The growth of this sport in the US has been EXPONENTIAL! - Sebastián Salazar | Futbol Americas

one day we will be able to win the World Cup the words of Greg Berhalter herc his thoughts on how far into the future we are talking one day it leaves a lot of cushion not by saying one day if it is based on what we saw in the group game and in the fourth no game, well, it's saying something without saying anything, really because for eternity no, because you don't believe that the United States can win a World Cup. He is hanging his hat in a performance to give people hope that one day he will win a World Cup.

He is talking. about the four games, not just the game. I hope he's just talking about the England game if you want to have any hope of people winning the World Cup honestly, because if he wants to give a complete performance of what a group it was. Heads plus that. fourth game I don't think anyone with a rational mind thinks they are capable of winning a World Cup. How many teams have won a World Cup? How many nations have won a World Cup? Eight eight yes, it is not that easy to win, there is a Why have teams like Holland never won a World Cup and that is a football power?

Do you see the United States as different from Holland or Mexico, which have a long history of, I mean, obviously, different histories? Holland is getting very close to Mexico, kind of a gradual progression towards Contender and what we've seen in the US since the 1990s, which is not gradual, it's just a straight line down the middle of the table, well, but I think if you like it again and it's probably going to continue, okay, different conversation about what's going to happen in the future. I'm talking about if you go from the 1930s to the 1970s, it's kind of bad, bad, bad and then eventually Mexico in the '90s gets to a place where it's considered that you should be out of the group stage every single time. tournament, that's what we look at.

Mexico now I think is a gradual improvement if we consider that the United States missed 40 years of World Cups between 1950 until they qualified again in 1990 and then we see the progression and we live it every day, we have seen how the

sport

has evolved. grown in

this

country is a much more

exponential

growth

than I think other countries can claim and I think that's why when you look at it from the US perspective, if you were growing gradually like everyone else, there is no another possibility that the

growth

of

this

sport

in the United States is not gradual, it is

exponential

, so I think that is why yes, look what MLS was when you played, we are not talking about incredible soccer, no, but the Major League Soccer, we're not talking about the Major League. okay, let's talk about the USL like everything, we are not talking about the USL, you are talking about the World Cup, but those are the leagues that create opportunities for players, they are growing, they exist, no, no, no, no, the league, that's the league.

What happens in England? There are four levels of professional play where guys can play and grow, and half of those guys play in the fourth division, third division, they end up in the world. When was the last time England won a World Cup? The last time they reached the semi-finals. Now listen, close your app for a second and listen. Okay, USL Major League Soccer leagues won't get you to a World Cup. Do you know what will get you to a World Cup? What league is there in Europe when your players play consistently. in those leagues and how they get there.

Oh, 16 year olds will just go there and become Christian Pulisic, so you're right. I'm not going to have this discussion. I'm not going to have this discussion with you because it's silly if you're trying to tell me that you'd rather have a player playing in Major League Soccer or the USL than in Europe. I don't even know, well let's go to your European example, so how many months ahead are children in Europe now in comparison? until when are you progressing well and how many and how many more need to be there for you to have a realistic chance, then you think this is the plateau at which there will be no more American opportunity growth in Europe.

Seb, you're putting words in my mouth you're not giving me a chance to speak and I don't even know where you're going with this um let me tell you there are important ones let me tell you I think there isn't let me tell you Well let me answer the question can they win a World Cup if we go by what we saw in the group's performance in the fourth game? No, that is a reality. Only eight teams have won the World Cup. Countries with football cultures. Appropriate football cultures. Growth. Yes, it's exciting. Hello everyone, returning to the World Cup, yes, it excites everyone, but they are on the wrong network.

If what we want to do is get out the pom-poms and cheer and cheer and say, Hello, 2026, you have a realistic chance. If he. he didn't say 2020. I'm telling you he didn't say I'm telling you that I'm telling you that the United States can eventually win a World Cup, you don't believe that, which makes you believe that you could. win a World Cup thanks to their World Cup performances, why would Francisco believe that they could have won the World Cup in 1995 when they had never done so before? You're right, all we need is a Frank Le Booth fanatic, you know, all those kind of players in their way, the states with the infrastructure with all the money that goes into sport can grow, plus, let's be honest about the American football and you live this, you live this, maybe you are a great example of this, no, no, no, no.

