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USMNT World Cup failure: United States soccer had this coming

By Colton Wesley

COUVA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - OCTOBER 10: A contrast of emotions as captain Michael Bradley (C) of the United States mens national team reacts as Trinidad and Tobago pull of a win during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Trinidad and Tobago at the Ato Boldon Stadium on October 10, 2017 in Couva, Trinidad And Tobago. (Photo by Ashley Allen/Getty Images)
COUVA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - OCTOBER 10: A contrast of emotions as captain Michael Bradley (C) of the United States mens national team reacts as Trinidad and Tobago pull of a win during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Trinidad and Tobago at the Ato Boldon Stadium on October 10, 2017 in Couva, Trinidad And Tobago. (Photo by Ashley Allen/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – JULY 26: Michael Bradley and Tim Howard of the United States celebrate after they beat Jamaica in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final at Levi’s Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – JULY 26: Michael Bradley and Tim Howard of the United States celebrate after they beat Jamaica in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final at Levi’s Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

American soccer is at a crossroads

Billy Haisley of Deadspin absolutely crushed it with his analysis following the USMNT’s Gold Cup win in July.

"The problems with American soccer are, as always, foundational. Being in CONCACAF holds the U.S. back from the rigorous, regular challenges needed to hone a top team. Having a domestic league system severed from the strongest positive and negative incentives—promotion and relegation—that force things like youth development holds the U.S. back by handicapping the country’s ability to consistently cultivate lots of potentially high-level players. Having a fan culture that treats chintzy trophies as if they were anything more than mildly pleasing curios holds the U.S. back by failing to create an environment where improvement is demanded. Having a federation that would hire a staid, status quo-protecting manager like Arena and give him the narrow focus of qualifying for the World Cup in any way possible holds the U.S. back in how it doesn’t promote the kind of radical, forward-thinking change America needs in order to become anything more than what it already is. It’s hard to blame the construction team for building a shoddy house when the architects designed it that way."

Is the United States going to do what it needs to do to become competitive in the international soccer world? In order to do so, the program will likely go through some lean years as the retooling takes place. However, in the long run, the USMNT and the game would be better for it.

Next: Penalties are very bad for soccer

The US has all summer to consider the future. If they become intentional about learning how to develop talent, begin to set up the infrastructure to develop talent, hire a manager with dreams of developing a sustainable modern way of playing the game and give the whole thing some time to develop, by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around—maybe in the United States—the nation will have a team worthy to compete in it.

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