Improving the MNT

Cross-posted at SoccerBlog.

Shourin Roy asks the question: how do we improve the MNT and MLS?

I think one can look into improving our soccer level of play in two time horizons. First, what can we do to bring the level of play up for 2010? Second, what can we do to bring the level of play up for 2018 or 2022? (That for a later post.) I also believe the issues of how to improve the MNT and the MLS are separate.

Focusing on the MNT, I do not think there is a “miracle cure” or elixir for improving the MNT. I firmly believe that the 2010 MNT will be better (on paper) then the 2006 team. We have some rising stars (most notably Adu, but my guess is that different players will emerge as leaders), but I am not sure the “skill” level can be brought up in a short time. Face it, we have a finite group of players to pick from for 2010.

As a brief aside, I am also not sure we have a skill level problem. I think we have the talent to be a Top 15 team, maybe even Top 10. What there was a decided lack of yesterday was confidence and heart. If we played with the drive that Togo played with today or T&T against the Swedes, the results would have been different and better. How you instill heart in your players? Donovan and Co. SAID all the right things in the lead up, but their actions spoke far louder.
The answer is not in the MLS either, at least not short term. The standards of play will go where the money is, and for now the big soccer money is not in the MLS. Further, even if we could make the MLS rival the EPL tomorrow, all we would see is a shift in foreign talent from Europe to here. Where would the US players go? The Hungarian Football League? The Russian Premier League? (Christian’s proposal is feasible, but I am not sure it is workable. The MLS becomes a combination of a farm system and the Seniors Tour. It may work for the MLS, but I am not sure how it helps the MNT.)

So what would I do? First and foremost: stop this cupcake scheduling and play some real teams in the next four years. With the exception of Mexico, CONCACAF is not helping us. We need to rigorously schedule quality European and South American teams in the friendlies. To use a NCAA basketball analogy, we have to strengthen our “non-conference” schedule. We will learn more from getting our butts kicked by England, the Dutch or Italy in Europe then we will by beating Jamaica in East Rutherford.