The USMNT has failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup

Humiliating, disgraceful, and farcical. This is the worst moment in American sports history.

Someone above said the entire federation needs to get blown up, and I completely agree. Gulati needs to resign, there needs to be a new coaching staff, new player development group -- we need to completely change how we approach things. We've got plenty of time now to make changes, and those changes need to be sweeping.

That includes the players. Michael Bradley should never again play for the national team, among others. We need to change how we evaluate players, change how we develop players.

This is cataclysmic to soccer in this country, and it needs to be treated as such.
 
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I can't sleep, but I'm still hoping to wake up from this nightmare.
 
Utter shock & embarrassment.

I have always had a soft spot for US Soccer fans. You have had to get the abuse of "soccer is for commies and girls" etc from other Americans plus having the rest of the world hating on you because you are American.

This is the first time though I'm not disappointed the USA didnt make the world cup and for a number of reasons.

- It means Bruce Arena gets his comeuppance. The reality was the USA would have been 0-3 at the World Cup under his guidance. He should never step into a US coaching role again.

He then has the nerve to say that nothing needs to change or that European teams should try playing in Concacaf. Guess what Bruce, no hotshot european team would lose to a country where cricket is their #1 sport and who had nothing to play for.

I do look foward to seing how Australia goes against Honduras.

His stance on using German-Americans and his insistence on using predominatly MLS players also annoyed me. Somewhere Jurgen Klinnsman is laughing.

- US Soccer also gets a reality check and Sunil Gulati needs to go. They got Arena back into the fold and need to take responsibility.

One thing that usually forces changes in the USA is when money is lost. US Soccer will lose a bucketload of cash on the back of this.

Maybe this will force some changes at US Soccer.
 
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Aside from Pulisic getting overly pissed off every time he was brushed by another player, there was absolutely zero heart being shown by any of the players. Cobi kept saying over and over "the players on the field absolutely know whats going on in the other games. Someone is telling Bruce and Bruce is telling them," etc. I'm sure that is true, but they didn't look like they were understanding it. Michael Bradley was fucking walking / standing in place off the ball. Jozy completely fucking disappeared. Dempsey took a handful of wishful thinking outside the box shots from his position at LEFT FUCKING WING. You could see Pulisic screaming at the refs, but I really wish he walked right up to Bradley and ripped the fucking captains band off him on live TV. Our "stars" showed zero balls.
 
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"Get your kids right now and go kick a ball. Go get your friends and meet at a bar and talk soccer. Your kid can be the American star that makes sure this never happens to us again; you can be the coach that develops the next American star."

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017...p-gone-now-american-soccer-needs-us-more-ever

Lmao, I have a 9mo daughter, but I'd be lying if I said that at some point last night as I wasn't sitting there unable to move from the couch, thinking if the wife and I pop out a boy next the first thing I'll do is show him this game over and over right before I surgically attach cleats to his feet.

Joking of course, but this article just jumped out at me like "this guy is so fucking right."
 
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ktdNYCFC said:
Aside from Pulisic getting overly pissed off every time he was brushed by another player, there was absolutely zero heart being shown by any of the players. Cobi kept saying over and over "the players on the field absolutely know whats going on in the other games. Someone is telling Bruce and Bruce is telling them," etc. I'm sure that is true, but they didn't look like they were understanding it. Michael Bradley was fucking walking / standing in place off the ball. Jozy completely fucking disappeared. Dempsey took a handful of wishful thinking outside the box shots from his position at LEFT FUCKING WING. You could see Pulisic screaming at the refs, but I really wish he walked right up to Bradley and ripped the fucking captains band off him on live TV. Our "stars" showed zero balls.
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That was it for me. The first half was one of the most un-inspirational halves I've ever watched. Nobody on the team seemed to have much fight in them.

It was just embarrassing. As much as I don't like him playing for the USMNT, I actually wanted Wondo to sub in, because I know that guy would leave everything out there. And Dax as well, though I wasn't sure it would be a good sub, needing two goals to catch up. But I know him and Wondo wouldn't be lolligagging around the field.

I've been a passionate sports fan my whole life and have endured many failures and disappointments (as anyone who's a sports fan has), this IMO is the worst sports moment I've ever experienced. I don't think this is a hyperbole, I'm so utterly embarrassed by this.
 
