Round of 16 discussion: Ghana vs. United States of America

[treiz]

US national team players cannot play in MLS. MLS is way too bad of a league to keep guys in top form. MLS needs to let it's stars out of the league and use the money they get from them to bring in good foreign players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, to raise the level of play. And MLS needs to privatize play acquisitions... MLS needs as many players like Boateng as they can get...

I agree with that but you're not going to get young stud players. I don't think teams in America are allowed to pay transfer fees like here in Europe. If you want to increase the level of play in the MLS you've gotta make it through making the sport more popular and recruiting young kids to play soccer instead of baseball, basketball, hockey or football.

This, I really do hope that this tournament as well as getting in the finals of the Confed Cup will make kids play football more. And yeah like you said isn't the MLS more "trade-based" rather than transfer fees like in other US sports?

[UGA Hayes]

US national team players cannot play in MLS. MLS is way too bad of a league to keep guys in top form. MLS needs to let it's stars out of the league and use the money they get from them to bring in good foreign players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, to raise the level of play. And MLS needs to privatize play acquisitions... MLS needs as many players like Boateng as they can get...

I agree with that but you're not going to get young stud players. I don't think teams in America are allowed to pay transfer fees like here in Europe. If you want to increase the level of play in the MLS you've gotta make it through making the sport more popular and recruiting young kids to play soccer instead of baseball, basketball, hockey or football.

This, I really do hope that this tournament as well as getting in the finals of the Confed Cup will make kids play football more. And yeah like you said isn't the MLS more "trade-based" rather than transfer fees like in other US sports?

Honestly I don't necessarily think we need MLS from a promotion standpoint to encourage kids to play soccer. I'd much pefer TV networks to continue doing what they have been doing and "adopt" the big European leagues and just promote them as if they were US leagues. Just the exposure to what high level soccer looks like and the level of international stardom achieves would probably convince at least one Allen Iverson (and thats all it would take to vault us on the soccer scene) or whoever to pick up a soccer ball instead of a basketball. When I was a kid we never saw high level soccer on TV. To me the purpose of the MLS should just be to continue growing and improving as a minor league system. I think MLS has already done a solid job as it is and have been smart to grow slowly and take advantage of periodic big soccer events to increase their audience.

[cb4_89]

US national team players cannot play in MLS. MLS is way too bad of a league to keep guys in top form. MLS needs to let it's stars out of the league and use the money they get from them to bring in good foreign players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, to raise the level of play. And MLS needs to privatize play acquisitions... MLS needs as many players like Boateng as they can get...

I agree with that but you're not going to get young stud players. I don't think teams in America are allowed to pay transfer fees like here in Europe. If you want to increase the level of play in the MLS you've gotta make it through making the sport more popular and recruiting young kids to play soccer instead of baseball, basketball, hockey or football.

It is hard to make the sport popular. We only have so many elite level athletes. Our hope should be that guys like gerald green or james white decide to play soccer, not the lebrons or dwights (though dwight might be a decent goalkeeper)

[and1GS]

The MLS needs to change their schedule so the transfer windows line up with europe. Also, here's to hoping Villa snags KPB after this WC is over

[dennis00]

I supported the United States, seemed a nice way for the US to bond with the rest of the world. With us Europeans for example. You could have had Ghana!

I often read in papers how soccer is getting more and more popular in the USA, but I wonder if soccer has really become more popular over the last 10 years.

It seems popular for women, but I often hear Americans bashing on soccer. Also lots of people bashing sports in general, but that's because I often visit Freenode IRC, many geeks/nerds over there.

[and1GS]

Most Americans seem to be threatened that soccer is becoming as popular as basketball and football. When I was about 10/11 there were 3 leagues in my area with about 8 teams each but by the time I was 16 there were over 20 leagues with 10-12 teams per. Soccer is huge in Texas, Florida, and California, at this point almost all kids with athletic ability play one of basketball or soccer when they're younger. The key is getting them to keep playing soccer instead of switching over to something else.

It's starting to get some of our best athletes and more attention can only help that. For example, my team when I was 10 was in a crap league and I had to pay for everything but my competitive team traveled around the US and was sponsored by several vendors including nike. Stuff like that will help persuade kids to keep playing soccer.

