Where Does U.S. Soccer Go From Here?
Every U.S. soccer fan will remember where they were the night the unimaginable happened. On Tuesday night, the U.S. failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. It was a night filled with controversy, frustration, and ultimately heartbreak.
Going into the game against Trinidad & Tobago, the goal was simple for the United States. Win, and they were in. Draw, and they were in barring a miracle. Lose, and disaster would come into play. If they were to lose the game, and either Panama or Honduras were to win, the U.S. would have been knocked into fourth and would have gone in to a playoff with Australia next month. If the U.S. were to lose and BOTH Panama and Honduras were to win, the U.S. would be knocked out completely.
Unthinkably, the U.S. lost, and both Panama and Honduras won, meaning the U.S. will watch the World Cup from home for the first time in thirty years. And, despite the controversy that took place in Panama City, they have only themselves to blame.
I’ve seen a lot of excuses coming from a lot of people. From the Panama goal that shouldn’t have counted (which I won’t get into) to the team not having the talent, to the pitch being too hard and wet to play on. But ultimately, this game came down to one thing; the United States didn’t show up to play. This is arguably the most talent this country has ever had at its’ disposal. There have been billions of dollars invested into Major League Soccer and player development. The sport is certainly more popular in this country now than it ever has been. And still, the team couldn’t get the job done, which has left the fanbase, the media, and myself wondering: Where do we go from here?
There needs to be a good, long discussion about the problems this country is having when it comes to soccer, and there is a long list of them. But, to keep it short: pay to play is ruining youth development, the team itself has no identity, and people don’t care enough about soccer.
When you look at the U.S. team’s roster, the player that stands out to everyone is Christian Pulisic, and for good reason. The 19-year-old was by the far the best player on the team throughout the qualifying run. And frankly, it’s catastrophic for the sport that we won’t get to see him in the World Cup this summer. The problem with Pulsic, though, through no fault of his own, is that he’s not entirely a product of U.S. Soccer development. When Pulisic turned 16, he signed with Borussia Dortmund and went to Germany to finish his youth career and now plays there professionally. Why? Because player development overseas is far superior to player development in the United States. Kids who want to play high-level, competitive soccer in the U.S. have to pay a substantial amount of money or they have to go to college. Whereas overseas you can sign a youth contract and get paid to play. If we can’t start developing high-level talent here at home, we stand no chance at competing at a high level on the global stage.
Another huge fault of the United States team is that from day-to-day, you never know which team is going to show up. Are they going to come out firing and putting pressure on the opposition like they did against Panama? Or are they going to try to hold the ball and not score for the entire 90 minutes like they tried to do against Trinidad and Tobago? There is a severe identity crisis with this team. The U.S. Soccer Federation needs to bring in a new head coach who can come up with a set style of play and articulate that style of play very clearly. Then, they need to start developing and choosing talent that fits that style of play. If the team doesn’t solve its identity crisis, it’s going to continue having the same problems it’s had for the past eight-plus years.
Perhaps the most devastating consequence of the U.S. missing the World Cup is that the World Cup is not going to attract the same audience that it has in the past. There are a large number of people in this country who only watch soccer during the World Cup. Naturally, with their home country now out of it, they are going to be far less inclined to tune in this summer. Which, in turn, means that the game is not going to grow as much as it has been growing since the MLS was founded in 1996. The U.S. not making the World Cup is going to be a huge setback for U.S. soccer in terms of popularity. If we aren’t growing the game, we can’t develop talent. And if we can’t develop talent, we can’t solve the identity crisis.
Does any of this mean that the U.S. National Team is doomed and that soccer in this country is dead? Of course not. Soccer will live and go on and continue to be played in the U.S. However, the team not making the World Cup is a huge setback for the game and now we have to have a discussion about what to do next. Now is the time to get angry, now is the time for heavy criticism, and now is the time for the U.S. Soccer Federation to make some serious changes, both short-term and long-term.
