One thing I love about the beautiful game is the wide range of opinions and the passionate people behind those opinions. Some are praising the possibilities behind pro/rel, while others speak about the untapped potential of the American game. Others rave about nepotism, failed leagues, and a broken model. The Twitterverse is home to all kinds of these discussions every moment of every day…even on Christmas (I’ve looked).
Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check by Beau Dure is a well-researched text that is both engaging and thought-provoking. It’s one that is sure to bring about some lively discourse. That is for certain. Just think about the title of this book. It’s controversial and turns heads.
While I don’t agree with many of Dure’s opinions presented in this book, I certainly respect the excellent work that Dure, an omnipresent force in soccer media, has done here. Yes, it can come across like an angry rant at times, but it requires you to think about your perspective. You might call it pessimistic or negative, but he backs everything with facts, stats, and mountains of information. Dure has done the grueling legwork of dissecting American soccer history and he’s absolutely brilliant in that regard. We haven’t had an intense look at American soccer’s roots since the tragic death of the great David Wangerin, and Dure deserves considerable credit for the job he did.
It was interesting to see Dure rely on lesser-known writers, critics, and influencers. I can’t imagine a book about American soccer without major input from the brilliant minds of Grant Wahl, Steve Goff, or Taylor Twellman. I also was surprised not to see much from an outside perspective. What does the rest of the world really think about us? That question is not really answered. Dure has worldwide connections and I am sure he could have dialed up Gabriele Marcotti, Jonathan Wilson, or Henry Winter. I would have loved to hear what they had to say on such an important topic.
I fear that many in the soccer community may write Dure off and that he might not be welcome at the U.S. Soccer House anytime soon, but his world-class effort in raising awareness was well worth the trouble. I personally am incredibly optimistic about the future of American soccer. Yes, the USMNT recently missed a World Cup, but the USWNT keep winning (be sure to check out Dure’s opinions on that) and MLS, USL, and the lower leagues keep growing. There is no reason to give up hope or even feel down since there’s plenty of evidence that soccer is in the midst of a very bullish market and the best is yet to come. There’s just as many reasons to stay the course and push forward as there are for tearing the entire system down and rebuilding.
I absolutely loved Dure’s thoughts on getting rid of “pay to play.” He also seemed to be very pro-ECNL and very supportive of the work the lower leagues are doing. Kudos to the author for looking at everything in detail and asking some difficult and uncomfortable questions. Dure pushes the envelope, but it was a discussion that needs to play out.
This book is good for anyone in soccer, whether you are a newbie looking for an approachable entry point into the game or an absolute fanatic who spends day and night talking soccer. It’s a great read because it requires you to think, rethink, and reconsider. I am an optimist compared to Dure’s text, but I respect and admire him nonetheless. You have to be brave to take on the establishment and that is exactly what he did here.
