Developing Winners Or Developing Players?

Something I'm going to explore in my Press-Enterprise column for Wednesday is this topic: if the purpose of the U.S. youth national teams is to develop players, then the Under-23's failure to qualify for the Olympics is bad but not catostrophic.

If this was the senior team who had failed to beat Canada and El Salvador at home in a tournament, then I would say that would be catostrophic. But the aim of the youth national teams is simple - to develop players. Right? Am I right in saying/thinking this? Maybe it shouldn't be, maybe that should be a key part of MLS and maybe US Soccer shouldn't necessarily concern themselves with youth development, but that's the reality. MLS is not yet producing a high number of young talents; sure, clubs are continually taking a more proactive approach to youth development but US Soccer still has to take a load of this responsibility.

Now, these players aren't exactly the same as the U-17s or even the U-20s. At 22 or 23 years of age, players should be well on their way towards a professional career. Soccer age is younger, so a player who is 26, 27, maybe 28 should be at their prime and by 30, 31, 32 it's time to start thinking about life after soccer.

Still, the biggest opportunity lost for this squad was not that they won't get to contend for a gold medal in London (because honestly, a medal would always have been a bit of a miracle) but that these players, this group will not have had the exposure or the chance to play in a major tournament. The soccer part of the Olympics is not necessarily a major tournament but the Olympics themselves, yeah, they're pretty major. And being a part of that would only have helped the development of players like Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo, Joe Corona, Brek Shea, Freddy Adu... etc.

Anyway, that's something I'm kicking around this morning. I'll post the finished product here after it runs in the paper.

Too Much U23 Hype?

The sky is falling out from the United States' beloved Under-23 national team.

Or so you may think.

The U.S. Olympic squad may not actually ever be an Olympic squad if the U.S. does not take care of business against El Salvador tonight. Of course, this wouldn't be an issue had the U.S. lived up to the hype and beaten Canada but instead the Canadians stunned the U.S. with a 2-0 win on Saturday.

Shocking? Has to be, right? This is Canada after all, and these are the Adu- and Shea-led Americans, a squad loaded with talent who was supposed to walk right through this round.

Well, the U.S. may never have been or may never be gold medal favorites, at least in 2012. But the U.S. is not an also-ran in CONCACAF either. Somewhere in between is the U.S. And that's probably what makes the loss to Canada seem so stunning. This U.S. squad is loaded with talent - Freddy Adu, Brek Shea, Joe Gyau, Joe Corona, Juan Agudelo, Bill Hamid, Teal Bunbury, Mix Diskerud.... salivating, eye-popping, mouth-watering - insert your preferred adjective about the squad here.

But was it just too much hype and too much excitement for this squad that fueled the hype and caused this squad to be a bit inflated? Perhaps. Certainly the United States' dominant 2-0 win over Mexico in February did not help matters in terms of inflating this team's stature.

The problem with perception really is not a problem unless players believe the hype and overconfidence creeps in. Sure, we may all believe one thing that isn't but that's on us for buying into hype. Once players start believing the hype, bad things happen. And maybe there was some of that with this team, if not believing hype from the media and outsiders then possibly feeling overconfident because of their own previous performances.

And let's also not diminish what Canada did. The U.S. probably has more talent than Canada but Canada did very well to take it to the U.S. and shut down the Americans' engine right from the start of the match.

Still, the bottom line about the U.S. is this - if the Americans can't beat El Salvador in a must-win match, they don't belong anywhere near the Olympics.

A tie is a loss

Alright, well, technically it's not. But the U.S. could not beat Cuba on Tuesday, so for it to be seen as anything but a disappointing result is not realistic.

The U.S. tied Cuba 1-1 and the teams split a pair of points. Up next for the U.S. is Panama, who fell 1-0 to Honduras on Tuesday.

