If you're playing university soccer its too late for you.
By 18 you should be playing for a club.
That's the problem we have in america. The traditional youth league, to high school, to college, to pro, american path to become a professional athlete doesn't work for soccer, and the rest of that country doesn't follow that path at all.
In america we still like to think of our athletes as students first (or act like it). The rest of the world doesn't give a fukk if their soccer players can't add 2 + 2 as long as they turn into world class soccer players.
We know all those things, breh. We're simply saying if young American kids had no other options than soccer, and got shoved into it at 5-6 years old the way they typically do for football and baseball, by the time they get to the collegiate level, they'd be legit in soccer.
It's similar to heavyweight boxing. There was a time when it was the primary option for elite Black athletes to make a significant amount of money. As soon as the MLB, NFL and NBA became options, those elite Black athletes stopped boxing in large numbers and boxing has suffered as a result.
If tomorrow Black folks were banned from the NBA, MLB and NFL, America would have 15 heavyweight contenders in a matter of 5 years.
It's the same way in soccer in the United States. If it were the only option, the United States would dominate. The entire Pee-Wee-to-AAU-to-college pipeline would be 100% geared toward soccer. Universities like U of Florida, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, etc. investing in soccer only!
You're telling me other countries would be able to compete?
too many white dudes, we'd be better if better athletes played but still wouldn't produce a world class striker without the proper pipeline in place.
those kids
