http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=364126&root=us&cc=5901

This crap really pisses me off, on so many levels.

Agreed, there are definitely deficiencies in the ODP program, but he should have gone a different way after he made the point(and a major one) that immigrants turn inward by playing in pirate soccer leagues. Until US soccer's at the point where the MLS teams can subsidize acadamies and take the best players regardless of socio-economic status these immigrants are going to have to step up to the plate too and try to find a way to become visible to the ODP program. Another thing is these poorer kids probably play as much soccer(if not more) as the richer ones but aren't getting the quality coaching, but I don't see many of these poorer kids, once they get old enough to start coaching, trying to educate themselves as coaches, so the cycle continues that they are probably decent with the ball at their feet but aren't really taught all the mental aspects that go along with the technical ability. Things will continue to go the way they have been with the ODP system until either the MLS teams have enough money to subsidize these academies or the immigrants find a way to coordinate with the organized soccer system and since that hasn't already happened I doubt it ever will, so we're going to have to wait for the MLS.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=364126&root=us&cc=5901

What pisses you off about it Pat? It rings true. The ODP system is a terrible system for judging youth talent and trying to develop it.

I think it's BS in that this guy is asking for something US soccer can't afford and that he's saying we can't become a true soccer power without underpriveledged kids. We've risen to being a team that is #5 in the world and, when we have our best players available, can beat anyone. We've done that through the ODP system and we're in the very early stages of developing good soccer players through that system. If you look at players from Landon Donovan's age down you can see that we're starting to produce very talented players. That's where ODP has helped.

I think dubag has it nailed. Most of the soccer people in this country would love to be able to cast a wider net into the youth talent pool, but it's simply not as easy as this writer makes it out to be. Soccer makes very little money and isn't important to enough people in this country for much to change yet.

And it's not just minority kids who are overlooked, as he makes it sound. I was a lower-middle-class white kid living in a suburban area of mostly upper-middle-class families. I had to drop competitive soccer at 14 because my parents simply couldn't afford all the travel and equipment. I would have dropped down to a rec team at 16 anyway because I needed the money I made at my food service job. I dropped school soccer because I simply didn't have the stomach for the ridiculous politics going on at the time.

Now, I'm not saying that I was an amazing player or anything, but I never really had the chance to develop, either. But that's just how it is here. Soccer is not a very popular sport and it doesn't make any money in this country. That means that most of the participants have to foot their own bill. Frankly, I don't see how that can change until the economics of the sport in the country change.

I'd like to see some of Guzman's ideas for a solution. My guess is that he doesn't have any. At best, this is lazy writing, and at worst, race baiting.

I totally agree that the ODP system is bogus, I just think its rather foolish of him to basically state that "we won't succeed without poor hispanic kids". He pretty much says the players from suburbs dont have the drive to succeed, and arent as good as inner-city kids. That sure explains why those teams from the inner city never came close to beating any teams in the dallas classic league. Great, you can do some crazy moves, I'll just backpedal and channel you into some help defense, then we'll switch the point of attack and outhustle you.

It really is a lazy article. Just taking a shotgun approach and hoping that something interests somebody.

One reason that inner city kids don't play soccer is money. "hey, I can play football and make a million bucks. or I get a basketball scholarship and get out of this hellhole". What's soccer going to do for them?

Making men's soccer a widespread scholarship sport would do more for US soccer than anything mentioned. If every MLS team bankrolled a couple of soccer programs in their area, it would be huge.

I don't get it. Should a professional soccer league be directly responsible for developing American athletes? Not their job. Indirectly, absolutely. And I can understand U-19 teams, like minor league baseball. But this guy acts like it's the duty of MLS. The NFL, NBA, and baseball have some academies. They have things like punt, pass, and kick competition. But these are done more for goodwill and public relations than player development.

PatAg reminded me of my good ol days. When my mostly white team played against a inner-city team out coach had same advice every game. Watch out for the Mexican who's bleached his hair, he is the number 10. Play off him so he gets the ball whenever possible. Then let him dribble for five minutes. Then when he tires steal the ball. It worked everytime too.

I think his point is exactly what you guys are disagreeing with. You guys are saying that the minority kids won't get more involved until their parents have more money. That's true.

He's saying for US Soccer to become Brazil, you need to find a way to incorporate what they have, which is, the poorest of the poorest being your best pool.

It's not easy. You guys are right. But his point is that some effort has to be made.

BTW, I think it's a given that we are all thrilled at the improvement of the US team.

The problem is that the next jump, from good to ELITE, is a huge jump. There needs to be wider cultural acceptance, and contibution from ALL areas of our society for that to happen.

I think the problem is that people are looking at the USMNT as a snapshot of the type of players we're producing. Right now we're in the last stages of ushering out the old guard and bringing in the younger more highly skilled kids. For all its faults the ODP system is finding and creating some kids of the "elite team" caliber. We're starting to produce the "ball wizards" that Brazil, Argentina, and Holland has in Freddy Adu, Lee Nguyen, and David Arvizu. We have skilled forwards that are strong and extremely athletic in Eddie Johnson, Josmer Altidore, and Preston Zimmerman. We have good holding mids in Benny Feilhaber, Danny Szetela, Dax McCarty, and Sacha Kljestan. We have good defensive mids in Danny Szetela, Michael Bradley, and Nikolas Besagno. Lastly, we have good defenders in Jonathan Spector, Heath Pearce, and Marvell Wynne. And that's only a small list of players that are around 20 and below without listing other younger players already with the USMNT like Donovan, Onyewu, Beasley, Convey, and Dempsey. I would say that we're about 5 to 7 years away to where we can really assess how the ODP system has fared. After looking at that list of players that only one academy has produced I will say that once MLS teams have their own academies we'll jump to where Brazil is in terms of depth.

I would agree that the depth is where we are lacking mainly. I swear though, everytime I see dempsey play another game with the MNT, he seems to get more and more comfortable. and as he gets more comfortable, he starts getting extremely creative, doesnt play like the prototypical"american" soccer player.

BS