2020 is 9 days old and there are already a ton of intriguing topics to discuss. Today, I will just hit on some recent news in US Soccer.
The youth teams still have numerous unnamed coaches as we start the new decade continuing the questions of what the actual vision is for the US Soccer program. One of the prime reasons is the USSF’s desire to have all coaches in one facility in Chicago and they must move there to be a part of this. Unfortunately, if you look at soccer in the United States, and are trying to develop a youth national team, the coach needs to be out in the country examining and evaluating players.
Let’s take a look at the U20 Men’s side. This summer they will be competing in the CONCACAF U20 championship and they only just named their new head coach in Anthony Hudson. Scroll through Twitter regarding this and see how unhappy US Soccer supporters are with this. Hudson’s recent coaching stint came at the Colorado Rapids where he went an uninspiring 8-10-28 to bring his overall winning percentage to 29.01%. This is even more shocking given the fact US Soccer just hired Laura Harvey, previously of the Utah Royals, to head the women’s U20 team. Harvey’s lowest winning percentage came during her stint with Birmingham City LFC in England where in three years she compiled a 34%. Harvey had a 38% while with Utah but she also earned an outstanding record of 91-8-10 while with Arsenal LFC. Is anyone else concerned?
It seems Kate Markgraf had a clear depiction of who the ideal U20 head coach would be and is getting it in Harvey while Hudson’s hire is questionable at best. Yes the US U20 team is the two-time defending CONCACAF champion, but that was also with established coach Tab Ramos at the helm. Look anywhere on the web and there are concerns posted everywhere about this hire. The success of the National Teams are reliant on the development of the youth teams and players and the identification of possible new talent. Now, Hudson does have coaching experience in the national level but can we trust past coaching positions with New Zealand and Bahrain? It is a curious hire to say the least and one that I will definitely be following as we approach that CONCACAF Championship.
There are still numerous coaching vacancies at the Youth National Team level but I have to say this. Kate Markgraf was an excellent hire by US Soccer to lead the women’s soccer program in the United States. She has shown in her hiring of Vlatko Andonovski, Laura Harvey, and now Matt Porter, to head the U23s, that she has a clear vision of the program and what it can become. Unfortunately, I have yet to see that same vision from the men’s side. Coming off of a World Cup qualifying failure, this is way too concerning. I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong.
Over the next couple of days I will continue to roll out some more posts since there is so much going on in soccer. Do not forget that at 12:30 this afternoon the MLS Draft will be head. We are also just a week away from the NWSL Draft coming from the United Soccer Coaches Convention down in Baltimore where I will be commenting on my first trip to convention. It is early in 2020 but it appears that it will be a fun and interesting year in soccer.
Kicked in the Grass 