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.
