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As an European, I'd like to add just a simple comment.
I think the whole thing starts with the livestyle in the U.S. Suburbia to be exact. The whole attitude towards the game is staged. It's like growing vegetables in a greenhouse. Someone said it before me, that soccer is an elitarian sport in the U.S. Soccer moms represent the more afluent in the American society. On the contrary - in Europe and South America it is the sport of the poor for the masses. The great thing about it is that you don't really need anything but a ball to play it.
I remember playing back home. My dad always bought me a ball and so I was the most popular kid in my condominium block. We played soccer every day after school. Just behind the block there was some patch of grass that we made our soccer field and played till dusk. I remember playing in 2 feet of snow. And it wasn't just me. Everywhere everyone played.
An American friend made a good comment once. "Do you know why Ronaldinho is better then the Americans?""Because when he was growing up he had 2 choices - play football or watch the monkeys climb threes in Brazil" Here kids have way too many other things to do - Playstation, MTV.
I watch some of my compatriots' kids who grew up here - they are nothing like when I was growing up - absolute vegetables. Becasue in order for them to do anything, their parents had to drive them, but they were too busy with work, so what could they do? Watch monkeys?

I loved that post BalkanTourist. That is exactly the situation in the US. Many of our youth would rather watch the monkeys, too.

It also says that the best athletes in SA and Euro and Africa play soccer. Whereas, the best athletes in the US play other varied sports. How can we expect, or rather why should we expect to be competitive with the World in soccer. We throw money and coaches and elite training at the sport of soccer, but get no good results. As Arena admits in this pre-Cup interview we don't have the best athletes playing soccer. That says a lot to me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/sports/playmagazine/04americans.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=99eabb9b5a112358&ex=1307073600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Something I've noticed in US youth soccer, at least when I played, was that most coaches pay almost no attention to consistency. I can't count the number of times where I had coaches who were enamoured of certain players simply because they can be seen making a flashy save or play...regardless of the fact that it was their stupid mistake that necessitated the save or play. Those players would time and again get playing time over the consistent players who did their job all the time and, as a result, not have to throw it all to the wind to make a lucky save.

Those saves may be flashy, but you have to look at why they were needed and more often than not, the type of mistake that caused them is caused over and over again..and the more times it's made, the more likely you are to get scored on because of it.

As a result though, the flashy players are getting pushed up through the ranks more quickly than the solid, dependable players because they have those sporadic bursts that catch attention.

Until we start fostering more consistent play, those dependable players are slowly going to be filtered out of the system because they simply don't get any playing time and we're going to be left with players at the top end levels who are just as hot/cold as the US team is. We need teams who can be consistently good, not blow hot and cold as a whole. It's one thing for a member here or there to step up and have a spectacular game or an average one, but the team as a whole needs to stay solid and reliable. We can't just rely on people because so-and-so made this fantastic play in this game two months ago, a game last year, and three games in the spring.

Everyone's got to step up and play hard, play smart, and play with heart. Relying on hype and "supposed" skill to pull you through isn't enough on the world stage.

Adidas,
You are so right coaches don't pay attention to the consistent players. We had a kid on our team that scored the majority of our goals. We would be down by a goal or tied and he would"save" the game by scoring in the last few minutes. Problem was, the team would probably have been ahead if this kid had made any passes. I got so fed up that I went against what our coach said and I actually counted the number of completed passes this kid made in the Championship game of a tournament (he played center mid by the way). The number of completed passes in one full game? 2. That is not a typo. Two completed passes in about 7 total attempts. But yet, he is the STAR!

As for the current line of discussion.

We had our star basketball player play keeper for us my senior year. He picked up the game in no time and was a huge success. With better training, dedication, and time.. his natural athletic attributes would have made him a solid soccer prospect.

Of course..he quit halfway through the season because he got a basketball scholarship to a small school in Georgia.

My point:

You guys can talk all you want about other countries..and how they do it..and how we should do it. But I think that's a big waste of time.

We can't force our people to be poor..we can't force the poor people we have to play soccer.

I honestly believe despite all the moaning going on in this thread.. US soccer is going in the right direction (kind of hard not to right?)

I believe the game is spreading in America.. while this "Don't Tread On Me" video from Dempsey is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.. ..it's proof to me that the sport is here in the US.

I think I'm yet to make a point here.. ..hopefully someone gets what I'm trying to say.

