United States misses World Cup for first time since 1986

[Blackjackdavey]

11. Honestly, it is worse than that

and entirely indicative of where we are as a society. Speaking as someone who has a talented young man at home and has been inside the US Soccer development system, what you are referring to above is exactly true -- but it isn't because they couldn't figure it out, it's because US soccer is making a concerted effort to eliminate creativity and problem solving within the system. They are attempting to develop automatons, worker bees that play a free flowing sport with paint by number patterns. When plan A doesn't work the players have no plan b and individual magic was deliberately trained out of them along the way. It is no coincidence that this generation's best player left the US at age 16 for Germany where he was able to develop the technical, creative skills required to compete at an international level.