The Unfinished Business of American Soccer Development The US men's national team has consistently fallen short of expectations despite having all the ingredients for success: a massive population, state of the art facilities, and a growing soccer culture.
One reason lies in the way we develop young players.
Unlike many European countries, where pro clubs fund youth academies and scout aggressively in working class communities, elite American youth soccer often requires families to shell out thousands of dollars a year for club fees, travel, coaching, and tournaments.