USMNT - ‘23 and beyond
https://worldsoccertalk.com/amp/new...ntino-says-usa-has-to-end-pay-to-play-system/
Finally this might get some traction.
Unfortunately youth soccer is SUCH A HUGE BUSINESS, I doubt anything changes.
Having been involved in youth soccer at many levels (as a manager and interim/fill in coach) I can attest that this is a huge issue.....
On one hand, the elite travel teams need tons of money to run their respective programs (paid coaches, plenty of out of state tournaments, cost of practice locations, travel league fees, etc), because some of those kids, likely the core or best players come from upper middle to lower class backgrounds.....
So, in many cases you wind up with a good portion of the roster made up of kids with wealthy or at least very well off folks.....Some of those kids really don't belong at that level and rarely play in a game.....and some of those kids don't want to be there but then the parents get to say "my sons on an elite travel team".....
On the other hand we knew of rec teams in PG county (MD) that would mop the floor with a lot of the so-called elite travel teams.....tons of kids that are good enough to start on these teams never get the chance and thus, never get the exposure (at travel tourneys that college scouts attend)......Heck, the only reason Clint Dempsey became one of the best US players ever is because the other parents chipped in to keep him on the team and help with his hour + travel time to practice......
US youth soccer is a terrible system and one of the many reasons IMO a lot of the best US players never get the exposure to actually get there....