USA NOT going to FIFA world cup for the first time since 1986.

[TripleThreat]

The most popular sport world-wide, and the USA, just lost 2-1 to the worst team in qualifiers... All the USA needed to do, was tie or win, and they would be playing in the 2018 FIFA World cup hosted in Russia... They however lost to Trinidad and Tobago, a team that is complete and utter garbage, guess the USA was worse this year.

I for one, am very saddened about this. Football is my favorite sport, I watch it more than anything MLB, NHL, you name it, football is my go to sport to watch... However, once every 4 years, when the World Cup comes on, it is the only thing that trumps Football for me, so for me, I am really bummed about this outcome, and probably will be even more annoyed once the world cup rolls around next summer...

2010 - USA makes it to round of 16, off of an amazing Landon Donovan last second goal.

2014- USA makes it out of group of death, losses in Round of 16 again.

2017-18 qualifiers losses to a team that isn't even qualifying for the world cup...

I dont know how to upload a video here but if you want to see just how awesome it is coming together to root for the USA once every 4 years, click this link below. it shows non-soccer fans reactions to our country winning in 2010 making it to the round of 16..... It was amazing, and so was 2014...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Predarat

US deserves that...

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Really? The perpetual loser that's done nothing but blame others for her failings and she's the one you're white knighting right now?

You really suck at politics, man. Near as I can tell, nobody's blaming Hillary for anything because she's, y'know, irrelevant. It's Hillary that's been doing all the blaming for her obvious shortcomings.

Is at this moment promoting an entire book blaming everyone under the sun but herself for her failings, amirite

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Eh. Take out our top athletes and the US still has more than enough athleticism to compete. Our second tier athletes can hang with Germany's top.

That's a bit of a cop-out. We just lost to Trinidad and Tobago and it had nothing to do with the level of skill on the field. The US 'junior varsity' athletes are still easily among the top 8 most athletic pools in the world yet we never get that far.

This is a developmental problem. We're losing on basic skills because youth soccer programs are teaching kids to play to a system rather than learn how to develop universal skills. People want a shortcut and an excuse; "well if we had Russell Westbrook and LeBron James we'd be fine..." Nope - we'd still be coaching those players into a box and stunting them.

Our athletes aren't the problem. Our approach is.

I hope this isn't as big a setback for soccer in the United States as one would fear that it might be.

There's going to be a whole decade of kids who will have never seen, or never been old enough to really appreciate, the USMNT playing in a WC. Assuming they even qualify for 2022.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Cochise

I hope this isn't as big a setback for soccer in the United States as one would fear that it might be.

There's going to be a whole decade of kids who will have never seen, or never been old enough to really appreciate, the USMNT playing in a WC. Assuming they even qualify for 2022.

I don't expect it will be if for no other reason than I don't think the WC has ever been as big a boost for American Soccer as people claim it will be.

A quarter century after we hosted the WC we're literally exactly where we started. The USMNT isn't going to be what makes soccer a thing here. It's 3 games with an occasional 4th that they often play mid-day. A month after the last WC, how many people still cared about with Tim Howard was up to?

If soccer's going to catch on in the US, people have to start caring about things like the Gold Cup. Or it will have to spring up from regional followings in MLS to become something of a national movement.

The biggest impact will be the loss of the tens of millions of dollars that could've been funneled into the US Developmental programs. But frankly, if this forces a shakeup in training/development, the lost revenue will be worth it. All that money was going to do was prop up a flawed system anyway.

The WC isn't an organic growth thing; it's just a shot if nitrous for a 4-banger that's not firing on every cylinder anyway. If not getting that boost means they put in a nice shiny V8 next time, US Soccer will be better for it.