I hate to keep bagging on US soccer, but they've made themselves such an easy target recently I can't resist. Earlier this week Bob Bradley was fired as coach of the US men's soccer team and replaced by Juergen Klinsmann. Although Klinsmann was a top player international player for the German team I suspect the results will be the same.
The Man U tour only helped to reinforce the notion that American soccer is bush league compared to the rest of the world. Manchester scored a touchdown and an extra point against the Seattle Sounders and beat the MLS all stars like a rented mule. Wayne Rooney looked like Diego Maradona and Pele all wrapped into one. The US resistance was dismal and embarrassing. Is there any chance US soccer will gain respectability in the near future?
Unlikely. US soccer is so far behind the rest of the world it will take at least a decade to catch up. The United States prides itself on being competitive in whatever sport we set out to master, but this time it's a losing proposition. America will just have to accept the fact soccer is not a sport the country excels at. There is nothing wrong with being less than average so long as you try your best and improve every day. That's all we can ask.
There is no quick fix to this problem. There is no one player or coach that's going to turn this thing around. In the mean time the United States will have to make a concerted effort to lure top athletes away from basketball and football while supporting the MLS and youth soccer programs. We've certainly got our work cut out for us.
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