Does the USMNT need to clean house?

Good job. This is the first time I've heard an American address the fact that the USMNT gets a free pass from the US media. The fact of the matter is that we are a mediocre football nation, yet every time we go to a world cup some people act like we should win it.

I love soccer, I watch MLS and premier league, and I love watching the USMNT. Born and raised in the United States, to American parents.

Panama got absolutely hammered at the World Cup, imagine how badly the US team would’ve done.

With that kind of passion, he could be the perfect person to manage the team going forward into qualifying for Qatar 2022.

Soccer will go on! Can't wait to play tomorrow

Well said Alexi!!! You speak to the heart of the problem.

It's 2019, I still watch videos about the disaster. I can't believe we missed the WC. I've suffered some loses as a sports fan that cut deep, but none has hurt as long as this one has.

Been following every wc since a little kid in 1982 til now...We missed it for 2018... missing cohesion and hearts , true sadness

I dreamed with something like this in USA. I'm form Central America and US citizen with love for this sport. Let's promote Soccer(Football) for four seasons of the year under rain and snow as the rest of the world. This sport will lower the drug and depression in our kids. Thanks to Alexi Lalas the best in my opinion because he feels the culture of this sport. Latin America respect this guy because is one of the few Americans that got the point. I think the real problem is Nationalism and hate for soccer, we won't stop be Americans because of soccer however, don't tell an Argentinian Grandma that US sports are better that soccer because she will beat you down . It may be a vehicle to lower the cultural hate that we have now. Thank you.

felt like the sky was falling literally last night , that was painful no matter how you look at it .

Watching this clip now to motivate me for Saturdays rd of 16 game against the Dutch and I still dont understand how that team in 2017 lost to a horrible T&T team.

Absolutely! As a first-generation Kashubian Polish-American,soccer has resonated with me while growing up and being reminded of the '74,and '82 Polish National Team Third Place finishers.The likes of Boniek and Lewandowski became branded on my conscience! lol

Wow. Thank god for the USWNT and being able to get the job done.. not to mention 4 times

This country has so many soccer talents that isn't interested in playing cuz of the way the system is been structured. We need to put more money in developmental soccer to encourage all families and not just families who can afford to enroll their kids in select soccer. There are a lot of talents out there that cannot afford " The pay to play. They should completely re- structure the entire recruiting process which only allows kids to be recruited from college. Our college soccer is not even competitive nor popular . Real soccer players wants to focus on playing then school. Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, Pele, Maradona, Zidane and many more professional players did not get picked from college. I know a lot of young talents on top team bench that are still in high school and might not go to college till later after their career. The MLS also needs to be ripped apart and teams need to start relegating if they do not perform well in a season just like every soccer nation in the world. It will encourage USL league and other minor leagues to step up their game. The MLS also need to be paying better than just the retired designated players making millions. Why should a professional soccer player be making less than $60.000 a year? it does not encourage any potential talent.

Amen and yes, from top to bottom!

now we just won 2 cups over the summer and Alexi cried on TV. Good stuff

Narlington Dagbe 😂

I cant believe this was 3 years ago, and I think the reason they failed is that pulisic was the kid who cared the most! and he was the youngest, that's just sad

Wow! That was a really good discussion. Thanks Colin! US Soccer needs new leadership and that new leadership needs to completely take apart and look at every single aspect of the game in this country.

