The United States Under-17 national team advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup, but its first opponent in the next phase is perhaps the most impressive team from the group stage, Germany (4 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN3.com/Galavision).
Germany thrashed its Group E opponents by a combined score of 11-1 in three victories and stands in the United States' way of reaching the quarterfinals. Making matters worse for the United States is that captain Marc Pelosi won't be eligible for the match after being sent off in the final game of the group stage against New Zealand.
Should the U.S. U-17s claim victory, they would advance to the quarterfinals to meet either England or Argentina.
If you will be watching any of the U.S. U-17 match, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.
Here’s our roster with club affiliation on the right side.
http://www.ussoccer.com/Tournaments/FIFA-Under-17-World-Cup/2011-FIFA-Under-17-World-Cup/Roster.aspx
This was pathetic. Poor effort and bad coaching. Guido was literally walking the entire second half — yet he was left in the game. We need wholesale changes. Bring on Klinsman.
right CA
Sean — Thomas Rongen has been let go by the Federation and how can you say they had not heart there were beaten by a superior team. No matter what you say there is a culture to the game which our country just does not have yet. It will take time, the academies are at the beginnings so how can you expect that these kids will think like the Germans do who grow up daily entrench in a soccer culture.
I’d say pay-to-play benefits very few people.
What a young player learns in a pay-to-play league may win him games when he’s 14(against other pay-to-play teams), but all that emphasis on physicality and strength does nothing against technical sides like Germany when you’re playing in a u17 tournament.
I guess you could say that pay-to-play benefits those who are just looking to score a college scholarship here in the States.
We also got served by Uzbekistan and couldn’t top New Zealand – even when they started passing between their back four. No US players challenged for the ball.
Most of these players were on MLS Academy Squads. Ugh.
Well, I wasn’t sure how on board I was before about the firing of Sunil Gulati, but after you look at the how:
1. Our National Team was manhandled and toyed with by the Mexican National Team in the Gold Cup.
2. Thomas Rongen is still a coach.
3. The U-20’s didn’t even qualify for the World Cup.
4. The U-17’s utterly embarrassed themselves today. They couldn’t pass, shoot, win one-on-ones, defend, they were slow, and had no heart… well, pretty much they were an absolute disgrace for US Soccer.
I think these all point to time for a shake-up at the very top. We are in trouble long term and someone has to pay for it.
The MLS teams making academys will help. Across the world the professional clubs manage the development of the youth. As someone said above, support the MLS. The pay to play and ODP systems only benefit those who can afford it.
Youth dev takes place in the street when 5 yr olds are pretending they are messi. Until that day comes, the us sucks. This other stuff comes second.
Landon grew up playing soccer with latin kids and Dempsey grew up fighting for everything he has ever had. Those are our 2 best players.
We keep trying to move away from the kids that know that soccer is going to be their only hope of taking care of their families.
We keep trying to create soccer player out of middle to upperclass kids.
You can keep the pay to play programs but we need to start searching for talent that doesnt have the money to play and bring them to the MLS academies.
Pay to play academies will not profit from losing, thats why they will always focus on winning so they can get as much kids as they can.
Pay to play academies will start focusing on developing players with skill when they can start selling them. That is a no no.
Academies? They haven’t produces sh!t. I read about The Fires great academy and they’ve signed one player who never ever ever plays. Everyone jumped on the Bowen bandwagon but what’s he doing now? Anguduelo wasn’t really a product of the academy and he is behind a career 2nd div English player on the bench. We need Germany system. Hmm who would know how to implement that?
Extremely intelligent remark! I find it sad that there are so few of those in the youth development discussion in America.
We have made great progress as a soccer nation but have plateaued. It is time for fresh ideas. We need change from the top down.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t kids already 15-16 once they arrive at Bradenton? If this is true, then it’s way too late.
I’m all about the MLS and the Dynamo! This will be a long process but I’ll try to remain positive.
If youth clubs would focus on technique versus winning we would have a chance. Too many clubs are onlu concerned about the winning to attract players. US Soccer must funnel money down to clubs to develop players. Bradenton is obviously not the answer, players are not hungry enough. Tough balance.
