How can the Americans get better at 'Soccer'?

Uwefuchs

Uwefuchs

Well-known member
I keep seeing Americans ask this on social media, they can't believe countries like Norway and Belgium which are smaller than some US states can be better than them at a sport.

Also they can't understand why they can't dominate the sport when they 'have the best athletes in the world'.

What do you think, will they ever become a major force in international football?
 
I hope it never happens. If the country really got into it they'd take over and our game would be changed in many ways that we wouldn't like. Just look at the World Cup - that would be just the start
 
JaenBoro said:
I hope it never happens. If the country really got into it they'd take over and our game would be changed in many ways that we wouldn't like. Just look at the World Cup - that would be just the start
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I'm just not sure I can ever see it happening.

There was an ex NFL player on talksport and he was saying that maybe the US could identify teenagers who are not going to make it in the NFL and NBA and turn them into 'soccer' players.

This is the problem for me they think its a sport thats simply athletic when its far more than that. The best club team I've ever seen had Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in it and I wouldn't describe any of them as great athletes.
 
Kevo4 said:
Americans think they should dominate and be the best at everything by right.

It’s quite the character flaw
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America being the greatest country on earth is taught from kindrgarten. Watch some of the YouTube videos of Americans visiting the UK, the distain they have for other nations, and because it isn't American it's "weird" (the favourite word used by Americans along with awsome). That's a generalisation, but it's how it comes across, and having Trump as their leader reinforces greatness without proof, and that awful MAGA/GOP culture.
 
Alan_Breck said:
America being the greatest country on earth is taught from kindrgarten. Watch some of the YouTube videos of Americans visiting the UK, the distain they have for other nations, and because it isn't American it's "weird" (the favourite word used by Americans along with awsome). That's a generalisation, but it's how it comes across, and having Trump as their leader reinforces greatness without proof, and that awful MAGA/GOP culture.
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Its a public North Korea, however, rather than actors the public generally buy into it.

As far as 'Soccer' goes. I don't see it happening until its treated at the same level as the NFL, Basketball and Baseball. As mentioned above they dont seem to acknowledge the skill involved in football and assume its just being the best physically.

Hopefully it stays that way.
 
It's all about youth development. Their college system doesn't work. Kids going to develop at college means not being ready for professional football until they are 21. It's too late. Anything earlier than that in the academies is big money business so it restricts the talent pool to kids with rich parents and they care about winning, not developing players.

Around the world the kids developing and being sold for a big profit is how academies make money so it is in their interest to develop players. In the US the money comes from parents paying so the incentive is being the best team to attract new parents and retention so keeping players that aren't good enough which means players aren't playing against the highest standard.

They get away with the college system in other sports because those sports mean players/athletes can't really compete until they are fully developed physically but football is different and needs playing from an early age to learn the skills.

There's an argument that football around the world is a ruthless business and kids are exploited so it's not the best model to copy but it's still better than the US pay to participate model.
 
Alan_Breck said:
America being the greatest country on earth is taught from kindrgarten. Watch some of the YouTube videos of Americans visiting the UK, the distain they have for other nations, and because it isn't American it's "weird" (the favourite word used by Americans along with awsome). That's a generalisation, but it's how it comes across, and having Trump as their leader reinforces greatness without proof, and that awful MAGA/GOP culture.
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American Exceptionalism is quite a subject tbh - goes way, way further back than the nonsense espoused by Trump and his MAGA loons. My son studied it as part of his masters at uni and he got me right into looking at it.

You’re right about the kindergarten stuff, it’s literally hard-coded into their mindset. Despite so much real world evidence that points to the contrary.
 
Uwefuchs said:
I'm just not sure I can ever see it happening.

There was an ex NFL player on talksport and he was saying that maybe the US could identify teenagers who are not going to make it in the NFL and NBA and turn them into 'soccer' players.

This is the problem for me they think its a sport thats simply athletic when its far more than that. The best club team I've ever seen had Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in it and I wouldn't describe any of them as great athletes.
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It's a good point and if you look at their sports there's a big emphasis on power, speed and aggression.

That's what they value and that's what they see as requirements to become elite at sport.

Around 60-70% of footballers are under 6 feet tall.

For baseball it's around 30%

In the NFL it's 20%

In the NBA 2%

If you're taking failed basketball and American football players you've probably already ruled out your most naturally gifted footballers just for not being big enough.

You'd guess a lot are just written off at school as "athletes" for similar reasons.
 
I know some posters have explained how football is getting bigger in America, but it’s still not a football country though. Surely that is a big part of it.
 
Uwefuchs said:
I'm just not sure I can ever see it happening.

There was an ex NFL player on talksport and he was saying that maybe the US could identify teenagers who are not going to make it in the NFL and NBA and turn them into 'soccer' players.

This is the problem for me they think its a sport thats simply athletic when its far more than that. The best club team I've ever seen had Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in it and I wouldn't describe any of them as great athletes.
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This idea was part of a strategy for rugby union over there too. An ex England player took over as CEO and had a grand vision of getting college kids not making it into the NFL into rugby. That was about 10 years ago. Nothing has happened with that one either.
 
My uncle was a regimental sargeant major and trained troops for WWII in India some of the time and here in te UK prior to the D-Day in 1944 landings. There were alot of American soldiers of colour and he praised them for their courage and ability above many of their white countrtymen. He said that GI stood for "Gives In".
 
the prices for kids training are extortionate too. i saw a post on twitter where the fees were over $4000 per year
 
They probably don't identify talent.

Depending on which school they go to a player more naturally gifted than messi could be born in the USA and never kick a soccer ball.
 
Uwefuchs said:
I keep seeing Americans ask this on social media, they can't believe countries like Norway and Belgium which are smaller than some US states can be better than them at a sport.

Also they can't understand why they can't dominate the sport when they 'have the best athletes in the world'.

What do you think, will they ever become a major force in international football?
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Have been dipping into a lot of US Youtube channels before and during the World Cup where this issue is constantly discussed. On the plus side there are a lot of well considered advocates for change, on the downside they dont see how a system like the US has for every other major sport can be avoided, but plenty of ideas.

I found the disdain for how the MLS has set up was quite widespread in sticking to the US Sport status quo. There is a bit of optimism that there could be change due to another league called the USL where the more succesful teams recently have been taking up options to "franchise" into the MLS having a rethink and taking all the leagues under its remit and start to look at replicating the global model of promotion and relegation, but its not moving very fast.

I dont have any answer but want to lay down that this is a very live issue over there and I feel like once again the US could actually progress something over there outside of the the typical US sport model
 
Isn't the problem that football is a skill based sport more akin to darts than nfl. To develop that skill you have to start young. That means getting kids kicking a ball about from pre-school. Not waiting until they are physically developed. If you haven't played football before 16 you probably aren't going to be very good.
 
Laughing said:
Isn't the problem that football is a skill based sport more akin to darts than nfl. To develop that skill you have to start young. That means getting kids kicking a ball about from pre-school. Not waiting until they are physically developed. If you haven't played football before 16 you probably aren't going to be very good.
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Yep, the current model seems to wait and see your physical development and then push you to the sport best suited. Track and Field stars not good enough make perfect NFL players, Tall and strong, here is a basketball. Actual football doesn't work on that model.

Until the model changes they will continue as is.
 
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