Commentary
USA-England, Very poor start dooms tentative Americans
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, Oct 21, 2017
USA-ENGLAND EXPRESS
Oct. 21 in Goa,
India
USA 1 England 4.
Goals: Sargent 72; Brewster 11, Brewster (Foden) 14 Gibbs-White (Brewster) 64, Brewseter (pen.) 95+.
Att.: 16,148
The poor start
The USA did not carry over any momentum from its 5-0 round of 16 win over
Paraguay into the quarterfinal against England. In the 11th minute, Philip Foden evaded Taylor Booth and Chris Gloster on the right flank and hit a
cross past Chris Durkin that U.S. keeper Justin Garces punched onto the foot of Rhian Brewster for a one-touch finish. Four minutes later, Foden
again exploited the right flank and fed Brewster for the second goal of a hat trick he would complete with a stoppage-time penalty kick.
The failed comeback
The game was pretty much decided when a stretch of sparkling play by the USA in the middle of the first half failed to
produce a goal. Tim Weah, the hat-trick hero from the Paraguay win, shot wide from 14 yards despite having time and space after dodging two England defenders. Within the next two
minutes, Ayo Akinola shot way wide from 11 yards, Booth missed from long range and Josh Sargent hit the crossbar following a corner kick. In the 32nd minute,
Blaine Ferri's left-footed shot went wide. After a 10-pass sequence that included goalkeeper Garces, Booth was denied by England keeper Curtis Anderson, who also a
saved an eight-yard Akinola shot. Sargent shot high from 11 yards in the 40th minute.
The sad ending
Sargent's goal in the 72nd
minute came when England was already up 3-0. Late in stoppage time, Sergino Dest was ejected for fouling Brewster on a breakaway and Brewster buried the penalty kick.
U.S. coach John Hackworth said:
"I thought we played some really good football over the course of this tournament. We came up against in my mind
one off the best teams in the world tonight. I thought we had moments tonight that were exceptional play. At the same time, the goalkeeper for England was up to the task, made some fantastic saves in
the first half that kept them in it. But we also didn’t start the game in the right way. …
“I don’t think you ever get better at anything without having some setbacks. Anytime you have moments like this experience, you have a choice. You can learn from it, and if you don’t, that’s the worst thing you can do. So my message to the team will be, look, we have to do things better. They had to come out with a different mentality at the start of this game. …
“I thought our team was ready for the challenge but in the first 20 minutes we were so tentative in simple situations. You can’t do that against a quality team with players of that caliber. After that, we woke up and played some good soccer. If we got one goal when it was two-nothing, I think it would have been a totally different game.”
TRIVIA: Josh Sargent’s goal was his third of the tournament, to go with four he scored earlier this year at the U-20 World Cup. His seven goals tie Freddy Adu (four at the 2003 U-17 World Cup and three at the 2007 U-20 World Cup) for the most goals by a U.S. player in youth World Cups.
Oct. 21 in Goa, India
USA 1 England 4.
Goals: Sargent 72; Brewster 11, Brewster (Foden) 14 Gibbs-White (Brewster) 64, Brewseter (pen.) 95+.
USA — Garces; Watts (Reynolds, 81), Durkin, Sands,
Gloster; Carleton, Ferri (Vassilev, 73), Booth (Dest, 55); Akinola, Sargent, Weah.
England — Anderson; McEachran, Guéhi, Panzo, Foden (Kirby, 85), Oakley-Boothe,
Brewster, Hudson-Odoi (Loader, 91+), Latibeaudiere, Sessegnon, 1Gibbs-White (Gallagher, 78).
Yellow cards: USA — Booth 35. England — Gallagher 78.
Red
card: Dest 95+
Referee: Turpin Clement (France)
Att.: 16,148
Stats: USA/England
Shots: 20/20
Shots on target: 4/12
Saves: 8/3
Corner Kicks: 8/10
Fouls: 19/7
Offside: 0/1
Possession: 49%/51%
England was the better squad on the day. U.S. squad forced the ball too often and tends to move the ball more often into pressure. It's a solid corp of young talent that made too many giveaways to a very good opponent.
If Hackworth's coaching was as good as his excuses we might have done better in this game which was over in the first 15 minutes. With this performance at the U17 level we can be sure that the US will have a long wait for qualifying for future World Cups. Its time for the entire US Soccer Regime to go.
