USA team in 15 years?

[football909]

USA football is developing quickly and they are now a decent side. A whole lot better than about 5-10 years ago. Do people think in about 10-15 years they can compete at the very top level? Personally, I think they can with their resources and the increasing popularity of the sport in the US.

 

[Mus]

No, I think their worse league will handicap them, they will be like a Belgium, good players but won't amount to anything

 

[Pogba4Now]

Never

 

[football909]

Even with a lot of big players beginning to move over? Not just old guys like becks anymore, Bradley moved from Roma and Donovan is still there? I reckon they will become really, really good predominately due to the enormous talent pool.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Will never happen because the interest in "soccer" in North America is just poor and this won't change. World Cup 1994 didn't change that. Nothing will.

 

[football909]

Yeah you're probably right, it's never going to challenge the big American sports. Do you think a new nation will develop or do you think it will just be the same teams at the top constantly?

 

[B9Goal]

More like 5-10 years to be exact. We had some shake ups with our youth development program and some youth teams have exclusive partnerships with some of the big clubs in the Europe. Also, some of our youth teams have crushed European and South American youth squads in competitions in recent years. Our youth is coming up very quickly.

 

[football909]

Yeah I've been hearing that it is becoming increasingly popular with the youth and that once the youth are adults it will be massive?

 

[Mus]

Even with a lot of big players beginning to move over? Not just old guys like becks anymore, Bradley moved from Roma and Donovan is still there? I reckon they will become really, really good predominately due to the enormous talent pool.

Bradley, Dempsey and Donovan are all American

 

[MaSsiVe]

Yeah, Villa and Lampard (?) are better examples. Even Keane and Henry.
It's still too little to cause a short term impact though. The solution, if there actually is one, might be in the youth picking up "soccer" as their sport of choice.

 

[Mus]

As long as there is a salary cap and they can't participate in the UCL it won't rival europe

 

[football909]

I think the MLS will be severely hindered by not being part of the champions league, there aren't really any leagues outside of Europe that are of a very high standard. The key would be to replicate Brazil and just export all their new youngsters once they are good enough? Hopefully with more success than with freddy adu...

 

[Alex]

As long as there is a salary cap and they can't participate in the UCL it won't rival europe

There needs to be a salary cap. There isn't enough money in football in the US to support enough competitive clubs without one. Much like Australia. You get rid of the salary cap, a few sides spend big, and the bubble bursts when the creditors suddenly want return on investment

 

[Mus]

Sure, but with it they are physically unable to compete and be glamorous enough for the audience to get them massive TV deals like the EPL

 

[football909]

Do they need the massive TV deals to improve the quality of the national team though?

 

[ARIAGA II]

It's still too little to cause a short term impact though. The solution, if there actually is one, might be in the youth picking up "soccer" as their sport of choice.

I think that is happening more and more right now.

I would have said MLS teams should try and play in the Copa Libertadores, but they do too badly in the CONCACAF Champions League to justify that.

 

[Mus]

Do they need the massive TV deals to improve the quality of the national team though?

Money -> increased quality in the game -> increased interest -> more prospects -> more youth development

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Will never happen because the interest in "soccer" in North America is just poor and this won't change. World Cup 1994 didn't change that. Nothing will.

Soccer is now the favorite sport of more kids ages 12-17 than baseball, the "national past time". You don't live here, don't just make assumptions. Everyone I know is watching every game of the world cup, and these are people who don't follow the sport. The popularity is rising and the MLS is getting better; career MLS players like Beckerman can now do well at this stage.

With that said, we're getting depth, but the top level of players is still about the same as it's been in the last 15 years, so who knows. I guess it all could be different if Subotic and Rossi picked the US, but that's just what I see.

 

[Pogba4Now]

A lot of old stars go to Qatar to retire. Did these players make the Qatari league better? Probably not.

 

[ARIAGA II]

That is a completely stupid example. Qatar doesn't have the soccer development structure that America does, and bringing Beckham and others to the MLS did draw more attention to the league. In fact the next television deal could be worth $70 million per annum. The whole 'America doesn't get soccer' schtick is old and quite frankly disrespectful.