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I don't understand how Arena didn't immediately resign on the spot in the post-match presser. That's the least he could possibly do and have any honor left as a manager. He sleptwalked through every away game he was in charge of in the Hex, and then last night sent the team out there completely unprepared (what was that he said prior to the match? "I haven't given a minute's thought to Trinidad?" Yeah, fuck you.), and made no changes when it was obvious that the team was completely lost and GETTING OUTPLAYED BY TRINIDAD even though both teams were dealing with the same shitty pitch.

Speaking of which, I do not want to hear one single excuse about the pitch. Fuck off. Trinidad managed to play the game. The US quit from minute one. What, you grow up playing on suburban soccer fields and you can't handle your shit when the going gets rough?

What an utter disaster.

I cynically predict that Gulati will still stand for the next election.
 
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I am sure some of you have seen this, but it's great read - especially after what unfolded. It describes a generation of players born from 1990-1994 that should be coming into their own for the senior team, but who never panned out. They were poor at the junior level, and they're a big reason the reason the senior team is underperforming.

http://www.americansoccernow.com/articles/the-missing-years-u-s-soccer-s-development-gap

The good news is that the people coming in behind them look terrific. For all those saying our development system needs to be blown up, ask whether that really makes sense given where we are with kids aged 16-20.
 
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DL03H1IX0AIxPf8.jpg


Book about German soccer after the DFB had been knocked out of Euro 2004, following two ties against Netherlands and Latvia, and a loss to the Czech Republic.

I've just started reading it, but look to see how Germany went from joke to lifting the World Cup trophy and becoming the first European team to win the WC outside of Europe.

On Amazon.
 
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Schwallacus said:
DL03H1IX0AIxPf8.jpg


Book about German soccer after the DFB had been knocked out of Euro 2004, following two ties against Netherlands and Latvia, and a loss to the Czech Republic.

I've just started reading it, but look to see how Germany went from joke to lifting the World Cup trophy and becoming the first European team to win the WC outside of Europe.

On Amazon.
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Oh, didn't you hear?

"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," said U.S. manager Bruce Arena. "Certainly as our league grows, it advances the national team program. We have some good young players coming up. Nothing has to change. To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish."​
 
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lets look at where the USA goes wrong in soccer:
-kids will know what it is like to head a soccer ball until they are 10.
-Youth soccer implements a "dangerous play" rule that does not exist outside of the 50 states. this teaches all of our kids to be bitches right from the start and sets up failure.
-participation trophies because you don't want to deal with your loser kid, fast forward 20 years later and they're on the national team - buncha losers still.
-the amount of talent overlooked players through our ODP and college is insanely high.
-like twellman said, after 14 years old kids are not properly trained to become proper soccer players within the united states.
 
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Mario said:
lets look at where the USA goes wrong in soccer:
-kids will know what it is like to head a soccer ball until they are 10.
-Youth soccer implements a "dangerous play" rule that does not exist outside of the 50 states. this teaches all of our kids to be bitches right from the start and sets up failure.
-participation trophies because you don't want to deal with your loser kid, fast forward 20 years later and they're on the national team - buncha losers still.
-the amount of talent overlooked players through our ODP and college is insanely high.
-like twellman said, after 14 years old kids are not properly trained to become proper soccer players within the united states.
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There's a lot wrong with the sport, but I don't think participation trophies have anything to do with it.

What's the "dangerous play" rule?
 
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The crappy situation with college soccer is a real issue however. Other sports besides soccer are pay to play, and they work out fine. The reason is that parents are willing to pay if they think their kid will get a college scholarship out of it.
 
sbrylski said:
There's a lot wrong with the sport, but I don't think participation trophies have anything to do with it.
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it's a mentality thing. if everyone wins, then what is there to improve on? but to each is own on that subject i guess, no point in arguing it.

What's the "dangerous play" rule?
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Once a player is on the ground, he/she cannot attempt to play the ball (kick it away while laying on the floor).
This is a made up rule that is not part of FIFA's laws. the claims were safety reasons but in all honesty I've watched, played, coached, reffed enough to say that nobody has ever gotten hurt from this. The official or correct ruling, however, is if a player willingly lays on the ball or holds it between their legs or basically puts themselves in a position so the opponent cannot play the ball, leading to the player on the ground getting kicked until unconscious.
 
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Keith Putnam said:
Oh, didn't you hear?

"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," said U.S. manager Bruce Arena. "Certainly as our league grows, it advances the national team program. We have some good young players coming up. Nothing has to change. To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish."​
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This made me want to throw my TV out of the window. Pure arrogance to say something like that. Or self preservation.
 
This is why change is needed - Since 2011, the US has now missed a U17 World Cup, a U20 World Cup, two Olympics and a senior World Cup.
 
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