My honest opinion is 2026 before we’re back to being a real threat. 2022 will be used as experience (assuming we qualify). In ‘26, Pulisic will be 28 and this kids just behind him (Weah, Sargent, etc) will be hitting their primes and hopefully 8 years into their European careers. Hard to say beyond that because we’re talking about players that are 12-15 years old.
Totally agree wil this post. If you look at the USMNT pool right now, is there anyone worth a s*** in the 25-30 age range, aside from Yedlin and John Brooks? My hope is that a huge majority of the roster that was involved in the ‘18 qualifying campaign is gone. Bradley, Cameron, the myriad of outside backs, Altidore, Bradley, Dempsey, Bradley, Chandler, etc. shouldnt wear a US jersey again.
US Soccer is no better off now, than it was before the MLS. The proof is in the results. The MLS was only created because it was a requirement for the US being awarded the 1994 World Cup. Since that time, we've invested BILLIONS in tax revenue into the MLS, and we are no where closer to soccer dominance... most MLS players, aren't even American. The standard of soccer being displayed in the MLS is a joke on the world stage, and their business model is the reason for that. When you can stack talent on a single team like LA, or Toronto while hamstringing other clubs to severely limit contractd, it makes for a pretty shitty product to watch. Most of the rising talent for US Soccer, weren't even born in the US. They were children of parents stationed overseas. The Academy teams are the only good thing to come out of the MLS, but even then, the best players are going to be recruited by overseas academies. The smart parents who have truly talented kids, move to Europe. The main way that the MLS hampers soccer is their abysmal salary limits. Way too many parents still think getting a college scholarship is the goal. Until that mentality changes, the US will always be second fiddle in soccer. No parent in their right mind is going to tell their kid to forgo a $100,000+ scholarship to a four year school to play on an MLS academy team, in hopes of maybe making $40,000 per season as a rookie.
Is this a joke? Where in the MLS charter was it stated that its objective was to lead the USA to Soccer dominance. Keep in mind it's a league that has ONLY been in existence for what..22 years? How many years had La Liga been in existence before Spain won the World Cup in 2010? How many years had Ligue 1 been in existence before France won it in 98? How many years has the Mexican league been in existence and yet they aren't a top 5 team in the world? I mean it's good to have high expectations and demand greatness of your league but it's also ridiculous to act like it should be a top 5-8 league in the world in 2 decades despite no headstart and being in a country in which there are other stronger leagues vying for attention and money. Also silly when you forget what was available to you and the players in your country prior to the advent of the league. I'm pretty sure European teams don't consider the standard of soccer being played in MLS to be a joke hence the reason they regularly scout MLS players and sign more and more each year. Just this current season you have Alphonso Davies making the move to Man. United. You have Almiron, Josef Martinez, Will Trapp, Steffen,Tyler Adams being scouted by teams in Europe with a view to putting in an offer. But sure, the standard is a joke. Your problem with MLS seems to primarily be the business model. No surprise teams in LA and New York get the most love and find it easier to work around the system with the commissioners office. As happens in every other sport in the USA. Just like the big clubs in La Liga, Serie A, Premiers League etc get more love from those running their leagues. "It be like that sometimes/it is what it is". Teams in smaller markets just have to be more resourceful with scouting(More latin american youngsters rather than bringing in europeans on their last legs) and academy development as well as salary cap expertise. If they don't do all those then they have no one else to blame. Who the f**K cares if most of the rising talent in US Soccer weren't born in the US? Did they live in the USA as kids? Or I'm guessing you're griping that they were born and have lived all their young soccer playing life overseas. That's false but still. Even if it were true how or why does that matter? Zack Steffen, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, Pulisic, Miazga, Lynden Gooch, Emerson Hyndman, Erik Palmer-Brown, Luca De la Torre, Shaq Moore, Weston McKennie, Ethan Horvath, off the top of my heard. Where were all those players born? Where did they start their careers? In the USA. The Best Young Players in Almost Every League Academy That Isnt in England, Spain, Germany, France, Italy WILL ALL GET RECRUITED BY OVERSEAS ACADEMIES AND YOUTH TEAMS! The best young players in some of those countries I listed STILL get snapped up by youth teams at big clubs in England for example. That's how the game goes. You don't play for an MLS Academy team when you are of college age. You finish your Academy career at that point and either sign on to play professionally for the MLS team or you go elsewhere..possibly college. As each year passes, more and more youth players and their parents will realize if the youth player is at an MLS team that tends to give youth a chance to play and is offered a contract and has legit professional aspirations and talent, then it makes more sense to pass up the college game. For others they might choose to go play in college for a year or two before making the jump. It's up to the individual and their parent but at least the choice is real and it's on the table now as opposed to the situation in the USA with MLS about 10-12 years ago when that wasn't actually a legit possibility or discussion. That's how far things have come and how things are changing in US Soccer. Crikey, the doom and gloom is too much, c'mon now!
What @ferrari77 said. I'll add that the college game isn't long for this world anyway. Title IX has done a number on the men's game and it's almost always the 1st cut when a school needs to free up some scholarships and/or budget money. Ending the draft will accelerate that. It's not something currently on the table but I can see it happening in the next 10-15 years. Just not many star players coming out of the draft any more. They're getting them younger and younger, while they expand their recruiting into historically under-served areas in Central and South America. The MLS is the most diverse league in the world, with players coming from 67 different countries. A majority of players are American but not by much. I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. There are ample opportunities for American players to play...WAY more than in the past. I can't even imagine what my life had been like if I were 20 years younger and that age right now. Knowing I had a chance at an actual career would've changed my trajectory in a huge way. The problems with US Soccer player development isn't the fault of the MLS. It's the youth club system and that's something that is being more looked at today than ever before. The rest of what he said is right on the money. @Svpernaut is taking the "I just started watching the game 2 years ago and picked Man City as my favorite team" view of the MLS*. But those people always neglect the fact that the EPL is getting the coverage its getting in the US because of the MLS and the growth of the casual fan. *Yeah...it's a shot at moes.
