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The 15th edition of the AFC Asian Cup kicked off on 7 January 2011 from Khalifa Stadium in Doha. Sixteen nations are competing to raise the Asian Cup on 29 January from Khalifa Stadium. Thirty-two matches provided the FIFA 2022 World Cup host, Qatar, with the opportunity to display how they will manage a large international football event. There were many half-full stadia, but those who attended were in a festive mood.
Cup Final: Japan Becomes First Four-Time Winner
Tadanari Lee scored on a clinical left-footed volley in the 109th minute to give Japan their 4th AFC Asian Cup with his first international goal. New manager, Alberto Zaccheroni, won his first international trophy with Japan. It was an intense game. Australia had more of the possession and goal-scoring opportunities. The Japanese thwarted the efforts of the Socceroos, and their keeper, Eiji Kawashima, was superb. Both teams should be congratulated for putting forth a great effort.
Zaccheroni After the Game
"La grande forza di questa squadra."
"The great strength of this team."
--- Alberto Zaccheroni, manager of Japan, directly after the Cup final.
History
This competition began in 1956 from Hong Kong, and the first winner was the Korea Republic. Iran and Saudi Arabia have won the competition three times, respectively. Japan has become the first country to win the event four times.
The defending champion is Iraq.
Group A
Peoples Republic of China Kuwait Qatar Uzbekistan
1
07 January 2011 19:15
QATAR-UZBEKISTAN
Khalifa Stadium
2
08 January 2011 16:15
KUWAIT-CHINA P.R.
Al Gharafa Stadium
9
12 January 2011 16:15
UZBEKISTAN-KUWAIT
Al Gharafa Stadium
10
12 January 2011 19:15
CHINA P.R.-QATAR
Khalifa Stadium
17
16 January 2011 19:15
QATAR-KUWAIT
Khalifa Stadium
18
16 January 2011 19:15
CHINA P.R.-UZBEKISTAN
Al Gharafa Stadium
Group B
Japan Jordan Saudi Arabia Syria
3
09 January 2011 16:15
JAPAN-JORDAN
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
4
09 January 2011 19:15
SAUDI ARABIA-SYRIA
Al Rayyan Stadium
11
13 January 2011 16:15
JORDAN-SAUDI ARABIA
Al Rayyan Stadium
12
13 January 2011 19:15
SYRIA-JAPAN
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
19
17 January 2011 16:15
SAUDI ARABIA-JAPAN
Al Rayyan Stadium
20
17 January 2011 16:15
JORDAN-SYRIA
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
Group C
Australia Bahrain India Korea Republic
5
10 January 2011 16:15
INDIA-AUSTRALIA
Al Sadd Stadium
6
10 January 2011 19:15
KOREA REPUBLIC-BAHRAIN
Al Gharafa Stadium
13
14 January 2011 16:15
AUSTRALIA-KOREA REPUBLIC
Al Gharafa Stadium
14
14 January 2011 19:15
BAHRAIN-INDIA
Al Sadd Stadium
21
18 January 2011 16:15
KOREA REPUBLIC-INDIA
Al Gharafa Stadium
22
18 January 2011 16:15
AUSTRALIA-BAHRAIN
Al Sadd Stadium
Group D
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Islamic Republic of Iran Iraq United Arab Emirates
7
11 January 2011 16:15
DPR KOREA-UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
8
11 January 2011 19:15
IRAQ-I.R. IRAN
Al Rayyan Stadium
15
15 January 2011 16:15
I.R. IRAN-DPR KOREA
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
16
15 January 2011 19:15
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES-IRAQ
Al Rayyan Stadium
23
19 January 2011 19:15
IRAQ-DPR KOREA
Al Rayyan Stadium
24
19 January 2011 19:15
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES-I.R. IRAN
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
Elimination Round
25
21 January 2011 16:25
Winner Group B-Runner Up Group A
Al Gharafa Stadium
26
21 January 2011 19:25
Winner Group A-Runner Up Group B
Khalifa Stadium
27
22 January 2011 16:25
Winner Group C-Runner Up Group D
Al Sadd Stadium
28
22 January 2011 19:25
Winner Group D-Runner Up Group C
Qatar Sports Club Stadium
#
Date
Match
Venue
29
25 January 2011 16:25
Winner Quarterfinal 2-Winner Quarterfinal 4
Al Gharafa Stadium
30
25 January 2011 19:25
Winner Quarterfinal 1-Winner Quarterfinal 3
Khalifa Stadium
#
Date
Match
Venue
31
28 January 2011 18:00
Loser Semi-final 1-Loser Semi-final 2
Al Sadd Stadium
#
Date
Match
Venue
32
29 January 2011 18:00
Winner Semi-final 1 -Winner Semi-final 2
