Commentary from a former U.S. Soccer Federation coach and the English Premier League commissioner each gave interesting interviews recently. Wilmer Cabrera’s tenure with the under-17 youth team recently ended and Soccer America was able to track him down for some answers. Meanwhile Richard Scudamore spoke more to the American culture and how sports play in to the fabric. Let’s look at these separately starting with Cabrera.
Cabrera was very professional in his interview. It seems the biggest reason he will not coming back is that he wanted another two year contract, but was only offered a one year term. There was only one meeting of Cabrera and Jurgen Klinsmann, which seemed copacetic . The two biggest points seem to be the future of the Bradenton Academy and the success of Cabrera. When news came of the under-17 coach moving on, we tweeted that this could be the end of the Bradenton Academy. In regards to the location in Bradenton, Cabrera told Soccer America,
"WILMER CABRERA: At some point, if the Development Academy and MLS clubs provide everyday training at a good level and good mentality — I would say it won’t be necessary to have Bradenton. But right now that’s not happening, for different reasons.We have to compete with the top players from the rest of the world, and they practice and compete everyday — and if we’re not prepared to do that, we can go backward. So I think it’s very important we recognize when it’s the right time to stop Bradenton, and that would be when they have the same opportunity in a good environment that’s not far from their parents."
The article mentions the players that have come through the ranks in American soccer that started with Cabrera. His responsibility was great and thus losing him has angered some fans. That is understandable, but the new way in the U.S. Soccer Federation is just beginning. The plan is slowly being put into place. Unfortunately, with a plan Cabrera would have succeeded. Klinsmann says he wants a unified plan and with that Cabrera agrees.
"I think with a better plan, where all national teams are communicating and working with the same idea we’ll get better results for the players and soccer in the United States, but I never received a plan. I never received feedback for what I was doing, right or wrong."
Richard Scudamore were a bit less positive. The EPL commish was asked more about the television rights and growth of his league by The Daily Mail. Scudamore has many things to deal with including racism issues continuing to plague the league. However, in regards to the idea of changing the structure in the English league, Scudamore stated,
"I envy America their equality but theirs is an incestuous, contained, domestic world. They have pulled off a trick of putting on a lot of meaningless sport, with nothing to play for, no promotion and relegation, yet still having people watch. The World Series isn’t really. It’s America and one team from Canada. I wouldn’t swap our global appeal."
A lot of this point is made in defense of relegation and promotion and the lack of world competitions. It is hard to fault individual American leagues for their not being a world competition in “American” football or a World Baseball Classic still trying to establish a tradition. Scudamore felt the need to label the American sports landscape, perhaps based on its conflicting structure, but it really feels more like a situation of “to each their own.” The MLS continues to make structural changes and the Federation is under new leadership, so at least the comments are not representative of the football in America.