by Andrew Rogers

How are the recent changes at grassroots level affecting the quality of player trying out for the youth national teams?

We have seen some immediate results, because our scouts are now able to identify a lot more players capable of becoming part of the national team pools. Long term it will change player the quality of the player developing through all levels of American soccer. They will be better coached, more integrated with the various representative levels, and have a better understanding of the game. Over time this will benefit our senior team.

Has this development been a long time coming?

We could talk forever about what could be done at grassroots level, but what we have said is there are some problems, with our grassroots, we have tried to create a program, which creates recommendations that trickle down all the way to the foundations of the game, where players get introduced to the game.  We want the clubs to start taking responsibility and start making recommendations, in the same way the academy clubs do.

Obviously you have a dual role now, how did the promotion come about to the national team?

I don’t think I’m the best person to answer this because that decisions was made way above my head, I can only talk from my perspective.  The developmental academy needed someone with residency experience, the U.S system and all that involves. This needed to be connected to the MNT, I guess I fitted the bill, but it was Bob Bradley’s decision to involve me with the MNT. 

So what do you do with your time in the dual roles of working on grassroots and the pro set up?

Ha, time what time Andrew?!?! The answer is with the full team, we just got off a 32 day trip going from England to Spain and the Caribbean via the U.S. I split my time, or find myself doing both jobs as assistant coach to the MNT and Technical Director of the Academy Developmental program. Long story short I’m wearing two hats, and wouldn’t change anything, I’m very thankful for the opportunity.

Looking back at the tour of Europe, how do you assess the team’s performance?

We are really looking to build something, so you need to expose the players to the highest possible standard and instill the fundamentals we feel our required to take the players furthest at international level. They were excellent measuring sticks, against England we didn’t perform, in Spain we could take some positives from the first half. Back in the U.S versus Argentina, we did what we had to get a result, most importantly I think the tour helped the team grasp what is required, if we are going to reach our potential.

Having now experienced International soccer at youth and senior level, how do the players’ compare?

The most obvious is the experience of playing full time as a professional. At youth level you are still teaching and preaching to the players, how to become a pro, where as the seniors are doing it. One of the great positives of my role, is I’m now working at senior level with the guys I coached as U-17’s. So there is a good understanding, the difference is at youth level I had to teach them, as seniors it’s about management and getting the players on the same page.

Are there any players from the U-17’s and U-20’s that could make South Africa 2010?

There is some great talent at both levels, but I have to make the disclaimer that they all still have a lot to learn. Stefan Jerome, scores goals and is dangerous, Joseph-Claude Gyau, has had a lot of success and Carlos Martinez is showing that he could play at a higher level.

What has surprised you about your new roles?

The most interesting part for me, and this might go back to the concept of soccer development in this country, is that a lot of the problems in our senior team are the same further down the structure in that they are soccer specific, I guess what I’m trying to say is they become relative. If we are playing England or Germany at youth level it seems the issues you encounter are similar at senior level, only from a different perspective. By the time a player gets to the age of 16 there is only so much you are going to be able to teach them or impact you can have. Which is why the work now happening at grassroots level is so important, we need to coach these kids and develops them technically from a very young age.

In the Premiership, youth academies are taking players at the age of seven, to ensure they receive the best possible education, any thoughts?

That is an interesting question because our sports culture is different, we need to do that there is no question, we need to provide a proper early environment for players so they get into the early habits, that they need all along the way, so they don’t arrive as teenagers and twenty years olds with inherently bad habits and problems that they have been taught through out their youth.

Part of my role is we need to educate our people in soccer, we have a great sports culture, as a nation we are sports mad, but other sports principles cannot be transplanted to soccer, we need to take ideas from other soccer nations, and infuse that with the American identity, and we have to come up with something that works we are not, Argentina, England or Brazil.

At the same time is the sport attracting the best athletes?

We don’t do that right now, which is why we want to have a much bigger impact at grass roots level. If we do that we will attract the athletes, and when we do, that is when you will see the country really take off.

You have been to a lot of different countries, and coached against some great teams. Which has been your favourite?

That’s tough, the true answer is I’ve been exposed to some unbelievable experiences. Be it the EPL at Old Trafford or touring Argentina, I have learnt so much and tired to impart it on the U.S game, I would say overall South America and Europe have been my favourites but every country has its qualities.

Andrew Rogers can be reached at andrewrogers@optonline.net