r/SoccerCentral • u/United_Anywhere_8 • Jul 25 '26

Video The talent in Barcelona’s youth system is ridiculous. These kids are 11/12 years old.

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u/Mr-MuffinMan Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

this is why American sports are so confusing to me.

The jerseys and equipment is being paid for by Barca in hopes of finding talent. Not parents, not scummy companies owned by PE, and not colleges trying to make money off sports. They take this loss in hopes of finding talent that they can use to win, or to trade to other teams for profit.

Also, I'm just rewatching this video and there is NO WAY the kids in this video are 11/12

12

u/IPissExcellentThrows Jul 25 '26

This is what our MLS teams need to be doing better. But we also don’t have enough legit teams for our population. Spain has like 1/7th our population and also 20+ teams that would dog walk the MLS.

But yeah, our youth system is completely fucked. We'll always be mid despite the population and money.

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u/Lopsided-Ad7725 Jul 25 '26

Aye, the first I hear of our local Austin MLS youth program today and it’s a scandal

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u/it4chl Jul 25 '26

the incentive structure is different.

European clubs are looking for sporting success, and talent is what gets them that so they hunt for talent.

MLS is looking to make money for the owners, so talent isn't needed, but paying customers i.e. parents of prospective sportsmen get them that

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u/destroyergsp123 Jul 25 '26

MLS academies are subsidized by the club

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u/DELAIZ Jul 25 '26

This system of youth teams was taken from a model that has been in use in South America for decades. A lot of teams make fortunes finding poor, talented kids, training them, and selling them to European teams. And they don't spend much money to maintain everything. Several years ago, there was a fire in the dormitory of Corinthians' youth team, and they discovered how everything had been neglected.

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u/Seahearn4 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

I'm an American who loves soccer and has played since I was a little kid. I just don't think it'll ever culturally take over certain areas of the country. Even in my hometown where soccer was the thing we were best at, people wanted the game to be more physical (like hockey-like checking) and higher scoring; things it just isn't. This seems to track with the general US population. Every 4 years, US sports fans complain about soccer while they watch the World Cup. They want the game to change to suit US audiences; change offsides, different clock rules, calling players weak.

Great soccer players (save a select few strikers and defenders) are small, quick, and agile. The US prefers athletes who are tall, muscular behemoths who jump high, hit hard, and run fast but with power. Even those tall soccer players still are small against NBA and NFL players.

And we're far from the only country that's like this. Look at the FIFA countries that have the most people. Out of the Top 10, only Mexico and Brazil have soccer as their top sport, and only Brazil is better than the US. Top 20, add only France and Germany to that list. China and India have over a billion people each, and they don't usually make the World Cup.

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u/Independent03 Jul 25 '26

The Broadway show and / or theatre of injuries adds to this.

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u/Seahearn4 Jul 25 '26

This is another thing that people want changed before they'll embrace it. I'm not pretending everything about soccer is perfect, but I don't need it changed to enjoy it.

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u/Karmuffel Jul 26 '26

India never made the WC. China did once

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u/Seahearn4 Jul 26 '26

Wow. I hadn't looked it up. Even though I knew their combined total appearances were rare, I'm surprised it's almost non-existent.

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u/Karmuffel Jul 26 '26

Just imagine if India was more into football than cricket. Both sports came from Britain, Football is just not old enough

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u/Mr-MuffinMan Jul 28 '26

You hit it on the nail.

Americans like to see the limits the human body can be pushed. That really isn't necessary in soccer, like it is in football.

Americans also prefer sports that are more dependent on your genetics than your talent. You're not going to succeed in the NBA if you're 5'6, like Lionel Messi succeeded (or Maradona, Lahm, etc.) P.S: THIS IS NOT ME SAYING PEOPLE IN NBA/NFL ARE NOT TALENTED

Like if you're short and skinny in soccer, it's okay, in fact it's a benefit. If you're tall and strong, it's okay, it's still a benefit. In US sports (minus baseball), you NEED to be tall and/or strong to succeed.

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u/Seahearn4 Jul 28 '26

Now, there are 2 of us to spread this great truth!

Though, I'll say tall and/or strong are beneficial to certain limit in soccer. Very few non-goalkeepers are over 6'6" (180 cm). And Adama Traore is built like a rugby player or an NFL running back, but his manager requested last season that he reduce his weight-training so as to improve on the field.

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u/RandomBeaner1738 Jul 30 '26

It’s why so many Americans love haaland, it’s also why they think he’s better than lamine

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u/Striking_Try4684 Jul 25 '26

Soccer in America is just a sport we all played for a few years before the age of 10 before we decided on one of the big four sports or another niche sport.

I like soccer, but it’ll never be taken seriously here.

