This is a guest post by Ken Sweda, owner of PresicionSoccerSkills. You can also follow him
on twitter @Zone_14.
There is a belief in this country that US Soccer and its domestic league, Major League Soccer,
have a goal to greatly improve the quality of the American player and the status of the sport in
this country.
how appropriate
Happy mad-libbing!
_______________ (Possession/4-3-3/Passing out of the back) like __________________ (F.C.
Barcelona/Spain/Ajax) would never work for a __________________ (Mid-low table Premier
League/Major League Soccer/NCAA Division I) team. The __________________ (British/American/American
College) game is too ____________ (Fast/Physical/Aggressive) for a ________________
(British/MLS/College) team to play like that.
I attended 4 of the sessions and both games versus Klinsmann's senior team.
Caleb Porter
First and foremost, if our praise for Caleb Porter hasn't been evident, let me repeat, Caleb
Porter is legit.
Previously, we've been judging him solely from watching his Akron team (on TV and in
person).
Elite coaching is an art.
This is my response to reader John, who left an excellent set of comments. The last of which
I'll address here.
Specifically:
I'd love to see you talk about specific tactics, Gary. I have no doubt that you are very a
bright guy, but I wish you'd share your knowledge with us.
3four3 camp pic (12/28/11)
There is nothing high-level available for this group of players during their off-seasons. That
hurts, and it must be fixed!
During the holidays we held a 4 day camp for them.
It was a pilot program really, as we have never done such a thing, but I was pleased with the
turnout.
Should they be playing up?
Oh how everyone talks as if they know what "development" is, and how to do it. Sigh ...
Let's talk a little bit about "playing up" and whether it helps or not.
This weekend our U11′s are going to play in a U12 tournament. This isn't the first time
competing up either.
No stats? Good luck.
For those not aware, the Hermann Trophy is soccer's equivalent to the Heismann.
So I'm scanning the blogs out there, and I came across the following comments on this post
concerning the 15 semifinalists for the award.
Mark said:
12 forwards and 2 mids in that list.
Craque! Kelyn Rowe in full gallop with head up. The Bruin #10 looking to lead UCLA back to
College Cup.
Westwood, CA Made another trip to Westwood to catch the NCAA 3rd round matchup between UCLA
and Rutgers. Gary decided to tag along since watching UCLA meant seeing Kelyn Rowe parade his
quality all over the field.
St Mary's celebration after game winning goal in overtime.
Irvine, CA – Made the quick journey south to catch the UCI Anteaters hosting the St Mary's
Gaels in 2nd round NCAA tournament action on a rainy night. Yep, packed the umbrella, towels,
notebook, and camera and combatted the rain along with the other 656 people in attendance.
Creighton mens soccer captured the MVC title, now aim for the bigger prize at NCAA
Championships.
Omaha, NE The Missouri Valley Conference Championship game had the #1 and #2 seeds matched up
head to head for the automatic NCAA berth. There was lots to play for and it was evident with
some of the tough challenges and physical play on both sides.
"We've made good progress in the last 20 years."
Yes we have, and we should all be happy for it.
However, it's easier going from 40% to 70%, than it is from 70% to 100%.
The first jump involves broad strokes. You know, the "common sense" stuff.
The second jump involves the details.
Marked man. Jose "Choco" Gomez blanketed all evening with Bradley's man marking scheme. Dion
Acoff enjoys a rare breather with his man nowhere in sight.
Omaha, NE I made the journey out to Nebraska to cover the Missouri Valley Conference tournament
live at Morrison Stadium. What an incredible soccer facility!
The following was inspired by Lalo's latest comment. He makes good points about leadership,
and poses questions about the work on this blog. What follows is not intended as a full response,
but I preferred to post here instead of in the comments.
On the statement: "Leadership is doing the right thing".
Fullerton, CA Saturday's contest featured two underachieving teams that were looking to hold on
for dear life in the Big West. Both sides were in desperate need of 3 points. Luis Silva came
into the game and pretty much single-handedly carried the Gauchos to a 4-3 victory putting on a
show in the process.
What follows is an initial list of 25 things obstructing the US from becoming a soccer
powerhouse.
The "what's wrong" topic is always around and maintains a certain level of attention. Then, when
our national teams flounder, the topic spikes and dominates the discussion.
And of course everyone and their mom has an opinion.
