Soccerfan2
GOLD
I agree with what you are saying. I will only add that it's unrealistic to expect the U17s to excel because they just don't train together enough to generate the familiarity and sophisticated style of play necessary to beat other countries that are more committed to winning meaningless U17 games and who can train together more consistently. US players don't have nearly enough time together in camps to really teach positional soccer or anything nuanced really, let alone get to the point where they can effectively implement it in a game. And it is hard for USSF to tell who gets it (or might) by watching club games because, as you note, few clubs are teaching it at a high level. There are some beast athletes out there on teams that aren't committed to positional soccer but who are perfectly capable of playing it. And a superior athlete with the potential to play at a more sophisticated level has a much higher upside than a lesser athlete who already does; it's just a matter of figuring out which 2 or 3 uber athletes in each age group will actually reach that upside. Only 2-3 kids per year on average will make any meaningful contribution to the full WNT, so it only needs 2-3 of the world's best in each age group and, presto, it has easily the best team in the world as long as Jill Ellis doesn't screw it up; it's just a matter of finding them. And that is why USSF picks better athletes over less athletic but more tactically sophisticated players at the youth level. If it picked the better tactical 16 year olds, USSF would only leveling the playing field by eliminating the biggest advantage it has at the WNT level, which is superior athleticism.
In the end, USSF doesn't care whether its U17 team is better than anyone else's because it's only interested in the 2-3 players per age group with the perfect mix of athletic ability, technical skill and tactical IQ that it is looking for. We know one U17 was head and shoulders better than any other player on the field, and I'm sure there were one or two other beast athletes on that team whose quality and soccer IQ didn't show because most of the team is incapable of playing a solid positional and tactical game. Even if you look at the U20's WC disaster, three of the best players in the world are Davidson, Macario and Pugh, none of whom played. The future of the WNT looks safe, even if the U17 coach is a moron.
USSF definitely tries to pick athletes who can beat other players. Many have called these the “wrong” players but I agree with EOTL’s argument that these players are the best candidates to be taught to play in a possession system. Plus I just don’t see kids that lack the skills to dribble or beat players 1v1 but are actually “better” players. What the US lacks in playing style is a symptom of our soccer culture and EOTL is right - YNT camp is not much time for a team and a style to gel. I also agree that USSF is not concerned with whether we win at U17, although I don’t agree they are only concerned about 2-3 players. The higher quality the overall evironment, the better the best will be.
I agree with Sheriff too except I would go further and say first touch predicts almost everything else.
US Soccer’s whole intent is to improve the overall soccer culture by requiring training, providing support and holding clubs accountable for playing soccer instead of kickball. DA was one first step in that direction.