Khalifa Stadium
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
Final
21 January - Doha
A1 Uzbekistan
2
25 January - Doha
B2 Jordan
1
Uzbekistan
0
22 January - Doha
Australia
6
C1 Australia
1 AET
29 January - Doha
D2 Iraq
0
Australia
0
21 January - Doha
Japan
1 AET
B1Japan
3
25 January - Doha
A2 Qatar
2
Japan
2 AET 3 - 0 PKs
Third place
22 January - Doha
Korea Republic
2
D1 Islamic Republic of Iran
0
Uzbekistan
2
C2Korea Republic
1 AET
Korea Republic (Automatic qualification for AFC Cup of 2015.)
So Richard Keys has jumped before he was pushed and resigned from Sky Sports, meaning that he of too-much hair joins he of too-little at the job centre, after Andy Gray was shown the door at the weekend for his sexist comments towards both Sian Massey - the lineswoman of the match between Liverpool and Wolves and a female colleague. It certainly marks the end of an era, and I have to be honest - it's probably about time they went.
And not because of their sexist behaviour - many a blogger has already jumped on the "they're sexist monsters" bandwagon and so this is not an article looking down on them for making a joke that has been made by male football fans for decades. Instead, this article suggests that in amongst all the probably justified sexism hysteria - you just can't say that on telly - this incident also showed that as pundits... they're no longer cutting it.
It's an interesting case really, given that what Gray and Keys have actually done is simply to criticise the performance of a match official, and they don't mean herreferee shoes. And let's face it, that's a national pastime for the people of Britain. We love our football right enough, but rarely are we happier, somewhat paradoxically, than when we've got something to moan about. And referees and their assistants are popular targets for our ire.
Lack of Respect for Match Officials
Indeed, I'd go so far as to say that someone completely new to our culture watching a football match for the first time may think that the referee is actually there to be abused, such is the constant stream of vitriol aimed at him (or her, I must add) from not only both sets of fans but also the players and managers as well. Being a match official is a job that is not for the faint hearted - they will get abused. It's a fact of life.
Of course, the exception here is that Sian Massey is female, and it was implied in Gray and Keys' criticism that her gender was the cause of her failure. Of course, we can't have that. It's a popular gag, that women can never understand the offside rule, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know too many men these days who understand the damn thing fully. I'm man enough to admit that I can't recall off the top of my head exactly how it stands at the minute - they chop and change it so much that the old gag has lost its relevance.
That's not why Gray and Keys got what they deserved though. If every commentator who made a lame joke on TV was sacked we'd be listening to crowd noise (maybe we should introduce that ruling, thing about it). No, the real problem with this whole incident for me, and the reason why Gray and Keys showed themselves as no longer being up to the job, was that Sian Massey was absolutely 100% spot-on in her decision.
Fernando Torres was not offside. It was a perfectly legal goal. There was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't even really close. And when an Everton fan is saying that, you know it's true. So why on earth were Gray and Keys questioning the decision in the first place? Regardless of the gender of the linesman or lineswoman, if they get the decision right, you shouldn't be questioning it.
There's nothing more infuriating than watching a game of football on the telly and seeing a commentator stubbornly stick to their real-time judgment as TV replays prove them wrong. All it takes is for them to admit that in the flesh they got it wrong and that actually, the right decision was made. We won't think less of them for it, we'll actually admire them more and hate them less if they accept that they're human and they make mistakes.
