[Yaznasty]

No no no...I'm just trying to understand what this means.

Isn't the national team coach a full time, year round job? Do we pluck someone different from the college ranks every 4 years to coach the Olympic team, like we do for USA Olympic basketball?

Can someone please explain all of this to someone who doesn't understand?

He's not the coach of the actual national team. International soccer is much different from other sports because it actually matters outside of the Olympics. In fact, whereas I think the Olympics are the premier international event for a lot of sports, it's not that way with soccer. The coach of the national team has the right to coach the Olympic team if he wants, but often times he will abdicate that duty because it would mean juggling too many responsibilities. Our coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has made the decision to do that, so they need someone to coach this team for the Olympics, just this Summer. Also, the rules for men's soccer at the Olympics mandate a team of players under the age of 23, with the exception of three overage players. This means that the team that will play at the Olympics is not going to be all of the same players that usually play for the national team. Also, looking back, it doesn't seem like a lot of the past Olympic soccer coaches were college coaches at the time, they have been mostly professional coaches or assistants with the senior US team.

[Crew8]

No no no...I'm just trying to understand what this means.

Isn't the national team coach a full time, year round job? Do we pluck someone different from the college ranks every 4 years to coach the Olympic team, like we do for USA Olympic basketball?

Can someone please explain all of this to someone who doesn't understand?

I believe it would just be for 1 year. The US U-23 need to qualify for the 2012 Olympics first. Qualification will begin in March 2012 somewhere in the United States in a 8 team CONCACAF tournament. Top two teams qualify for the 2012 Olympics which begin play July 27th.

I don't see Porter needing to leave for this. He was the assistant coach with the US U-18's the past few summers, but I'm sure this will take up much more of his offseason schedule.

[mes102]

First of all, I'd just like to say that we can all take a lesson out of this: You lose to the worst team in the Big 10, you get to coach the US under-23 national team. Ouch, too soon? Yeah, too soon for me too...

What I am interested to find out:

1. Does this mean the U23s will have practice at Akron? Our Field House would be perfect. This would be beneficial during the college season to just have the players come to him. They can even put them up in Quaker. Having all these pro soccer players around would be a nice balance for all of the NBA players that seem to come and go.

2. Next year preseason scrimmage between the U23s and the Zips? Like the Crew scrimmage a few years back.

3. How many former Zips will make an appearance on the U23s? Teal, Kitchen, Valentine, Kofi, Nagbe??? I would guess at least 2 if not 3. Most of them already have national team experience.

I don't expect every former Zip in the MLS to get a call-up just because Porter is the coach, or we will be hearing cries of nepotism a la Bob and Michael Bradley (even though him playing for his dad was justified). I would fully expect to see Teal get a call up, probably Kitchen too. Not sure about Zarek, Kofi is kind of a stretch at this point, and I'm not sure what the status is nationality wise on Darlington. The US has a lot of talent in the under-23 age pool. What you have to remember is that some of the guys who play for the senior squad are still under 23, like Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo, Timmy Chandler, Freddy Adu, and Brek Shea.

Which leads me to the topic of the squad coming to Akron. I don't know how early this team would start training, it may or may not overlap with this college season. Probably depends on how deep of a run we make into the tournament. I do know though, and I can say this as a confident, heterosexual man, that if Brek Shea is anywhere near this city I will camp outside his hotel room to meet him.

Oh, and if you're not familiar with how the Olympic team works, it's under 23, BUT you are allowed to have three overage players on your roster. Maybe we will also see Landon Donovan, maybe we will see Clint Dempsey, maybe we will see Tim Howard, maybe I am getting WAY ahead of myself.

I'm not getting this. He's been selected as the coach of the next Olympic team? If so, wouldn't that be HUGE national news?

Not huge national news yet, because it hasn't been confirmed. If you go on twitter and search Caleb Porter, you will see that it is being discussed by multiple individuals in the soccer community

This certainly is an exciting development for our school, our country, and our fearless leader Caleb Porter! Hope it's true

Guess I'm getting to each Zips march very early just so I can get on Coach Porter's good side and maybe let me watch some of the U-23 practices if this happens and they come to Akron...

