The United States soccer team has been eliminated from the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup after losing to Trinidad & Tobago last week. The loss proves a change to the team is necessary, ranging from the players to the front office. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) has failed to keep up with the evolution of soccer. U.S. soccer is far behind European powerhouses because of their weak youth system. Recently, one of the most notable players to come from the U.S. youth system is Christian Pulisic, who spent time in Germany developing. It is becoming a common trend for youth players to develop in Europe due to their superior training programs. While the USSF has shown much improvement, there is still quite a way for it to go. European players are transferring to teams in the MLS to finish their careers or further develop their skill. This impacts the development of youth players for the USSF because they may end up playing against lesser skilled competitors or players no longer in their prime.

To positively alter a team, finding a suitable manager is key. The US needs a manager that has the ability to guide a team through a rebuilding process. A new manager may be able to use the next three years to cycle out players nearing the end of their careers, replacing them with new and upcoming prospects. The performance of Tim Howard (age 38) during the qualifiers only supports the theory that the team may be in need of younger players. Since soccer players, on average, play until their mid to late thirties, the U.S. will have to decide if they want to keep Brad Guzan (age 33) in goal, or replace him with a younger player, allowing said player to gain experience. The impressive performance of Jesse González (age 22) may introduce competition to Guzan for the position of starting goalie. Young defenders including DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks (both age 24) help provide a clear image of how the team may improve with younger players filling the roster.

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The 2018 USSF Presidential Election will provide current President Sunil Gulati with some competition. “So far, at least two other candidates with strong soccer backgrounds – Steve Gans, a Boston attorney, and Paul Lapointe, former president of the American Indoor Soccer League – have announced their intention to campaign for the post,” states Forbes writer Filip Bondy. Many fans feel that the inability of the USSF to keep up with the evolution of soccer has left the team behind, and that a new president may be very beneficial to the team.

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The “ghost goal” (questionable goal) scored by Panama to eliminate the USSF from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers only bolstered the theory of necessary changes to the team. The USSF hopes they can make enough positive changes to the team for when they get another shot at the World Cup in 2022.