Because it will also highlight the very difficult job that referees and match officials have. We all think we're experts and could do it with our eyes close but when you're out there and the games going a hundred miles an hour, it's not easy. And so we need to lay off referees and officials a bit. When they're wrong, give them some stick - that's never going to stop and it'll keep them on their toes. There's no harm in it (as long as common sense is used).
Praise Rarely Given
But when they're right, they have to be applauded. We can't have idiotic commentators trying to blindly preserve their professional pride by insisting beyond reasonable doubt that they were right and the official was wrong when it simply isn't the case, regardless of whether they offend an entire gender in the process. When referees make the right calls, we have to give them the credit they deserve. We have to encourage them.
Are Referees Becoming an Endangered Species?
Because I rarely meet anyone who wants to be a referee. I play football in Wellington and last season we had a referee for one match in the entire season - the Cup final. Otherwise, we had to ref ourselves. It's the same everywhere. Nobody wants to be a referee anymore - why would they? Who wants to have abuse routinely hurled at them? But that's a problem because football needs referees. There's nothing worse than playing football and having a member of one team refereeing the match. It doesn't work. And if we keep this up, we will start to have a serious problem. The standard of refereeing in the Premier League is quite poor. I don't think it's as good as it should be and I think too many mistakes are made. But it's a bloody pressure cooker environment to work in and when they're criticised even when they do something right it's no longer that they sometimes seem to give decisions according to popular opinion. We really have got to back the referees and give them a reason to make the right decisions. If they get abused either way, they'll take the easy way out every time.
And that's why I'm not sorry to see the back of Gray and Keys. I live in New Zealand and don't get the proper Sky coverage of the Premier League over here so I haven't listened to them in a few years but even back six years ago they were fast approaching a point where they had far too high an estimation of themselves. They felt that every word they spoke about football was gospel and was right. They were short-sighted when it came to certain players and they had their own agendas and ideas that they would not depart from.
Time to Show them the Door
From what I've heard, that development has only continued since I last saw them on air. And thus I was not surprised at the comments they made at the weekend. Of course they were wrong to joke about Sian Massey's gender. But the main thing that they did was to misrepresent the accuracy of her decision. She got the call absolutely right, but who'd know? All that's been reported is two commentators questioning her understanding of the offside rule and so the casual observer may assume she got it wrong.
And that's an injustice and is indicative of the way we treat referees in football. Of course they make mistakes and I deny no one the right to criticise them when they do. But when they get it right, lets emphasise that too. Let's make sure that they get the praise they deserve. For the sake of football at all levels, we need good referees and we need more referees. For that to happen we've got to treat them with some respect and with Andy Grey and Richard Keys off the TV, well, they might finally get a little.
Chris correctly predicted all 16 teams from the Group round phase.
Please click the image for Champions League tickets to watch your favorite teams in person.
Maybe it’s a little early to be doing this, but then again, transfer rumors start months in advance of them ever having the possibility of occurring… So let’s get to this, shall we?
Lukasz Fabianski
Phillip Lahm—Gerard Pique—Thiago Silva—Dani Alves
Gareth Bale—Xavi—Nani
Leo Messi—Cristiano Ronaldo—Antonio Cassano
Lukasz Fabianski
Do I think the Gunner will do the unthinkable and beat Barcelona in a two-match tie? Absolutely not. Do I think it’ll be closer than last year’s demolition derby? Sure do. A lot of this has to do with the good form of Fabianski, as Barca’s devastating attacks will be inevitable. Fabianski is surely better in hiskeeper glovesthan outcast Manuel Almunia. He’ll have a lot to prove in this nearly impossible matchup for the Gunners to win.
Phillip Lahm
In a rematch of last year’s Champions League final, Phillip Lahm should have the ability to shine with his attacking runs from defense. Inter have been rejuvenated thanks to a new manager, Leonardo, but will find a tough time containing the Bayern Munich vice-captain and his scintillating pace and decent defensive skills. I would argue Lahm is this year’s version of Maicon.
