We’ve become happy to be there.
American soccer is excited to stand at the precipice of being a global contender but is tenative in actually accomplishing the feat.
Watching last night’s game, flashbacks of the United States vs. Brazil in the Confederations Cup final started to come to mind. Similar to that heartbreaking game, Real Salt Lake built a lead that with proper defense and execution should have carried the Utah-based club to a monumental victory
Instead, it was clear to see that RSL’s offense lacked any real determination in the final third. Missed chance after missed chance, it was a very listless performance by a team that is renowned for being clinical in all aspects of its game. After the game, head coach Jason Kreis claimed that his team missed its energetic and industrious captain, midfielder Kyle Beckerman. However, if Kreis’s mantra is that the team is the star, then surely a squad of talented individuals should have been motivated by the chance to accomplish something significant.
This was the game that was supposed to elevate MLS to world recognition as one of its clubs would finally have a chance to compete in the Club World Cup. Unfortunately for both the league and American soccer, RSL failed to deliver. Still, the blame can’t rest solely on the shoulders of Kreis and his players.
The fault lies in the culture of American soccer.
Instead of having expectations and accountability, we accept the mediocre because we are content that the sport exists in our country.
If you disagree, then explain why Thomas Rongen still has his job as the head coach of the U20 United States National Team after failing to reach the Under 20 World Cup.
A 2-1 loss to Guatemala? Think England U20 coach Brian Eastick would still have his job if a minnow team stood between his team and World Cup qualification and he failed to deliver? Neither the country’s media nor fans would accept that.
The misguided happiness doesn’t end there.
We are delighted to host European giants like Manchester United or Barcelona but yet we don’t demand that their stars have media availability or visit inner city kids to perform clinics. These are teams that we are paying to visit us. In the upcoming MLS All-Star game, reporters are actually excited to talk to reserve players like Tom Cleverley or Darren Gibson because stars like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs or Nani either have limited or no availability.
In comparison, when our sports teams visit countries in Europe, no one is off limits. Whether it is Michael Jordan or Eli Manning, we allow our athletes to freely interact both with foreign journalists and fans because our leagues realize that it is conducive to the growth of the sport in those countries.
More than a decade ago during a NBA tour of Germany, Charles Barkley was conducting a clinic with some German teenagers when he spotted a then 6-foot, 6-inch teenager with a decent jump shot. Barkley congratulated the teen on being a good shooter but told him that if he couldn’t dribble or rebound, he wouldn’t have a shot of making the NBA.
That teen would spend the next few years honing his skills and eventually end up with the Dallas Mavericks. Now one of the most elite superstars in the NBA known for his versatility, Dirk Nowitzki constantly reminds Barkley during on air interviews of their conversation from years ago. A simple interaction forever changed the life of an individual.
Going back to the Confederations Cup final against Brazil, there was a moment that showed that Landon Donovan understood what the expectations should be. A reporter congratulated the United States midfield star for being a runner-up to Brazil, Donovan responded angrily.
“We’re at the point where we don’t want respect, we want to win,” said Donovan.”There’s no guarantee we ever get back to a final game like this, so it’s disappointing.”
It is time that we demand more out of the sport domestically. Unlike many countries around the world, Americans don’t need soccer to be successful as there are plenty of options when it comes to professional sports. With that being acknowledged, we shouldn’t applaud mediocre efforts from our domestic league and we should expect tournament by tournament progress for our national team. Instead of rigorously celebrating the arrivals of European clubs for exhibitions, both fans and media should boycott the games if they won’t provide better access in both respects.
It is time to expect greatness instead of being surprised by it.
See the original post:
Second Is No Longer Acceptable For American soccer