What is wrong with US soccer?

What is going on with US soccer? The national team’s first friendly versus the Czech Republic, a team that will not be in the 2010 World Cup, was a demonstration of how not to play soccer. The US lost 4-2.

The defense looked like a bunch of amateurs: the proverbial men versus boys. The US (needless to say, but I will say it anyway) were the boys.

In its second exhibition, the US’s performance was, once again, the lowest level of amateur. This time they battled against Turkey. The Turks are no push over; they were semi-finalist in the 2006 World Cup. They failed to qualify this time around.

In yesterday’s friendly, the US started off being dominated by the Turks, with the US dropping the first goal. What was most upsetting is how the US lacked the basics skills of futbol – trapping, turning and shielding were non-existent. How could a country with 300 million people where soccer is the number one participation sport produce so few good soccer players? It simply does not make sense.

The performance was so poor that it begged the question: Is the US soccer program wrought with corruption?

There is no way that after a 30-year rise in participation with so many kids playing from grammar school programs through high school through clubs through college to professional that we can be that bad.

Well, if not corruption, something else must be going on. Conventional wisdom might be the problem: the belief that shipping as many players as possible over to Europe to play will benefit the national team. But this piece of wisdom does not seem to be working.

In game after game, US broadcasters pontificate about the merits of playing abroad. Joze Altidore and Clint Dempsey play in the EPL, and the list goes on and on, league after league.

But what is not said is the level of teams they play for and how well they do. Altidore, a real gem of a young talent, after being shipped to Spain and now England, has stopped developing as a player. Dempsey, who has had good success in Fulham, has had an impact but no where near that of fellow US player Brian McBride. The development of Dempsey’s skill level has to be questioned. Eddie Johnson, a former young gem, has been shipped to so many different teams that nobody knows where he is anymore.

In reality, many US players spend a lot of time on the bench or play for second-rate leagues. The combination of little playing time, playing out of position or getting injuries, begs the question are US player better off staying at home and playing in the MSL?

In the second half of yesterday’s game, the tide changed. The US dominated the Turks and scored two goals to win the game. It was by far the best half of futbol for the team. What led to the change? Taking out many of the players who play abroad and inserting MSL players. Maybe this is a lesson for those who make the decisions in the US: those who play in the US are better off than those who sit on the bench in Europe.

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