Gerard Pique
What can you say about the 23-year-old monster? He’s tactically sound, has the physical tools to push around any striker in any league, and partners with one of the greatest center backs in Barcelona history, Carlos Puyol. He should be able to help contain the creativeness of Van Persie and new signing Chamakh, just like he did last year in the Arsenal v. Barcelona tie.
Thiago Silva
Arguably the best centerback tandem in European football, Thiago Silva and company will have their hands full against Harry Redknapp’s creative and attractive footballing side. He’s strong in the air, a fine tackler, speedy, and tactically sound. I think he’ll have a great chance to contain a fluid attacking squad and hopefully shine.
Dani Alves
The speedy right back should wreck havoc on Gunner defenders with his searing pace and his ability to go toe-to-toe with fast wingers such as Samir Nasri or Theo Walcott. A truly scintillating player on his best days (and lately, he’s been looking good), he can make opposing defenses and offenses look silly. The perfect matchup to suit the Brazilian’s skills.
Gareth Bale
What more can you say about the 21-year-old Welshman? Blinding pace, bags of energy and a knack for scoring big goals and making opposing fullbacks look plain silly. He has terrorized defenses in Europe thus far in the tournament and his opponents (AC Milan) do not have the greatest outside backs in the world. Expect Bale to shine once again.
Xavi
The 30-year-old Barcelona maestro will be drooling at facing Arsenal again. Though his form is not quite on par with that of last season’s, he can still pick out almost any man on the field and devastate teams with his accurate passing and intelligent play. Truly the orchestrator in the total football package, he will be Arsenal’s worst enemy come February.
Nani
The 24-year-old Portuguese international speedster has been in scintillating form in his Adidas Adizeros for Manchester United this campaign and has a great chance to keep up his excellent play against a struggling Marseille side. His performances in Champions League Play thus far have not been terrific, but for some reason, I’ve got a good feeling about Nani lighting up the round.
Leo Messi
I have no more words to describe the Argentinean magician. He’s had one of the greatest seasons ever put together thus far in both European and league play, averaging about a goal a game and providing assists to everyone on the pitch. The Arsenal defense is not exactly rock solid so you can count at least a goal and a couple of assists to the man’s name
Cristiano Ronaldo
Arrogant. Abrasive. Amazing. What a phenomenal campaign the former Manchester United man is having, averaging a little more than a goal a game thus far. He’s been the backbone of the Jose Mourinho-led squad thus far and will be more of a center piece to the team with Gonzalo Higuain likely to miss the rest of the term. Expect him to get at least a goal or two.
Antonio Cassano
What a difference a new team can make. After being shunned by Sampdoria, Cassano has looked terrific in an AC Milan jersey thus far. Surely, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will probably do quite well as the primary striker as he has done all season long, but the orchestrator could easily be Cassano with Robinho not exactly having the greatest start to his time at Milan.
KING ERIC TAKES THE THRONE AT THE NEW YORK COSMOS Global Soccer Icon Eric Cantona Makes Groundbreaking Decision to Join the Legendary Club’s Revival
January 19, 2011 (New York, NY) – As part of the revival of the world’s most legendary soccer club, The New York Cosmos today announced that iconic footballer Eric Cantona has been persuaded to come back into the game as Director of Soccer with overall responsibility for all soccer-related matters, which will include the proposed first team.
Despite many attempts by numerous soccer clubs to lure the Manchester United Player of the Century back into the limelight since leaving in 1997 - until now, no one has been successful. Cantona’s new role at The New York Cosmos will see him exercising the innovative leadership and cutting-edge creativity that he is known for, towards implementing the club’s vision and philosophy in all areas of soccer operations. This announcement comes on the heels of the recent signing of Cobi Jones as his Associate Director of Soccer and Ambassador. Together, Cantona and Jones will carry forth the club’s legacy and integrity while developing and attracting world-class soccer talent from all areas of the globe.
Cantona has been credited with making a substantial contribution during his time at Manchester United (1992-1997), which included four Premier League Championships (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997). Today, Manchester United is the most valuable club in the world (Forbes, April 2010).
Throughout Cantona’s 14 years as a professional, he played in France for Auxerre, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Nimes. He later went to England to play one season for Leeds United – winning a Championship during the 1991-1992 season – before joining Manchester United, where he would spend the rest of his career until retiring in 1997.
