In a well-argued column on USSoccerPlayers.Com, Ken Pendleton looks at the United States’ performance in the 4-2 defeat to Brazil on Sunday and argues that not much has really improved for the national side in the past decade.
[A}re the Americans really that much better than the generation that came through twelve or so years ago? Tim Howard has not yet reached the same heights as (Brad) Friedel, or Kasey Keller. Are Oguchi Onyewu and Bocanegra better than Alexi Lalas and Eddie Pope? Would Claudio Reyna, Earnie Stewart, Cobi Jones, Ramos and Harkes take a backseat to Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, DaMarcus Beasley and Bradley? And one suspects that, post Brian McBride, coach Bradley would love to be able to call up someone who could score goals as consistently as Eric Wynalda.
He argues that while the U.S has a much better structure to draw from and a deeper pool of players avaliable there is a real lack of flair and individual creativity. It is a fair criticism although perhaps Pendleton overstates the lack of progress. The current U.S team is much better than a dozen years ago on several levels (compare again the midfield of 12 years ago with the current one. Is Beasley v Harkes really a close call?) and the past year has seen a significant improvement on the displays at the World Cup in Germany in terms of a more positive and aggressive approach to the game.
But there is something missing in the current squad and it is that sparkle of creativity, someone capable of the unpredictable and the occassionally brilliant. Well-organised, solid and efficient only get you so far as Sunday’s game showed.
One of the players from the past Pendleton mentions, Wynalda, now works as a television commentator on ESPN and during the Brazil match he was asked would the U.S ever produce a player with the exciting skills of Ronaldinho or Kaka? Wynalda blamed the coaching system in the U.S and said they produced “robots” whereas the Brazilians ensured that individuality survived the maturing process.
Which raises some questions. Firstly, is Wynalda right? If so, why do U.S coaches prefer the robotic to the creative? Is it a result of a sporting culture heavily influenced by the ‘game plans’ and rigid routines of other sports? Is it an over reliance on textbooks at youth level? Is it to do with the U.S’s strange lack of self-confidence in soccer? (More of which another time).
And, to be positive, can the new generation of players coming through from the national youth sides — Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore in particular — give some fresh zest and style to Bob Bradley’s side?
Simon Evans, Miami
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15 comments so far
I agree that this generation of U.S. players is nothing special. If DaMarcus Beasley is the cream of the crop it’s a bad sign. “Well-organised, solid and efficient only get you so far…” Well, quite. There is hope in Adu, though, I suppose. If he can establish himself at Benfica…
- Posted by LondonPlayers like Dempsey, Donovan, Adu and Altidore have and will provide a flair that previous “generations” of US Soccer players didn’t have.
As the sport weaves itself in with U.S. culture, it will pick up with it the flashiness of American culture which will be reflected in the players.
- Posted by MusicI watched a lot of the Under-20 World Cup in Canada and that U.S team had plenty of flair — Adu is a very exciting player, Altidore has huge promise and there are several other good players who could come from very soon and add a new dimension to Bradley’s side.
Talking of Bradley, his son Michael has really been impressive (apart from the wild challenge to give away the penalty for Brazil’s fourth) and looks to have the all-round ability needed in a good, modern central midfielder.
- Posted by SimonI don’t know much about the Americans apart from that they were really ordinary at the world cup. i remember a few american friends had told me they could win the whole thing. After seeing them I just thought what a nothing team. sorry. don’t know if they got much better since then. Didn’t they win the Gold Cup?
- Posted by redderthaneverThey won the Gold Cup yes and most observers would say their play has improved since the World Cup.
I don’t think they were *that* ordinary at the World Cup - after all they drew with Italy, the eventual winners of the competition and did so playing with nine-men.
- Posted by SimonBrazil did not score even 1 goal in the run of play. They got an own goal, a goal from a corner, a free-kick for a phatom foul, and a PK because of an impatient 20 year old at the very end.
I don’t know how you are trying to compare the 94 team to a team that is trying to rebuild, and midfielders are 20, 22, 25, and 25. Eddie Johnson is 23, and Dempsey is 24. Onyewu is 25, Heath Pearce is 23. Convey is 24. And Convey and Feilhaber have unluckily played very little game time recently.
As for creativity, we are not Brazil. But Italy, Germany, they do not play like Brazil either, and they have 7 world cup championships. And without being gifted one of the best players ever (Pele), at such a early time in footballs history, would they have won those 3 championships? I really think people are overconfident in the effectiveness of Brazils flair. And fail to disassociate their flair from their touch and skill.
- Posted by LawrenceThe US got very unlucky too with an awsome player, John O’Brien, having extreme injury problems, and it appears losing him forever. He was an awsome center mid for Ajax. Include the fact that bright star clint mathis tore his ACL and never was capable of this terrorizing form, like the 16 goal and 14 assist season right before. O’Brien and Mathis should be the leaders of this national team, but unluckily they fell to injury.
US will be the best soccer country in the world in 8 years. It’s impossible that it won’t, 300 million people. 3 million miles of space to play. Billions of dollars for development, equiptment, ability to play. People with heritages, and playing styles from all over the world. No one wants to bealive it, but all signs point to the US being the #1 team forever in the very near future.
- Posted by LawrenceNo, I am American and they did look below average at the world cup. I did though watch the U20 world cup and Freddy Adu looks a good bet to be one of the flashy creative players that we need to produce.
