Of Malaysian Football and American Soccer Part 2

1. As a continuation of yesterday’s ranting, I’ve been reminded by the BS fed to us year in, year out that we do not have a proper youth development set-up.
2. No proper youth development set up? What do you mean?
3. Don’t you see kids playing the game everywhere! Running around with a ball at their feet, school teams, district youth team and etc.
4. How young do you have to be before we can officially declare that we have youth playing the game. Should you be kicking the ball in your mother’s womb.
5. Let us take a leaf from our neighbor to the northeast’s book – USA and not Vietnam people (it is northeast from the way I see things) - and learn something.
6. I remember once upon a time when the US youth team came to K.L to play the K.L. squad.
7. They were properly given a lesson in football and received a 4-0 drubbing.
8. Not from the national squad but from the federal territory squad.
9. Where was the team after the 4-0 thrashing? The same soccer team played in the 1994 World Cup in the USA. The World Cup. It is mind blowing.
10. And they have not failed to qualify for the tournament since. Talk about achievement.
11. Now my question is, did they have a proper youth development program prior to the 1994 World Cup. Let me remind you of something. Soccer is not as popular as the other sports like Football (we’re talking about American Football), baseball and basketball.
12. It is basically a game for the ladies instead of the men.
13. And yet they managed to qualify for every consecutive World Cup since 1994.
14. They played differently, more confidently, and none of the ‘goreng tak jadi’ style of play.
15. How many years does it take to learn the game. It’s not rocket science. Do you need 20 years to learn the game? One Republic of Ireland player started the play the game professionally when he was 28 years old.
16. So the question is again how long does a person need to learn the trade?
17. Let’s do a comparison. If you take the academic route, you have to spend at least 23 years in school (13 years for low and high school, 4 years for your tertiary education, 1-2 years post grad, and 3-4 years for your Ph.d).
18. That is if you wanted to have a doctorate.
19. For football, do you need more than five (5) years not enough. This is from doing the same basic routine day in day out.
20. If you have been playing since you were 5 years of age, then you’re probably eligible to have a Ph.d in Football under your name.
21. Be skillful enough that you can prepare the team’s tactics.
22. Anyways my point is that eventhough it is football in Malaysia and soccer in the US, but it is still the same game.
23. Excuses aside, my dream is to one day wakeup in the early hours in the