Hart feelings: Dribblers wanted, what the Warriors miss and the new Bert Neptune


“The genuine quality to pick up the ball and run at defenders and penetrate or draw attention,” Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team coach Stephen Hart told Wired868, “and then be able to dish the ball off to players is now absent in Trinidad and Tobago football. When you go to the Pro League, who really excites you when they get the ball?

“Of course players can still shake and have quick feet. They can elude somebody. But they don’t destroy and I think it is a disappearing quality.”

“Soca Warriors” coach Stephen Hart spoke to Wired868 about the qualities he wants to bring to the National Team, the depth of his player pool and the strengths and weaknesses of the Pro League. And why he enjoys watching Central FC attacker Kadeem Corbin and the Shivu Boys Hindu College player of Tyrel “Pappy” Emmanuel and Quinn Rodney.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team coach Stephen Hart (left) enjoys a light moment with assistant coach Derek King before kick off against Nicaragua on13 October 2015 in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team coach Stephen Hart (left) enjoys a light moment with assistant coach Derek King before kick off against Nicaragua on13 October 2015 in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Wired868: What can Trinidad and Tobago football fans look forward to in 2016? And how costly was our 2016 Copa America Centenario play off defeat to Haiti?

Stephen Hart: Not getting to the Copa America was not only a disappointment, it was an opportunity lost to develop against some of the better teams in world football at the moment.

But we have to look forward. We (had) the first opportunity to have an all-local camp—a short camp albeit—and a game in Grenada. Now, we have two games against St Vincent (and the Grenadines), which to me is the ultimate priority at the moment.

Once that is completed, we will look at (our schedule for the rest of the year).

We have already secured a game against Uruguay, which is one of the top five or six teams in world football on their last four years of performance. And we are trying to secure a second game.

We originally thought we would play Chile but they want to play on the same date as Uruguay. And it is understandable because they want to peak at the right time for the tournament. So we are working on a second game in that time period.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago defender Radanfah Abu Bakr (centre) walks away while Haiti players celebrate their 1-0 win in the 2016 Copa America play off contest at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium, Panama City on 8 January 2016. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago defender Radanfah Abu Bakr (centre) walks away while Haiti players celebrate their 1-0 win in the 2016 Copa America play off contest at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium, Panama City on 8 January 2016.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868)

Wired868: What is the difference in facing a team like Argentina or Uruguay in a friendly and in a tournament?

Hart: Well, I think the thing about the friendly game against Argentina (is that) it was their last game before they went to the World Cup. So obviously the game was a little more competitive than a regular friendly international, simply because players were playing for their selection. And players were playing also to be on the starting eleven.

I think it is going to be the same thing against Uruguay and if we get another game (against a South American nation) so close to the tournament. It will be their last game and that’s a lot different than if we were playing them last December or something like that.

So it does make a difference to them at that stage.

Photo: Argentina captain and superstar Lionel Messi (centre) dribbles between Trinidad and Tobago players Lester Peltier (far left), Andre Boucaud (far right) and Carlyle Mitchell during an international friendly in Buenos Aires on 4 June 2014. Argentina won 3-0. (Copyright AFP 2014/Daniel Garcia)
Photo: Argentina captain and superstar Lionel Messi (centre) dribbles between Trinidad and Tobago players Lester Peltier (far left), Andre Boucaud (far right) and Carlyle Mitchell during an international friendly in Buenos Aires on 4 June 2014.
Argentina won 3-0.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Daniel Garcia)

Wired868: We have had a couple of injuries recently, are you satisfied with the depth of our player pool?


Hart: It’s the nature of football really (as far as injuries go). Contrary to popular belief, Trinidad and Tobago’s player pool is very small at the moment while we sort of wait for the maturity of some of the Under-20s to come up and to get themselves playing on a consistent basis. Not many of them are playing on a consistent basis.

The pool in general is a small pool. (Our talented young players from the National Under-23 and National Under-20 Teams) need more playing time and probably a couple of international friendlies to understand how to approach a camp environment and to observe them playing at a higher level.

