Moving Forward… I think too much emphasis is put on how US Soccer has progressed over the years. We all know that the US MNT has come a long way since the days when qualifying for a World Cup was a huge deal. I agree that the US played well on Sunday, but that’s where it ends. Its time that US Soccer fans start looking beyond just playing well and competing. Yeah, you could argue that you need to crawl before you walk, however, how long are we going to commend decent games from the US MNT regardless of the outcome of the game? Do you think countries like Spain or Portugal would be happy with a 4-2 loss to Brazil? I doubt it. Their media and fans expect nothing but the best from their National team and would let them hear about it when those expectations aren’t met. They don’t baby their MNT like we do. When US Soccer (as a whole, meaning fans, media, critics, etc.) starts putting pressure on their Men’s National team to start winning games like the Women’s program, you will see a complete change in the attitude of the players and coaches. When people feel that they will lose their job or starting position on the US MNT, they will start playing the game like it should be played. We know there is a lot of talent in the US roster, so let’s start demanding results. More US players are playing top flight football in Europe than ever. Instead of constantly patting them on their backs, let’s make the players feel like they cannot take a single game for granted. Let’s make Bradley feel like he may lose his job if we don’t see results. Let’s pressure him to remove his son from the roster if he isn’t playing well. Keep in mind, I’m not saying everything is going bad for the US MNT, however, if we don’t model our entire program according to how the power houses of world football run theirs, we are heading in the wrong direction. The attitude should be “so what if these Brazilians can tap dance around the ball and play pretty football? Lets take it to them… lets expect to win this match.” I know a lot of US Soccer fans may disagree with me, but why reinvent the wheel? This is Football. This is how people approach it around the world. Brutal Media bashing average performances, die hard fans demanding results (so bad that players may feel afraid to step into a pub during the week after a bad game), and young talent ready to step in any moment to represent their country. Let’s stop holding the US MNT’s hands and start asking questions. Why didn’t we win on Sunday? Who didn’t play well? (Stop looking at the Brazilian stars like they are Gods. They tie their shoelaces the same way the American players do). This is the type of football culture that will guide this program to success. When your average “US Soccer Fan” becomes a “Real Football Fan.”