This article is a few years old (2007), but it's still a great read.

Quote:David Beckham is going to the LA Galaxy. Hurrah. Let's all laugh at American soccer. Again.

Modern Englishmen are in two minds about Americans playing proper football. Some think it only right the poor benighted heathens be gifted the game historian Eric Hobsbawn rightly described as an artform. But others fear it'll make Americans more like us and therefore much more difficult to despise.

Click HERE for the rest.

The English think they threw the game away to us. They think we don't know anything.


If by "They handed the game to us on a golden platter," then they must be including the fact that Demerit held Rooney to a no show at best, Altidore and Findley screwed with England's ragged back line incessantly, and we enacted our game, which was to play for a draw...then yes, they handed it to us on a golden platter.

I recognize that we got lucky, but their arrogance has to reach a breaking point, the U.S. played a good game with what we had, covering for our mistakes, miscues, and talent differences.

Honestly, with the growing interest in soccer (especially in youth sports) plus an increasing Hispanic population, there's no reason why the U.S. won't become one of the ten best soccer teams in the world. We're seeing it now. The evolution is under way. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

A lot of our best athletes don't choose soccer as their primary sport, but that is changing. Plus, our population dwarfs the majority of countries. We have a large pool to recruit from.

(06-13-2010 01:26 PM)TN_Tiger Wrote:  Honestly, with the growing interest in soccer (especially in youth sports) plus an increasing Hispanic population, there's no reason why the U.S. won't become one of the ten best soccer teams in the world. We're seeing it now. The evolution is under way. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

A lot of our best athletes don't choose soccer as their primary sport, but that is changing. Plus, our population dwarfs the majority of countries. We have a large pool to recruit from.

The main problem I see going forward is that soccer in America is seen as a "rich kids" sport. Parents put their kids in expensive soccer academies and club teams and such for professional training, and while still effective, perhaps isn't as effective as learning the game on the proverbial streets. The best players in the world learn the game from playing with friends and from experimenting, rather than attending specialized academies. For example, Rooney, Dempsey, really any given Brazilian player...

Once soccer breaks more into the mainstream and is practiced on the streets (much the way basketball is), then we'll start to see more of a surge of talent into the pool.

(06-13-2010 02:27 PM)TigerEye Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 01:26 PM)TN_Tiger Wrote:  Honestly, with the growing interest in soccer (especially in youth sports) plus an increasing Hispanic population, there's no reason why the U.S. won't become one of the ten best soccer teams in the world. We're seeing it now. The evolution is under way. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

A lot of our best athletes don't choose soccer as their primary sport, but that is changing. Plus, our population dwarfs the majority of countries. We have a large pool to recruit from.

The main problem I see going forward is that soccer in America is seen as a "rich kids" sport. Parents put their kids in expensive soccer academies and club teams and such for professional training, and while still effective, perhaps isn't as effective as learning the game on the proverbial streets. The best players in the world learn the game from playing with friends and from experimenting, rather than attending specialized academies. For example, Rooney, Dempsey, really any given Brazilian player...

Once soccer breaks more into the mainstream and is practiced on the streets (much the way basketball is), then we'll start to see more of a surge of talent into the pool.

I completely agree. I think that change will happen, but it will be more gradual than we may want it to be haha.

If you really want to know why Americans are not to the level most other countries are, read this long but interesting and great article. Gary Parrish actually referenced this on his facebook page...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazi...wanted=all

(06-13-2010 05:48 PM)Memphomaniac Wrote:  If you really want to know why Americans are not to the level most other countries are, read this long but interesting and great article. Gary Parrish actually referenced this on his facebook page...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazi...wanted=all

That's a great article. Learned a lot from reading it. I knew our youth system was flawed, but I didn't realize it was quite that bad.

(06-13-2010 06:40 PM)TigerEye Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 05:48 PM)Memphomaniac Wrote:  If you really want to know why Americans are not to the level most other countries are, read this long but interesting and great article. Gary Parrish actually referenced this on his facebook page...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazi...wanted=all

That's a great article. Learned a lot from reading it. I knew our youth system was flawed, but I didn't realize it was quite that bad.

It is a different way than Latin America where you play on the streets, like where pickup basketball is played here in the streets of Memphis. Then later you play on a team, you play individually then learn how to pass it on to your other player. It is their system and free agency has really hurt Ajax in the end. Maybe the US will find a style that suits itself the best. I do not know how to reconcile the club level versus the bad coaching and joke it is for the most part at least here in the state of Tennessee high school soccer.