As much as it hurts to say, this was good for us. It got the old players out and the new, passionate players in. We had the friendly today verse Bolivia with lots of new players and it was fun to watch because they played well and with passion, to push for their spot on the roster. My Starting XI for the USMNT would be: Steffen, Antonne, Brooks, Miazga, Yedlin, McKennie, Trapp, Weah, Pulisic, Sargent, Wood

Germany's B and C team would have qualified because they develop their players and their scouting infrastructure is the best in the world

The problem is all these soccer leagues for kids that cost 1000$ per season. Many underprivileged kids can't go and are left behind. Look at Brazil almost all of their players come from very poor backgrounds Neymar, Ronaldhino, Pele etc

THANK YOU!! THIS is why I've been saying the men could learn something from the women, because of everything he just said at the end there. Our women have 1 or 2 clearly defined formations and a style of play that is delivered to the players by a coach that is capable of articulating everyone's roles within the system. Once they have that, they are RUTHLESS with player selection. If you don't fit the system, you're either on the bench or you're out. If you fit but don't put in the work, you're not even on the bench, you're gone. Ruthless selection makes for roster competition, which produces consistently strong performances because every time they step on the field they're literally playing for a spot in the next game, the next tournament. Look at their interviews from the 2011 World qualifying phase on KZfaq, they're in my inspiration playlists. Players that were mainstays then, and those who are now, ALL talked about the pressure to perform because they KNEW that if they didn't they won't even make the team let alone go to the World Cup. This isn't gender specific, we can learn from the women's methods in player identification, selection, development and implementation. We just have to let go of this ridiculously childish notion that "they're girls, it's not the same".

Being from England I feel your pain USA. Both in 1994 and 2008 (failed to qualify for the Euros). It really sucks, I can't even describe. Just take the punches and roll on 2022.

I remember watching Germany and Argentina in the last world cup final. After the game was over I watched a MLS game between two of the better teams. The drop off in skill was astronomical.

ALEXIIIIIII. U PLAYED FOR MY TOWN IN ITALY! PADOVAAAAA! GREAT MEMORIES :D

The first time I appreciate Cowherd's comments and this show... Not a bad analysis... :)))

Lalas is a legend and he was right. Hopefully we improve as a soccer nation.

i'm from Spain, and i've being all my life a coach so know a little about the sport, and how it works 1-This sport is not about having big, strong and fast athletes. You're so wrong if you think that if lebron, kobe, obj etc. played soccer you woud have a better team. NO, this sport is based 70-80% just in pure skills the example is that the number 1 and 2 (messi/cr7) are physically the opposite. This sport is played by average people (in terms of athleticism), but insane amount of skills with the ball on their feet. 2-To do that you have to develop the skill in the early stages of your life 5-7 years of age, in the streets with no rules against people 2-3 years older than you. There you create that magical and especial talent. With out that it doesn't matter how many time you spend in the gym to became big, strong or fast you'll never be a world class player(by world class player a mean a starter of the top teams in the world RMD, FCB MU, BM, PSG etc. ) 3- Then a scout see you an ask you to be a part of the big team's academy, but again because you already have that skills, and you're above average. And that happens when you're arround 10-14 years old. It is very rare to see a big Academy recruiting people when they are older than 16-17. When you're there they teach you the tactics, a deep understanding of the game and the style the team use to play. After that, they start with the high trainings, cardio session, special diet, gym sessions and then is when you became an athlete. So the order is always this 1-skills-2-tactics-3-athleticism, not the other way arround. 4- to develop all of this is basic to get rid of the pay-to-play system, other ways it will be just impossible to the us soccer to have a high competitive team. Because all those boys usually tend to come from the poorest parts of the population.

As a Dutchman, I find it staggering how the US approaches it. I learned to play at 2 years old, most of my friends did as well.. you want to play? Grab a ball and go out! You can use your coat as a goalpost! Then when I was 5 I joined a club, it cost maybe 10 euros a month. We played competitively every weekend for years. The best kids got picked up by pro teams. It didn’t cost a lot and we played even outside of the matches and practice; after school, in the school playground, anywhere....it’s not so difficult

Sou brasileiro e estava torcendo muito pro Estados Unidos classificar-se para a copa do Mundo 2018. Fiquei muito triste pois torço muito para esse país desenvolver-se e crescer no Esporte Rei(Futebol). Aqui no Brasil o esporte número um é o Vôlei de feminino e masculino. O futebol é nossa religião. Uma paixão sem limites! vamos USA. Força e sucesso em um breve futuro! Alexis Lalas foi um dos meus jogadores favoritos na defesa no passado. Desculpem meu pobre inglês. (translate). I'm Brazilian and I was very much hoping the United States would qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. I was very sad because I'm very keen for this country to develop and grow in king sport (Soccer). Here in Brazil the number one sport is the women's and men's volleyball. Football is our religion. A passion without limits! Let's go to the usa Strength and success in a short future! Alexis Lalas was one of my favorite defense players in the past. Sorry for my poor English.