“Three years ago, when I first had the idea of reviving The New York Cosmos, I couldn’t have dreamt that we’d be able to attract an icon the likes of Eric Cantona,” says Paul Kemsley, Chairman of The New York Cosmos. “It’s a personal thrill for me, as he was one of my heroes during the 1990’s and is a further endorsement to the tremendous global attraction and power that The New York Cosmos carries. Our name already resonates throughout the world and so will our football team.”
Says Eric Cantona, “I am very honored to join the legendary club New York Cosmos. It’s a big project, a wonderful project. The Cosmos are very strong, beautifully made, with a great past. It’s kind of a mix between football and art. I will do everything that I can to help us first find our way to regain the #1 position in the United States, and then for us to become one of the best clubs in the world over the coming years.”
About The New York Cosmos
Under new passionate ownership, The New York Cosmos continues its tradition of greatness for the next generation and vows to maintain the same ethos that made The New York Cosmos the most celebrated soccer club in the history of the United States. During its existence from 1971-1985, The New York Cosmos won five championships in the NASL (North American Soccer League). Today, as part of its rebirth and with global soccer legend and former Cosmos star Pelé as the Honorary President, The New York Cosmos will continue to inspire and develop world-class players and is committed to helping improve the future of the sport in this country with significant investment in grassroots and youth soccer. The club's ultimate vision is to field a professional team to compete at the highest level, bringing championships back to New York City. For more information, visit www.newyorkcosmos.com.
About the Author
Theresa Tran is the Director of Communications for the New York Cosmos.
FROM A GALAXY OUT WEST, COBI JONES ENTERS COSMOS COUNTRY American Soccer Legend Joins The New York Cosmos as Associate Director of Soccer
January 10, 2011 (New York, NY)
The New York Cosmos announced today that Cobi Jones will be joining the world-renowned club as Associate Director of Soccer. After 15 years with the LA Galaxy, as player and coach, Jones' role with The New York Cosmos will be to advise and oversee the training and management of any and all players involved in the club's soccer-specific Programs. In addition, he will serve as an Ambassador for the club, acting as spokesperson and community liaison.
Cobi Jones, 40, joined the LA Galaxy in 1996 after playing overseas for Coventry City of the English Premier League and Vasco de Gama of Brazil. Not only did Jones score the Galaxy's first goal in club history, but he also holds club records to this day in nearly every statistical category (70 goals and 91 assists in 306 career regular season games). Jones is the only player to have played in each of the first 12 seasons of Major League Soccer (MLS). Shortly after retiring as a professional player, he became Assistant Coach for the Galaxy for three campaigns during the 2008-2010 seasons. In addition to his distinguished MLS career, he has also played in three consecutive World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002) and is the all-time leader in caps (164) for the U.S. National Team.
"The New York Cosmos have a history of associating ourselves with the best," says Paul Kemsley, Chairman of The New York Cosmos. "Cobi Jones fits perfectly into the DNA of this club. We look forward to the impact that he will have on this organization and on the players who will form the backbone of our future."
"I am both honored and blessed to have had such a wonderful career with the LA Galaxy and I am thankful for everything the club, the fans and the community has done for me and my family," says Jones. "I am excited to bring my deep knowledge, passion and expertise of soccer in this country to The New York Cosmos. They truly represent where this sport is headed on a national and international level, and I want to make history with them."
A native of Westlake Village, California, Jones played soccer at UCLA and was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2002. He is recognized as a youth advocate and works with various soccer organizations across the country including American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), the U.S. Soccer Foundation, AmericaSCORES, HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles) and others.
Jones is represented by CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency, an entertainment and sports agency.
###
About The New York Cosmos
Under new passionate ownership, The New York Cosmos continues its tradition of greatness for the next generation and vows to maintain the same ethos that made The New York Cosmos the most celebrated soccer club in the history of the United States. During its existence from 1971-1985, The New York Cosmos won five championships in the NASL (North American Soccer League). Today, as part of its rebirth and with global soccer legend and former Cosmos star Pelé as the Honorary President, The New York Cosmos will continue to inspire and develop world-class players and is committed to helping improve the future of the sport in this country with significant investment in grassroots and youth soccer. The club's ultimate vision is to field a professional team to compete at the highest level, bringing championships back to New York City. For more information, visit www.newyorkcosmos.com.
