It has happened before. But not in the modern era. Canada qualified. Seriously. When has Canada out-qualified a United States soccer squad? Hockey. Sure. I buy it. Soccer?
This is embarrassing. Even if you don’t like soccer–which would mean you’ve never played it–you’re embarrassed by this. Even if you’ve only played soccer casually, there is something incredibly satisfying about running the pitch and doing whatever you can do to help your team win. But I digress. This isn’t a sell for you to play soccer–though I think you should try it–it’s a sell for America’s best young athletes to play soccer.
It’s high time that a nation so diverse, fields a truly competitive soccer squad. With the development of the MLS, and more and more opportunities to play internationally, here is an opportunity for fine athletes to potentially play a professional sport. Yep. I’m saying if you’re a football stud, or a basketball stud and you’ve got some harsh realities in front of you, namely genetics, have you considered the pitch?
With the rash of head injuries and other severe injuries associated with American football, it seems more kids would want to consider other sports, but therein lies the problem. There are too many sports to choose from. By the time you find your niche, you’re 19 and climbing an uphill battle. We’ve gone from team sports to individual sports, and individual accomplishment.
All you kids out there trying to decide what to play–or you friends or parents of stud athletes who are trying to figure out what to play? Play ‘em all, and put you eggs in the soccer basket. Seriously.
Scholarship and professional opportunity within the realm of team sports. Because I’m serious…we can’t be havin’ this Olympic DNQs moving forward. The potential of World Cup DNQs. Just not going to work.
