The MLS
Is the MLS suffering because of this talent drain towards Europe, or is it seen as a necessary evil?
This is an issue at some level for virtually every league and club in the world. There are a few clubs at the top of the food chain – Madrid, Barca, Man United, Man City are examples – and every other club and league at some level is a seller. I always argued when I was on the MLS Board that we shouldn’t overly focus on players moving abroad, but should instead focus on making our league the best it can be.
Christian Pulisic has been outspoken about the limited playing time for young players in the MLS as a key reason behind his desire to move on. Has that sparked a different approach to the way young stars are treated in the MLS?
I don’t know whether the approach is different on a league wide basis, though I definitely agree with Christian’s questions about the difficulty for young players seeking significant playing time and responsibility in MLS. Certain clubs, such as the Philadelphia Union, FC Dallas, and Red Bull NY, have done a much better job in this area, both in terms of the quality of their Academies and their willingness to give real opportunities to players. Not surprisingly, they’ve also been among the leaders in transfer fees earned to make their Academy sustainable in the long term. Done right, it can be a virtuous circle and not a vicious cycle.
Youth Soccer in America
What has been the reason that the development programs like id2 have had so much success identifying some of the best youth soccer talent in the United States, and what are the differentiating factors compared to other development programs?
ID2, which US Club Soccer began, is different from the USDA and the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. The USDA was a national league system, with roughly 170 programs on the men’s and women’s sides. While it was ultimately closed down, it really served its purpose by changing the overall training environment for players. The USYSA ODP program began as a good idea many years ago, but over time became a huge revenue generator because of its pay to play component.
When I was chair of the US Soccer Technical committee, the program had 80,000 participants! I remember telling them, if you have 80,000 kids good enough to be on a National Team ID track, then we have no problems. But of course, that wasn’t the case. ID2 is a more focused program, and is free to all participants. It addresses the age group immediately before the first full National Team on the boys and girls sides.
Players who were identified at least in part through that program include Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and in particular Christian Pulisic, who was playing for a relatively small club at the time. He was very small at 13 but was so good on our ID2 trip to Spain that he was offered a contract on the sidelines after the match against Barcelona! Thank goodness his father was there to deal with that.
A common theme that comes up when discussing soccer in the USA is that it is a sport for the privileged, affluent children in the suburbs, with many kids from deprived, inner-city communities priced out due to the pay-to-play structure. What is being done to ensure that the kids playing soccer in America truly reflect the nation’s diversity?
There is a lot of truth, unfortunately, to the notion that the majority of kids playing in organized US Soccer leagues come from that sort of suburban, relatively affluent background. There’s nothing that says those players can’t be successful – many of the young players we’re speaking about in this conversation come from that background. But we do need to do a far better job of embracing our immigrant populations – especially Hispanic – and bringing the game into the inner city.
The US Soccer Foundation, of which I am proud to be the Vice Chair, is doing exactly that. Our Soccer for Success program has introduced the game to nearly 200,000 players living in underserved communities. Our Safe Places to Play program, which builds small sided courts in urban environments, has built over 350 courts to date, with commitments for another 200 plus, and a goal of building 1000 in all. We will hit that goal.
The USMNT and the Future
It’s hard to look at this current generation and not get excited about their future prospects on the international stage. How far do you think they can take the USMNT? Is a win on home soil in 2026 a realistic possibility?
While we are excited about this men’s group, and think the future is bright, its also important to remain realistic so we don’t become discouraged if we fail to achieve unrealistic goals. Only 8 countries have won the World Cup, and only 6 since 1990, in what I would consider the modern era of soccer. The US should always aim to get out of its group and into the knockout stages, and after that anything can happen. We should be quite strong in 2026 with a number of players playing their second World Cup, and in their prime.
Which American stars should we be looking out for on the global stage in the next few years?
I’m excited about many of the young players on the National Team right now. Obviously, Christian and Weston are already established with major clubs, as is Sergiño Dest. Gio Reyna has some very special qualities, and I believe Josh Sargent could become a reliable goal scorer at top level. I think Tyler Adams will grow to become a top-level mid-fielder with a world class engine. One player I am looking forward to watching is Brendan Aaronson, who I think has that special creative quality that only the best midfielders have. All in all, it’s a fun time to be a fan of the US Men’s National Team. Oh, and by the way, our women are still pretty good, as well!