[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

Basing it on every friendly, concafab, world cup, and other such events I have watched team usa in for the past 25 years.

i'd suggest that the problem is that earlier generations have learned a style of kick-and-run football, not possession and ball control. this is fed from childhood, where unexperienced coaches thought the game was all about speed and power and little else. this sort of aggregates and gives you a kind of "national flavor."

as the game evolves in the US, more refinements will develop. it takes time, because it's a cultural phenomenon rather than a matter of choice--just like languages develop over time.

we don't really have a tradition or much of a street game, or poor kids looking at futbol as a way out of poverty. our futbol has been a sport of rich kids being driven around by their moms, not poor kids trying to get out of the house and become rich as pros.

we've had some youth development in the past, and this is increasing, but it is no match to what professional teams do in other countries. i repeat this fact often, but consider that messi was taken from argentina to barcelona when he was 12!! the MLS is still harvesting players from college--too fucking old.

now klinsmann finally is trying to change all that. he's brought imports. he's changing the team's style. he's focusing on youth development. he wants american players to work at the highest levels in the top leagues. but you're not going to see the full results of what he's doing for another decade at least, maybe two.

and speaking of "national flavor". reason i mentioned italy wasn't sheer flippancy-- if you watch italy play you see how they look like they have a boot magnet. that is something players learn as little kids, watching their favorite teams, imitating them, etc. it's in the air. and i'm serious when i say there's a new jersey-italy football bridge.