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AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 12:52 pm

Is it possible to ‘just find a couple forwards’ though?

Hell yeah dude. Look at the roster. We “found” Dest, Robinson, and Musah. Filled three huge holes with dual nationals. Oh and who was best buds with Musah at Arsenal academy & the England youth national team and was also born in NY?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folarin_Balogun

Balogun is a world class striker prospect.
Pepi is still an elite striker prospect.

Four years from now they are 25 & 23. Prime time baby.

Sargent will be 26, Ferreira 25. Young players I don’t know because they are children will pop up.

Sure seemed like the biggest issue was an inability to score. Tons of crosses, possession, touches, etc. But just felt like there was a never the threat usually associated with those opportunities.

Like they need someone to score. To draw attention to open others up. Which is a long winded way of saying they need probably the toughest thing to find.

thrill wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 5:29 pm

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 12:52 pm

Is it possible to ‘just find a couple forwards’ though?

Hell yeah dude. Look at the roster. We “found” Dest, Robinson, and Musah. Filled three huge holes with dual nationals. Oh and who was best buds with Musah at Arsenal academy & the England youth national team and was also born in NY?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folarin_Balogun

Balogun is a world class striker prospect.
Pepi is still an elite striker prospect.

Four years from now they are 25 & 23. Prime time baby.

Sargent will be 26, Ferreira 25. Young players I don’t know because they are children will pop up.

Sounds promising. But I can’t get my hopes up.

Here’s why you can hope. Not saying we’ll be substantially better in four years for sure, but MLS clubs have started to make a crap load of money selling young players they develop in their academies. Not a handful here and there, true sustainable and profitable pipelines. This profit is how countries create elite player development systems. It’s ultra-capitalistic, but the concept has been proved for the capital class: MLS franchise values and American players are blue chip investments that they can exploit to make crazy money and that’s why things get done in our world.

The talent is definitely there, and now the investment is there.

This was a winnable game for the US. Pulisic had a golden opportunity that has to be converted at this stage. If he scores there, it's a completely different match. Tyler Adams had a great tournament but he was partly at fault on the first goal because he didn't track Depay's run properly.

I agree with thrill that the US will win a World Cup within a generation.

And as AW said, the key flaw was the US inability to score (which has been a problem all tournament) but against elite teams, that inability to score will get exploited.

thrill wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 5:41 pm

Here’s why you can hope. Not saying we’ll be substantially better in four years for sure, but MLS clubs have started to make a crap load of money selling young players they develop in their academies. Not a handful here and there, true sustainable and profitable pipelines. This profit is how countries create elite player development systems. It’s ultra-capitalistic, but the concept has been proved for the capital class: MLS franchise values and American players are blue chip investments that they can exploit to make crazy money and that’s why things get done in our world.

The talent is definitely there, and now the investment is there.

They can sell them to any country. No?

And it doesn’t even matter where they sell them. They can play in the WC for whomever.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 11:04 pm

thrill wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 5:41 pm

Here’s why you can hope. Not saying we’ll be substantially better in four years for sure, but MLS clubs have started to make a crap load of money selling young players they develop in their academies. Not a handful here and there, true sustainable and profitable pipelines. This profit is how countries create elite player development systems. It’s ultra-capitalistic, but the concept has been proved for the capital class: MLS franchise values and American players are blue chip investments that they can exploit to make crazy money and that’s why things get done in our world.

The talent is definitely there, and now the investment is there.

They can sell them to any country. No?

Not a country, but a club team in any country. To get to the level of World Cup contender, they have to play against better competition that what you see in today's MLS.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote: ↑

December 3 22, 11:05 pm

And it doesn’t even matter where they sell them. They can play in the WC for whomever.

Not quite. I don't know the ins and outs, but there are eligibility rules. Where you were born plays into it, as does citizenship.

I read that Dest hadn’t even been to the US until five years ago. I believe you only need a citizen parent.

I read a couple first person MLS features from players. Sounds like choosing your country can be an excruciating choice. Especially if your heritage is linked to a strong soccer culture. I feel bad for Pepi who chose the US and then got left off for Wright (maybe he shouldn’t have been?). But I don’t have a strong idea of if he would have made Mexico’s team for Qatar.

Sometimes it’s easy. If you’ll never sniff Germany’s team you play for the US. If you’ll never sniff the US team you play for El Salvador.

thrill could certainly speak better to this stuff, but there’s (or has been, at least) also a strong overseas military component. Especially in Germany. I was surprised to just Google that we still have 35k troops there.