About the Author
Theresa Tran is the Director of Communications for the New York Cosmos.
`There has been much discussion since the 2010 World Cup on the exact state of the game of soccer in the U.S. chatboards are full of both praise and condemnation of the performance of our men in South Africa—praise for their effort, competitiveness and spirit (our usual attributes) and condemnation of our lack of ingenuity, soccer IQ and special quality (our classic shortcomings.)
US men’s national team coach, Bob Bradley, proved during the World Cup that he was uncomfortable turning over the reins to those few players who actually showed a spark of originality, preferring to play a tactical system that forced the side into early deficits, ironically creating a situation which required the very traits we are typically known for. And US Soccer proved it is uncomfortable with change by denying Juergen Klinsmann the authority to reinvent the entire program and instead renewing Bradley’s contract for another 4 years.
US Women Struggled to Qualify for 2011 World Cup
Further, the discussion of our program as a whole took on a brand new tone recently, as it surely must, given our women’s national team’s struggles to simply qualify for next summer’s 2011 Women’s World Cup. Our once-proud soccer jersey cladwomen scuffled their way into the final tournament on the back of two utterly listless and vapid performances against Italy, the second of which I was unfortunately present to witness in Chicago. But unlike Bradley, Pia Sundhage, the USWNT coach, finally remarked that the US does, in fact, need better players. Unfortunately, US Soccer seems unlikely to accommodate her, especially as they provide no indication that the full national team coach should have much, if any, contact with the lower levels of the national program.
As we ready ourselves for the next competition, let this, then, be my State of the Union message, as it relates to the beautiful game in our nation.
Dutch Perspective on Best Practices
As a fan, trainer and parent of a young lady player, I have occasion to get many perspectives on soccer in this country. As the son of a Dutch immigrant, I also have had the privilege of being introduced to thesport in my youth through my attachment to a country that arguably produces more world class footballers per capita than any nation on earth (or, at the very least, per square centimeter of land). So it intrigued me when I was recently reminded on a national soccer forum that US Soccer has adopted a “Best Practices” approach to development, using the KNVB (Dutch soccer association) as a foundation.
Well, maybe intrigued isn’t exactly the word. Bewildered, perhaps.
You see, as a near 20-year inmate, um, member, of corporate America, I had seen the concept of Best Practices developed and implemented. Repeatedly. As in, on average, every two years. Which begs the obvious question, so obvious, in fact, that I don’t feel it even necessary to state here. I will say, however, that in reality Best Practices proved to be more about giving glory-starved middle managers something to do to justify their bonuses. Not exactly the kind of thing that ever made for meaningful change and progress.
So while I don’t necessarily buy the idea that adopting a Best Practices approach to soccer in this country will do anything more than make for a few more meaningless business meetings, the idea of patterning the US program off the Dutch model did strike me as an eminently noble and intelligent pursuit and I was interested to see if I noticed anything changing in my local soccer community along the lines of what I knew about Dutch soccer. My exposure to Dutch youth soccer initially came from playing with cousins, in the old school pick-up game fashion. My knowledge of the official Dutch program is gleaned from several books and training DVD’s, and the comments of individuals within the system, including famed former Ajax and national team manager, Rinus Michels (Who also coached in the old NASL.)
Michels has explained that the Dutch developmental system is designed to mimic and enhance informal play with myriad variations of small-sided games, much like what I experienced with my cousins and grew to love.
