First, one of the biggest challenges that I see with the USOC is that unlike, England, the US does not have an organization of professional soccer that allows for the cost of implementing an FA Cup styled (and appreciated) tournament to exist. Additionally, the geographic size of the United States makes this cost much greater than that of England. The lack of this infrastructure also leads to a lack of suitable fields to host these matches. I’m not sure of the funds that the US Soccer Federation has available, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that it’s budget pales in comparison to that of England’s (or Great Britain’s or United Kingdom’s) Football Association. I just don’t think that it would be a wise use of funding to spend considerable amount of funds on the USOC when what the US desperately needs is to find a way to develop the plethora talented young Americans.

Second, from an MLS perspective, MLS Clubs are asked to put together rosters within a series of restrictions (e.g., salary cap, roster size, international athletes, limited sources of available talent, etc.). What this means is that some clubs cannot afford to field competitive line-ups due to injuries, fatigue, or fixture congestion. As a result, the clubs chose to start players who may not have seen significant game minutes. This obviously makes it appear that MLS clubs do not view the USOC as significant or important. While I do not normally think this is the case, it is what it is.

Finally, although USSF has awarded the fourth Champions League slot to the USOC in an attempt to give it more significance, the financial benefit of advancing and winning does not necessarily exceed the cost of participation to the point that it becomes worthwhile to take it that seriously. I’m not sure of the payout for winning, advancing to the final, semi-finals, quarter-finals, etc., but I do remember that coach of an amateur club had to take pay for his team’s trip to Los Angeles to face Chivas USA out of his own pockets. It just seems like there is something wrong about that.

Regardless, Gary has some valid points in his argument, but the fix is not simply a flip of the switch. Competitive soccer in the US should not be compared to that of England, Italy, or Spain. Attempts to do so result in wild comparisons that overlook (or discount completely) the unique differences of the game played in the US vs. Europe.