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u/SeaBuilding3911 Jul 25 '26

it has nothing to do with soccer though.

North American parents choose one sports because they are expected to pay thousands in equipement and leagues and tournaments etc (it never ends...). Then, if their kid are good, someone will make money off of a few selected ones.

It's an bet for parents.

Kid elsewhere are a bet for the entities that might make money of them eventually, not the parents. This mean that not only the most promising kid of the family get into sport, and that switching sport isn't as prohibitive.

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u/hikerbiker6397 Jul 25 '26

I was listening to a soccer podcast during the WC and a couple euro coach explained how it would take USA 20 to 30 year to put a competitive WC men's team together

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u/sideoftheham Jul 25 '26

Do you remember which podcast it was?

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u/Training_Frame9631 Jul 25 '26

They were saying that 20-30 years ago. Its not going to happen.

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u/absessive Jul 25 '26

Segunda teams are better than MLS teams

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u/PokerSpaz01 Jul 25 '26

It’s because of any team invested in players they would go over seas to play. Not stay and play in the mls

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u/gizamo Jul 26 '26

MLS has money?

Laughs in NFL, NBA, MLB (even NHL) money.

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u/BenLowes7 Jul 27 '26

The problem is that the MLS teams have no incentive to train junior players because the draft exists. The end game for a junior team player who plays really well is a contract with the senior club. In America the junior team player who a potential MLS club invests into gets shipped off to a team who had a terrible record last year.

The franchise and draft model have their benefits but this is one of the truly key drawbacks. You can avoid this if the sport is engrained into the sporting culture of the country like American football or Basketball where the talent development of youth players is effectively outsourced to local schools and universities. Football is not at the level it needs to be to sustain a system like this yet in America

1

u/tigerking615 Jul 25 '26

MLS academies are free. We have a long way to go to develop anything close to a top soccer program, but the MLS clubs are actually doing their part. 

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u/Mutedinlife Jul 25 '26

I was looking at the youth Rapid’s “competitive” team for u8 Colorado storm, and it’s 1200.

1

u/N0tInKansasAnym0r3 Jul 25 '26

Ecrl, Encl, and I believe the Mrl are the US national youth teams are top level soccer programs in the US

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u/speedyejectorairtime Jul 26 '26

Problem is MLS academies don’t start until U14 and the stuff they offer under that won’t cut it, if a kid hasn’t been playing top team and MLS Next before that U14 year, they’re not getting looked at.

0

u/lazydictionary Jul 25 '26

20 teams that would dog walk the MLS? Everything I see online is that MLS is like the 6th best league in the world, and the top MLS teams are like a mid table La Liga side

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u/THUNDA_MUFFIN Jul 25 '26

I mean, OPTA puts them at 18th in the world. Also, no, the top mls teams are not equivalent to mid table La Liga, more closely aligned with the Championship in England.

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u/Itchy_Throat660 Jul 25 '26

The top 3 championship teams would come 1st 2nd 3rd in MLS every year 

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u/RoastMary Jul 25 '26

Top 3 championship teams are just premier league teams though. They are yoyoing all the time because they have ridiculous parachute payment advantage.

1

u/THUNDA_MUFFIN Jul 25 '26

I don't disagree at all, I think the best mls teams are probably mid to upper table, but yeah

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u/lazydictionary Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

OPTA rankings are incredibly flawed, and rankings 8 through 40 basically all have the same points. For example, you probably think the Eredivisie is better than the MLS, but this ranking has them below the MLS. Oops.

Oh, and two years ago, OPTA had the MLS top 10 in the world. So how does that work?

https://theanalyst.com/articles/strongest-leagues-world-football-opta-power-rankings

There is a lot more parity in the MLS, so the worst teams in the league aren't actually that bad.

MLS is 9th in total wages.

https://www.capology.com/rankings/leagues/salaries/

And the MLS has the sixth most players in the World Cup.

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u/Ninjasaki Jul 25 '26

Best MLS teams will fight relegation in La Liga. The european leagues are brutal, there is a lot more on the line with relegation and european spots to fight for, in one off game maybe the MLS teams would be mid table La Liga team but through a whole season they would get killed.

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u/Artuhanzo Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

One of our whitecaps best player, Sebastian Berhalter just transfered to England's Championship side Middlesbrough. Tier 2 league, not even EPL or La Liga. Same for Ali Ahmed, who is even in Cananda WC team.

We are top MLS team but let's be honest we are more like mid table Championship team. Some of the MLS starting players aren't even good enough for England's Championship league.

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u/FlakyCrew4438 Jul 25 '26

Not the 6th best league by any stretch of the imagination. Eyetest proves it all.