Model Not Yet Implemented
Unfortunately, the reality I have seen, and still see, is not what was suggested by the Dutch model, at least not yet, or at least not on the girls’ side of the program. Our focus, even at U10, remains on developing a system of play, (over)coaching progressions, and ultimately, winning. Teams practice, say, 3 times a week, usually with no dedicated skills work. Nearly all touches come in the context of a strict and confining team drill (you can imagine how quickly such a drill comes to a halt when only 1 in 4 players can properly maneuver the ball.) And yet, clubs think nothing of putting these so-called “abilities” on broad display by asking their players and parents to travel hundreds of miles round-trip to play in a tournament against obscure opponents from other states, in what is nothing more than a bizarre marketing effort.
And thus we arrive at the two things that drive all of this American soccer lunacy—lack of a soccer culture, and, of course, money.
Street Soccer: An Alien Concept in North America
Around the world, soccer is the number one, and often, only, sport. Children play in the streets and parks, informally, often with older friends or siblings, imitating and learning from those around them and the stars they see on TV and in the stadia. If they can “hang”, they are accepted, and improve through constant challenge. This is how unique and special talent is born, exactly as it is in our American sports like basketball and football. But the difference is that when the time is right, say age 10 or 11, a local club coach might drive by and see the talent on display, and ask to speak to the child’s parents about joining the club. From there, the talent is nurtured, at the cost of the club, on the expectation that if their scouting and training are good, they might make a return on their investment at the professional level.
That’s right. The club invests in the player, not the other way around. And it was none other than Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany star and national team coach, who reminded us of this after the US lost to Ghana in their semifinal game at the World Cup by brazenly stating that America’s soccer developmental system is completely upside down.
"You are the only country in the world that has the pyramid upside down. That means you pay for having your kid play soccer. Because your goal is not that your kid becomes a professional soccer player because your goal is that your kid gets a scholarship in high school or college. Which is completely opposite from the rest of the world."
--- Juergen Klinsmann on ESPN from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Paying to Play is not Common Elsewhere
In the US, we pay thousands of dollars for our children to be “taught” soccer, as if they are learning math or our favorite sport, American football, with its 47 independent position coaches and obsessively concocted and rehearsed plays. And of course, when we pay, we expect results. As in, “you better win that tournament, coach, considering I’m paying your club $2,000 a year and the club down the street just won their tournament. Know what I’m saying, coach?” And winning the quick and easy way involves our traditional American model of athletic, over-coached, robotic players playing in a simple, direct way. It doesn’t allow for development of true insightful talent.
Wins also mean recruiting, which means scholarships, which means free college, which means saving lots of…..wait for it…..MONEY. Let me be clear—the Dutch, and the footballing world at large, do not do this. Soccer is separate from high school, separate from college. For American sports, kids move from pee-wee leagues to high school and college, which are the incubators of the talent and the only route to the pros. And we adopt that model for soccer because it’s what we know—we know how to teach and coach and motivate and direct, because that is what “our” sports require. But what do the other nations actually do? The answer gets to the heart of what it means to have a true soccer culture.
A True Soccer Culture
The problem is that soccer is fundamentally an interactive game, a creative game, a fluid game, and one in which the most important qualities, the ones that separate the best players and best nations, cannot be taught, only “learned”. Through self-practice, informal play, and a passion for the game. Precisely the things that we are lacking in when it comes to soccer. We have it in our American sports, but we then corral it. In soccer, we never develop it in the first place because we lack a passion for it, and our developmental system doesn’t allow for it once our kids have “signed on” to a club.
Around the world, this passion, this “need” to play, arises from the fact that the game itself is a representation of the philosophy of the individual nations that play it. It is truly a passion play, carried out on a sporting field. Countries’ histories and cultures are woven into the style of soccer they play. There are nations on this earth that have been around in one form or another for centuries, and their longevity is revealed in their approach to the game—patience, celebrating the moment, the inevitable cycle of life itself. However, in this country, we are obsessed with moving forward—GDP must increase every year, sales figures must go up, he who dies with the most stuff wins. This unsophisticated view is even reflected in our most popular sport, where if forward progress is not maintained, the ball must be returned to the other team. Admittedly, by world standards the US is a very young nation, a headstrong teenager, all bravado, bluster and blunt force; not ignoble qualities, but ones that alone will not bring us success on the national soccer stage.
