Almost there on the Road to Nowhere - The USMNT

Never has a 2-0 lead looked so unmistakably tenuous. Two years ago I was blinded by hope and optimism that they could hold a two tally advantage, even against one of the most dynamic attacks in the world. Even as far back as our time in the Far East, a 3-0 lead on the Portuguese did not feel right. This time, as I saw Landycakes finish off the second goal against the run of play, my excitement quickly morphed into fear. I knew it could happen again. Somehow, I knew it would happen again.

Do we lack a world class coach? Yes, but that alone is not the answer. I still commend Sweatpants Bob for his tireless commitment and ability to pull results from punching above our weight class.

Do we lack depth? Yes, Bornstein (aka the Mexican Tostada) was over-matched before he hit the pitch, fielding two strikers is an exercise in futility at the moment, and though Timmy isn't going anywhere soon, a goalkeeping successor isn't waiting in the wings.

Do we have lack a true play-making #10, one that can take over a match? Once again, yes, no explanation necessary.

But where does the root of the problem lie? How does two goals to the cause equal doubt in an outcome regularly?

All things considered, it still comes down to the American player in the American style. I would defy anyone to offer a breakdown of the consistent style that lends itself to the USMNT. We have been historically reflexive in how we approach teams on a match to match basis. There is no base from which to adjust, there seems to be a new full scale plan implemented. But this issue
becomes a conversation of the chicken and the egg. An effective style is not obvious because our player pool does not lend itself to any one choice. There is a lack of skill to play a possession based attack, a lack of athleticism for a direct system and a lack of smarts to play in an adaptive style.

So what do we fix first? Do you pick a system and mold your development, or do you highlight your talent and adapt your system?

What US Soccer needs is better leadership from the top down to guide a youth system that falls short at some point. We can consistently produce high level talent for U-17 and U-20 squads, but rarely see these players provide the same play at a senior level. Youth soccer is still about the $$ and not about the player in this country, and unfortunately that will take time to break.

All things considered, this may be a period of downturn for US Soccer. It happens to every country, a generation is merely lacking in the talent that comes before and after it. Could we be staring this in the face? There is a real possibility.

The only thing that is certain surrounding the USMNT is that we as a soccer nation are just not there yet. It takes more than commitment, passion and unrelenting effort to produce true soccer success. Those things will win you games, but will not produce a system in which players can thrive and create a culture for success. A culture that feels like we can celebrate with a 2-0 lead would be nice as well.