No, it's okay, I don't know and you know exactly what you're going to do. Listen to what you are going to do. What you are doing. Seb, are you trying to tell me if you achieve a 10 in everything you have. a chance to win the World Cup if you get the right people in the Federation and do the right things and with a country with these resources you should be able to build a World Cup contender, this is exactly what you are trying to say. I'm saying there's a huge part of America that hasn't even

been

tapped yet.

Youth soccer is really for rich kids. What happens when disadvantaged children start playing? When they start to have the opportunity. The same thing is said in Africa about Africa and the potential in other parts of the world in all parts of the world children's sports are not in the United States and look we are already competing with children from the suburbs Seb, if you think that the United States is in on the way to winning a World Cup, I don't know. I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility in the next 40 years of our lives based on what you've seen in World Cup performances that makes you think, because that's exactly where you should base things, okay, just the performance in the World Cup, yeah, because if you're trying to tell someone who plays games every four years why you think only eight teams eight nations have won it but it's so hard to get no new nation to win it again that That's not what I'm telling you, Seb, but you can't sit here with realistic people, you just can't sit here and look at the camera and tell people that you think they're going to win a World Cup and say well, it's because the USL is doing well, it's because Major League Soccer looks at the growth people it's because look, look at the exponential growth that we have all these kids that don't even play, wait until we have them, wait until we get closer, They can't just sell that pedal and expect people to believe that one day it will be a World Cup contender, there is exponential growth and room for more growth, which I don't think countries like Mexico don't have that room for growth. .

Do you think England has more on all fronts? categories in terms of exponential growth in terms of what they can do are where they are Wait In terms of they have four, you just used England as an example, okay, they have exactly everything the US would ever want, right? so when USA is right, yes, so when USA and how difficult it has

been

for them, yes, but they are much more competitive, they were two games away last time, they made it to the final, How many years has it been since 1966? an example, no, you chose it, France has four divisions, you talk about France, Mexico has four divisions, no, no, you have talked about how they no longer have pro-rel, the second division is dying, you don't have that.

The conversation as a third division is not viable, no, it is not one where the boys can live off of you. I think the United States does. I think England, you think America does. I think the United States can do harm. You are choosing the USL League. One was what is the question. non violence what is the question what is the question based on yes I have a good feeling because that's what you're going through but you're saying you're saying you're telling me I'm selling I hope you're selling no I hope not no I'm trying to tell you , show me why, what have they done in a World Cup?

Because England do things in the biggest tournaments that make you feel like they're getting closer, that's the difference, right, that's the difference, so they probably think they can win it now Greg Berhalter says they can win it eventually, there's a big difference there, herc, how do you respond to that tab honestly? win a World Cup in your life they have not shown me anything they have shown you nothing Federation level if I am looking they have shown you something yes, if I am looking from 1990 to 2022 yes, there has been something incredible, so much so that they did not reach the last World Cup, I mean, things happen, but this morning in 1990 things happen, don't say things happen, you have no hope for American soccer.

I guess we should close the show then if they can never win a World Cup. mug what are we doing here peace what are we doing here amazing wow someone is in a bad mood you are in a bad mood I don't get enough sleep anyway more of Last Hope people you know who has no hope is this guy uh Louis van Carl, this is the team US men's national team, their discussion about what happened in last night's game. quote the US didn't adapt, they didn't adjust, we made our tactical plan based on the quote, targeting the flanks, this feels hurt like shots. fired you wouldn't know specifically uh on the US coaching staff uh that's how you're seeing it and they're justified in making me badmouth US soccer no, you hate Americans find this glorious short film right here um These are shots fired if I've ever seen shots fired, there's a saying and my good friend always says it's among firefighters, yeah, exactly, uh, water hose, yeah, uh, so it's not common, it's not common, Shit, shit, cramps in the air.

