The USMNT has failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup

The next round of World Cup qualifying starts 3 years from now. Is there any reason to see any current USMNT players who are 30+ today ever wear the jersey again except in a farewell game? We don't have a meaningful game for 20 months (2019 Gold Cup). I can't think of a good reason for the USMNT not to focus exclusively on players who can help us in 2022 from today forward.
 
The next round of World Cup qualifying starts 3 years from now. Is there any reason to see any current USMNT players who are 30+ today ever wear the jersey again except in a farewell game? We don't have a meaningful game for 20 months (2019 Gold Cup). I can't think of a good reason for the USMNT not to focus exclusively on players who can help us in 2022 from today forward.
I truly hope not. It'd be malpractice to let any of them continue. And if the next manager pulls any MLS-first bullshit about player selection, they should be fired - we need the majority of the players to be over in Europe fighting for their spots every week and not relaxing with guaranteed DP roles.

This is the player we needed leading the team Tuesday:
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not this:
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michael bradley was such a different player at roma and chievo than in the mls.. frustrating
 
I don't usually listen to podcasts, but I got enticed in to a specific podcast the Guardian did which ended up having a section on the failure of the USMNT. They got in an American to talk it over with them (this guy) and he basically cited four things he thought were at fault with the US system right now (and this kind of overlaps with the Youth Development thread but I've put it here anyway):

- Bruce Arena: I won't elaborate on this for obvious reasons
- Pay-to-play: Again, this needs no further comment
- The way that USMNT players returned to MLS: he specifically cited this (although not at any great length) as having had a negative effect on their performances, with the implicit suggestion that those players would have developed better by playing outside of the US
- The play-off system: interestingly, he claimed that the play-off system causes problems for the US system, saying basically that because the real prize is the MLS Cup and because so many teams contest the play-0ffs, many teams don't truly start working hard until the final few months when they have a better grasp on what exactly they need to do to qualify. I can't say that in my 2.75 years following MLS I've ever truly noticed this, although it's a variation on a theme of other issues I've always had with stuff like the draft system (rewarding you correspondingly according to how hard you failed previously) but honestly I don't really watch the league outside of NYCFC and it's certainly an interesting notion whether true or not.

Now I have no idea whether he said these things because he's a Eurosnob, or whether he has simply gone for the sensationalist tone or whatever, but it was an interesting few ideas he raised.
 
I don't usually listen to podcasts, but I got enticed in to a specific podcast the Guardian did which ended up having a section on the failure of the USMNT. They got in an American to talk it over with them (this guy) and he basically cited four things he thought were at fault with the US system right now (and this kind of overlaps with the Youth Development thread but I've put it here anyway):

- Bruce Arena: I won't elaborate on this for obvious reasons
- Pay-to-play: Again, this needs no further comment
- The way that USMNT players returned to MLS: he specifically cited this (although not at any great length) as having had a negative effect on their performances, with the implicit suggestion that those players would have developed better by playing outside of the US
- The play-off system: interestingly, he claimed that the play-off system causes problems for the US system, saying basically that because the real prize is the MLS Cup and because so many teams contest the play-0ffs, many teams don't truly start working hard until the final few months when they have a better grasp on what exactly they need to do to qualify. I can't say that in my 2.75 years following MLS I've ever truly noticed this, although it's a variation on a theme of other issues I've always had with stuff like the draft system (rewarding you correspondingly according to how hard you failed previously) but honestly I don't really watch the league outside of NYCFC and it's certainly an interesting notion whether true or not.

Now I have no idea whether he said these things because he's a Eurosnob, or whether he has simply gone for the sensationalist tone or whatever, but it was an interesting few ideas he raised.
Can't say i've ever been a USMNT player, nor an MLS player so I can't comment on the validity of that argument with personal experience..... but I am going to guess neither can that guy.

Talking heads come out the woodwork with their theories why things happen after they happen. Tell me why this wasn't a problem the last 5 world cups since the MLS has been in existence. We qualified just fine before. If we managed to advance, would this guy be saying we have a competitive advantage going into a playoff structured tournament having a playoff structured league?

Unfortunately, people who are "paid" to talk, still have to talk when they don't have anything insightful to say, so they say superficial things like that to get a conversation going. Maybe it does have an effect, but I am going to guess its a silly point just to round out his list of grievances. The USMNT players in the MLS are high paid professionals, they should be prepared every game they go into, and they should have beaten T&T, no excuse. If they advanced, this idea wouldn't have even been proposed.
 
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i'd rather not have a soccer program in the united states than have donovan as president.
 
im ok with wynalda. donovan is an absolute no from me. he is the epitome of arrogance in us soccer. its as if he was the poster child for US soccer for the past 20 years. oh wait...

interesting while i dont think donovan is the right guy....its absolute no for Wynalda from me.....he will put pro rel in effect on day 1.....then maybe half way thru change his mind then its a bigger mess in US soccer
 
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im ok with wynalda. donovan is an absolute no from me. he is the epitome of arrogance in us soccer. its as if he was the poster child for US soccer for the past 20 years. oh wait...

Donovan while being over rated is arguably the best player to ever play for the USMNT. And i was somewhat okay with his "arrogance" because he gave everything he had in every game he played in. These players seemed like they didnt even care.
 
interesting while i dont think donovan is the right guy....its absolute no for Wynalda from me.....he will put pro rel in effect on day 1.....then maybe half way thru change his mind then its a bigger mess in US soccer
between the two there's better options... hopefully this time they don't go for another guy who played striker for his financial firms zog team and is all of a sudden qualified.
 
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funny how arena only wanted players born in america to represent our national team. how about a president born in america then too?
the guy shoulda fired himself after that.