I don't know if the U.S. underachieved or if the expectations were way too high. Everywhere you read, you were thrown such facts as "10 of the 20 players have played for the full national team" and "five players ply their trade in Europe" and "such future full national team stars such as Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore head the roster" and the like. Hell, I was guilty of it too, touting players like Adu, Altidore, Sacha Kljestan and Maurice Edu.

And yet that experience and that talent was canceled out by the Cubans' collective efforts. Try as they might to spoil their own plans, Cuba refused the hosts to walk away with the point. Cuba went down to 10 men for the final minutes of the match but even that was no advantage for the U.S., whose collective touch in the final third of the field was terrible at best.

Still, there is little time for the players to feel sorry for themselves. Panama is up next, but the opponent does not matter. The U.S. needs to come out with a strong effort. If Panama comes out stronger and goes up a goal on the U.S., the Olympics might be over for this squad before they even started. Already, the U.S. finds themselves in an uncomfortable spot with little wiggle room. Another terrible night of finishing and this squad could be finished.

Olympic look

I just filed my Press-Enterprise column and I focused on the Olympics this week. Although Mexico is playing within driving distance from our coverage area I chose instead to look at the US and their chances for Beijing. I even got to use a quote from Michael Orozco that was heard here first on Sideline Views a week ago.



As I put in my story, this squad is deep and if qualifying is a question of talent then the U.S. will breeze through this round. But we all know talent won't get the U.S. to the Olympics. It didn't last time, and four years ago the U.S. counted on players such as DaMarcus Beasley, Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan.



Benny Feilhaber's exclusion seems like a shock to everyone but it may be a good sign for the U.S. that a player of his ilk, someone who more than held his own in two international tournaments a year ago, cannot make this roster. My guess is that his form ha fallen off badly by not playing regular first-team minutes England. Perhaps his confidence is lacking and it shows on the field. If that is the case, it would certainly be a good sign for the U.S., in that you won't be able to live off of past accomplishments to earn roster spots for events such as this.

Defending his colors

One of the more intriguing players currently with the United States Under-23 national team is Michael Orozco. The American-born Orozco plies his trade with San Luis of the Mexican First Division.

Orozco is part of a small but potentially growing number of American-born players who made their way down to Mexico to develop and play professionally. Sonny Guadarrama, Jesus Padilla and Edgar Castillo are other examples. But what separates Orozco from the latter two at least is that Orozco is playing internationally with his birth country. Padilla turned down an offer to play for the United States Under-20 national team a year ago while Castillo is trying to help Mexico qualify for the Summer Olympics.

I had the chance to talk to Michael by phone on Wednesday as part of a larger story I'm working on for MLS Magazine. Though I need to save a bulk of that interview for the magazine, I wanted to share part of it with our Sideline Views readers.

Among the things I asked him was how he acclimated himself to the squad and how people in Mexico reacted to his decision to play for the United States.

Here's audio of the interview. As for the rest of it, I'll keep you informed on the progress of the piece.

Across the Hall

Here's a guy who is better off without the Galaxy.

Captain K

Sacha Kljestan will be central to the United States' Olympic hopes. He's heading out soon enough with the team so I took the opportunity to talk to him out at camp the other day. I might not have the chance to talk to him until after the qualifying tournament.

Here's the write-up I did for MLSnet.com.

Captain K

Peter Nowak is obviously following my advice, naming Sacha Kljestan U23 captain for the China games.

Made in China

Or rather, trying to make the Olympic team by impressing on an early trip to China.

U23 update

The U23 team will be leaving for China at around midnight tonight. One person who won't be going with the team is Nathan Sturgis. He's suffered a calf injury.

Coach Peter Nowak still hasn't decided on a captain for the squad, although he mentioned something I'd forgotten - Sacha Kljestan captained the U23 squad the last time the age group got together for a short trip to Japan.

But Nowak seemed impressed at the overseas experience of some of the players now on the squad, pointing out how the pressure of the soccer-obsessed atmosphere over there forced greater consistency in their performances. So he might end up picking someone like Charlie Davies.

