In the wake of the World Cup soccer defeat of the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT), analysts have been wondering what the U.S. can do better to improve its talent in international competitions. In the 4-1 defeat to Belgium, it seemed apparent that other countries (often European countries) have done a better job of developing a talent pipeline for men's soccer than the U.S. Why hasn't the U.S. developed better men's talent?
As an avid fan of the U.S. men's (and women's) national soccer teams, I have been following the debate closely. Commonly identified culprits include: America's "pay to play" system of youth soccer, diversion of some of America's best athletes to other sports, and the alleged lack of a true American soccer "culture."