US soccer is regressing. This is not fun to watch. This is Klinsmann:s legacy.
Once again poor touch and lack of agility doom the US team. Lets get some more agile Hispanic players.
Your racial comments are silly but you act like losing in the world cup quarterfinals is some sort of pathetic failure. This team had a good tournament and lost to a team that was better on the day.
Andrew, I would too like to see it, but looking at our history only two Hispanic players Ramos and Perez,have filled the bill thus far. I'm not impressed with what we have produced thus as far as Hispanic talent. I'm afraid that our training methods,of a European slant and game philosophy have neutered any Hispanic talent. That is I why want the Hispanic community to do their own thing and develop their own talent and don't get involved with USSF training and coaching school. I would like to see a Hispanic soccer coaching school like we have with the USSF, that would issue a coaching license.
A soccer school that only permitted Hispanics to get involved would violate US law (not to mention common decency)
Frank thats very interesting. Do you think that Mexican Federation could set something like that up In Usa? Wouldnt have to be exclusevily for Hispanics but would certainly appeal to a majority Hidpanic crowd.
MS, Yeah, I mean why don't we have another type Coaching School sanctioned by FIFA or USSF which has an Hispanic or South American style that coaches can go to regardless. Either license is accepted. It is just that some coaches prefer the hispanic type of license and other coaches prefer more of the European type. It is good either way. It would be very unique for America would be the first country to offer such a choice of license. And you have one , getting the other one would be easy perhaps an extra year to get an A-license. In other getting 2license doesn't mean double time.
Andrew - You mean an "agile Hispanic" like Goslin would have helped. oh wait.... How about an "agile Hispanic" like Jaylin Lindsay. what, he't not latino, either? Good thing England's most "agile Hispanic," Jadon Sancho -- one of the best young players in the world -- wasn't playing at least! errrr, he's not Hispanic either.... Your implication that a player needs to Hispanic to be agile is an ignorant fallacy.
Also, the people making sweeping conclusions based on this game or that game are simply stating opinions that are largely baseless. MS (Kumar) was saying months ago that this U17 was going to show horribly and flame out while showing a vast inferiority to players who were developed in poor countries where they play nothing but street soccer. His point was that our players are developed in an inferior way and that there was no way that they could hold up to the "real test" of a World Cup. His opinion shows a serious lack of understanding when it comes to these players and the environments that they have been brought up in while also overstating the significance of this tournament for the individual players.
It's a fact that this US team showed that they have some serious prospects. Having said that, this tournament wasn't the important time for them. Neither were last 18-20 months leading up to it. The important time for this group is the next 2 years as they hopefully begin professional careers. That will be the first real step of their careers, and it looks like there are more than a couple who are ready for that step soon.
Don, Dont know who in heavens you are reffering to "Kumar" but in my opinion I have always had about our U17 Usa team is that they alqays have these incredible results at Our Nike Friendlies vs the likes of Brazil and even do fairly well vs the likes of Mexico yet at mostly every World Cup U17 those teams end up doing much better than we do. This is almost a given. I was hoping that would not be the case this time around but it was. England barely got past Mexico winning 3-2 but killed us 4-1. Brazil is off to the next round and looks like the heavy favorite to win it all. Yea, Same Brazil many were ceñebrating that we killef at what now need to be seen as worthless friendlies.
If "Kumar" said this then I really like that guy. Where is he at? I want to meet that dude!
Lol.
MS - Do you still think that the only two prospects on the US team are Sargent and Garces?
You realize Mexico went out of this tournament earlier than we did right? Yet you are still trying to spin this as demonstrating Mexico is superior? Kumar, you have been shown to be a Mexico troll once again. How long until you are deleted this time?
Might I add that Mexico didn't win a single game, while the US won three. Give it a rest Kumar.
Don usa has always had more than 2 prospects. But to answer your question first tell me prospects for what level?
yea Mexico played a much tougher opponent in Iran. usa plated vs paraguay. usa lost to colombia a team that got killed in that same round. are you celebrating the win vs india?
Ghana was only good win.
Mexico played even with England and Iran but still played below their standards.
Fire, nothing to say about brazil? lol.
is that friendly still hifh on your list of great wins?
The arrogance of you 2 is whats wrong with usa soccer in a nutshell
mexico didnt get outplayed in one game. usa did twice.