The Olympic motto

"Swifter, Higher, Stronger."

A new dimension

The tall and the short of the U23 team.

Chris Seitz is a big guy - he's 6'4. Incidently, this makes him taller than every forward in the U.S. national team pool. However, it only ties him with another young goalkeeper, Brad Guzan. Oguchi Onyewu is also the same height.

Mike Randolph, on the other hand, is the littlest guy in the current Olympic team camp. He's 5'7. I'm assuming Peter Nowak, who is the same size himself, won't hold that against him. Besides, Mike is fast.

So is Marvell Wynne. So is Robbie Findley.

I feel like I'm one of the few people who can actually recall Jozy Altidore being shorter than 6 feet. That was back in his U17 national team days, when he was fifteen. By the time he'd entered the MLS combine at sixteen, Jozy had hit six feet, though his player bio took a bit of time to update that fact. Now, at 18, Jozy is 6'1, but the biggest change I noted interviewing him this time was how much muscle he'd packed on since I last chatted with him. He's built like a tank. It probably helps him a lot battling for position near the box.

With the majority of the squad in camp at over six feet, and while there have always been athletic standouts in U.S. teams, I have to say that the trend is probably increasing. Bigger, stronger, faster.

But Nowak didn't emphasize any of those things when I talked to him about what he was looking for to impress him at the U23 camp. He spoke about skill instead.

"It’s how they play as a team. The way of soccer, the way of imagination, creativity."

Captain Olympics

While I was waiting to interview the U23 coach, I asked a U.S. soccer official if Nowak had named a captain for the U23 squad yet. Apparently, he has not. Unlike the days when Claudio Reyna was inevitably the captain every time he played, Bob Bradley has rotated the responsibility. Nowak is likewise taking a wait-and-see tack.

My pick for the armband would be Sacha Kljestan. The Chivas USA midfielder has got all the requisite attributes of talent and the intangibles like leadership skills and common sense. He communicates well with his teammates and he knows the Bradley system backwards and forwards.

Though Jesse Marsch is not the captain of Chivas USA, he's mentored Kljestan in many ways, and a better role model for hard work, dedication and team play can't be found. Most of all, Marsch is a great example of someone who can be a coach's assistant on the field, leading by their actions.

I'm not saying Kljestan is a Marsch-mini (especially since in raw talent, he leaves his mentor behind), but he's picked up enough from him that I think his maturity reflects that.

Kljestan has senior team experience, played in college and with other youth national teams - there basically isn't anyone on the roster who can't relate to him in some way. That's important, because it's good for a captain to know where others are coming from.

Nowak made it clear, though, that this training camp will be where players will prove themselves. Sacha, or whoever is named captain, will have to earn it. The games are crucial too, because that's the real test of performance under pressure. I may think Sacha is the pick on paper, but someone else could step up to stake their own claim to that honor.

Fire the soccer blogger

Yes, I went to the U-23 practice on Sunday, the first official day of training. I interviewed Peter Nowak, Jozy Altidore and Mike Randolph. Look for an article soon on the U.S. Soccer Player's site.

"Where are the photos of training, Andrea?" I can imagine our eager readers asking. I actually took my little camera to training, but I forgot the batteries.

And no, there won't be photos of training today, either. I've been working different hours, so I can't go to training in the mornings like I once did.

Nowak takes over U-23s

When he left Chivas USA, Bob Bradley was named head coach of the U.S. Under-23 national team and the interim head coach. Now that he's assumed the latter full time, the former has been filled with someone else.

Peter Nowak was officially named U.S. Under-23 national team coach on Wednesday. Nowak will be responsible for guiding the Under-23 national team in its quest to reach the 2008 Summer Olympics. Qualifying will take place sometime next year.