Our guys have the touch of a baby donkey…
Let’s start first with a shot on goal (kinda sarcastic, mostly serious). Like the one from McBean that was parried away.
Support your nearest MLS team as much as you can.
How about we at least score a goal…
I was thinking the same thing when dropping off my son at soccer camp yesterday. The facility is great and the coaching is good (from what I can see). But I came up with the same conclusion. Until revenues increase for MLS clubs, this will be the model used for my kids kids. I hear we need to change this….but how?
Guido looks slow as dirt and gets knocked off the ball all too easily, and HE’S supposed to be the example of the players we’d like to produce? No thanks.
+1
I’m sure if Cherudolo was playing we would of won.
You know who I blame for this?
BOB BRADLEY.
Most of them rather play for other countries thou….
Germany has and always will be a power. What is worse is that Japan would probably be handing us an equally nasty lesson — they beat NZ (whom we tied) 6-0 yesterday. Japan was even worse off than the USA 20 years ago, but by focusing on technique, they have produced better players than us in recent years, enjoyed good results internationally and continue to improve. The lack of optimism someone cited is looking like realism to me.
The sad thing about youth soccer in America is that currently there is no real alternative to pay-to-play. There simply are no big and rich clubs here that can afford to devote tremendous resources to full-time youth academies.
So we’re stuck with pay-to-play-a lousy failing system that can produce only a few Donovans and Dempseys ever few years.
It’s tough to be a US soccer fan:(
And what’s with the shots from 30 yards out? Is that the only way we can score? On a wonder-strike?
Mexico scores again,similar uniforms…
Yeah we suck, where the heck is the energy? Geeze these guys are walking all over the field. This is embarrassing.
The offside there once again shows how bad this U-17 team is..
We suck.
Haha…should probably just shut down the city entirely
And there’s 4. Look, the Germans have the best youth system in the World along with Spain, maybe better at younger levels like this. But yikes. I love the US playing this 4-3-3 style, and I hope it continues at all levels of our youth system, this loss aside. But damn if we don’t get some more technically gifted and tactically smarter kids. We’ll keep getting our asses kicked like this. I don’t know what the solution is, but at least I’ll admit it.
Wow on the fourth goal I counted. There are 5 defenders and 6 Germans in the box. Where the crap are the other 5 US players
WTF… where is the CB marking when Germany is in the box? I guess on vacation. 4-0 spanking and deservedly so.
Lmao at #4
Close Bradenton, force all MLS teams to have viable and integrated academy systems from U12 to U19 along with U23 Reserves (no more “homegrown” players and “college drafts”), and discourage college as a viable soccer option for elite players.
USA with it’s best passing and lync up sequence from box to box and then cough up the ball…
c’mon, we are over 300 million people…
i believe we’ve got a plenty of unknown talented kids out there
And Koroma is playing like Altidore on some of his worst days… lazy and not motivated..
I was about to say the same. Maybe it’s just the field, but nobody on this team looks fast.
Haha I think I might agree.. If this is what Bradenton get us we are much better off without it. The product out there was absolute sh*t. Time to search our massive country and find the players that have the talent and the drive to win and succeed
Reliance on speed and physicality? Are you watching this game? The US team are a bunch of midgets outside Koroma.
gosh Leaky Defense Syndrome is contagious…..
Close Bradenton. It’s not helping.
Fire Gulati after BB. US regressing at all levels. The run all day long as fast as you can tactic hasn’t worked for the Mens side since 2002 and now the rear of the world is catching up on the Youth and Womens teams.
Reliance on speed and physicality won’t cut it we need to start developing technical players not the fastest ones who can’t dribble thier way out past a kindergarten team
Besides the fact of being down 3-0 at the half, I also am bummed for McIntosh who has made several quality saves and looks to be one to watch.
Really, the game is closer than 3-0. I like the USA kids composure in traffic and wide open flowing style. But mistakes killed them – Germans are deadly in front of goal.