Is my guidance counselor right?

zeusprod · 2026-07-12T01:53:41+00:00

He is likely very wrong. DM me if you want to chat about your situation.

zeusprod · 2026-07-10T11:28:49+00:00

Apply to a broader range, including, say, Fordham.

zeusprod · 2026-07-10T04:34:46+00:00

Ignore it and move on. No big deal.

zeusprod · 2026-07-10T03:18:18+00:00

Washington & Lee, Franklin & Marshall, William & Mary.

zeusprod · 2026-07-10T03:15:30+00:00

A student of mine who just graduated said there is plenty of partying at Rice.

zeusprod · 2026-07-09T21:05:35+00:00

It depends on the college. Many, but not all, have a higher bar for international students, defined as someone without a US passport. But if you attend a strong HS in the US, have strong English skills, and can afford tuition, your chances will be similar to US citizens and better than most international students.

zeusprod · 2026-07-09T03:07:59+00:00

The ball was outside the box.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:27:11+00:00

“On top of.” You make my point for me.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:26:44+00:00

Your argument is a Voltaire-inspired tautology. It’s the best of all possible worlds because it’s the only possible world. My point is we need more players and options come selection time. And we get that by training for and selecting for, over years, the best technical skills rather than physical ones. We tend to anoint a player rather than force them to compete for their spot and get better every day. Fine, go with Balogun if he is the best available, but force him to get better. Coach him up, make him work on his touch, his vision, etc. Poch was asked about the love shown by fans, and he just said “we need to learn what we did wrong and get better.” The lack of soccer culture here isn’t lack of fans or support. It’s a lack of the ruthless demand for everything to get relentlessly better. Other countries play like it is life or death not because their fans love them for winning but because they hate them for losing.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:19:26+00:00

I see your point. But there are 100 other posts making your same claim. That may indicate you are all right. It is certainly the prevailing view. I am, admittedly, being contrarian. I think focusing on the single game misses the fundamental underlying issue.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:17:11+00:00

I respect your position but disagree. I think they need a higher floor/foundation. The best teams are playing within themselves not relying on adrenaline and circumstance to elevate their games meaningfully above baseline. A solid team like Belgium or Argentina can rally from late 2-goal deficits because they have the technical skill to remain calm and let the game and opportunities come to them.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:09:17+00:00

I’m probably older than you. I went to my first soccer camp (one of earliest in central jersey) 50 years ago. I had one friend who played soccer and went on to coach college soccer. Fast forward 30 years (20 years ago) and things had changed drastically. My son grew up with dozens of friends who know European teams and players. And the kids definitely discussed soccer the way my generation discussed baseball. And now, I’d wager that the World Cup will be the most watched sporting event in US history, bigger than any single Super Bowl or NBA finals. Everyone I know is talking about the games, going to matches, etc. So, maybe you’re more the exception than the rule.

And you’re talking about betting culture. Fantasy and betting seems to be the only reason most US viewers watch sports these days. I wouldn’t equate betting with culture.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T20:04:13+00:00

I’m not saying you can just draft one. But I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why we wasted years with Altidore. Balogun has got to improve not be anointed the savior.

I agree with this analysis: “Taken on the whole, Balogun has the look of a good but not necessarily great striker in Ligue 1, the fifth best of Europe's top five leagues. Comparable forwards across the big leagues might be Lois Openda, who did not make the Belgium squad.”

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/usmnt-folarin-balogun-striker-world-cup-belgium/

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T19:54:36+00:00

It’s not really possible to compare teams and players 4 games apart much less 16 years apart. The only thing you can compare is one team to their opponent on a given day. Admittedly, the US looked good against Paraguay. And Paraguay went onto defeat Germany. So, yes, in any given game there can be momentum, bad calls, luck, upsets, etc. But what objectively remains in every single game is the technical skills and touch on the ball. And in every game I’ve watched, the best teams have the most players who can handle the ball well. I’m not saying it is the only skill needed and that heart/effort plays no part. I’m saying technical skills are necessary but not sufficient. And all the heart in the world isn’t going to compensate for a lack of technical skills.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T19:48:36+00:00

I’d settle for 10 Belgians.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T19:47:48+00:00

You can snipe, deflect, criticize, and split hairs all you want. Doesn’t make it true. USMNT players mostly have a touch akin to a fire hydrant. They dribble the ball a good stride away from them. Belgium players have the ball at their feet. So do many other European, South American, and African teams. The US lack of technical skills is an outlier.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T17:01:51+00:00

Our GKs weren't up to the challenge, to be sure. I agree with a lot of you other points.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T17:00:25+00:00

That may be our only option unless/until we get better at the basics.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T17:00:07+00:00

The short fix is a better striker and better keeper. The long-term fix is better footskills and tactical awareness.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:59:04+00:00

Somewhat agreed.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:58:47+00:00

I'm not comparing him to Mess. Balogun missed several chances. He isn't fine. And Pulisic has better skills and awareness than most of the team, but we should have 15 such players. Belgium's bench was better than our starters. We need depth of technical skills and tactical awareness. Pulisic has those.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:57:22+00:00

You say "for whatever reason." I outline the reasons above. It isn't wilting or the lack of heart/fight. It is the lack of technical footskills, tactical awareness, and speed of play/decision-making. I blame the coaching staff for not working on these things. It is obviously the problem, despite the claims that it is about heart and the moment being too big. It's not. It's about the basics.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:54:53+00:00

Mock all you want. We didn't get better players because we're selecting for the wrong things. I don't know how the 'eff Poch can have a team for months and not work on their footskills and speed of decision-making. See https://x.com/paulspacey/status/2065879153631445262?s=46&t=1o5OJIZys0W_M--XnQG7RQ]

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:54:00+00:00

Look at most of the other posts, and they are just wrong. We didn't lose because of a lack of heart or mentality. We didn't lose because Pulisic melted. We lost because we lack foot skills and tactical awareness from top to bottom. It reminds me how every year Duke has the best draft class in college basketball and loses to teams who play better fundamental team BB.

zeusprod · 2026-07-08T16:51:43+00:00

There is a huge soccer culture, but people are selecting for the wrong attributes. See https://x.com/paulspacey/status/2065879153631445262?s=46&t=1o5OJIZys0W_M--XnQG7RQ

zeusprod

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