles Robinson, also suffered playing in a horribly coached and constructed team this year. He looked like the best CB in MLS and a surefire call-up last year. One of the few defenders in our pool with 'rolls-royce' potential. Already had all the physical tools coming out of college and his passing and reading of the game took a huge step forward under de Boer. Unfortunately, that reading was a lot more inconsistent this year. Really think he should be a callup come the WC as well (obviously I'm biased), but it's up to him to show what he's capable of for the next season and a half. Playing in a competent team would help that, but he's probably fallen behind the aforementioned group in Berhalter's eyes this year.
I’m loving the ATL United love on here!
Those Tata, Martinez, Almaron years. Sigh. That was the shit.I’m loving the ATL United love on here!
There's maybe half a dozen of us!
I mean... Musah's only 17 and not cap tied, and it was only Wales and Panama, but it's hard not to get excited about that midfield 3. McKennie should be our captain, and the sooner he is, the better.
One of those three (almost definitely Musah) loses out when Pulisic comes in, as Reyna looks a surefire starter if he keeps playing big minutes for Dortmund. Didn't think he was great today but you'd assume Berhalter goes to a 4231 or 433 when everyone's fit with one of Pulisic/Reyna central and one out on the left. Haven't seen Musah for Valencia but apparently he's been playing on the right for them? Definitely one of the weaker positions in the pool so he could find a place there, might be Gregg's best shot of convincing him to get cap-tied. I quite liked Tyler Boyd there last summer at the Gold Cup but he's dropped off at club level it seems. Llanez is also a good right-sided talent, and of course Morris who's had a great few seasons can play there too.
@WI_Red On Carleton, he just doesn't have the mentality, unfortunately. That combined with how hard it is for #10s with no physicality to make it at the professional level has been his downfall. My friend played in the ATL academy with him and he just seemed to think he'd made it already, which is a shame because he seemed like a really good kid when he was getting media coverage in his teens. So many incidents with him since signing his contract: getting suspended right before MLS Cup for partying, frequenting Buckhead bars (still underage mind you), apparently forgetting his passport before an away trip. The kid's still young and I have nothing against him, but listening to his interviews recently he seems remorseful but more for not getting opportunities than thinking he was at fault for anything. Looks like he was decent in USL this year, but he looked above USL level at 16 so not a huge development. His vision and technique are still incredibly good in the context of US talents. Very unlikely he ever gets capped with how things are going but if he buckles down he'll end up a solid MLS player.
Reyna coming in from the right would be interesting long term. BvB plays with these sorts of wide attacking midfielders in lieu of wingers so Reyna should get plenty of experience in that sort of role. Agree that having an actual #9 out there would've made us much more positive about the Wales performance, though I was quite happy anyways.What I hope to see when the Glass Prince returns is an alteration of the Wales game. Basically a 433 with a front 3 of CP, GR and whatever striker. The one thing that stuck out in that game was that Gio constantly pinching in from the right gave Dest a bunch of room to get up the flanks to provide the width. Musah and/or Adams covered for Dest really well when he bombed forward. If this was intentional I get the feeling that what we saw in that game was what Berhalter wants, just replace Konrad with CP and Llegett with an actual striker.
The three midfielders owner the center of the park and have two much more skillful attackers would have made that game look way better.
Reyna coming in from the right would be interesting long term. BvB plays with these sorts of wide attacking midfielders in lieu of wingers so Reyna should get plenty of experience in that sort of role. Agree that having an actual #9 out there would've made us much more positive about the Wales performance, though I was quite happy anyways.
------------------Steffen
Dest-Richards-Brooks-A. Robinson
--------Musah-Adams-McKennie
----------Reyna-------------------Puli
---------------Altidore
That would be a very tasty lineup if everyone keeps developing come the WC. I'm still a big believer in Jozy's talent, he's just made of glass (and not great in pressure moments). Would be very happy to see Gioachinni or Soto develop to a point where they could displace him. I'd hope for that team to at least make the QFs unless they draw a powerhouse in the RO16. What troubles me is that we're in this age where we have so many exciting young talents and yet a lack of experience. The grit of the 2010 and 2014 cycles is gone but we're gonna play much nicer stuff. No idea if 3G is the right man for the job, I'm still angry they passed on Martino for such a stupid reason when he was available. Nevertheless, as positive as I've been about the USMNT for years.
