RyBob

30 someodd, engineer in CT. LU alumnus.

[RyBob @R_ThomasB]

Booty had me like http://t.co/bpgwdVcLuo

[Aakash Gupta @aakashgupta]

In Germany, a talented 14-year-old earns his club money. In America, his parents pay the club $15,000 a year.

That single inversion explains why "we will not" is the most accurate line ever written about US soccer.

FIFA built a global system for this. Training compensation and solidarity payments send a cut of every transfer fee back to the clubs that developed the player, from age 12 onward. Develop one future pro and your academy gets paid for a decade. Barcelona's La Masia, Ajax, every Bundesliga academy runs on this logic. The kid is the asset.

US Soccer refuses to enforce those rules. When Seattle's Crossfire Premier claimed its $60,000 share of DeAndre Yedlin's transfer to Tottenham, it got nothing. Claims on the Dempsey and Bradley transfers died partly because the federation couldn't even produce the youth training records.

So American clubs earn zero dollars when a kid turns pro. They earn when a kid enrolls. Which makes the parent the customer, and the product is whatever keeps the parent writing checks: travel tournaments, hotel weekends, $500 showcase events, private training at $100 an hour. Elite pathways run $8,000 to $20,000 a year. A comparable academy spot in Italy costs about 120 euros.

Follow the incentive one level deeper and it gets darker. A club dependent on fees can't cut its weakest paying players, so rosters optimize for retention over development. The scouting pool shrinks to families who can afford the cliff, which appears around age 11, exactly when development matters most. The country runs a talent filter sorted by household income instead of ability.

Every four years someone proposes fixing this. The proposal always requires the people profiting from the $15,000 model to vote themselves out of business.

They will not.

[RyBob @R_ThomasB]

@LFN Lehigh didn't have the best game - adapted well in 1H but couldn't get it going in 2H after a sloppy start. Proud of the team for a March appearance after some in-season adversity.

Props to PVAM, good D + tall team + quick feet. Might give FL more than they bargained for.

[DMX @DMX]

Merry X-mas

[Johnny Ulecka | AATBirds @Johnnyu9322]

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPS!
Perfect 12-0 Regular Season!

Big time W! LU! #Lehigh

[RyBob @R_ThomasB]

@USMNT @ussoccer

It's only been 8 years 👍

@TaylorTwellman

[CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ @CBSSportsGolazo]

Remontada 😉

[CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ @CBSSportsGolazo]

Harry Maguire made OT erupt 🤩

[Manchester United @ManUtd]

An iconic goal by a special player 🫶

🔟 years ago today, @JuanMata8 stole the show at Anfield ✨

#MUFC || #PL

[Old Canada Series @oldcanadaseries]

The Mexican President, American President and Canadian Prime Minister signing the USMCA trade deal in 2019. Donald Trump said this week that tariffs on Canada will have to be instituted because this trade deal was “signed by a previous administration and leader who was a fool”.

[SI Soccer @si_soccer]

Bad news for Manchester United! Lisandro Martinez is OUT for the rest of the season. 🤕

[Premier League @premierleague]

Alejandro Garnacho's spectacular bicycle kick against Everton has won the 2024 FIFA Puskas Award 🚲🏆

[“LIVE FROM MIAMI BEACH” OUT NOW! @LupeFiasco]

Thanksgiving 🤝 Lupe Mixtape Drop

13 Year Anniversary of Lupe Fiasco’s 2011 “Friend of the People” Mixtape 🔥

“Lupe Back”

[RyBob @R_ThomasB]

@laurenhtexas "Lemme just rebrand Nahf tah for an easy win"

"brb let's completely destroy one of my wins"

There are some genuine holes in the agreement but I'm not sure this is the way to fix em.

[Rob Usry @RobUsry]

Me hearing “Man Utd interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy”

[RyBob @R_ThomasB]

@Bintherun Loved the Hoka Mach X 2 review - sounds like a great shoe. I've tried a couple of different sizes and need something with a wider toe box. Any suggestions? LF a "comparable" shoe w/ <= 5mm drop and wider tb, for daily training.

[U.S. Soccer Men's National Team @USMNT]

Introducing...

#USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino 🇺🇸

[U.S. Soccer Men's National Team @USMNT]

Let’s make it real for real 📲

[Lehigh Admissions @lehighadmission]

Lehigh was ranked No. 15 by The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings, earning a spot among top universities and colleges for a second straight year. This year's rankings include 500 schools. https://t.co/vofBjpsRbS

[The Women's Game @WomensGameMIB]

May 21. Emma Hayes names her first roster (79 days ago)
May 28. Emma Hayes conducts first practice in Colorado (72 days ago)
August 10. Team wins Olympic Gold Medal

The most impressive extreme tournament makeover American football has ever witnessed. All hail, Emma Hayes. 🇺🇸🔥🥇