This weekend, Kristian Dyer reported that the New York Red Bulls are hot on the trail of their
third Designated Player. Â This news comes in addition to the fact that New York will ink Thierry
Henry (the world's worst kept secret), sometime next week, and he will be revealed at a press
conference scheduled for Thursday.
There were brand new shirts. Â The white and blue of Argentina with Messi on the back, the
iconic sash of the American jersey was almost ubiquitous. Â They raced back and forth, some
flailing hopelessly, others with cool calculated movements, showing mastery and precision. Â They
passed, shot, tackled, and it all felt right.
The Youth System in the 'States has always been a bit of a sore subject. Â We have 300 million
people, 3 million of who play youth soccer, yet we struggle to create the talent necessary to
compete for the ultimate prize in International soccer, the World Cup. Â Those who follow U.S.
Soccer closely tend to look to the youth squads to see how the national team will look in the
future.
Europe is a seemingly wonderful place. Â Each country has their own interesting culture, they
speak different languages, and they worship soccer like no other sport. Â Yes, there is Rugby,
Cricket, Cycling (a favorite of mine), but soccer is on another level, another echelon of fandom. Â
Our young American soccer players grow up dreaming of one day putting on the colors of a European
club, playing in the Emirates, or the Camp Nou.
Of all the things that contributed to the United States Round of 16 exit at the 2010 World Cup,
perhaps the most glaring deficiency of the team was the defensive cohesion. Â The Americans
conceded first in all of their matches barring the Algeria game (although truly, they almost did in
that one too, with a Algerian shot going off the cross bar) and found themselves climbing out of
the grave time and time again.
Opportunities in life are far and few between. Â They come fleetingly, on the whims and wants of
others, so when they do come, they must be taken, taken and pursued to the fullest.
Greg Seltzer (of MLSSoccer and No Short Corners fame) talked to Dempsey's agent, Lyle Yorks
about a potential move away from Craven Cottage.