What a fraud.
Kumar, your boys didn't win a single game (not even Iraq) and the US won three and you are still saying Mexico had a better tournament? 5-0 over Paraguay. If Mexico had played Paraguay you would be saying how awesome they are.
Wait a second - you claimed not to be Kumar but now you are are referencing past discussions Don and I had with Kumar about the Brazil U17s? LOL. How long until this latest name is deleted?!
Fire Gardner now is a goon and a reactionary ignorant one at that. Where's the racism in looking for more Latino players? Look at the U20's success.
The racism is in assuming only Hispanic players are skillful, agile etc. We need better players regardless of race or ethnicity. I wouldn't label such views "goonish" or "reactionary" but maybe that's just me.
Fire nobody here said that Hispanics were the only anything. Why does it bother you and Dumb, I mean Don, that when it comes to skill and creativity many here, inckuding myself, think that Hispanics, in general, display this at hugher levels?
Didnt sat everybody or every time so dobt go on your righteous rants.
Oh and I know about your posts because Ive veen reading them for a while. Just started posting lately and also havw noticed SA deletes certain points of view. Disgusting. Thank God several of us have similar points of view! Lol.
It's racist to say Hispanics have higher skill levels. If you pay any attention to world football, it's easy to see that there are skillful players of all races and ethnicities. Yet, I am the one being called a reactionary goon.
MS - Didn't need that little "slip" when you wrote my name as Dumb instead of Don. I can tell you think that I and everybody else here is dumb if you think that we believe this silly little game that you are playing. Every time that one of your accounts goes down, it just so happens that another person who had not been commenting previously takes up the very same arguments, uses the same linguistic style, has the same issues misspelled words, etc. Let's settle this once and for all. Surely, you can't hold the same views as Kumar on his two most outrageous claims!! Do you, MS, believe that 9/11 was an inside job? And, do you, MS, deny that Messi is in the top 10 of all time great players? That nut, Kumar, actually believed those things! jajajaja
Sorry Don, I tjought you were an adult. You obviously have a hard on for this Kumar character. If he has you this wired up I like him already!
Lol.
Fire, for the 100th time nobodt sad all skilled players are Hispanic.
South Americans dominate the French scoring and it alwats seems to be more goal scorers in the top leagues are usually Soyth American.
Maybe just a coincidence. Not racist.
MS - Is Messi one of the top ten players of all time? Was 9/11 an inside job? Do you have your next account name already picked out?
Well, well, well, MS. An all-Euro final at the U17 World Cup. Might suggest that Europe knows a thing or two about developing players? Certainly based on recent results, the two best youth programs in the world seem to be in England and Germany with the likes of Spain and Barzil not too far behind.
MS said "many here, including myself, think that Hispanics, in general, display this at higher levels...." MS you better stick to speaking for yourself. I for one have seen some pretty amazing US players who were ethnic Italians, Portugese and Brazilians. Spanish speakers don't have a monopoly on skills or a soccer culture.
Everyone certainly sees only what they want to see but the truth is always only one.
Brazil won every stat vs England from shots on goal to posession. England won. Good team as well.
Seems to be a bias amongst you guys towards Hidpanics and you are fans of Europe. Thats cool. I get it.
This is why we need a Pro/Rel and TC system. To make sure such bias is made accountable or held at bay through accountability.
Jajajaja. No bias here, Kumar. I go out of my way to advertise and offer scholarships to Latino kids.
Klinsmann's Legacy?
Jurgen tried to do here what Germany allowed him to do, but the pay for play boys would never allow it. In Germany they did. The DBF report on why Germany is as good as they are now (see link below for full report) reads:
Oliver Kahn commenting on Jurgen's impact said "Jürgen was, indeed, the one who pushed his agenda through without compromise. If he had not been so consistent in this matter, the changes would not have taken effect so quickly." (Many in the DBF, like US Soccer resisted change and fought Jurgen's effort to recreate the DBF as the Player Development Model it is today.)
Loew has done an exceptional job with the new professional players created in the Player Development Program that even the DBF credits Jurgen for his leadership and influence to create. Please see the following quotes about Jurgen's influence and the link to the full English translation of the document citing his efforts at the end.
