I don’t think the coach matters quite frankly. The main reason IMO why the US failed is because all the top players (Bradley, Altidore, Howard, Dempsey, Besler, Bedoya, Nagbe et al) decided to take the money and play in MSL. The formula is simple, MSL is like a second division league and doesn’t cut it. The majority of the starters need to come from the top European leagues or the top tier of teams in Liga MX.
I think coaching matters. I also think players matter and, frankly, the US system produces very, very few good players.
MLS is where old players go to die.
Here’s what I think. The manager/coach recruits, picks, motivates and trains the players, from the U15 (15 and under) to the senior level. And he/she also picks the alignment(s) and strategy and sets the chemistry. The manager/coach is a huge piece of the success in the entire development system. The US simply hasn’t had a good coach in a very long time. I thought Klinsmann would be a good manager/coach, but he failed.
Admittedly, I’m biased. I coached a couple sports.
Surprise @sushiritto! I agree with you.
We watched the final then, right after, the Seattle/Atlanta MLS game. I’m sorry, but MLS is not a good enough play level to develop world-caliber players. We will need more young US players skipping college and going straight to Bundesliga and other top-tier programs.
<:-P 
I agree, BUT, for an American, playing overseas ain’t easy. Language barriers, accomodations, treatment of Americans, etc., it’s a hard life for most especially when compared to living here.
And I agree, the MLS is nearly unwatchable.
Now for the women’s side, I think college and the NWSL works well, since many good International players come here to play. And the USWNT often plucks outstanding female players from the top colleges like Stanford, UCLA, UNC, etc. to play with the USWNT on a regular basis.
As I recall, Landon Donovan had a miserable time when he went to Bundesliga early in his career, but we do seem to have a fair number of young players there, in France & in the Premiership.
Agree with @sushiritto about the women’s game. Didn’t one of the Stanford players have to miss the College Cup this year because she was with the national team? Looking for ward to 2019. 2022 not so much.
I think with guys like Pulisic and McKinnie making the transition to Germany easily, I think this will inspire all the other top players to go overseas to hone their craft. I would argue that with the possible exception of France, Americans would not find a great deal of language barriers anywhere else in the top leagues. (I’m more or less speaking personally with my own experiences). And kids nowadays are much more in tune with adapting to languages.
I thought Kante’s left-footed goal was impressive.
Watch MLS. Also, The Premier League starts in 3 weeks
I have no problems watching MLS.
The Atlanta-Seattle game wasn’t the best game of the weekend but was still fun. The Martinez goal 3 minutes into 2nd half was pretty. I’m finally getting around to watching the Timbers/LAFC game and so far it is fine.
After watching World Cup, UEFA and some South American soccer, in the rare times I watch some MLS, I feel like I’m watching an Academy team, of which I’ve spent much time watching. It’s a very different, inferior product IMO.
How do you find Academy games? Heck, I’d watch Premiership women over MLS.
They made the transition easily? You know that as a fact? Adjustments are necessary. If you don’t speak German, then you’re going to have trouble. A relative played for one of the Bundesliga academy teams and had plenty of issues. He/she didn’t speak the language and was lonely. He/she is a dual citizen for one of the European countries. Ultimately, he/she came home. And the same relative recently had another international experience, not in Germany, and had a very tough time. Language, accommodations, coaching, etc. And there were other Americans at both stops, not the famous players like Pulisic, who had troubles as well. So, I completely disagree with your supposition.
@AboutTheSame Stanford always seems to have one player or another out on loan to the national team. Tierna Davidson is the latest. Andi Sullivan before her. Davidson did play in the College Cup, but she missed a couple of other games during the season. Next up at Stanford, I’m sure, will be Catarina Macario, who will be a sophomore at Stanford this season. She’s the best female player that I’ve seen at the college level in a long time, maybe ever. And I’ve seen many of the current national team players when they played in college, including Alex Morgan (Cal), Abby Dahlkemper, (UCLA), Kelley O’Hara (Stanford), Christen Press (Stanford), Amy Rodriquez (USC), Tobin Heath (UNC), Sam Mewis (UCLA), etc. Macario is the next Pulisic or even Marta of Brazil. She’s presently a U23 USWNT player.
“How do you find Academy games?”
Definite a poor substitute for European academies.
Pulisic and McKennie are in line to be candidates for the Golden Boy award, so I’d say they’ve made the adjustment pretty well. Both speak German well. You don’t think Americans can learn German?
Academy games aren’t televised. Either here or internationally. Not sure about streaming via Facebook nowadays. I enjoy watching the U20 FIFA World Cups, since many of the kids will eventually populate the senior teams.
I read Pulisic has some issues adjusting. I’m not talking about play on the field. I’m talking about being a young adult in a foreign country. Finding accommodations, paying bills, making friends, etc. You’re talking about two players who might have had an easier time. Plenty of others out there.
Can players learn German or any language? Sure. How long does it take be fluent? My relative didn’t in his/her time in Germany. Learning a new language isn’t easy.
That’s not unusual for young adults even in their own country. Many face the same issues transitioning from college to the working world, for example. There is an adjustment period, for sure.
Plus, most (all?) young Germans speak excellent English and use it often.
We have thousands of kids in the US from abroad who are parachute kids living by themselves or live in boarding schools, trying to adapt to a society that looks down upon any other language other than English. And you want to complain about a kid(s) who is paid in 6 or 7 figures with private tutors for language in a country where all the young people speak English? Woe is them. Yeah maybe a few of them get homesick or can’t adapt for whatever reason a la Donovan but I’ll bet the vast majority who don’t “make it” is because they weren’t good enough. For the average American, they think the world should revolve around us when it comes to language but it’s good there are a lot more kids who now see through that.
This current group is making it. There are now dozens of players making their mark in Europe now. Whereas in the past there were maybe 3 or 4 players with the rest German imports. In the Goal.com Top 50 American players for 2022 ranking that came out in January, 27 of the 50 players play abroad and another 9 who play in MLS used to play abroad. (Plus one traitor who unexpected bolted the US for Mexico). This list doesn’t even include 2 or 3 German players who are eligible to commit to the US and are leaning towards commitment.