Photo: W Connection winger and former Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 player Aikim Andrews (centre) tries to find way past a gang of Santos Laguna players during 2015/16 CONCACAF Champions League action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: W Connection winger and former Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 player Aikim Andrews (centre) tries to find way past a gang of Santos Laguna players during 2015/16 CONCACAF Champions League action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Wired868: What do you look out for when you go to Pro League games?

Hart: When you’re building a team, you have to look at it positionally. You can’t just pick players because they are having a good season or half a season or a couple of good games.

If in the position you are looking for, a player shows consistency or qualities. Or there is a player who can bring something completely different to the team that you can use tactically, of course you look for that player.

But, in building a team, you look for what you need  positionally. You need two players per position roughly. (And) you need some sort of flexibility in terms of the thinking of the player, etcetera.

Photo: W Connection attacker Jomal Williams (right) drives past Central FC defender Kaydion Gabriel during the 2015 First Citizens Cup final in Couva. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: W Connection attacker Jomal Williams (right) drives past Central FC defender Kaydion Gabriel during the 2015 First Citizens Cup final in Couva.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Wired868: You have complained about the fitness levels of Pro League players before? How do you gauge players’ individual fitness when a game is slow?

Hart: I can’t. I have seen a couple games in the Pro League and 90 percent of the games start off well; tactically, shape-wise, pressing and so on. Everything is beautiful.

But by the 40th minute, you already see a breakdown in shape and organisation and recovery and things like that. If one or two players are not physically capable, the whole team starts to break down. And even at an international level.

You saw in the US game for example, they were able to push in with a little more strength and vitality in the second half of the second half. And only in the last 10 or 15 minutes, we caught ourselves with the changes and started to push them back again.

I think that is the difference in international football. It is those that can mentally endure when things are past your comfort zone.

Photo: United States forward Jozy Altidore (right) runs at the Trinidad and Tobago defence during 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: United States forward Jozy Altidore (right) runs at the Trinidad and Tobago defence during 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Wired868: What qualities are you looking to add to your squad right now?

Hart: We need a couple box to box midfielders. It will be very good if they have good shooting ability from outside the penalty area. Because I’m concerned with the amount of shots statistically from my team.

And I think right now in Trinidad and Tobago football, there is an absence of wide players who can pick up and destroy and penetrate and create opportunities from wide positions. So you are always looking for that.

And I love to play with full backs who can come forward. And full backs are far and few between in the league.

And I am talking about genuine fullbacks. No disrespect but some of them can defend and they do okay. But there are very few that have the capacity to get up and down the field.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago winger Joevin Jones (centre) terrorises United States players DeAndre Yedlin (right) and Michael Orozco during Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago winger Joevin Jones (centre) terrorises United States players DeAndre Yedlin (right) and Michael Orozco during Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Wired868: So you are finding it harder to find dribblers? Is it a crisis in the local game now?

Hart: The genuine quality to pick up the ball and run at defenders and penetrate or draw attention and then be able to dish the ball off to players is now absent in Trinidad and Tobago football.

When you go to the Pro League, who really excites you when they get the ball?

Of course players can still shake and have quick feet. They can elude somebody but they don’t destroy and I think it is a disappearing quality. Even when I watch a lot of (SSFL) games, there is not a lot of it. I think is something we need to address in our player development model.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago playmaker Russell Latapy (centre) shows off his dribbling ability for Portuguese club Boavista against Italy's Inter Milan in European competition. His victims here are former England captain Paul Ince (left) and France World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff.
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago playmaker Russell Latapy (centre) shows off his dribbling ability for Portuguese club Boavista against Italy’s Inter Milan in European competition.
His victims here are former England captain Paul Ince (left) and France World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff.

Wired868: How would we address that?

Hart: I think there has been a lot of emphasis on faking and shaking and less emphasis on dribbling as a penetrative action (and) attacking the space behind the defender.

(I am talking about) not just off-balancing the defender but going past; and now you are one player up because they are one player down. And now the second defender has to make a decision. Does he stay marking somebody or does he come to help cover the space you are attacking?

