It’s been a long week of introspection for American soccer fans. While blame has been tossed, rightfully, at the players, the coach, and the larger U.S. Soccer structure, I’d like to add a name to this list of blame. Mine. Let me explain.
As part of Generation X, I’m of the age group that is able to remember a time when the NASL fizzled and the United States wasn’t naturally expected to qualify for the World Cup. I applauded both the establishment of Major League Soccer and the eventual placement of a club in my hometown. The idiosyncrasies of MLS were the devil’s bargain we paid to have a stable soccer league in the United States.