"Jürgen Klinsmann’s appointment began a phase of change in the self-image of the DBF as well as innovations in the organizational and structural areas that did not take place immediately, but rather unfolded as a dynamic process over a period of time, structured project and change management being required to enforce necessary reforms to overcome hindrances and resistance that stood in the way of the successful development of the national team in a very narrowly framed time period. With the changes initiated, a clear change in behavior was possible, as well as laying a foundation for a sustainable increase in achievement for the players."
"During Klinsmann’s tenure, the national team’s performance fluctuations were at their highest. This is typical of radical change phases because the fundamental structural changes do not immediately take effect, but rather, they have an effect on performance over time. The restructuring of the organization, the addition of external experts, the reformation of the national team’s structure and the adjustment of basic training methods
provoked uncertainty and caused a loss of performance. With time Klinsmann’s measures began to take effect and triggered an increase in the
national team’s performance. World Cup success at the end of the Klinsmann Era and the return of the team to the Top 10 on the world ranking list built the basis for the national team’s sharp improvement."
http://internshipinaustralia.com/research/ISBS_Issue_7_We_Are_The_National_Team.pdf
Jay, Good stuff
Jay, the only thing I can say perhaps is that It is a little easier to initiate change when working in Germany with players who are of a Mercedes quality as compared to players in the US who are of a model T quality along with the arrogance portrayed by the USSF.
Frankie, how do you think Holland will do in Russia? They made it of course, right?
Cheap shot Fire.
I Want to congradulate the USMNT U 17...they played England even...just too many missed chances...but these boys can PLAY! Also they never quit!! I could see right off that they were feeling a pressure....but once they were down they began to Link up the passes in last last 1/3...but pressed too much once they had the chance...just a little more calm when ''striking'' and it was even before half....then a few bobbles in the second half was the difference...but they should be proud. they play a WAY better Game than the men....better passing...WAY WAY more running and fighting spirit....I am less worried about USMNT now that I see these HORSES play..by the way...the goal keeper is AWESOME as is Sargent and the entire midfield!! OLE"
Frank and all
The online files on what the German DBF has and is doing to develop players at all ages from their first year in school to promotion to more advanced levels of play and training at all ages leading up to the highest level is not just talking the talk to make people feel good, it's a detailed study and program with on-going tweaks to become one of the top soccer programs in the world and it is working. It' also accompanied by multiple detailed documents on training pogressions to develop players over the long term between first playing as a child to being selected to represent Germany.
The DBF credits Jurgen for making it happen in Germany, for forcing it down the throats of those who didn't want change and who wanted the old system that was failing to survive. Much like the national associations of so many nations.
The plan linked to the earlier post in this thread has worked according to the German confederation as confirmed by FIFA's ranking of Germany among the top in the world.
So far the association and those wanting to run for elected office in the association have not offered specific solutions, a workable plan or even commented on the successful models in several of the worlds elite programs. They all agree we need a plan, but like almost all elected politicans only want you vote.
Please see link in earlier post above. For additional documentation search for DBF player development plan and read the documents and PDF files for youself.
Andrew your racist comments are way out of line. As everything should be send the best candidate out on the field I don't care what his nationality is. What I am going to say here and what I have been saying since I got on my soap box. We have turned more gifted players away from out national teams because they weren't the right size per the coaches view. Very gifted players who were comfortable in handling the ball and had great field smarts but were let go because these coaches did not know how to coach them. All they knew was full speed ahead and if the kid didn't play that way bingo he was gone. It's a shame and US Soccer is to blame for it.
Until we get players who can create by going one on one and drawing two or three other players to him we are out of business. US Soccer get it corrected!!
FAN ,that means these kids who are ballhog types when they are young should not be prohibited from doing what they are good at. Yes, teamwise it might not efficient, but were looking first at individual development when they are young. It is the ballhog once he realizes when he should pass or take on a player will be the better player and much better than his teammates. Look at the great players, Pele, Cruyff,etc....they were all ballhogs. Cruyff stated that when he made the Ajax youth in his first year he could dribble and beat the opposing team by himself. So the club moved him up a year on the B team, making it more difficult to beat all the opponents, instead he was able to beat7, they moved him up a year and year only beat 4. Since the players he played against were getting older and faster he learned on his own when to pass the ball for he realized it was getting tougher. Note not one of the Ajax youth coaches ever told him to stop dribbling and pass the ball like they do today. In my first youth game at Ajax , I dribbled and beat 6 players and then lost the ball. I was clueless not aware of knowing other options. I didn't know as a player that I dribbled too much and my father happened to mentioned it to me after having talked to the coach. But the coach kept his mouth shut and never said a word to me about dribbling too much. Today , you don't find good individualist who are not afraid to take a man for so many of the players as youth have been beaten down by their coaches for hanging on to the ball, telling them to get rid of it, pass it.