Reyna coming in from the right would be interesting long term. BvB plays with these sorts of wide attacking midfielders in lieu of wingers so Reyna should get plenty of experience in that sort of role. Agree that having an actual #9 out there would've made us much more positive about the Wales performance, though I was quite happy anyways.
------------------Steffen
Dest-Richards-Brooks-A. Robinson
--------Musah-Adams-McKennie
----------Reyna-------------------Puli
---------------Altidore
That would be a very tasty lineup if everyone keeps developing come the WC. I'm still a big believer in Jozy's talent, he's just made of glass (and not great in pressure moments). Would be very happy to see Gioachinni or Soto develop to a point where they could displace him. I'd hope for that team to at least make the QFs unless they draw a powerhouse in the RO16. What troubles me is that we're in this age where we have so many exciting young talents and yet a lack of experience. The grit of the 2010 and 2014 cycles is gone but we're gonna play much nicer stuff. No idea if 3G is the right man for the job, I'm still angry they passed on Martino for such a stupid reason when he was available. Nevertheless, as positive as I've been about the USMNT for years.
Some of the academies are decent. Dallas in particular, but you are right in that their best talents need to move abroad. If MLS wasn’t so delusional and accepted that they were a feeder league then I think it could work out. Players like Sargeant wouldn’t sit a year after running down their academy contract while waiting to be eligible in the EU. They could play that year, or 2, and then be sold on for a reasonable fee.
The pay to play system is an abomination. Enough said.
I'm happy to if another striker steps up at the top level, be it Sargent, Soto or Gioachinni (remember when American soccer was convinced Bobby Wood would be our striker for the next 10 years?). Jozy is amazingly frustrating but one of the few in the pool with a well-rounded skillset.@ValenciasDrilledCrosses it's time to move on from Altidore. It's been time for many years.
Of course I'd only hope for a QF if they all develop as they should for the next two years. At present it's a bunch of kids with very little experience at the first-team level.I wouldn't go as far as expecting a quarterfinal berth in 22 although they really should at least get into the knockout phase. Now I think if you see Richards break into the Bayern side, McKennie come into his own and be a regular starter at Juventus, Adams progresses at Leipzig etc. then that's where you will start to see the ceiling of the team rise. Also my hope would be for Sargent or Soto to start at striker, they both are already a million miles better than Altidore. In fact Sargent would have featured this time had Werder agreed to release him to the NT.
One player that has really flown under the radar recently is Alex Mendez who recently moved to Ajax. That kid always looked class to me. Really when you think about the wealth we have at CAM with the likes of Reyna, Musah, Aaronson, Mendez coming through the youth ranks is fairly impressive considering where the US was 10 years ago. At minimum, I expect a progressive style of football in 22 against the smaller sides with maybe a more reserved style against the top teams.
Of course I'd only hope for a QF if they all develop as they should for the next two years. At present it's a bunch of kids with very little experience at the first-team level.
I like Mendez and Aaronson a lot too. Eredivisie is an ideal league for Americans to go to with their willingness to play youngsters and complete lack of strength beyond the top teams
Nice thank youGioacchini is a 20 yo who played in the second tier of France. Pretty good scoring record. Both goals today were very Chicharito like.
Johnny plays in Brazil. Reminds of a slightly more athletic Carrick without the passing range. He’s only 20, so hopefully it will come.
Mussah though... my word. Only 17. We need to cap tie him ASAP.
There's maybe half a dozen of us!
@WI_Red I copied your post here to not drag the other thread more off topic.Super happy for Richards as he was born in the city I called home for 2 decades. How is he progressing at Bayern? Do you see him as a center back or right back?
With the way the team is progressing I am hoping for a deep run (quarter finals??) in '26 when the cup is here in the states.