Alexi Lawless is so effing articulate. Grew up loving this guy and still do now!

As a mexican american, im glad to see reactions like this(even though it took the usmnt to not qualify to go to the world cup to finally have people talking about their national soccer team). I hope that the team takes all the critism they get seriously and learn. Everytime I saw the usmnt play, it felt like they were playing to win but not necessarily playing as if they NEEDED to win. As for the people who say "Who cares about soccer"....well imo you're partically to blame for this as the players didn't have a country behind their back. They had like maybe a third of it.

I remember when Alexi Lala’s looked like the dude from the Spin Doctors 😂

lalas is so articulate damn

I was waiting for his rant today because wow... what a game today sheesh

Were getting better, just gotta keep pushing forward! Mls academies are developing, young people oove the sport. Its getting better, just gotta choose the right players, get a new manager, and develop a true superstar or 2. Our best 11 in 2022 is solid and in the future well have depth, players in their prime, and hopefully less naive tactics from a smarter manager for 2026.

🤣 ayeee this was probably the best rant ever

I feel like Anericans have this convo every time a WC comes around. Same thing is happening here in England. Just not good enough.

I’m here from the future... and I have great news about the USMNT

We need to a system , a plan , the correct training and preparation . Soccer/Football is a team sport but we have individuals playing for themselves .

Cómo olvidar a Alexis Lalas y cómo celebraba cuando anotaba un gol.

This footage has been MOST EDIFYING!

Five years later, the USMNT is on the verge of automatically qualifying for Qatar 2022 after a 5-1 romp and eliminating Panama.

Watch out for that Dagbe fella!

They hit it on the head with IDENTITY. Look at the old NY Cosmos... their coach strongarmed those personalities into that system to make it work, kicking and screaming. Moved Beckenbauer out of sweeper if I remember correctly, moved Chinaglia and had him LITERALLY screaming "but I am Chinaglia, CHINAGLIA!!!". Screamed, but the coach said you play HERE. And once they did it, my goodness, it was the most beautiful thing I ever watched with Pele and Messing and the rest. Glorious, but apparently it was a suckfest early on when they were not on the same page.

What has changed since 85? I played a match against the USMNT on a dirt field as they were planning to play a qualifier on a dirt field in(forget where maybe t and t). After the game I gave three of the players a ride back to their motel. Their conversation was depressing. They were talking about the NASL which had folded but at the time there were hopes it would restart. They talked about what they were going to do for a living. One said his uncle had a painting business and maybe he could get a job with him. I know a few of the players I saw in college so I am sure they moved on to corporate america. In this period of the late 70s soccer seemed to be taking off in the USA. At Pele's last game in Giants Stadium there were 77k fans. I was there and could not believe it. I think the high school level has gone down from this period. The excitement is gone. The MLS is pretty low level now but hopefully it will improve. Soccer needs to be a 12 month sport but it is a two month sport in high school soccer. USA kids today just want to be average. At least we can watch the world cup with Italy and Holland.

MLS is to the Premier League the same way the CFL is to the NFL.

The rest of the world eat sleep and breathe Foot Ball (soccer) is our commitment passion loyalty and devotion

Lalas is 100% correct. The Mexican national team, even when they win 80% of the time the game analysis spend it saying how they got lucky, how they aren't good enough and pointing out all the bad things.

Pulisic is in the same boat as messi. The best player on their team by far and have to carry them every single time.

