Before this summer’s World Cup kicked off in Brazil, things looked rough for Team USA. They were drawn into the Group of Death, alongside World Cup nemesis Ghana, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, and eventual champion Germany. Jozy Altidore was the only clear striker, Tim Howard was getting older, and only a few starters had any World Cup experience. However, everything changed within a mere 30 seconds.
Less than a minute into the United States’ first match, captain Clint Dempsey had brilliantly weaved through Ghanaian defenders and found the back of the net. Criticism back home was soon replaced with true belief in the 23 men representing the country despite losing Altidore to a hamstring injury in the 2-1 victory over Ghana. In addition, the Yanks were able to earn a 2-2 draw against Portugal and suffered only a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Germany to advance into the knockout round to face Group H winners, Belgium.
The resulting match was goalless for over 90 straight minutes, but once Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku came on the pitch as a substitute in extra time, they scored twice, and the US lost 2-1. The loss stung, but the World Cup served as a changing of the guard from the Landon Donovan era into a potential golden age of future American soccer.
The young and now experienced players on the squad will be heading into the 2018 World Cup qualifying with high hopes and reasonably so. They have created an impression that by the time 2018 rolls around, the team will be stronger, faster, and improved at nearly every position.
The future looks especially bright on the defensive side of the ball for the USMNT with only DeMarcus Beasley unlikely to return. Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler excelled as centerbacks and fullback Deandre Yedlin is likely heading to AS Roma to gain experience to complement his talent. Filling out the defense are a triad of German-Americans from the Bundesliga: Timothy Chandler, Fabian Johnson, and John Brooks.
Although Dempsey will be unlikely to join the squad in Russia in 2018 at the age of 35, both Graham Zusi and Michael Bradley will likely return and serve as veterans for the younger talents. Also returning is Dutch-American Aron Johannsson and a redemption-seeking Altidore. Actually, the most intriguing player that has every fan drooling is 19-year-old Julian Green.
Born here in Tampa, Green decided to play for the US rather than Germany, and the whole world witnessed his brilliance when he scored against Belgium off a volley with his first touch of his World Cup career.
With Green and the other young stars, the United States can easily make a splash in Confederation Cups and World Cups for the next decade. This increase in talent can likely be attributed to the MLS’s transformation from a retirement league for washed up European stars into a competitive option for American players to gain experience.
Four years ago, the 2010 World Cup featured only three US players from the MLS. On this year’s US World Cup squad, there were nine such players, and a record 11 foreign MLS players who played for their respective nations. With the MLS the strongest it has ever been, the popularity of the sport has also trickled down to create revenue to improve lower-tiered leagues and youth academies, which are crucial to player development at the high school and college level.
Player development is incredibly important and can be attested to by UT junior Lauren Moore, who previously played soccer for Hillsborough Club United before coming to UT as an advertising and public relations major. When asked about the importance of youth club soccer, Moore said,“Youth academies and clubs are a crucial part of preparation for the next level. It’s there where separation can be seen in players who want to continue to play in college. Personally, my years at HCU helped shape me as a player and were definitely a critical part of my success at UT so far.”
It’s quality youth clubs like HCU which have groomed high caliber players across the nation and led to the US women’s top ranking in the world. One can only imagine the potential for men’s soccer as they continue to shift towards a youth-centralized system similar to the women’s game. If this happens, it can be expected that the men’s youth system here in the States could lead to young talented players for years to come.
The future looks bright for Team USA and if given a friendly enough draw, a semifinal run isn’t out of the question by the time the 2018 World Cup in Russia rolls around. But until then, we get to look forward to watching UT soccer this year and the US women in the Women’s World Cup next summer.
Marcus Mitchell can be reached at marcus.mitchell@spartans.ut.edu