I think that kind of destructive dribbling is something that we need to encourage. When a player has that quality at a very young age, stop saying to them ‘pass the ball’.

You can teach them to pass the ball later. You can teach them to combine later. But if you don’t (nurture penetrative players then) you have to break teams down with passing, very intricate passing. And that is extremely, extremely difficult. Especially on our pitches.

Photo: Shiva Boys Hindu College winger Quinn Rodney (left) tries to escape from a Carapichaima East Secondary defender during a 2015 SSFL contest. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Shiva Boys Hindu College winger Quinn Rodney (left) tries to escape from a Carapichaima East Secondary defender during a 2015 SSFL contest.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Wired868: I know you won’t want to give examples from the Pro League? But what about from the SSFL? Does Shiva Boys’ Quinn Rodney fit that role as a destructive dribbler?
Hart: Yes. Definitely. And I think he should be encouraged. And even the midfielder, “Pappy” (Tyrel Emmanuel). He should be encouraged when he shakes his man to attack that space in the midfield. Because getting between the lines is a very modern part of football.

It is not good enough to just shake your man and then next thing you know the man is back on top of you. Then you haven’t really done anything.

So you have to make defenders commit and make lines commit and then your players run off of that and you can be creative from the midfield. So it is not only about (dribbling) out wide. It is about from the midfield too.

So if I give you a modern example, you look at (Barcelona midfielder Andres) Iniesta and how he makes it happen. Even (Santi) Carzola with Arsenal. They get behind the midfield line and force the backline to make decisions.

Photo: Spain midfield star and World Cup, Euro Cup and Champions League winner Andrés Iniesta (centre) bewitches half the Croatian team during the Euro 2012 competition. Iniesta's first major tournament was at the Trinidad and Tobago 2001 Under-17 World Cup where he played at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
Photo: Spain midfield star and World Cup, Euro Cup and Champions League winner Andrés Iniesta (centre) bewitches half the Croatian team during the Euro 2012 competition.
Iniesta’s first major tournament was at the Trinidad and Tobago 2001 Under-17 World Cup where he played at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

Wired868: Are there other qualities we are missing now?

Hart: I think we used to have a lot of strikers like (Jerren) Nixon and Stern (John) who were really good in the box. Nixon could also come (at you) from outside the box.

We are not really producing the strikers I would like, who are aerially strong and two footed. We are limited at the moment.

But we are a small country and top player are always going to be like waves in an ocean rather than a river.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago's record goal scorer Stern John (left) controls the ball under pressure from England's John Terry at the 2006 World Cup. (Copyright AFP 2015)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago’s record goal scorer Stern John (left) controls the ball under pressure from England’s John Terry at the 2006 World Cup.
(Copyright AFP 2015)

Wired868: So it is just cycle and not that we are doing something wrong in player development?

Hart: At the end of the day, if you have a lot of football at youth level, the cream will rise to the top. That is what the big countries have. They have a lot of football and there is a lot of competition. Competition is what breeds excellence.

So when you have a lot of competition at the youth level, you will find that you would probably raise those kinds of players. So, yes, I would put it down to player development too. Maybe 50/50.

But right now I am racking my brain thinking who is coming through as a striker that can put fear into people.

I think Corbin has tremendous talent. But he needs guidance and he needs to be playing on a consistent basis. But certainly he has a good energy level and he gets into good positions and he can score goals. He has proven that.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago striker Kadeem Corbin (left) eludes Suriname defender Nigel Zandveld during an 2014 Under-20 Caribbean Cup fixture. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago striker Kadeem Corbin (left) eludes Suriname defender Nigel Zandveld during an 2014 Under-20 Caribbean Cup fixture.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

He reminds me a lot of Bert Neptune and he wouldn’t know how big a compliment that is. But I fear for him that, like so many other players, he might not realise the potential he really has.

 

Editor’s Note: Click HERE for Part Two as “Soca Warriors” head coach Stephen Hart talks about harsh lessons against Haiti and Honduras, what a Pro League collapse could mean to Trinidad and Tobago football, the Cornell Glen dilemma and why he has balls like grapefruits.

