Editorial: When Will US Soccer Have A World-Class Player?

Patience and football. It is something that we preach to our kids every single practice and every single match. Although it is important to capitalize on the weaknesses of an opponent, it often takes time to break down a defender and to open up a defenses. The notion of being patient is taught at every level and is something that all US supporters should understand.

Much like developing skills on the pitch, being able to develop players and a system also take time and patience. It is a sore subject for many US Soccer supporters, who are now just becoming aware of the greater game around the world (or at least exposed to it more) and are a bit disappointed to see that no US Soccer players are playing with the top teams in the world. There is one question that is asked about this and it is one that all of us heard many times:

When will US Soccer have  a world-class player?

Now before we answer this question let’s make a few things clear. Normally when one considers a world class player when framing this question they do not consider goalkeepers. Otherwise players like Brad Friedel (Liverpool) and Tim Howard (Manchester United) would throw a wrench into this question. For whatever reason goalkeepers are never considered to be on par with field players. Midfielder John O’Brien of Ajax might also be considered depending upon how one feels about Ajax and their position in the world.

Also when one asks if US Soccer can develop a world-class player they are talking about a male player. Otherwise one could make the argument that the likes of Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, and Abby Wambach are world class players for women’s soccer.

With all of that being said, it is certainly reasonable that US Soccer can develop a world class player. When world class players are being plucked out of all sorts of different places in the world then one should expect a world class player to come out of the US, even if it was out of sheer luck and not for a particular. The blind squirrel in the forest analogy seems apropos here.

Ok, so if US Soccer can develop a world class player, then when? That is the more difficult question.

When talking about the development of US Soccer it is always important to say that this country only started taking soccer seriously in 1990. Yes there was the NASL, the US Open Cup, and there were efforts all throughout the 1980s to get a World Cup in the US. But modern soccer in this country really did not start until 1990 when serious efforts were made to develop players.

So if one were to say that US Soccer is about 24 years old that sounds like a very long time. But that number is deceiving. Think about it this way: Michael Bradley is 27 years old. When he was a kid, he probably grew up watching US Soccer, playing in US Soccer Academies, going to the Dallas Cup, and going through the various national teams. There was no top flight soccer division for nine years of his life.

The reason why Bradley is an important marker for the development of the game here in the US is because his generation essentially represents the second generation of US Soccer with the first being the kids who went to Italy 1990, US 1994, and France 1998 with South Korea being the bridge between first and second generations (2002, 2006, and 2010).

There are so many things that are required to develop a top quality player that it seems a bit unreasonable to ask that a world class player developed in such a short period of time. It requires a system that can find and locate players in all communities and all social economic backgrounds, find them quality coaches to learn from and hone their skills, and provide them adequate competition.

Although US Soccer has made inroads with Generation Adidas, Project 2010, the Olympic Development Program, and MLS Youth Academies these systems are often extremely expensive and cater towards those who can afford the best coaching. Anyone who has ever played Parks and Recreation as a kid can remember some of their coaches (or lack thereof) understands that there are some pretty terrible coaches out there. Many of these people have been taken out of the game but they still do exist and they are a detriment to this game here in the US.

There is also the problem of when players are developed here in the United States. Many of our best players in the past had to go through the college system they were not becoming professional until they were 21-22 years old. Unless they go to Europe directly, that means they likely would not be ready to go abroad until they are 24-26 where their re-sell price in the European transfer market is much lower and they are considered too old (unless they are a goalkeeper). This is precisely the problem that Clint Dempsey encountered while in Europe.

But many of these problems are things that are carryovers from people who watched the 1994 and 1998 World Cup. US Soccer is entering into a new generation, kids who watched the 2002 World Cup, have grown up with the UEFA Champions League being apart of their everyday life, and being exposed to far better soccer than kids of a previous generation.

There is no better proof of this than the players who are currently in Marbella, Spain playing for the U-20 National Team. Players like defender Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham,) Junior Flores (Borussia Dortmund,) Joel Sonora (Boca Juniors,) and Dembakwi Yomba (Atletico Madrid) are making in-roads for some of the top teams in the world and their work is showing in Spain. Other players like Marc Pelosi (Liverpool,) Joe Gyau (Borussia Dortmund,) and Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal,) who might be eligible for the US and whose career started with the Olney Rangers in Maryland, are examples of other players who are about to crack through some of the top level squads in Europe.

Heck, even Manchester United is getting into the action signing Real Salt Lake Academy Player Josh Doughty.

Now not all of these players will develop into top quality players and it will be difficult for all of them to become a world class player. US Soccer has already been down this road with Kenny Cooper, Jovan Kirovski, and a player whose name rhymes with Eddie Badu. But the sheer number of players who are being signed by major European squads from the United States is astonishing and is unlikely anything we have seen before.

It is never easy to wait for anything. Since football brings out such passion and excitement it is hard and frustrating at times to sit and wait for things to turn around. But in time they will. Given the amount of resources and time being spent here in the United States and players now permeating through top clubs abroad it is not an issue of if but when a US Soccer player will line up for Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. But all things good come to those who wait.