I keep going, are you having air cramps? I played earlier today and I have cramps sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you I was trying to eat that quietly um you were saying about Louis Van Halen and basically not breaking the code between managers producer producer Rafa I need you in this one you know exactly what I need from you in this case yes, okay, so the saying goes among the Spire Fighters, they don't step on each other, yes, so it's not very often that you hear the coach say this, yes, this is a straight shot, I'm convinced Louis van Gaal he was sick of hearing all about the US men's national team and how well they were doing, and he went into overdrive when he heard that this generation of Dutch players wasn't like the generation of the past, the van basten la Croix, you know , even Back in Anders' goal are the Van Persis bird camps, he was sick of that and I'm pretty sure he wanted to teach this team a lesson more than anything Greg Berhalter and there's no need, you just won the game, there is no need. lash out like this or this kind of nine comments unless you want to make a point and the point is I trained you more than this is what he's saying he's literally saying I trained you more you have a long way to go I don't know adapted Who is Tyler Adams talking to?

No, he's talking to the coach. You didn't adapt. We knew exactly what we wanted. Hurt you through the boards. Guess why. Because you think your team is good at attacking on the flanks with its fullback. Do you think Anthony Robinson? Well in the final third you think Sergina Odess is good enough to drop back and stay with her runners and guess what you're not and we're going to take advantage of you and that she did, it's definitely true, we watched that game the first one, did you? OK? The first 10 minutes go very well, yes, yes, let's hope it doesn't explode again.

The first 10 minutes go very well. Holland scored the goal, they always talk about that. Goals change games, but beyond that, the game itself, the flow of the game was felt. out of control for Team USA and not only was there no change, but it seemed very, very specific, that the message from the sidelines was: keep doing what you're doing and that's where I think the plan is. well, it will work. I had a chance, you guys saw keep doing what you're doing. I agree with that, yes, here's the problem and we just watched Sam Borden's interview with Gregor Halter.

Great job Sam, he's been doing it throughout the World Cup. Greg thought they played a good first 45, that's mind-blowing to me, you had a good nine minutes in which I'm going to choose my words carefully, we're Holland, we give you the ball and we almost rub you,you know what I mean? Yes, yes, they love you, they want you to lull them, they want you to lull yourself into this false sense of security now they're almost knocked out and I think in that rope-a-dope the possibility of Christian having a circumstance, I mean, it's a fumble, yeah, someone like I think it was Musa or Weston literally likes to hit really fast because he goes over the top and he's in a lateral position.

Christian does not believe that it is a serious mistake by the Dutch defense, no. get out without clearing the lines and he was blind yeah and we said he would be a problem for them and I think he thinks he has the advantages so initially he just stabs him and again big save we give him a big save not a big salvation, but he had more time than he realized, he saved himself and then There's your chance Look, we dominated these nine minutes and we had a chance to score, but everyone thinks that the goal, the first goal, is that counterattack by Holland, what a counterattack, do you know how many touches they gave?

Yes, until the final touch with Memphis. Back to the goalkeeper and then it was 20 touches and inside the net 20 touches there is no counterattack and in the second goal you can't be so naive it comes off a throw-in they literally throw the ball in the last third Christian Pulisic loses his Mark because like Mark is the guy throwing the ball, there's a quick little exchange right there Tyler Adams comes out, he has to put pressure on Tyler Adams and you can almost see him with his hands behind his back, he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to. to be called with a hand if there is a cross coming through Stutter Step stops enough space creation where you could send that ball hard and under exactly the same coal a copy as the first attempt with Memphis and it is blind who catches his genius death sleeping I mean, he is so naive that he can make you think you played a good 45, so, going back to the Van Hall quote, it was translated from Dutch to English, what we are reading is the translation.

Can I read you something like that? There is another part of the quote that appears just before and I think it could be contextualized. I would assume that the stronger the country, the less they will conform to the system. The United States did not adapt. They didn't fit. We did. our tactical plan based on targeting the flanks makes it sound almost like less of a shot at the coach and more of a shot at the nation as a whole. Does that change anything for you? It's still a shot at the coach. Well, that means you thought you were good.