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About Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

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230 comments

  1. Dribbling is great but it should primarily be used to create space. One of the reasons why the US will never truly be world class has to do with too much structure and their inability to develop creative players. Dribbling is learned at home not at practice regardless of what others think. Most coaches not going to take the time to teach you to dribble per se as it is a much less structured thing…. having said that it should be encouraged but not at the expense of passing and so forth…don’t agree with that one.

    • Probably why Klinsmann has embraced second generation players from Latin American and other “exotic” backgrounds/heritage in the U.S. team.

    • Brent, I understand teams like Porto are excellent in doing individual skills training for players. They don’t only have structured training for the collective but individuals too.
      I think dribbling can be done in training too. Even Grayson used to give us one v one drills.

    • Don’t disagree but that stuff is perfected at home not in practices. Quite frankly dribbling is something that is learned in a non structured environment more times than not.

    • i’m not sure i have seen world class sides like Germany with many dribblers either though. The dutch teach dribbling in their clinics but praised Robben as “the last of his generation” being taught in the streets, which set him apart from the rest of the team in the last world cup so I see Bren’ts point in terms of it being better in non-structured environments

    • Littbarski and Hassler were dribblers though. And their teams were successful. And Dutch academies are obsessed with pass and move. Bet when they are watching Euro from the outside, they will think about the need for variety.
      Every skill is part natural and part honed. If it is shooting, heading, passing and dribbling.
      Ronaldo wasn’t born shooting like that. And Messi didn’t always pass that well.

  2. ..In fact, WIDE play in modern football relies heavily on wing backs. And me eh want no wing back who looking to and/or likes to dribble..

  3. I hope people recognize in the modern form and evolution of the beautiful game that so called “wing play” and “wingers” are merely options in the play book that have gradually slipped down the ladder for a number of various intrinsic and tactical reasons.

  4. The point was properly ventilated and understood.

  5. So many of you are missing the point. He does not want a team of dribblers. But it’s nice to have one or two players who can go one on one with defenders especially if they are out on the wings. If you don’t have players especially on the wings who are capable of taking on a wing back then defenses just sit back waiting on your cross instead of drawing them out of a bunker defense by eliminating the wing back. Further, skill drills will eliminate any tendency to dribble willy nilly. Besides dribblers develop their skills from the cradle. Back in the day we played with mango seeds and then progressed to tennis balls. If you can control a mango seed or a tennis ball and keep them away from five or six kids chasing you then you have a shot at being a great dribbler. Genuine dribblers are not born big.

  6. Lol! He had ting back then man. Giving past credit where it’s due.

  7. Joel … is Evans self cross my mind when I read that article. I feel that man probably try to dribble the doctor when was born! He coulda embarrass people boy ….

  8. Joel you was going good until you call Kevin. Lol…lol.

  9. He needs to have that passing chat with LVG!!!

  10. Add Kevin Jeffrey to that mix also. It was totally awesome in the true sense of the word.

  11. I had the pleasure of playing alongside some of the most destructive and productive attackers at National Youth Level. And it was a natural gift of knowing when, where and why (except for Evans sometimes, cause he literally used to dribble everybody in sight, referee and all lol). Thank u for all the wonderful memories Arnold Dwarika, Mickey Trotman, Evans Wise, Marvin Raeburn, Jeremy Shortt, Miguel Mitchell, Lyndon Andrews and Marvin Oliver. Class is class any day and everyday. Just look at the level of competition for selection in that group alone.

    • Yuh leave Darin “Speng” Lewis off that list?! And maybe you didn’t see Junior “Killer” Hamilton. I played with both of them for House of Dread.
      I wouldn’t classify all those guys as dribblers that you listed. But Evans Wise was a freak. He was something else altogether yes.
      Remember Sean “Puppet” Eusebe too? Pressure.

  12. We have sessions Lasana that are just old fashioned one v one – we did allot of it when Levi was here – the players enjoy it and the coaches enjoy it as well because say what you want – there is nothing like seeing a man destroy a defender or two!

