US World Cup Performance
I would almost feel remiss if I did not comment on the performance versus
Long term planning is foreign to I also feel Bruce Arena’s negative comments about the players were uncalled for. Everyone knows that they did not play up to their ability. What he said should have been said behind closed doors to each player. That is a rookie coaching mistake! Steve Sampson had his shortcomings, but never once in 1998 did he say anything negative about the players and he had every opportunity. Bruce Arena has responsibility to prepare the players and they were obviously not prepared. Also he picked the players; those were his players on the field, not someone else’s. I learned in my first year of coaching that players win and coaches lose. I wish him luck getting those players back.
posted by Vern Gambetta @ 6/13/2006 02:21:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Great comments Vern!
Coach Gambetta~
Couldn't agree more with your assesment. We were small, not faster, played slower, and didn't move off the ball.
The whole build-up was that we were fast and ultra fit. Well, an fast, ultra-fit team would pressure the ball (no gear of being beaten individually) and run constantly off the ball. We did not do this.
We also played much of the game trying to knock the ball over the top of our midfield. Did I mention we are small? We must choose a style of play that aligns with the athletes we we bring to the National Team.
The standing around, lack of creative runs, and misalignment of strategy reminded me of the kinds of play and coaching we witness at the HS level in the US.
Terms like fast, fit, and 'strength in the air' or 'strength on the ball' are all relative. I think our announcers, our national staff, and our players should take a hard look at these terms internationally before labeling our US players. Otherwise, we will continue to look painfully ignorant on the world stage.
Thanks for the comments and the resources, Coach.
As someone very involved in youth soccer (I have five kids playing soccer) I can say that the national organizations are very aware of their players' poor development. They constantly recommend that the kids watch non-US soccer to see how it should be played -- that in and of itself should be a big wake-up call. They bring in foreign and foreign-trained trainers. Some even try European type systems in their clubs.
Hoever, the over-competitive win-at-all-costs parents are cutting the legs out from under the sport. They will pull their early matured kid from a great training club that focuses on individual development, to be on a heavy recruiting club with kids that are early developers/great athletes with no soccer skills or good training. So their teams beat everyone up at Age 9, but by age 16 they are burnt out &/or those later bloomers on other clubs have now closed the gap, physically, and have better skills.
What the soccer community is fighting is the American tradition of bigger, faster, stronger. They need to focus on early skill development -- quality. There has to be a huge paradigm shift in US youth sports before we can compete on the adult level.
You see the same thing happening to basketball. The focus has shifted to speed, size and flare so we are getting beat by great fundamentals that used to be the American hallmark.
When they are young, train the basics. Teach them how to play and keep it fun. When they are physically more mature and their skills are better developed, worry more about strength & speed. We don't need a bunch of Shaq's on the soccer field! -- Dr. Roc Byrd
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