Like you said , you need a player who is good one on one, able to beat a defender, thereby creating a 2v1 advantage or forcing the other opponent to choose to leave his men in order to pick you up. This is how Cruyff used Michael Laudrup, item ditto Neymar, Ronaldinho, etc...
Fan, I dont see whats racist about saying "Lets gget some more agile Hispanics on the team". Would you also get offended if soneone said "lets get some more creative or athletic black guys on our National team"? Whats racist about that?
It isnt racist if it tends to be true.
Frank, bingo. Thats exactly what is needed to develop a top of the top player. The skill and will to take on 1 or more players to create chances for yourself and team. That doesnt work well on youth clubs because evwryone oays to play so if only one kid has most of the ball parents get jealous or just dont know any better but complain. I cant count how many times ive heard parents say "we play quality soccer" when all they do is mindlessly 1-2 touch pass the entire game. players mive to the same spots after passing the ball all game. Boring as hell but to most parents its wonderful teammwork!
And thats why street soccer is so important and cant be replaced. You can dribble at will in are almost dared to every time to show off what you can do.
In club setting nobody likes a showoff.
The importance of cultures is quite important to what you just said because a Brazilian coach will encourage Ginga style which is just that. Dribble, showoff, clown your opponent. Our current dominating ethnicity in soccer coaching elite discourages it. Was that racist?
See Kumar, I am not the only offended by Andrew and you saying Hispanics are more likely to be skillful and creative. Skillful play is not about race of ethnicity.
Fire read this slowly and coubt to 10 after you do and before you post somwthibg. ok?
Yes skill can come and has come in every shape ethnicity etc.
But certsin cultures display more skill than others in certsin sports. Black people dominate basketball mostly because of their particular style of play and skill level. Its cultural. Im not black but I can appreciate this and is extremely easy to see. I wish my ethnicity developed this type of flair and passion for the game of basketball because that is just fun to watch. I am actually optomisitc thst one day it will happen but meanwhile I must accept this as fact.
I am also not Brazilian and even hate how some of my Brazilian and Arge tinian friends act so superior when it comes to soccer but fact is Brazilians are badass when it comes to skill. Are they the only ones? Nope. I love Cruyff, Zidane, Etc but ig I had to pick a culture to watch more of would be Brazil followed by Argentina abd actually tge entire Conmebol is much much more fun to watch than Euros who are boring as hell ezcept for few ezceptions. The moeny is in europe for soccer for sure.
Nothing racist about this. 2 of my favorite basketball players of all time are LarrY bird and Jason White Chocolate Williams. Is white chocolate a racist term too?
Come on man. Obly people that get offenfed by thid are racists in denial. Alot of those in American soccer for sure. I see them everyday.
MS my bad on the racist call. I was wrong but if you read the rest of my comment you know what I mean. We got to get our act together as it pertains to identifying talent. Here is what I find interesting. The so called US Soccer scouts identify players based on skill. Then the national team coaches who have already set a profile of what they think a succesful player should look like. Damn the skills that a player has even if exceptional. If he doesn't meet the profile. Bye bye. Thus we experience what we have experienced and will continue to experience until we get it corrected. My intention is not to minimize the skills of the players we have presented but I will tell you there is a lot of top talent out there that have been left behind because of the pre profiling of these multi licensed coaches. Shameful!!
Perhaps it is a matter of arrogance vs humility? Just like the USMNT winning big before TnT, the kids winning big before England.... Anyhone see any similarities here?
Its ignorance Ric. The U17 did not win big before this world cup even thougg many here said beating Brazil in a friendly was huge!
Its arrogant for sure because even though people like me point out how unmeaningful thise games are in these posts people still want to come out and hype it.
They are doing a diservice to those kids who are talented but need to be pushed instead of applauded especially for meaningless games.
Why no player ratings? The men get them regjularly. Why discriminate re the women?