I too think the game is mostly going in the right direction. I can assure everyone that if England loses to Ecuador (and anyone can lose on the day - even with a Superstar like Crouchaldhino), the whole country will be complaining England doesn't do it right, we have to change to the Dutch or German system. Imagine the conversation in Czech Republic tomorrow morning.....anyway, the thing is the trends on all these things are going in the right direction, more players, better athletes, more ethnic diversity, more money, better coaches, etc. The players of 18/19 today are the first large group of kids who actually played from an early age. They were 6 in 1994, when the big bow wave started. You can't make the clock tick faster, and you just have to wait for time to pass.

Look at the teams of today, club, National, ODP. 10 years ago they were ALL white caucasian. Now....I rest my case. But hopefully, you Guys have patience and wait until these kids get to 24 and see what they can do.

These trends still need to continue of course and personally, when some US Guy is 7 feet tall and goes up for a corner, I want to see someone stop him.

One last thought. Training athletes is what the Soviet Union did and they never won anything in Soccer. I prefer the Dutch, Brazilien way, teach skils and let the cream rise to the top.

To add to my previous post. How many times have you seen kids playing soccer in the park, or near a soccer field? Without a coach, alone, not because their parents brought them? Here kids play soccer, because they have to do something. And if they are not good at football or not tall enough for basketball their parents will sign them up for soccer.
Now, how many times have you seen kids play basketball alone without a coach? On the street, in the drive way, in the backyard. And especially in the ghetto. I've even seen kids pass a football as a recreation. Frankly speaking as an European it never made any sence to me to just throw a ball at somebody and to consider it fun. We never just kicked the ball. We played matches even if it was 1 on 1 with goals and all.
In Europe we have slightly different road signs, and one of them which warns of the danger of kids nearby playing is yellow with a couple of kids chasing a soccer ball. We watch soccer on TV everyday - Champs Leaugue, UEFA Cup, EPL, domestic, etc. That's what people talk about all the time. The athmosphere in the stadium is so much different. I've been to a Battery game and the feeling is sooo much different. It is like watching a theatre play or a cultural event. You sit in your chair and watch the game neatly with your fries in your lap and a cold beer in your hand. I've been to soccer stadiums in Europe and you can't help it but have goose bumps. It's not only the game you go there for, but the spectacle the fanatics create. MLS players might be good, but I bet you they have never experienced what it's like to play at Anfield or Nou Camp or San Siro. Many players have commented how different of an experience it is. It gives you wings and brings the best out of you so you could please those 70 - 80,000 exalted spectators. Btw the word "fan" comes from "fanatic". There is hardly anything fanatic in ANY American sport - I've been to a football game, watched the NBA on TV they cannot simply compare. Baseball? Please that's almost as exciting as golf. Don't get me wrong, I like basketball, I try to watch football, after all I am trying to fit in this society. Basketball is simplu too fast and things happen so fast so as soon as you get excited and then the play has moved. Plus a slam dunk or a three pointer can hardly compare with scoring a goal. The problem with football is that they play for 15 seconds and then they stop and line up again and start over, there is no game flow at all. And then everything has to be really neat and full of stats - i.e rushing yards, passes completed and so on. Who cares?
A friend once told me - "Soccer will never be big in America. Think about it, which company will be willing to give money to a game that has 45 minutes of continuous play? They will never have time for commercials? It's not like they can stop the game and pause it for the teams to line up again or for the coach to take a time out." He is right.
Soccer is like life - you make a mistake, you might not get a chance to make it up. Soccer is unjust, sometimes the worse team gets the win, sometimes you get a bad call, or you'll get an injured teammate after your 3rd sub and will have to play a man down. Sometimes you chase that ball for 90 mins and you don't accomplish anything - 0:0. American will never be able to understand how a 0:0 game can be interesting. They need stats and scoring. I like to compare soccer to the gladiatorial games in ancient Rome. Next time you watch a WC game watch the players as they walk out the tunnel. Watch them while the national anthems play. Look at their faces. It's do or die for their country. They can be gods or cowards when they return. Soccer is more than just a sport - it is a religion, it is war. It is a way to tell your oppressor who kept you in a yoke for 500 years and sold you in America as slaves (France vs. Senegal) - hey, look at us now! We can beat you! Here is for 5 centuries of misery.
How many people you know around you that didn't even know they U.S. played today. I just came back from refereeing a 6v6 adult game. Most of the players didn't even know the U.S. lost today. Yet they play soccer!?!

Balkan,
decent post with one exception. You have obviously not been to the right American football game. I think fanatics for American football can be found from the NFL down to the Peewee's.