It was inconceivable that the US soccer team would miss out on the 2018 World Cup. This happened, however, and the sooner people realize this, the quicker they will be able to find a solution to the current US soccer predicament.
The failure of the US national team will hit so many people on so many different levels. US punters, for example, will be left reeling after the realization that they will have to take a sabbatical from backing their national team at the highly anticipated World Cup in Russia. In fact, since sports betting is getting more popular with Americans with each passing day, it is estimated that the number of disappointed betting enthusiasts will be in the millions.
However, not everything is doom and gloom right now and there have been encouraging signs that lessons have been learned and that changes will be made. But what changes should the US Soccer Federation prioritize? In this article, we will try to answer this question and will look at the 3 most pertinent things which the US’ soccer governing body should do right away.
Inject Youth in the National Team
The fact that the next potential big competition for the US soccer national team will be in 5 years time (and that’s if they manage to qualify for the World Cup in 2022), gives the US soccer federation and the US team coach a chance to inject some youth into their ranks.
There have been lots of under-20 US players impressing in leagues and competitions worldwide and these should be the next core of the US national team. Everybody is aware of the talent Christian Pulisic possesses, but US scouts and coaches shouldn’t stop there and should also watch carefully the performances of Weston McKennie, 19 (Schalke 04), Josh Sargent, 17 (Werder Bremen), Tyler Adams, 18 (New York Red Bulls), and FC Dallas’ goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez, 22.
Ask for More from Experienced Players
One of the biggest let downs of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers was the fact that the players who should have carried the national team going forward didn’t do their end of the bargain. Players such as Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey just didn’t deliver when it really mattered.
Only two of these four players have a realistic chance of making an appearance in 2022 in Qatar and if they do make the squad to play in the qualifiers they will have to work much harder and earn their place, instead of resting on their laurels.
Youth Development
When it comes to long-term thinking, however, the only way forward for the US soccer national team is to improve its youth infrastructure. One way to do this is not to limit the search for the next leaders of the national team in more affluent academy teams where most of the children are from middle-class white families.
Instead, the search for talent should be much more inclusive and should incorporate everyone who is talented enough to represent the United States of America.