However, one big problem is that our college system encourages big/strong players who look to play physical instead of technically sound. Smaller players with better footwork get lost in the shuffle very often in California at least.

[pass first]

US national team players cannot play in MLS. MLS is way too bad of a league to keep guys in top form. MLS needs to let it's stars out of the league and use the money they get from them to bring in good foreign players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, to raise the level of play. And MLS needs to privatize play acquisitions... MLS needs as many players like Boateng as they can get...

I agree with that but you're not going to get young stud players. I don't think teams in America are allowed to pay transfer fees like here in Europe. If you want to increase the level of play in the MLS you've gotta make it through making the sport more popular and recruiting young kids to play soccer instead of baseball, basketball, hockey or football.

It is hard to make the sport popular. We only have so many elite level athletes. Our hope should be that guys like gerald green or james white decide to play soccer, not the lebrons or dwights (though dwight might be a decent goalkeeper)

You don't really need to fish in the same waters as the NBA. I mean, Landon Donovan would be extremely undersized for a point guard. Kids should realize that while basketball is very profitable and sexy if your father isn't > 6'3 maybe soccer is a better bet.

[magik9113]

Soccer is really popular amongst kids in the U.S...
The system is what is lacking compared to other nations though...where they truly develop young players. Most players in the United States are not really developed like that at young ages. Instead they go to play for their high schools, many of which the coaches are not good at all.
They did try to start developing young players through some academy thing they started after the 1994 or 98 world cup, and Landon Donovan did in fact come out of that.

Also, much of the young talent now go to Europe rather than the MLS...partially due to the fact that once players come into the MLS, it is difficult to leave to another league due to the time of the season. Marcus Tracey is a player I watched a lot growing up, he is from Connecticut like I am, and now plays for Aalborg in Denmark and hopes to improve from there. He's 22 I expect to see him in the national team soon. he was called up for training camp in January

[and1GS]

That academy is called the IMG academy and they have one in Florida and another elsewhere. In fact, Beasley, Onyewu, Donovan, and Convey were all teammates there back in the day. In comparison every euro team has an extensive youth system. 2 training academies isn't enough, especially when the college soccer system sucks in the US.

[dennis00]

At least at college the children are coached by football coaches, often European, that know what the game of football is allowed. But the 10 years before college, who would coach the kids? Somebody with football experience or the dad of one of the kids? I think that matters a lot.

But happy to see USA is making progress in soccer. I would like to see my country compete with theirs in 12 years.

[treiz]

I agree with that but you're not going to get young stud players. I don't think teams in America are allowed to pay transfer fees like here in Europe. If you want to increase the level of play in the MLS you've gotta make it through making the sport more popular and recruiting young kids to play soccer instead of baseball, basketball, hockey or football.

This, I really do hope that this tournament as well as getting in the finals of the Confed Cup will make kids play football more. And yeah like you said isn't the MLS more "trade-based" rather than transfer fees like in other US sports?

Honestly I don't necessarily think we need MLS from a promotion standpoint to encourage kids to play soccer. I'd much pefer TV networks to continue doing what they have been doing and "adopt" the big European leagues and just promote them as if they were US leagues. Just the exposure to what high level soccer looks like and the level of international stardom achieves would probably convince at least one Allen Iverson (and thats all it would take to vault us on the soccer scene) or whoever to pick up a soccer ball instead of a basketball. When I was a kid we never saw high level soccer on TV. To me the purpose of the MLS should just be to continue growing and improving as a minor league system. I think MLS has already done a solid job as it is and have been smart to grow slowly and take advantage of periodic big soccer events to increase their audience.

Oh I agree, but I'm talking about from an international perspective, you're hoping that this kind of success will motivate children to dribble a ball with their feet rather than their hands. Even for the lower class, as most American soccer players tend to be higher ups IIRC.

[treiz]

The MLS needs to change their schedule so the transfer windows line up with europe. Also, here's to hoping Villa snags KPB after this WC is over

Didn't I tell you that when the window opened?

EDIT: I love how Ghana are now considered favorites to win this match (via poll) a few days after the match has finished.

[and1GS]

I really wonder who Villa will target seeing as we will probably sell guys like Reo Coker and Davies relatively quickly once the WC is finished. I bet we get a bunch of trash and keep Heskey as one of our main options at striker.