I do feel like a huge contingent of American soccer fans have zero clue that progress is being made here. Are rich kids still paying to play? Absolutely. But there’s also a crapton more kids playing for free now than there were two decades ago.
It’s understandable to be pissed about senior USMNT stuff. But it’s not always a referendum on American soccer. What you see at the senior level is the trailing edge of past work. Not the bleeding edge of progress.
as someone who is very much not plugged in and just observing from the outside it almost feels like they're at a strange in-between point from the groups that played for love of the game (because it wasn't for big money) and players who have a chance to be among the best in the world.
I think that’s a fair assessment. And we’ll need players from both camps to be successful. Being a massive, diverse nation is a huge strength for the US but also presents some challenges.