I'm glad to be dominating your thoughts and controlling your emotions. Sorry I didn't play semi-pro soccer in some shithead league so my opinions are invalidated. All of you hate on tinman and then treat newcomers to soccer the very same way unless they fall in line with you and ferrari and DD's ridiculous bias toward American soccer. The funny thing is that if I had chosen Man U or Bayern I'd have been welcomed with open arms by the 8 of you that have been talking soccer for years on this forum. But it is clear I am not welcome in these threads because I don't have a favorable view of your precious MLS starlets and I chose to support a team that rose to prominence in an "inorganic" way. So **** you. You can have your forum back.
The MLS is the greatest development tool CONCAF could imagine. It's helped Panama, Honduras and Mexico tremendously. The MLS should literally lock out US players under 23 for their own good and force them into Europe.
Settle down, Nancy. I was kidding. You're exactly the person I'm talking about in terms of the growth of the European leagues in the US. The MLS brought visibility and created the casual fan. Yes, I'll continue to bag on you solely because of your choice of teams...but it's all in fun. Not sure what you mean with your comment about tinman. I don't think I've engaged with him in years. I post in the GARM like twice a year, maybe.
lolwut? 1. I'm not sure how I have a bias toward American soccer. I just follow it. The USA isn't even one of my two national teams to support. I just know about the national team and US system cos I've been living here and I have seen the development of the sport in the U.S and it has been impressive to watch. 2. You don't have to fall in line with any of us but at the same time you don't need to be Mr dismissive when it comes to MLS. Yeah you understandably prefer watching Citeh but no need to be an MLS snob. In fact, I thought your post on page 1 was fairly reasonable. I had no problem with it. I mean sometimes out of boredom I also watch soccer from leagues that aren't great or I don't rate highly. It's no big deal. You complimented ATL and Almiron-Martinez. I didn't think you wrote anything that was too harsh in that post. 3. I'm a United fan and I don't give you crap cos you love City. You aren't the only Man. City fan any of us on here know. Plus as a City fan, you have to grow a thick skin. Just like United fans had to develop in the mid to late 90s and early 00s, just like Chelsea fans had to develop in the early/mid 00s onwards. You are more than welcome to give your two cents in threads like this. You did and I appreciated it because you at least didn't go complete MLS snob in it. You found something to appreciate w/r to the league. But it's perfectly fine for it to not be your cup of tea at the moment and for you to continue to support your PL team. Chill out moes
Tim Weah doing Weah things. Scored in the French Super Cup win over Monaco 2 weeks ago and against Caen for his first Ligue 1 goal last week. In the starting 11 today against Guingamp
Americans in the Bundesliga keep coming through. Haji Wright made his debut recently and got his first goal as well. But more importantly, my favorite young American player, the new Ginger prince, Josh Sargent has arrived for Werder Bremen! Two goals in his first three matches and all in less than 45 minutes total. He is an absolute goal scorer in every sense of the word and will find a way to get in front of goal and get to the ball. Did it at U-17, U-20 and now on the professional level. He scores goals when he gets an opportunity at ANY level. The kid has it and if you're a US fan you gotta be excited about the future with him up front I think.
I think the biggest change for US players is youtube and streaming games. These kids are seeing how the game should be played instead of learning from the long ball coaches that litter youth soccer in the US. You can even see it on the women's side. The young generation are much more skilled than Mia Hamm was. The other aspect is that soccer is becoming more popular which is attracting some of the top athletes. I have a parent at my daughter's club, who was a former NFL player. All his boys play soccer because he doesn't want them to go through what he did. All 4 of his boys are always the best players on the field. The athletic difference between them and the normal kids is striking.
Tim Weah going out on loan for remainder of this season. Appears he's going to Celtic. As long as he's getting solid 1st team minutes, I'm happy. This is a good move for him and the club. If Neymar moves after the season, as it appears is going to happen one way or another, that gives Weah a much better shot at 1st team opportunities with PSG. He gets into Celtic with a chance to play Europa League games, too. Also, since we haven't discussed it yet...what's everyone's thought on Gregg Berhalter being named USMNT manager? For me, I'm completely in wait and see mode. I'm not happy and I'm not mad. I just don't know. He's got international playing experience. European coaching experience and he knows the American player. His teams at Columbus have been mostly very competitive. He's shown to be adaptable and competent. He's got a hell of a job ahead of him with a Gold Cup and qualifying starting later this year. Really need to win this Gold Cup to gain the auto qualifying spot in the 2021 Confed Cup. That tournament, for what is likely to be a very young WC roster, will be HUGE for experience. Early game this year is a camp of all MLS players since it's not a formal FIFA international date on the calendar. It'll be interesting to see if there's any fire to the smoke coming from the Pulisic rumors in January or if it will wait until summer. He's getting fewer minutes this season so the move should be somewhere he's going to play more consistently. I don't know if that happens with Chelsea or Liverpool.
So, catching up... Pulisic to Chelsea for $73 million (smashing record transfer fee for am American) and will move there in the summer. Tim Weah started his Celtic loan off the right way... Gregg Berhalter selects 23-man, all MLS, roster for Panama/Costa Rica friendlies Smoke around possible Weston McKennie transfer to Liverpool Josh Sargent has scored twice in 4 appearances for Werder Bremen
