Most American soccer fans probably don't know a thing about Carlos Menjivar. I'll admit it; I didn't either.
But U.S. Soccer did, at some level. And he slipped right through the cracks.
Carlos is a U.S. born El Salvadoran national team starter who went to San Diego State University. He loved MLS. He loved the U.S. national team but he's nowhere near either one right now.
Now, I'm not saying Carlos would be a starter for the U.S. or is the next Mauricio Cienfuegos or Raul Diaz Arce. Still, it makes you wonder if he wasn't given a chance because he wasn't good enough or because the U.S. Soccer youth system is flawed.
6 comments:
Glad to see a guy with the same last name as me (I'm Salvadorian too) has made it onto the national team of El Salvador and I wish him the best. I also hope that El Salvador's national team begins finding success once again to match the glory days of the late 70s and early 80s. This also shows that U.S. Soccer has plenty of work to do to scout all the talent available here. They have to improve their efforts or a star player may arise to play against the U.S. rather than for the U.S.
It wasn't because he was Latino, was it? I mean US soccer goes out of its way to find these diamonds in the rough. Just think how many more Latino-US-born players are out there and aren't even getting a sniff.
Jay...
DeMerit...
But at least he is now getting his chance.
let's hope we fix our system before other teams poach our players!
of course we probably poach their players and it all evens out in the end.
I play with and against guys in an adult league in LA that have more skill and ability than MLS players. It's easy to see how they slipped through, as they never went to college or played at a fancy club.
If we start getting jealous of guys who are playing on teams we kick the snot out of on a regular basis, we might as well give up. The system didn't fail. This guy's PR skills are wonderful.
Just because a guy is Latino, doesn't make a US team and ends up playing professionally somewhere doesn't mean the system failed. The guy is playing for FAS, not ManU for God's sake.
The thin skin of the American soccer nation is about the only constant we have.
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