Players Own the Game, Not the Coaches
The nations we hope to rival in soccer have known for centuries that economies grow and weaken, governments are established and overthrown, monuments erected and toppled. And it’s reflected in the game—the players are the owners and executors of the game. They aren’t reliant on the coach for every last detail, because they realize that coaches and philosophies change but fundamental skill survives it all. Great coaches expect true greatness to come from the players themselves, on the field, in the moment. And the best players know that greatness can often best be shown by knowing when to withdraw and gather a new perspective. Indeed, many passes during a match are sideways or lateral, and yet players, coaches and fans long ago learned that in the big picture, progress is being made. The 25-pass scoring sequence by Argentina in the 2006 World Cup is something we cannot even dream of in this country, because it is anathema to us. Best Practices is no substitute for being steeped in culture.
So what are we left with? A decidedly lacking soccer culture that produces unsophisticated soccer parents, parents who, because they didn’t play the game (or are themselves products of our archaic system), are left to equate success with winning rather than development. And the winning mentality is adopted by the clubs because without results-based success, the parents will surely take their money elsewhere. And so the cycle continues.
Can We Build a Soccer Culture?
Can we develop a soccer culture here? A culture of great players? A culture of informed coaching and development? Probably not to the extent that other nations have, but it’s certainly possible to improve on what we have and add to our existing strengths. And still, I frankly don’t see any real proof that US Soccer is trying to promote the idea of a cultural shift. Maybe in its marketing of soccer as an activity and fan attraction, but certainly not in terms of its approach to identifying and developing talent.
It should be said, however, that even nations like England have struggled with the specific problem of developing true difference-making players even in the presence of a real soccer culture. Around 1998, England went to the Academy system as a way of nurturing talent, arguing that the younger a player is when introduced to the game, the more skilled they will be at each subsequent level. However, an interesting thing happened. This “nurturing” at the young ages actually caused a massive drop in informal play, as coaching (teaching) replaced learning, and as the Academy system became even more of a definitive avenue to a professional career. And let’s recall that even Dutch legend Michels acknowledges that the KNVB has had to reinvent its youth program to accommodate a similar reduction in informal play among Dutch youth, though more likely a general result of an increasingly distracted and fractured technological society.
Could this be the way the US finally makes a run at true soccer dominance—by finally adding just enough sophistication to our game while the rest of the world struggles with problems we have already dealt with? Perhaps. But first we actually need to see true and real change at our youngest levels, and that has yet to happen based on my observations.
Thomas Rongen: "Project Reclamation"
One of the few people, indeed perhaps the only one, in the US system who seems like they have started to break free from the old habits is, fittingly, himself a Dutchman, Thomas Rongen. Rongen, the coach of our U20 men’s side, has made immense progress in reaching beyond the traditional men’s pool and “reclaiming” American players who have left the traditional Olympic Development Program (ODP)and college track to start their careers abroad. You have to ask, though, why Rongen felt he needed to look outside the system for better talent, and why he seems like he’s gone “off the reservation” compared to the rest of the staid US staff. If US Soccer is using Rongen as a test case, bravo, but when will they allow his ideas to truly start trickling down?
And isn’t it telling that we have let our women’s program tread water while the rest of the world catches up precisely by utilizing their own men’s skill-based model instead of the US women’s athlete-and-system model?
Perhaps today’s announcement that US Soccer has appointed April Henrichs as the Technical Director and Jill Ellis as the Development Director of the US Women’s National Teams indicates a change of course, as the hirings mark the first time US Soccer has appointed full-time positions to oversee the women’s youth national team program and the programs’ overall development. Then again, it might just be more Best Practices folly.
About the Author
Ken Sweda was born and raised in the Chicago area. He played soccer in his youth after being introduced to the sport through Dutch cousins in 1974. Ken now runs his own private skills training business called Precision Soccer Skills LLC. He has two young daughters that are following in his footsteps by playing the beautiful game themselves.
Ken also writes freelance soccer articles and is currently affiliated with Soccerpro.com. He is also available for direct assignments as well. Ken gets his soccer coaching equipment from soccerpro.com.
Please check out SoccerProse: A soccer blog for soccer players, fans, parents and coaches.
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