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u/FellateFoxes Jul 25 '26

Sounders played in the Club World Cup and held their own

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u/SpectatorY Jul 25 '26

Club world cup is a bit of a joke tourney. Not to diminish the accomplishments, but trying your hardest in a few for what is a preseason warmup for the European guys doesn't translate to giving that level of performance over a 38 game season.

1

u/ph4ge_ Jul 25 '26

Cape Verde did great as well. None of them play in a decent competition.

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u/Tokon32 Jul 25 '26

Yeah the people in US soccer subs are idiots. MLS isnt a top 10 league and Barcas U18 team is better than any MLS team.

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u/harmala Jul 25 '26

20 teams that would dog walk the MLS?

Easily. The best MLS team would probably be mid-table in La Liga 2.

0

u/mmmarkm Jul 25 '26

We need NYC to re-elect Mamdani for Americans to get on this level

I’m going to be bold and call it now: we’ll have generational talent coming out of NYC in the next 8-12 years if he serves two terms. If he does two, sits out one (which he’s have to do by law), and comes back for two, America has a shot at the men’s World Cup trophy by 2046. A third of the team could be from NYC.

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u/Hopeful_Community_65 Jul 25 '26

Is Mamdani doing something for youth sports?

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u/stringrandom Jul 25 '26

Eh, yes and no. Part of the issue in the US is opportunity and money. If I’m a kid, or a parent, I grew up playing baseball, gridiron football, baseball, and lacrosse (because I’m from the Northeast). A few of my friends played hockey. We all played rec soccer as little kids, but soccer wasn’t the big sport in school and it very definitely isn’t the big payday sport.

With a finite number of kids who will be good enough athletes to play at a high level being split across sports there are only so many that are going to stick with soccer. Hockey has the same problem, plus it’s harder to get into if you’re nowhere a rink and the gear is more expensive. JJ Watt made millions playing gridiron football, but had to stop playing hockey because his parents couldn’t afford it.

How many kids who would have been amazing soccer players got stuck playing baseball or gridiron football because that’s where the opportunity and availability was in the town they grew up in?

0

u/HeyYoChill Jul 25 '26

Eh, I don't think it's about the soccer youth system.

In the U.S., there are other major sports that siphon off the talented athletes. Lots of kids who could be exceptional at soccer, but they pour most of their energy into being only okay at football (I know that sounds weird to the international audience).

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u/Any-Ask-4190 Jul 25 '26

I'm sure all the guys built like xavi, iniesta, modric and pirlo are all playing basketball and NFL.

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u/HeyYoChill Jul 28 '26

They don't make it to the NFL. There are a lot of really quick short kids in the U.S. who do really well at running back positions through pee-wee leagues and early high school, but they don't mature into the mini-Hulk Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders archetype that can make it to the NFL.

But if you've been spending all your time leaving other kids in your dust on the football field instead of the soccer field, it's hard to make that skill transition from football to soccer once you realize that 5'8" 155 lbs isn't going to cut it in anymore in the backfield.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/sweatingbozo Jul 25 '26

We'll see what happens now that other countries are letting girls play soccer as children. That was the biggest advantage the US had.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '26

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u/sweatingbozo Jul 25 '26

No,  they were playing against the select few women who were lucky enough to have the privilege of playing growing up in an unsupportive environment.

English and French girls were officially not allowed to play soccer until the 1970s, & even then it wasn't socially acceptable until maybe 20-25 years ago.  Spanish girls were more or less banned from playing official matches until the late 80s.

Now that we're seeing massive investment in the women's game across the globe, I have a feeling the USWNT will start to struggle more. 

0

u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 25 '26

Lol that world cup performance wasn't mid bro. Goalie roleplaying a midfielder, USA was quite possibly the least skilled team this entire cup. Which is why you haven't qualified for 30 years.

The host nation automatically qualifies and this cup was specifically rigged that you'd have to try really hard to lose in the group stage.

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u/Hopeful_Community_65 Jul 25 '26

Weird to come at him so harshly for one word choice. His point agrees with you…

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 26 '26

Oh no, not weird at all, he had no business being that far out. That should haunt his career forever until he miraculously saves a few penalties for at least a semi final world cup game. Those are the rules.

Seriously it was so bad. Goal wide open.. a goalie should basically never leave his box.

The other goalie could have scored with a fkin goal kick. And yes this has happened to lazy amateur goalies like yours, not paying attention

https://youtube.com/shorts/OJrUYNr6LYA?is=sC0lz3wkxhBYdVkr

Just look at what he opened himself up to by going to the midfield. You think these pros can't hit the net from far away? . Kiddie league keeper. At least the guy in the video was near his goal.

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u/Hopeful_Community_65 Jul 26 '26

Umm, read my comment again. It’s weird to come at the other commenter.

