USMNT - ‘23 and beyond
Start by scrapping this insane possession at all cost game. Both Canadian goals came off misplayed ball while trying to play out the back.
Same, the strength is in the mids/forwards.....we don't have the adequate dominating CB's to play out of the back well....
Parents, being American themselves, usually aren't willing to do so.
Soccer doesn't have the exposure so kids don't necessarily want to play pick up and the good organized leagues are pay to play, plus parents treat soccer like they treat Golf, if you aren't into it largely you don't care if your kid plays it.
Sorry, both these statements are demonstrably false, having been involved in youth soccer as a parent, manager, and AC I can tell you that there are plenty of parents willing to pay large sums of money for their kids to be on a travel/elite team.....where the US system fails is it shouldn't be the parents funding the team's it should be established Soccer clubs....because a lot of those kids aren't really good enough to ever play in a game but it's become a "status" thing among wealthy parents....
And, I'm not sure where you live, but in many of the larger metro areas around the country there are tons of pickup leagues, indoor/outdoor, mixed leagues, age determined leagues, etc.....my son who will turn 30 soon plays in 3 different leagues....
We have no idea how to develop players in this country because the current structure of youth soccer is an abject failure.....
I remember when a few of the elite clubs in our area established what they called "Academy teams" and they initially advertised that if your kid is good enough to make this team then it was free.....which was total and utter BS, they wound up costing parents thousands a year and folded, now they call them MLS next teams....it's a money grab/con......