Discussion // The American Fear of Football (Soccer)

With the US team in the throes of its World Cup campaign, the question often is posed to soccer players and people involved in the game: "Why aren't Americans better at soccer?" To address this question is to not only evaluate the skill and talent of American players but to understand the nature of the game in a country where the sport is incredibly popular and which is blessed with a population of 300 million (the largest of the participating nations in the World Cup), and to recognize misperceptions by the public and, especially, members of the media.

^^^US Men's National Team.

From a purely "soccer" perspective, the US (ranked 14th in the world) does not have a poor team burdened with non-athletes. Jozy Altidore is an incredible physical presence; Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan are world-class and blessed with speed, agility and intelligence. Then again, American as a whole consistently produces great athletes no matter the particular sport. The problem lies in coaching players to understand soccer, a game where, at the highest level, no one individual can dominate and the team is required to function as a whole, without pause, on offense and defense. Basketball and hockey are similar in the latter aspect but with far fewer players on the field of play and other rules differences, those sports can be won, but not always and to a measured extent, by superior individuals.