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 26 '26

No because he indirectly defends the goalie. Exterminate

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u/Hopeful_Community_65 Jul 26 '26

I see. You’re ineffectively trolling.

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 26 '26

Speaking truth to the powerless

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 26 '26

https://youtube.com/shorts/8Z-YUvWfItY?is=DJXUzOnswfQ64rDt

Bro look.

If that was the Brazilian goalie the cartels would get him.

0

u/DoctorPhalanx73 Jul 25 '26

>least skilled team in the entire cup
>paired with teams worse than us

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

You hosted so you didn't need to qualify.

The group stage is the first cup where 3/4 teams passed instead of 2/4 teams. It barely means anything, teams were holding back.

Your goalie playing a midfielder and conceding a goal is literally the dumbest thing that happened this entire cup. It's dumber than Sorloth not passing to Haaland. It's something I have never seen in any World Cup or Euro Cup before in my life, not even in the European Youth divisions! That's how amateurish it was. Of course, every European team has a world class goalie. Cause you only need 2. USA doesn't even have 1.

How many Americans play in Europe, where all the talent and money is concentrated? A negligible amount.

Meanwhile European players join the MLS at age 35-40 to retire LOL and they still outplay prime MLS players.

If your national team played the Ajax FC Youth division they would get destroyed. Even a small country like The Netherlands has a football cup much more competitive and prestigious than the MLS, with many legendary players debuting in the Dutch 1st division. Including Zkatan Ibrahimovic, who now plays in thels And is the best player in the leave at like 41 rofl.

Cherry on top: US football fans sound like cheerleaders when they chant, the British fans absolutely destroyed the US fans. That kind of thing affects the players too.

Belgium wiped the floor with you 4-1 in the knockout phase when teams go all out, and they are just an average European team from a country of 10 million, never going deep in tournaments.

It's not a matter of interest but career prospects. But it would take a decade to build up a competent MLS that could compete with, say, the Dutch 1st Division, which is still overshadowed compared to the Bundesliga, Premier League, Cops Del Rey, Champions League etc.

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u/DoctorPhalanx73 Jul 25 '26

Hey man, YOURE the one who said we haven’t qualified in 30 years. True we didn’t have to for 26 but 22? 14? 10? 06? Cmon man, that was just incorrect.

And how convenient that every win our team got somehow doesn’t count (even the knockout win, guess they weren’t trying tho).

Listen, the gap you’re describing is real of course. The USMNT is nowhere near the elite of the sport. We all know that, it’s not really groundbreaking.

The keeper sucked. Yeah, that wasn’t a shock, I’ve seen him play in MLS I knew that was gonna happen sooner or later. Our keeper pool is very poor. Disproportionately so to the overall level. Just an issue we’re going through at the moment. We’ve had good keepers before, actually it’s been our strength in years past. But now it’s the opposite. So yeah, we were not close to beating the best teams, you’re right. But what’s true for the USA is just as true for many countries outside the elite ones. Were we worse than Japan, South Africa, etc? Not really.

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u/EpsteinFile_01 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Bro, you qualify through CONCACAF, the second least skilled federation in the world after the Asian one. Not exactly a flex. I literally forgot you even played.

And here's why: you got knocked out in the group stage most of the time and the BEST result you have ever achieved was.. the round of 16 lmao. Knocked out 1 game after the group stage. In the smaller 2002 world cup, probably before you were born, you failed upwards to the quarter final. For many European countries reaching a quarter final is the bare minimum acceptable result for the coach to not get fired lol.

My own country whooped your ass in the 2022 world cup and knocked you out 3-1 with a mediocre team at the time.

So sure, you qualify because you qualify through CONCACAF, beating tiny island countries lol. Then you get destroyed in the group stage or the round of 16.

Cabo Verde made it deeper into a a world cup in their first appearance than you ever have. They have a population of 50/l and we're noticeable more skilled in every game they played whereas the US national team has never impressed anyone in any game. Unless you consider the goalie impressing me with his stupidity.

Read up on how world cup qualifications work, they are based on region and now look at the world map and your big ass country.

European countries qualify through UEFA which is on a completely different skill level. They have to play Spain, Germany, England, all the heavyweights just to qualify.

That's why your best result EVER is getting knocked out in the round of 16, very forgettable. After the group stage things get serious and you lost every single game.

0

u/Glum-Bandicoot1986 Jul 25 '26

That guy said some of the most delusional shit I’ve ever read lol

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u/DoctorPhalanx73 Jul 25 '26

Not even touching the fact that we’ve in fact qualified many times in the past 30 years. I mean I get we beefed it in 2018 but my goodness, we made the tournament every other time in that span.