This move is important because Nowak will have influence over some of the United States' top young prospects, including those who played for the U.S. in the recent U-20 World Cup and some budding young MLS talent. Anyone who played for the U.S. in Canada is eligible while MLS players such as Sacha Kljestan, Adam Cristman, Jacob Peterson, Arturo Alvarez and Stuart Holden could also be part of the mix.

Nowak will be responsible not only for qualifying and trying to win a medal but also for helping develop players for the full national team. He'll have Bradley and plenty of other people helping him out but Nowak is ultimately in charge of this age group.

Also, if he does well, Nowak could position himself to be next in line for taking over the senior national team whenever that position may open up.

Nowak's resume speaks for itself. He played in the Bundesliga and won an MLS Cup in his first season both as a player and as a coach. Now that he's assumed the Under-23 role, it seems as if it'll be another challenge he'll successfully overcome.

Crist the Man

Wow, I guess my prediction for Adam Cristman to play during the season was a bit off after all. Steve Nicol isn't waiting for the regular season to begin to start the guy.

While I'm excited for Adam and my own scouting talent (perhaps I should start a side job with that), it's a shame that it had to come at the expense of another injury to Pat Noonan.

Getting my gloat on

Adam Cristman, MOTM versus Japan's Rosso Kumamoto.
Scoring two goals in the game makes him look good before he heads to the NE Revs, plus it makes my prediction look none too shabby, either.

I'd said: "However, if Adam Cristman continues the form he brought into camp, he could be the revelation of the Japan tour."

Here's what Adam said about joining his MLS squad after U23 duty.

"I’m now with New England, so I’m up there now, trying to get a feel for the whole scenario. I’m excited to get on this level with these guys (on the Olympic team). It’s a good steppingstone to get me going in New England and certainly good preparation."

I mentioned that the Revs had some quality strikers to learn from and Adam nodded.

"Taylor (Twellman) and (Pat) Noonan – I’m looking forward to going there."

I'll go ahead and predict that Cristman sees onfield time with the Revolution this year - especially because Twellman will probably be involved with the national team this summer.

Sturg's thoughts

Los Angeles Galaxy player Nathan Sturgis shared his thoughts on the U23 team, Beckham, etc, with the Japanese press.

I'm a little sad that UCLA's Kyle Nakazawa didn't make the U23 squad, because I'm sure the media there would have loved the story of his Japanese heritage.

Sturgis performed well in the match - which is something he's made a habit of during the tours abroad that he's taken. Of course, he's played well for the Galaxy, too.

Here's a quick mention of the match from another Japanese source, where the U.S. defense is praised. There's also a minute-by-minute report.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sturgis draws attention from Europe after the U20 World Cup in Canada.

Olympic Fool's Gold

Though the U23 squad touring Japan right now is from the U.S., it would be foolish for anyone to assume that it's a good preview of the Olympic squad. With no Freddy Adu, Josmer Altidore, Benny Feilhaber, Michael Bradley, Jonathan Spector, Johan Smith, Chad Barrett, Eddie Gaven or Stuart Holden along, there's a number of likely possibilities missing from the current group. Bob Bradley knows this, of course, but the trip is still on. I'm not saying it's a waste, and it wouldn't hurt certain players to pick up experience, but no one should kid themselves that the U.S. Olympic squad will look like this group, regardless of the result.

Brad stops Sacha

One of the more long-lasting memories of today's scrimmage I'll have is the penalty kick that Sacha Kljestan attempted on Brad Guzan. It was weird seeing Sacha step up to take the PK after the U.S. was justly awarded a spot kick. He did not hesitate for a second. He walked up immediately to the spot as if he had something to prove to Chivas USA and, in particular, to Brad Guzan.

But Sacha knows now first-hand the challenge of facing Guzan in a penalty kick situation. Brad dived to his left but made the save with his feet.

I asked Jesse Marsch afterward if Sacha was going to hear about that one, Jesse smiled and said "He already has."