Throughout history, successful professional football clubs and national teams have had some unique players in their squad who could truly be labeled Heroes. These individuals would come to the team repeatedly. He or she ultimately had more good days on the court than bad. These players made things happen. They even drew crowds to stadiums and matches. Spectators from other nations and clubs expected to see them play even against their teams. When these special players receive the ball, you might anticipate that they would make the most of it. When playing against weaker teams, you could tell the difference in their skill level compared to those who were assigned to guard them. They punished the weak teams and were competitive against the strong teams. They were the ones the team could trust. They made the right decisions with the ball. They understood their positions and played well and aggressively. They were strong and brave. They wanted to win. They wanted to score and they knew how to score or they knew how to pass the ball to others to score. They did not waste many chances. Specifically, I am referring mainly to a goalscorer or one who creates goalscoring opportunities. I think the US men’s soccer team needs a player like that.
Some of us have seen these types of players before on the US side. One of the ones that impressed me the most was Mia Hamm. I didn’t watch too many Michell Akers games as football wasn’t in the headlines when he was playing, but I know he was great too. But the type of American player that stood out was Mia Hamm. She drew emotion into the game. Players like her are one in a million. Put them up with other seasoned players and you have a great team that draws excitement like the American women did in the 1990s. The men’s side needs such a player to compete successfully in the big tournaments to help the team advance to the next level. convincingly. Some may argue that we already have someone to fill that role, but those of us who have played the game somewhat competitively and successfully will tell you otherwise.
The US men’s team needs a big proper name like Pele, Cruyff, George Best, Maradona, Zico, Rossie, George Weah, Scalachi, George Barnes, Romario, etc. More recently, players like Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Marta who can compete well in international competitions. When you see them play, it will be obvious that they stand out. This is a name where someone in another nation immediately knows who they are when they are mentioned. Some soccer nations have those players, some are lucky enough to have more than one per team, but the US men still need this player.
Youth soccer players spend 2-3 days a week at soccer practices, games, and tournaments on the weekends. They go to camps in the summer. Some have received private soccer sessions. Time and money has been spent on player development for decades. Hopefully some of those “talented players” can be inspired. Hopefully we will see the fruit of this in the future. US Soccer as a nation has been on the rise. Since 1986, we have been to every world cup. This is great. Now we are looking for that player who will take us further. Hopefully one day we’ll have a US Men’s National Team ‘World Player of the Year’. We’re looking for that player to get our hopes up. When he comes, US Men’s Soccer would have come.
