it's great to see my entire oeuvre from this tournament in this forum written in a nice way by a professional....
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in particular, he closes with a nice summary of "TURBO SOCCER BAD":
"U.S. Soccer can only play a limited role in affecting the youth soccer industry's negative impact on grassroots player development, although it can set a standard with youth national team selections, and it has no influence on the college game — a great and much-appreciated contributor to the rise of American women's soccer but a driver of over-valuing athleticism.
But U.S. Soccer can reevaluate what in 2020 it deemed a good idea by instructing its entire U.S. national team staff — men, women, boys and girls — to adopt the same playing style, an "our way" principles of play. Much of the emphasis is on relentless pressing, playing quickly, and a trio of midfielders who can cover ground.
At this juncture, the women's program needs creative playmakers and players at all positions with a level of ball control and passing efficiency that we're seeing even from the newer arrivals at women's soccer's world stage. It doesn't need is to be told how many midfielders to field or how quickly to play.
From what we've seen from the teams already at this Women's World Cup, the U.S. women's program would be best off navigating that challenge without U.S. Soccer's profoundly Northern European-influenced playing style edict."
Even more than creative playmakers, we need players that can hold the ball, see the field, and read the game. The men's side of the house started teaching this when massive youth clubs hired coaching directors for all levels down to u-9 with a mandate to teach for 8 years before going in to "must win tournament model" at u-15. This happened around 2008 and now we are rocking. This will happen on the wimmen's side of the house soon.
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The only thing he doesn't do is call out the Fed for agreeing to the karma-krushing bonfire to the soccer gods which was the ARROGANT ad campaigns. The juju was all fucked up before we even got on the plane, and before all of the other problems had a chance to cook together onsite.
But he does cite the ad campaigns first and foremost as the #1 problem which they absolutely were.
Enjoy.
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woitalla
silver linings