I hope they use this to come back stronger and better. Invest in college soccer that kids have a reason to play well while in middle and high school. You'll get a huge pool of players with D1 University soccer league. You do this and within 20 years the U.S. will be a soccer super power. Sincerely, a concerned Mexican

I am coaching in USA since 1983 when I came play soccer in New York, the youth soccer clubs and leagues are for profitability just like MLS and US Soccer Federation, they not interest in poor communities to help kids of low income classes to play soccer. No coaches, parents from the middle class or rich want to do nothing in this communities, even the immigrants kids when they come to america, their parents want them in the rich soccer programs. In Brasil talents kids in soccer comes from the favelas, poor communities, rich kids play soccer till they grown up to 13 yrs old and tell they parents they don't want to play soccer anymore because their over coached by their coaches and parents. THe whole mentality and systems of youth soccer development must change or soccer will die again in USA. Have you see how Much money parents pay for their kids to play on a travel team? Have you see how much money us youth soccer program charge for the us youth soccer tryouts? Soccer In US is for rich Kids and rich kids do not have talent for soccer, will not have enough hungry to live soccer 24/7 and all these US ex former from US knows that. Like Claudio Reyna, Tab Ramos and others that came to America poor Kids.

U.S. mens's soccer doing U.S. men's soccer things.

We need to create a good youth system for US soccer, I would try and hire Sir Alex Ferguson as a consultant in how to build a good youth system. We saw what he did at Manchester United, the US desperately needs someone with that kind of knowledge base.

USMNT needs to prioritize scheduling games with COMEMBOL teams, Premier League teams, and La Liga teams. There's money to fly them out and do a tour.

Get rid of Bradley and altidore and you have a great start

USA would be a POWERHOUSE if Lebron James were up top with O.B.J. in goal. EVERY other country has world class athletes playing in the top soccer leagues. Its beautiful. Not blaming the lack of popularity as the issue, i think its a bi-product of the real issue. Not sure what the big issue is.

Alexi should step up and coach

The reason the US ain't as good as the rest of the world is because it's a suburb sport. Around the world football is played like basketball in the US.

alexi should be the coach!!!!!!!!!!

First, how about align the MLS season with the rest of the world. Second, keep playing those rich boys with less talent compared to players in the back streets that can ball

The USA men's team didn't make the World Cup for the first time since Reagan was president. Now we have this clown in office and don't make the World Cup, coincidence?

When we start calling it FOOTBALL, then we will start winning!!!

Won't talk hockey tho. It's too hard to be knowledgeable in it.

Hearing US people talk about football makes me cringe. And they wonder?

I remember during the 2013 confederation cup how this Alexi Lalas was being condescending towards Nigeria for beating Tahiti 6 - 1 in the same group and tournament that Spain eventually beat Tahiti 10 - 0. It seems that he forgets that Nigeria is a great team to reckon with at any level in any football/soccer tournament. I understand it's painful and hard to stomach to crash out of qualifier as a football fan/player but he would have played horribly last night if he was the team coach or a player. He was just an average player during his time playing for US, at least in US 94.

Problem here in the US is the fact that everything, and I mean everything is run as a business. From hospitals to colleges, from kids sports to you name it. How do you hope to progress when kids have to pay to play in this country? We cannot even be humble enough to call it football like it is everywhere else in the world...☹

The USA is a soccer nation, while the rest of the world plays Football. Respect the beautiful game, which has been around since the 15th century. The rest of the world is passionate about Football.

A MEDAL FOR LOOSING! USA played a bad card when they fired their coach and brought someone who has no credentials to lead on today's football world. Bruce Arena only career highlights were few MLS cups(!??!!) With all due respect of someone who follows football and supports MLS we can't be fooled thinking that a league that has no promoting and descending system can be considered a top competitive league in the world. There is no way college kids can become world class players in enough quantity to form consecutive winning teams. The secondary leagues will force teams to pickup players and form a base for the future. That's the problem...MLS clubs and players have no concept of battling all season not only for the win but also for not to loose. Loosing has consequences and not everyone takes a medal home. We can't even beat the Mexican clubs for the club World Cup finals every December in Japan and this year I believe in Saudi Arabia. Sorry, but whoever is deciding the future of the USA football has no knowledge of how to create a winning league.