The teams that don't adapt are the teams like Brazil, the teams like France, the teams like England, just like other teams adjust to you, that's what he's saying, he's saying, he's saying that the United States was not in a position. If you don't adapt, you won't. Still good enough to do your thing, that's exactly what he's saying, right, okay, Louis van Hall had some interesting dates after last night's game and so did Greg Burhalter. Now we took a look at this on last night's show, but we want to dive back in. Getting back to it here, we don't have Memphis Depay right now scoring in the Champions League again.

You saw it last night on Football Americas. He went on to say that Holland were clinical in their scoring opportunities in the first half, other than there was not much separating the team, okay Hercules Gomez, get lost or speak the truth, where you at this one, get lost, guess who also does not have a Memphis to buy goals in the Champions League in the last two years. exactly Holland doesn't have that player you're talking about either and you know what separated these two teams Matt Turner Matt Turner separated these two teams if it wasn't for Mad Turner you'd be talking about a 5-1 score. not bad, he made some great saves, great saves, that's the difference here and look, these guys seem to have scored some goals in the Champions League, these very young players, I don't know, I understand what he's trying to say, there's a difference in the level of talent.

I understand that and I think it's obvious what he's trying to say is not lost on me, but there's also a level of talent evident when it comes to training. Well, yes, and we've talked about him talking to some element, really. here a little bit, but for me it's a big moment, getting lost because of the timing of this quote, you don't come after a game where you lose and say, well, I don't have the pieces here, you could say that with confidence. I could go back to the Federation and say it, but for me this is throwing your players under the bus and I don't like that from a national team coach.

I don't like it after a game. I think that's where this for me becomes a get lost, you can't deny that the Dutch have a better player for player than what we talked about yesterday they have a better team, a better team, but to come out after the game and tell me that is just weak, yes, it's the Bush League, right? Remember how you answered Sam Borden's question which I'm sorry, yes, how would you evaluate your World Cup performance as a coach? Yeah, it's not time for that for me, that's how you answer when they ask you about your players, if you have that, okay?

Don't throw them under the bus like you just rightly said. We talked about the American team's Champions League players who scored against McKinney Adams. Remember the great goal in the Leipzig quarter-finals to take them to the semi-finals. Destin scored a goal. in the Champions League and by the way, if Champions League goals were that important to Greg Burhalter, I know you guys saw at the top of that list, say don't say it, don't even say it Jordan pfog had more than anyone else why Aren't you right here if Champions League goals matter? If that's how you're going to evaluate how good a player is, that's clearly what he says when he talks about Memphis Dupai, who by the way hasn't scored since the 2019-2020 Champions League.

The league campaign then Jordan P Fox should have been here and I think what we saw last night Jordan P Fox should have been here with a squad of 26 players, you could have chosen four forwards, by the way, no one has ever mentioned it, but why didn't anyone choose? front four I never heard or saw anyone mention that, we talk about it with Mexico too, right, we talk all the time, yeah, just these people love to bet our credits, they love to take our shots, who are you talking about bro ? oh don't do that, don't do that, what network do you work for, say the network, so, tough guy, fake tough guy here at Football Americas, let me, let me tell you something real quick, he says why use a medium like this, let me.

I'll tell you something real quick about the front four. It's very interesting to me when you look at the small rotation that Greg Berhalter used. This FIFA World Cup came out with some statistics, yes, of the teams and the distances they covered. You know who covered more. distance in the group stage Tyler Adams no, no, the teams, oh, USA, USA, yeah, that's running more, doing more physical effort, yeah, and he literally didn't rotate, so why why wouldn't you present it? uh attack or a quarter nine, I mean, yeah You weren't so convinced of who Jesus is because you clearly weren't.

You broke them in half. It would have been great to have a player like Jordan pfoc when you need a goal. Guess what this guy does. Guess what he specializes in goals? the Champions League in the Champions League uh and to your point, Greg, where Halter told us before the tournament, the submarines would be a big part of his plan. Well, thank you very much for watching ESPN on YouTube for more sports highlights and analysis, make sure to download them. the ESPN app and to stream premium content live and let's not forget ESPN FC too, seven days a week, subscribe to ESPN Plus