[skip-zip]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

[mes102]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

I think that Coach Porter trusts his assistant coaches to lead the first couple weeks of practices if needed...I'm sure the players wouldn't mind that their head coach is coaching the Olympic team before coming back here to coach them...

[skip-zip]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

I think that Coach Porter trusts his assistant coaches to lead the first couple weeks of practices if needed...I'm sure the players wouldn't mind that their head coach is coaching the Olympic team before coming back here to coach them...

Don't be fooled. At least in most sports, being a couple of weeks behind in beginning to formulate your plans for the season put you at a serious disadvantage. Ever wonder why coaches start practices on practically the first hour of the first day that they are allowed?

Of course the players and assitants won't mind.

[mes102]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

I think that Coach Porter trusts his assistant coaches to lead the first couple weeks of practices if needed...I'm sure the players wouldn't mind that their head coach is coaching the Olympic team before coming back here to coach them...

Don't be fooled. At least in most sports, being a couple of weeks behind in beginning to formulate your plans for the season put you at a serious disadvantage. Ever wonder why coaches start practices on practically the first hour of the first day that they are allowed?

Of course the players and assitants won't mind.

As a current assistant coach in a different sport, of course I do; however, you don't fall behind if the coaches are on the same page as the head coach if the head coach can't be there. When you've built this program up to higher standards like Coach Porter has done since he's been here, I think it will be okay. The coaches know what he wants, and so does the players. Especially since we won't have 16 new players next year, and it will just be a few players, depending who enters the draft with a GA contract...

I'm sure we'll be fine next year. Most of the players would have at least one year in the system, and unless we win it all again this year, the players will be hungry and will want to finish it this time around next season.

[bisbee]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

I think that Coach Porter trusts his assistant coaches to lead the first couple weeks of practices if needed...I'm sure the players wouldn't mind that their head coach is coaching the Olympic team before coming back here to coach them...

Embick is a hell of a coach and I am actually surprised he hasn't gone on to be a head coach already.

[mes102]

Thanks guys. I was confused as to what this all meant, and how olympic soccer differed from the national team.

I guess my immediate concern is, if the Olympics start in late July next year, wouldn't that seriously cut into the beginning of our practices for the season? I think the summer olympics last for 2-3 weeks.

Even though soccer has limited interest, at least "soccer people" would see that Akron's coach was selected to coach the olympic team, and that would resonate among high school soccer players across the country who are starting to think about college.

I think that Coach Porter trusts his assistant coaches to lead the first couple weeks of practices if needed...I'm sure the players wouldn't mind that their head coach is coaching the Olympic team before coming back here to coach them...

Embick is a hell of a coach and I am actually surprised he hasn't gone on to be a head coach already.

I know. That's why I feel like we're okay here if this does happen. I definitely don't see this as a negative for next season. If anything, I see this as even a bigger recruiting tool for players to come to Akron...

[fknbuflobo]

Yes, Embick is a fine coach! Hopefully, he will not leave any time soon.

[Crew8]

Its Official........ US Soccer Names Caleb Porter Head Coach of US U-23 MNT

[Yaznasty]

Its Official........ US Soccer Names Caleb Porter Head Coach of US U-23 MNT

That page is still bringing up an error but you can clearly see the headline. Someone on twitter posted this though, and it works, not sure how though.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sear...3.1.5-1.1.1l9l0

[Jacob M]

Its Official........ US Soccer Names Caleb Porter Head Coach of US U-23 MNT

That page is still bringing up an error but you can clearly see the headline. Someone on twitter posted this though, and it works, not sure how though.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sear...3.1.5-1.1.1l9l0

It's working for me. PORTER!

[bisbee]

Its Official........ US Soccer Names Caleb Porter Head Coach of US U-23 MNT

That page is still bringing up an error but you can clearly see the headline. Someone on twitter posted this though, and it works, not sure how though.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sear...3.1.5-1.1.1l9l0

It's working for me. PORTER!

+1

[Jacob M]

They sent out a special Zipmail for this announcement!