The World Cup has officially ended, and therefore the ghosts of the past for US soccer fans can finally be exorcised. Unfortunately the month long festival of soccer brought nothing but heart ache this year. I'm talking ofcourse about the US men's national team's failure to qualify for this years World Cup. And while on the surface this might seem like the greatest tragedy in US soccer history, the likes of which the country will never recover from, big picture this might be the greatest thing to ever happen to US soccer. Young, talented, hungry players are finally being given their opportunity to represent their country, thus beginning a new era for the US men's national team.
It will take a lot of commitment to rebuild the squad, but positions that were previously at short supply for the US have suddenly become bountiful with talent. For example, in the midfield we have the likes of Pulisic, McKennie, Parks, and Weah, all of whom are playing for big name clubs in Europe. Not to mention all of these players have actually gotten minutes playing with the senior team at a really young age. Most notable is Weah who plays for PSG in Ligue 1 in France. PSG might be one of the most well funded teams in the world. Their star studded line up that includes the likes of Neymar, Cavani, Di Maria, and now goalkeeping legend Buffon, makes Weah's breakthrough with the senior team all the more impressive. If our youth are getting minutes competing with the best, day in and day out, it won't be surprising when the US perform well in 4 years at the next World Cup.
The US is also in desperate need for a number 9 who can score goals while also keeping possession. Josh Sargent at the tender age of 18 already signed his first professional contract for Werder Bremen in Germany. The kid from Missouri has gone from starring for the US U17 national team in the U17 World Cup, to winning the silver boot at the U20 World Cup, to making his senior team debut all in a year's time. Not to mention, he is also now the second youngest player in US history to score a goal on his senior team debut. Maybe it's time to buy into the hype.
And although all of these young players plying their trade overseas is great for US soccer as a whole, what makes it more special is that for the most part all of these players were born and raised in the United States. Don't get me wrong, players like Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, and Timmy Chandler who were born and raised in Germany, but chose to represent the US performed to the best of their ability and represented the country well. However, there's something a little extra special about players who came up through the US academy system only to draw interests from big name clubs from overseas. This gives American children hope that they too can play abroad and make an impact, and their nationality shouldn't matter as long as they go out and play with confidence. This can then breed more generations of young, talented, American soccer players for years to come. So although missing out on the World Cup this summer is an immeasurable tragedy, maybe there is a silver lining. We have finally moved away from the old, tired legs of the past, and have opted for a more youthful set-up which has already shown results. So as a US soccer fan, I have to say I'm glad we didn't make the World Cup, and I look forward to what the future has in store.
