I don’t think that anyone coming up at this time feels like the pathway to professional soccer goes through the high school to college route as the primary route. I would recommend the Scuffed and Top Drawer Soccer podcasts to anyone wanting to learn more about the youth development.
The argument that we don’t have our best athletes playing soccer doesn’t really hold much water. Sure, the larger pool of players to pick from, the better the odds of getting good players. However, beyond a basic level of athleticism necessary to play the pro game, being a world class player is far more about skill, vision, and creativity. I’m 47 years old, and I could still match David Beckham from his ManU days in a 40 yard dash.
The US currently is relying on too many blunt instruments like Morris and Arriola. They’re fine for depth options, but your not going to go very far in the World Cup it they’re on the squad. Luckily, it appears that better options are on the cusp of breaking through.
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