U.S. soccer at lowest point in a decade

They came to the World Cup seeking the respect of Europe. They left trying to salvage it back home.

Soccer in the United States is at its lowest point since 1985, when America failed for the ninth straight time in World Cup qualifying. As angry, finger-pointing players left U.S. camp early Friday, finishing dead last in the 32-nation field, it appeared the Amer-ican goal of winning the tournament by 2010 is ludicrous."We aren't going to have a world championship, competitive team for some time to come," said U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg, who launched the 2010 project last month. "We are doing it an inch at a time, not a mile at a time. . . . We can't be foolish dreamers."

What went wrong for the United States at the World Cup?

What didn't?

There was no offense and sloppy defense, plus bad attitudes and TV ratings. Players started whining the moment they reached their 12th century chateau and kept up the complaints through the 2-0 loss to Germany, 2-1 defeat to Iran and 1-0 loss to Yugoslavia.

Veterans, stung by coach Steve Sampson's decision to cut captain John Harkes in April and angered by their lack of playing time, saved their best shots for their coach.

Now it's unclear whether Sampson will be back or whether Rothenberg will replace him before Aug. 23, when either Robert Contiguglia, a doctor, or Lawrence Monaco, a retired government lawyer, takes over as president.

If Sampson is fired, Rothenberg probably will seek a high-profile foreigner. The top American candidate appears to be D.C. United coach Bruce Arena, but when the job was vacant in 1995, Rothenberg first tried to hire Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil and Carlos Queiroz of Portugal before settling for Sampson.

No matter the coach, the athletes won't change. And U.S. soccer found out how far it trails Europe and South America.

"In the rest of the world, you live, you eat, you breathe soccer," Sampson said Friday, "and that is the only way to be able to compete with the rest of the world."

Essentially declaring war on the NCAA and its limits on the number of games, the USSF is urging the top prospects to skip college and become professionals in their teens. As part of the development plan, elite youth will spend extended periods overseas.

"We're always playing catchup," Sampson said. "College soccer is not the answer."