- Posted by NyeNo, they weren’t *that bad* all the way through the World Cup. Against italy they were just what you said in your piece about being solid and well organized. Against the other teams they were that bad, unfortunately. By the way, who’s this guy Altidore?
- Posted by LondonAltidore is the kid who scored 3 goals in basically 3 games in the MLS as a 16 year old. He scored 4 goals in the U20 World Cup, 2 to beat Brazil. He also scored 8 goals and 4 assists in about 1087 mins (12 full games) as a 17 year old. He is very strong and fast, and is kind of a cross between a Theiry Henry and Ronaldo type striker, obviously not at that level. He scored goals pretty much anyway imaginable. His first was at 16, a 30 yard rocket shot (he shoots extremely hard, hence the “Adidas: Impossible is nothing” commercial he is in.
- Posted by LawrenceNo one mentioned Korea - the US results in Korea, at the time our bellweather event. Really boiled down to Portugal’s overconfidence, luck (deflected goal), Korea playing out of their skin to beat Portugal. We lost to Poland and only tied Korea. I agree, we have not progressed enough - why? - too much influence over our game from England (Coaches and methods) and not enough from Latin America (Flare). Combine American’s Athletisim with Latin flare, then we can compete. Please remember, we have NEVER won on European soil against any level of Euro team….EVER.
- Posted by Dion LisleThere is a big gap of players missing. Those players ages 27-30 for the US either didn’t become that great products (twellman, wolf), and those that did injured themselves beyond repair (Mathis, O’Brien). Really all that is left is Bocanegra (Fulham) and Cherundelo (Hannover 96). That team that played Brazil’s A team was dangerously close to a US u-23 team. The really young players (US’s C team) did pretty well in Copa America considering how young the squad was (mostly 20-23 year olds), including going in even with Argentina’s A-team for 60 minutes.
Another player to note would be Gabriel Ferrari. Italian father and brazilian mother. Born in NYC, he played as a kid a little bit in Brazil. He just turned 19, and has been a with Sampdoria for a year now. He’s a striker and understands and has a nack for creativity.
As for never winning on european soil, if we wanted to go beat up on Denmark, and erase that supid fact, we could. Making that point is retarded. “Any level of euro team” as if we tried to play Lithuania and lost. Please.
- Posted by LawrenceWe were an embarassment at the World Cup. Italy were fine with a draw & so didn’t need to take risks against us. Against the Czechs we just rolled over for them & against Ghana there was slight improvement but it was too little & too late. And don’t get me started on my lame (USA! USA!) jingoistic countrymen’s behavior at the matches & outside the grounds.
But that’s in the past — the future doesn’t look too much brighter, though. If our best young players continue to go to England then “solid & well-organized” is the best we can hope for.
Have you ever heard of a player who went to England & improved? I’m speaking of technical ability & tactical understanding. They won’t get much in the way of coaching and they’ll only ever play 4-4-2.
One to watch to test my assertions is Benny Feilhaber — what was he thinking leaving Hamburg? He’ll disappear into oblivion after Derby are relegated. One who I think already proves my case is Carlos Bocanegra — his game has taken on a decidedly nasty edge and he hasn’t improved as a defender, he’s just become more of a thug. All he’s learning at Fulham is to beat on the opposing forward & lump the ball upfield. Not exactly what you’re looking for if you’re Bob Bradley & you want to build from the back.
But there is hope in the fact that Freddy Adu has forsaken England for Portugal. Provided he remains humble & patient he’ll receive good coaching to develop his game technically & tactically. Let’s hope it pays off for the US national team. They’ll need a new & improved Freddy since he’ll only be surrounded by serviceable, workmanlike players in the mold of Bocanegra & Feilhaber.
- Posted by DavidWinning in Europe is not a benchmark worth acheiving? Interesting, Europe as you obviously don’t realize is a strong region for Soccer, hence the name European Football. Of course anyone that would site Mathis as great except for injury needs to be ignored anyways, he is a better example of what is wrong with US Soccer. A strong athlete with no polish or training to reach the next level. Like any improvement, first we need to admit we have a problem, then we can move to fix it, without admitting our weakness, we can never fix it. So the endless dialog about this recent flash in the pan or that one is useless. Why not mention Kyle Rote Jr too ?
- Posted by Dion LisleMathis tore his ACL before he went to europe to get better and improve. And you ignored my first example of O’Brien.
As for your england comment, we have young players going to La Liga (Szetela), Seria A (Ferrari), and Portugal Liga (Adu). We have many other players looking at leagues like that too. Like Jose Angulo, who is not only looking in those three leagues, but in sout american leagues as well. Did we have youth players doing that before? No. I would say thats an improvement wouldn’t you? You would have to admit that the MLS is improving, and teams like Chivas (Kljestan 22, Bornstein 21, Preki coaching) is playing some pretty creative soccer. Not flashy, but creative.
Winning on foriegn soil is important yes, europe yes, and that is why we have three matches there this end of the year. But lets not pretend that fact is pretty worthless, and think that the US incapable of beating a european team away. Hopefuly they will erase that fact against Switzerland and Romania soon.
I also want to know who was so creative for the US in 94? Ramos and Perez, sure. But outside of that, not so much. They really just worked their arses off. Don’t try to paint that team like some kind of latin flair magicians.
- Posted by Lawrence