  13. Yes, definitely. In the past we had very good players who really couldn’t dribble, but you had the natural dribblers like Burt Neptune Peter Mitchell, etc. They were taught the fundamentals of the game but the dribbling was natural.

  14. Part of being a good dribbler is also knowing when not to dribble. Every time I see or play against youngsters, they generally tend to hold onto the ball too much and try to do too much. Their control is generally also poor. Have to say that I’m with Keith on this one.

  15. I remember when I had Devenish as coach at Arima United, Keith. He would give you the ball to dribble a full back and cross. And he would alternate defenders too so they were fresher than you were.
    I loved that challenge. You don’t think simple things like that help Wayne? And Anthony?

  16. ..EFFECTIVE dribbling requires DISCIPLINE. That may sound odd, even contradictory, but it is true. The Trini player needs the straight jacket of a passing regime on the field. Take that from me..

  17. Well, we can do a better job of developing them. And we should also look at stuff like elasticity of movement and so on, which is also down to work in sessions.
    Right Oba Gulston and Gregory Seale?

  18. I think that the approach that most coaches tend to take is a pragmatic one in that – you would want to ensure that the players you develop are fundamentally sound – very good passers and very good first touch – an understanding of good supporting positions. Good dribblers are instinctual – it’s an inherent quality usually developed at a young age and harnessed in informal playing environments (small goal). I understand what the coach is saying and truth is – if a coach is telling a young player to pass in and around the 18 when he has a defender isolated then that is a problem. On the other hand – I remember the coach mentioning that we are not, at times, good enough in possession which insinuates that under pressure – we are struggling fundamentally…it’s a balancing act to be honest.

    • Wouldn’t that depend on the circumstances? Passing in or around the 18 with a defender isolated to an unmarked teammate can’t be a bad thing.

    • Definitely…depends on the player who’s doing the dribbling and the option of the player available to him…players tend to figure those things out on the pitch. But working with young players 9,10,11,12 – I encourage them to take on that defender 🙂

  19. NO MORE COMMENTS, NORRIS….LOL

  20. Words every attacking player wants to hear – “Okay fellas, when you get the ball I doh want you to pass immediately … first you must hit the full back a spanner, then cyap the centre back, after which you will fan the keeper and THEN you pass!”

    Queen’s Park Savannah would automatically become the largest training ground in the history of football.

  21. Wayne this is football talk. You want me to remind people about down Forest Reserve? Lol……lol.

  22. Very Interesting comments. however I agree with Keith Look Loy in that you really can’t “teach” dribbling. You have to be born with it and then “developed”. ….(Norris…stay where you are…. LOL)

  23. Keith Look Loy The way defenses are more disciplined today you need a dribbler to break down a defense also. But your point about passing is valid. It is still amazing that at this level and at this stage of their careers we have so many players who still cannot make 15-20 yard passes accurately and frequently.

  24. Hahaha. Cornell, you are real head yes.

  25. I agree with my Coach Hart and the problem is that many of our bootleg Coaches are not letting our young players to be creative eh, look how long it is taking for us to see another Russell Latapy – The Little Magician that our Soca Worries team needs so badly on the team and the other problem is that the fella Corbin I heard that he is very talented eh, but like Ball Pest Cummings lacks the discipline for them to become a millionaire like Dwight Yorke and I can name a few more past players who was very talented and should have been also millionaires there is another one right now in our sweet country who passed through the national youth teams and he is now about 20 yrs old and he too should be a millionaire because of his talent. When I saw him at North East Stars a few years ago eh, I kept on telling everybody about him eh, even when I told Dion Sosa to check him out he reported back to me about the players talent, I don’t really know if he can be helped eh Lasana Liburd He is from Maloney and I have yet gone to meet him personally and really see if I can get through to him, but players like these really needs a good mentor and the help of a psychologist his name is Marcus Gomez I can’t wait to see him play for his minor league team that he plays for in Carenage and I am going to be his manager eh. LOL

  26. I have been saying this 4 yrs the coaches are stifiling the creativity out of players no more feared dribblers a lot of these players have no weapons in their arsenal like the drag spanner cut back round the world they are basic just push and run so easy 2 defend

  27. Well, encourage it then. In terms of more one v one and so on in sessions. Roneil, the only Pro League player that comes to mind when we speak of dribblers is Jason Marcano.
    I won’t consider any of those four you named to be real dribblers. Although Nathan and Tyrone do penetrate at this level.