@Hansi Fick, thank you for that. If there is one spot I am worried about going forward for our national team, it’s center back. I absolutely love John Brooks. He is probably the best CB we have ever had (maybe Eddie Pope??), and definitely the best passing CB. Richards and to a lesser extent Mark McKenzie, are our future going forward, so I have high hopes for Richards. Based on your post do you think he would benefit from a move away from Bayern?@WI_Red I copied your post here to not drag the other thread more off topic.
Richards has actually had quite a few appearances this season already, mostly as a sub, but he also got to start a couple of games.
So if you ask how he is progressing, coming into the youth team on loan first, then becoming a consistent starter and performer for the second team winning the 3rd division last season (which is a professional league after all), now being a part of the first team and getting minutes, he's progressing very well.
His impression on me hasn't been amazing or breathtaking, but solid.
He's come in mostly at right back, but Flick started him once even at left back in the Champions League when both Hernandez and Phonzie were injured (keeping in mind that Flick might very well also have put Alaba back at left back, who spent most of the last decade there after all).
He's also come in at CB, and he's been solid each time. His passing maybe sets him a bit below the rest of the team yet, but he's slotted in well, always did a good job, and seems very reliable tactically.
So what's really evident is that Flick trusts him, and trust him in all positions across the back line. Which is great. Accordingly, I don't know where to put him yet. At CB, he still lacks a bit of presence and authority, maybe, and at full back, a bit of dynamism and contribution on the ball.
In any case, whenever he's subbed in, I am happy to see him come on and am not wary of some decline in team quality. Whether he can go on to secure himself a starting spot in the long run at Bayern, it's surely doubtful. But he's a proper part of the team already.
Right now, he's surely at the best place he could possibly be. He's part of a very good team, trains and competes with the best, experiences high level games, and gets minutes in them too. And he's playing well.@Hansi Fick, thank you for that. If there is one spot I am worried about going forward for our national team, it’s center back. I absolutely love John Brooks. He is probably the best CB we have ever had (maybe Eddie Pope??), and definitely the best passing CB. Richards and to a lesser extent Mark McKenzie, are our future going forward, so I have high hopes for Richards. Based on your post do you think he would benefit from a move away from Bayern?
Right now, he's surely at the best place he could possibly be. He's part of a very good team, trains and competes with the best, experiences high level games, and gets minutes in them too. And he's playing well.
Then, we have to see. There's a lot of movement possibly impending in our squad at CB, what with our board on course to let both of last seasons starting CBs, Boateng and Alaba, go. Still, the competition with Süle, Lucas, highly rated Nianzou, and Pavard also a candidate for the position, will be high, and if we indeed lose both Boateng and Alaba the club would likely try a move for someone like Upamecano, too.
Then, yeah, at some point Richards might have to go out on loan, or move. But who knows. Flick sure seems to like him.
Communist football oh man that's hilarious.There’s also a serious negative stereotype issue across America that soccer is “communist football” and “for sissies”.
Reading comments in big soccer forum, one can see how overhyped this generation is. Man, some people there thinks they are favourites in the 2026 world cup. Other just think they are serious contenders. Ok, they are promising, but chill.
This is like reading comments on an anti-vaxxer page and saying you can see how overhyped vaccines are.
Most normal US fans know exactly where we are. We will likely qualify for 22 and hopefully get out of our group (depending on who’s in it) and probably lose the first knockout game. In 26, with the cup in the US, we hopefully get to the quarterfinals.
How I am supposed to know the opinions of USA fans, other than reading the biggest US soccer forum on the Internet?
It's good to know, however, that they aren't representative of the overall opinion of American fans. I would say that your expectations are very reasonable. Still, it's always difficult to know how very young players may develop.
https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2021/02/richards-loaned-to-hoffenheim"Chris is a great talent. He was a top performer in central defence for our reserves in the third division and has gained experience with the first team, even in the Champions League. Together we decided Chris will use the months in Hoffenheim for the next stage of his development. We're sure TSG will get a lot from him."
