Canada just needs to launch balls into the box, they seem stronger in the air. Hopefully they can pull of a Swiss v Spain in the 2nd half

Jurgen Klinsmann Conference Call - April 4, 2012

http://www.ussoccer.com/media-librar...od-48kbps.aspx

Any listen to this? Worth listening to?

I listened to it(the whole thing), it's a little slow at first. I apologize for posting it without any information, but I was on the run, and I saw no one had posted it, and from what I heard(which was a minute or two), it was interesting. It's 45 minutes long, but he reveals how far back the developmental system for our youth is compared to other nations(he mentions Germany and Mexico for instance). I love it, and I'm glad he's running our team. I pretty much posted it without information because I thought others like myself would love to know what some of his ideas are for this team and possibly our nation is(football/soccer influence), because since his hiring, we've looked so much better(European touch football has finally arrived). They touched on everything. It's brilliant imo. I loved it. It should provide a lot of discussion here.

Thanks! Sounds worth a listen.

np. Yeah, no American football(soccer) fan/supporter should sleep on it imo.

My theory why the US sucks at soccer:

Soccer is a fall sport. In the US if you are an athletic kid you play football in the fall. The reason the US sucks at soccer is because in the US the best athletes don't play soccer. Imagine if athletes like Calvin Jones, Brian Urlacher and Adrian Peterson grew up playing soccer and now were representing the US on the soccer field. The US would completely dominate soccer.

I'd like to be the first to welcome Captain Obvious to this thread.

This is the kind of thinking that will prevent the US from beginning an elite soccer nation. It's not that the players aren't athletic enough, it's that their technique is not as good as their Spanish, German, Dutch, etc counterparts.

Soccer is a technique-heavy sport, similar to tennis. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Ozil and Van Persie aren't amazing natural athletes, they were honed into world class players by playing at elite academies from a very young age where they received the best technical and tactical training and competed with and against the best players in the world.

Until the infrastructure and youth academies in the US can match that of the Netherlands, Spain or Germany, they US won't be on the same level as them. It's not a matter of getting the next LeBron James to play soccer. You don't see Jamaica or African nations dominating the sport. Sometimes being too athletic can hinder a player's development because he can get by on his physical attributes up to a certain level and by then it's too late for him to improve his technical abilities significantly.

World class soccer players are made, they aren't born genetic freaks like track stars and some basketball players.

Yup, but I'd be nice if more elite athletes played soccer here. Most don't currently see it as lucrative.

Well said.

Exactly, and they're right.

I'm just hoping they see how much the guys in Europe are starting to make and realise there is potential to make a good living in soccer. Dempsey I think is about to get seriously paid. Definitely need mls salaries to continue to rise, but that's a slow process.

But, yeah, we need the right coaching if we ever get more elite athletes playing soccer. Shea is a good example of a good athlete with the right technique.

I rated Reyna highly when he was in Scotland. Good player.

Are you referring to the World Cup '30 team of the tournament?

If so, which Americans made the cut?

The coaching is something I think can be addressed sooner as well. Better coaching can also yield good results in the near future. I think some of the more diverse tactics we're seeing in the mls will be a benefit for the national team

bump for Clint GOAT Dempsey

I'll say it. It's un-American to not be a Fulham fan.

Plus they are supremely unhatable with their stadium and awesome jerseys

Who's goat in the states now? Donovan or Dempsey? never see Donovan play and Dempsey's good this year.

Dempsey ainec

Dempsey is an alltime great scorer for a middle table premier league team. Donovan has been good with Everton, but Demps is just a beast now.

Yeah, it's likely he will join a bigger club after this season right? i'm really impressed with him this year.

Yeah, he wants to play with a CL team before he gets on the downslope of his career

I can imagine... where to you see him for the wc in brasil? squad leader or an over the top player? if he performs the way he does now team usa might be a really tough team for the 'elite' teams.

edit: at least beating italy was a good start

I'm not knowledgeable enough really to answer that question. I don't think we'll be that tough for the top 10 unless we get a striker and some defenders to replace our aging guys. Attacking midfield and goalkeeping will obviously be as good as a top 15-20 team, but after that is worrying

Altidore is written off as not good enough or do you still see potential in him? just being curious because i would never field the guy but thats personal preference i guess.