    • How young are you Lasana? From what I have heard the last great dribblers we had were Colin Rocke, Arnold Dwarika, Anthony Sherwood and Dwight Yorke. The fellas now are just using speed and feints but those guys – from what I have heard – were true dribblers.

  28. Okay guys, I hear the call. I will be back.

  29. Kirwin might feel more aggrieved now after reading this. I know he really wanted Nathan Lewis in the squad lol.

  30. Nathan Lewis, Tyrone Charles, Johan Peltier and the injured Cummings come to mind when thinking about dribblers in the Pro League.

  31. ..Dribbling is instinctive. You can’t teach that. Not really..

  32. Are the coaches capable of teaching the art of dribbling or are they hoping that a young Latapy springs up from somewhere?

  33. ..Don’t get me wrong. The world loves an EFFECTIVE dribbler. But my concern is not export. I rather develop a player who could play anywhere. And we always complain that our teams can’t possess the ball? Well, how is dribbling going to assist in that? The modern footballer must be an excellent PASSER. The top modern team has ONE, maybe TWO dribblers. They are the special talents. And nobody has to teach them how or tell them when to dribble.Moreover, what I want is PENETRATION. And that comes via dribbling, yes, but equally via good collective passing..

  34. Not that exporting is the only mark of success. But we need some unpredictability.

  35. Keith I think it’s a physiological problem due to a lack of structured and informal physical activity in the formative years.
    They never play hoop or scooch or fight for ball in goes in.

  36. Our football has become quite monotonous.The only time there is a roar is when a goal is scored.

  37. Thant young man is a game changer

  38. Tell him i recommend Christian Thomas of Real Maracas in the Super League.

  39. But we can’t export textbook players. We have to give them some spice.

  40. .They can’t dribble. And they can’t pass. I rather work on passing. Kill meh. LOLOL..

  41. Too much blackboard football is killing creativity.

  42. I’ve been preaching this forever!!! see why i love Stephan Hart, a man after my own heart.

  43. I’ve been preaching this forever!!! see why i love Stephan Hart, a man after my own heart.

    • That’s the main reason U.S. football has stagnated because in the academy and youth football they stifle creativity.

    • I have heard that said too Gerard.

    • Gerard, what you see of US football is not necessarily what is available to US soccer…I say that because I have seen some amazingly talented kids in the States – the problem previously is that many of them are in some cases – first generation, kids of immigrants who’s parents may not have the financial resources to enroll them in well establish clubs. What has resulted is the elimination of an entire cross section of players who are not exposed due to financial hardships – whilst my players are training, those kids that I am referring too are working at an after school job. It’s getting better as many of the US Development Academies are moving to fully funded programs where a players’ involvement is not continent on his parents’ ability to pay a fee. It’s a good move…

    • Good move for them Tony. Bad move for us.

    • Anthony Sherwood But you are not necessarily disagreeing with my central point. There is no creativity and the rest of CONCACAF have caught up with them. That’s the reason the coach keeps looking for players outside the system/country. The system is set up so the acadamies are where the “talent” comes from. I coached travel teams for 10 years and it’s the same wherever you play…the emphasis is on passing only and of course most of the coaches are English. I would beat them with a combination of individual skills and teamwork. But my kids were just like yours, not “bluebloods”.

    • Was simply point out that the game in the States will/is changing…

    • Anthony Sherwood The move by the academy might be good for their basic development but not for creativity. The academies even in Brazil are the problem with creativity not with basic football development. Those immigrant players of which you speak, wait until they graduate from the academies you won’t recognize them unless they hire a better blend of coaches. Too many Englishmen.

    • Coaches! Well that’s another issue all together – because you’ve done USSF A doesn’t mean that you’re a good coach – don’t get me started on that one 🙂

    • Anthony Sherwood I hope the “you” is not a reference to me. lol

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