Samurai Sportswear Soccer Spotlight – January 2012

Central Ohio’s Classics FC Lead the Way for the Future

The appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann to the head of the U.S. Men’s National Team has meant systematic changes to the youth game so that it can grow and develop from the bottom up. Better youth players mean better national team players, which gives the American game a chance on the world stage. A new U.S. Soccer coaching curriculum, developed by Claudio Reyna, has put a premium on player development and training.

While some clubs cling to a “win at any cost” mentality, Classics FC in Central Ohio leads the charge in delivering this new curriculum using the best coaches at the earliest ages.

One of these coaches, Michael Furlong, has ties to Northeastern Ohio, having experienced great success at both the youth and high school level.

As a player, Furlong was a top ODP player that went on to a successful career at Jackson HS and Mitchell College (CT). Later as a top high school coach, Furlong developed a great soccer program at Perry HS in Massillon, Ohio in addition to his responsibilities at Canton/Cleveland United.

Furlong’s success has continued at Classics FC, where his U-10 Girls squad has collected hardware and lots of it. The Blue squad has won the Dublin Charity Cup twice along with the Cincinnati Fall Ball Tournament. Furlong also led his team to 2nd place finishes in the MASC and MOSSL Tournaments.

But winning isn’t everything. Furlong has turned his focus into developing players for the next level. He values creative players with a high soccer IQ and great vision on the pitch.

“It isn’t kick and chase and it’s not the Kentucky Derby,” Furlong stated in an interview with ISNSoccer.com. “We want to outthink our opponents. An intelligent player is worth their weight in gold.”

An emphasis on foot skills prepares players to be comfortable on the ball. He allows his players to make mistakes as individuals, but to learn from those mistakes as a team. While the team is very competitive, they still value sportsmanship.

“Win with class, lose with class, always act with class” is Furlong’s favorite quote. His players know it well, repeating it often to remind themselves of their real mission. That mission is to take pride in your club and community and at the same time to grow and develop as a player and person.

The team and the club as a whole is actually more like a family than anything else, a family that shares a love for the beautiful game. Furlong tries to make his players aware of the global game and they have listened. After a succession of quick passes turned into an opportunity on the attack, one of the players yelled to the sideline “Coach Mike, we looked like Barcelona.”

Barcelona’s Messi happens to be Mike’s favorite player along with Tottenham’s Luka Modric.

However, Furlong’s knowledge is not limited to the sport in Europe. He has an obvious fondness for the U.S. Men’s National Team and his favorite player growing up, the aforementioned Klinsmann.

“Klinsmann was efficient; there was no wasted movement on the field,” Furlong added.

Many in the soccer world are excited about the possibilities under the reign of Klinsmann. “He will produce a product that will open eyes and raise the awareness of the average sports fan,” Furlong continued.

Placing a premium on the technical development of players and building from the back were positives for Furlong when asked about the current national team program.

Furlong is well aware of the fact that Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey won’t be around forever and we need to start thinking about the future now. He sees Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury as leaders of the next generation of American superstars. Both could step into a superstar role in the next few years.

When asked about young Americans leaving college and going to Europe, Furlong called it a “quick fix for a long-term problem.” Simply put, he is in favor of getting the best talent coached by the best coaches and clubs.
Some day because of Furlong and Classics FC, people will be talking about sending players to America to get the best the soccer world has to offer.

The Samurai Sportswear Soccer Spotlight is a monthly feature that showcases the best of the best in the world of youth and high school soccer. This year-round coverage is made possible by the partnership between Samurai Sportswear USA and International Soccer Network, LLC.

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