The Afterthought that is Men’s Soccer
United States soccer will never be at the level of other countries. The fact that we try to convince ourselves that we can compete at the highest level is a joke. We don’t have the players to compete, the coaches to compete, or the experience to compete.
Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley are considered the standard bearers for U.S. soccer right now, but would either of them see the pitch on a European squad or club team? Could you see Dempsey playing for Germany or being courted Manchester United? Will Bradley ever be feeding through balls to Lionel Messi? No. Would Jurgen Klinsmann even receive an interview if Germany needed a new coach? I think it is safe to say that Germany wants nothing to do with Klinsmann.
U.S. Women’s soccer has long been a dominant force in the Olympics and during the FIFA World Cup, but their male counterparts just can’t stand up to the competition. Both teams have recently been anchored by strong goalkeeping, but a goalkeeper can only stop so many one-on-one opportunities before one inevitably slips through their grasp. The difference has always been that the Women’s squad has the ability to attack and create on the fly, never needing set plays to dominate a game. The Men’s squad, however, has always had to rely on set pieces and rebound efforts to net the soccer ball. When the opposing team plays at a higher level, thinks at a higher level, and is coached at a higher level, set pieces rarely fool them.
The United States Men’s national team lost to Jamaica in the Gold Cup semifinals 2-1 on Wednesday. A shocking defeat, but one that is not uncommon to U.S. soccer fans. Landon Donovan was left at home and was none too happy about it, implying on Twitter that his experience and veteran leadership would have been helpful to this men’s squad much like Abby Wambach’s experience and veteran leadership provided a boost to the women’s team this year. Would Donovan’s calming presence in the attacking third made a difference in the final outcome versus Jamaica? Probably not, but Dempsey can only grab so many rebounds before that well starts to dry up.
Until soccer is viewed as a sport that is just as exciting as football or baseball (two sports that Americans love dearly), kids will never look to soccer as a career. Kids never turn on ESPN and see soccer highlights, so why would they play that stupid game. They see their favorite basketball players soaring for dunks, their favorite baseball players hitting the ball 400 feet, and their favorite football players running down the sideline. They never see the beautiful cross, soaring over the heads and hands of a dozen players before finally being deflected by the head of a diving player, propelling the ball into the corner of the goal. That sounds decently exciting to me.
Until soccer is viewed as a top 3 sport in the United States, our team will never win consistently against quality competition. We just aren’t at their level.
