Your infrastructure in the game is fundamentally flawed because it follows the models of other more popular sports and relies on student athletes and foreign imports.
Your population is larger, but your best athletes aren’t playing football.
And 1 has a ceiling. It will never be anywhere close to the other major sports.
That’s not to say the US can’t be a competitive force, but, a fluke notwithstanding, they just don’t have the interest, skill or infrastructure required to be a serious threat.
Only in the sense that winning any knockout competition requires an element of luck. But I think we can sensibly agree that countries can plan and intend to compete for these competitions with serious intent?
The current US squad and recent call ups is basically made up of three types of player:
Collegiate athletes come good.
Foreign players who aren’t quite good enough for their home/ancestral country so play for the US.
Players who grew up playing for local clubs and then youth academies (which is how it happens in Europe and South America).
Right now it’s a faily even balance between all three. This suggests collegiate athletes still play a big part in their system, but they are slowly but surely switching to a grassroots and academy system, but for now need to supplement with foreign talent.
Your infrastructure in the game is fundamentally flawed because it follows the models of other more popular sports and relies on student athletes and foreign imports.
Your population is larger, but your best athletes aren’t playing football.
And 1 has a ceiling. It will never be anywhere close to the other major sports.
That’s not to say the US can’t be a competitive force, but, a fluke notwithstanding, they just don’t have the interest, skill or infrastructure required to be a serious threat.
A fluke notwithstanding? Literally every single answer in this thread would have to be a fluke, that’s the whole point…
Only in the sense that winning any knockout competition requires an element of luck. But I think we can sensibly agree that countries can plan and intend to compete for these competitions with serious intent?
Who in the current usmnt was a student athlete?
Matt Turner, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream.
Ha! Nah you’re right, I’m wrong.
I will say most of those are nobodies that will probably never see significant minutes for the USMNT and Tim Ream is almost a closed chapter.
turner being the best keeper is an embarrassment considering he didn’t even play the sport till he was what… 18?
Well if anything it proves my point.
The current US squad and recent call ups is basically made up of three types of player:
Collegiate athletes come good.
Foreign players who aren’t quite good enough for their home/ancestral country so play for the US.
Players who grew up playing for local clubs and then youth academies (which is how it happens in Europe and South America).
Right now it’s a faily even balance between all three. This suggests collegiate athletes still play a big part in their system, but they are slowly but surely switching to a grassroots and academy system, but for now need to supplement with foreign talent.
A