We will get there folks, and relatively soon. Already in Memphis a group has foregone high school soccer to continue training. It is a beginning.
The big bang will come when soccer parents are informed former serious soccer players. There are still BS clubs that siphon talented kids off on false promises, but those days will go away when educated parents become the majority.
Just as my kid and I played catch, he will have a ball on his kids' feet at age 2 and will be teaching them skills at 3 or 4.
I am excited as ever about the future of futbol in America and am happy as heck that my son has played and will play a role in it.
As for the expensive side of the game, we bring that on ourselves. Parents don't have to go every tournament. Bunk 4 kids in a room. Save. Easier said than done, but it is the future. As my kid hit U15-U17, I was putting him on planes by himself--nice problem to have.

(06-14-2010 10:54 AM)TiggerFan Wrote:  We will get there folks, and relatively soon. Already in Memphis a group has foregone high school soccer to continue training. It is a beginning.
The big bang will come when soccer parents are informed former serious soccer players. There are still BS clubs that siphon talented kids off on false promises, but those days will go away when educated parents become the majority.
Just as my kid and I played catch, he will have a ball on his kids' feet at age 2 and will be teaching them skills at 3 or 4.
I am excited as ever about the future of futbol in America and am happy as heck that my son has played and will play a role in it.
As for the expensive side of the game, we bring that on ourselves. Parents don't have to go every tournament. Bunk 4 kids in a room. Save. Easier said than done, but it is the future. As my kid hit U15-U17, I was putting him on planes by himself--nice problem to have.

I wish I had realized how awesome futbol is when I was younger. I played baseball and basketball, and although I don't regret it, soccer would've been awesome to play.

I've played some pick-up games with friends, but yet to play organized soccer. I may be playing some indoor soccer this winter with friends depending on how busy law school will be and how much free time I have.

Regardless, I plan to introduce futbol to my kids one day in hopes they take to it. Or baseball, either one. :)

In retrospect I would have rather played soccer than football at Collierville. But then again my testosterone levels may be getting depleted as I get into my mid-20's, since I would also rather play tennis than football.

For some reason (probably money) our culture is 2 games during the week, then 4 games in 2 days on the weekend in some tournament. What the people at Ajax are doing is the correct way in my book. One game a week, the rest spent on fundamental training.

(06-14-2010 11:44 AM)neillis Wrote:  In retrospect I would have rather played soccer than football at Collierville. But then again my testosterone levels may be getting depleted as I get into my mid-20's, since I would also rather play tennis than football.

Me too, except I wasn't in the best of shape in high school. I'm good enough shape to play now, but damn it would've been fun.

Quote:I'm good enough shape to play now, but damn it would've been fun.

There are adult league teams at many levels that are looking for players, especially keepers. They will start back up in the fall.
Some are coed.
http://www.memphissoccer.com.

(06-14-2010 02:06 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

Quote:I'm good enough shape to play now, but damn it would've been fun.

There are adult league teams at many levels that are looking for players, especially keepers. They will start back up in the fall.
Some are coed.
http://www.memphissoccer.com.

Thanks.

I've heard about a few of them.

I'm starting law school in the fall in Memphis, so I'm not completely sure how much free time I will have. It probably won't be enough to play a sport, but I'll have to wait until I get my schedule and start attending classes to know fore sure.

(06-14-2010 10:54 AM)TiggerFan Wrote:  Just as my kid and I played catch, he will have a ball on his kids' feet at age 2 and will be teaching them skills at 3 or 4.

my daughter is 10 months and she's already kicking a soccer ball around

(06-15-2010 09:06 AM)warchant Wrote:  

(06-14-2010 10:54 AM)TiggerFan Wrote:  Just as my kid and I played catch, he will have a ball on his kids' feet at age 2 and will be teaching them skills at 3 or 4.

my daughter is 10 months and she's already kicking a soccer ball around

Before my youngest child could walk, he was a fixture at his older siblings comp. matches. At half time, we would pull him out of his stroller and let him crawl around the edge of the pitch. If there was a soccer ball close, he headed right for it and would dribble with his arms while crawling around.

He's now 5 about to turn 6 and has the best foot skills of any kid in his league (about 150 kids). He's the only kid that can cut and chop with both feet.