Here is the reality. We have an individual who is arrogant enough to think that 4 ncaa championships, an MLS title and a lacrosse background(Arena) qualifies him to lead the USA national team on to the worlds largest stage. We have a group of individuals( the MNT) who are arrogant and stupid enough to read their own hype and wave in in the face of the world on the worlds biggest stage and we have a disaster for a developmernt and national team program. I blame the US soccer federation most of all. They have created this mess and yes it is a mess. The US showing in this world cup will set us back ten years and create profound damage to the fragile credibility that soccer has now. The big problem is the fact that a small gene pool is running soccer development(if that is what it is called)in this country. Money and politics are the means to whish an individual makes it to the MNT and top tiers of development. Until this changes we are going nowhere. God forbid we should concentrate our efforts at the grass roots level and truly allow development to take place. This cannot and will not happen unless we stop letting upper middle class to upper class insecurities dictate what will happen and who will be playing.
If we continue to allow opportunists and bozos to make rediculous amounts of money for their "expertise"in the form of camps, academies etc. then we will continue to exclude the mainstream. Why are we different from England where there is a Football association with a code of ethics that directly prohibits the use of membership or credentials for self seeking interests. With 339 million people in this country please do not tell me that the 23 guys on the MNT are the best we have. That would be almost as embarrassing as the MNT getting waxed in front of 32 billion people. The powers that be need to be removed and?or get off their ARSE and participate in the development of the game for the games sake and for pride, not for money or ego or for little johnny to make us proud. This is the reality and until we figure out that the rest of the world rewards itself after the job is done and we need to do the same than we are going nowhere.