Soccer just isn't as big in the US as football and basketball. The top athletes usually go to those sports. If USMNT had Westbrook/Wall/LBJ level athletes who had trained only soccer their whole lives, they would be running through teams just like the Mens Basketball team does in every Olympics.

"The area that we play in, with CONCACAF..." Talking like CONCACAF is in any way competitive. Play in CONMEBOL and then we can talk

What USA needs to do to be a great nation in soccer? STOP TO SPEAK "SOCCER"! this think is FOOTBALL! GOSH!!

Nagbe

United States doesn’t not care about soccer (Kanye west voice)

So much salt......... STAY IN YOUR LANE USA #FromAtrinidadianResident

The most athletic humans in America (black men) don't play it. We will never catch up with the world. Facts.

Let's be honest, we only care about the US women's team. You know, the team of athletes that are actually good at what they do.

Good thing America doesn't care about football

That Lalas quote they showed on the big screen at the beginning of the video was hilarious. The entire thing has an undertone believing that this country should be talented enough to compete with the world's best, which they can't. I specifically love how he throws in a personal chirp at what the world of soccer has become with that "tattooed millionaires" bit. Is that relevant to US soccer? Maybe. But literally every powerhouse in the sport has multiple stars that fit that description.

I remember Lalas and his hair from USA 94. :-)

Five years later, the USMNT automatically qualifies for Qatar 2022.

Lesson to be learnt...Arrogance and Expectations don't win games in any discipline. Doesn't matter about the size of the country...it is about the quality of the team. Thanking T&T for once again reminding the world that the Caribbean has talent. #TakeThat #HumblePie

Operative word is Identity, that is something we have always lacked, the game never has found it's own style, it's own voice

They have good talent, just flopped the qualifying. Big nations do miss out at times and USA's track record has been good at tournaments but you can't overreact to this but need to make subtle adjustments. Gotta get more players playing in Europe and build up a decent core.

lmao " Pulisic, Wood......."

Lalas de hecho tiene una filosofía de fútbol interesante.

Lmao I love when he's trying to name the 7 he wants to keep and he doesn't know half of them, dagbe 🤣 you mean nagbe

One of the biggest problems is that D1 colleges would rather have kids from overseas than from America, which will leave less Americans wanting to play in college/pro

You brought back Bruce Arena and have Joze Altidore in the team. What else did you expect to happen?

Review the Panama goal

When kids age 7-10 in brazil get life time contracts to play for certain professional teams, then you know they have a bright future ahead of them.

The speed they were talking at during this interview near gave me an anxiety attack

Fast forward to three years later and the USMNT and Italy went from failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to titleholders. The rebirth of those two nations continues.

Our best athletes play basketball and football

Yea Trinidadddd🇹🇹

I grew up playing ODP at the regional level, same year as Donovan in regionIV and was a former DI athlete and former assistant coach. We as a soccer nation lack the technical, tactical ability, we choose physical and athleticism over it, pay to play is ruining our sport where poor kids can't play in the academies, USSF makes a fortune training bad coaches, 5k to get your A license? USSF does not give waivers or exemptions to former college players or semi pros only former US players can automatically get there C license, the USSF doesn't recognize the NSCAA which does want to teach players to be better not just make money, and the US needs to have or create out distinct system separate from other countries.

Alexi's point at the end about "team" building is exactly what Herb Brooks did with the '80 Olympic hockey team. There were guys left off the team with more talent than some on it but they did not fit what Brook had in mind.

Pay-for-Play is not a problem ... (and I'll explain why not - it increases the number of participants that otherwise would be left out)