Team Missed The World Cup.”

隊錯過了世界盃"。

The actual own goal that doomed the US in 2018 becomes a metaphor for bad mismanagement,

實際自己的目標，註定了美國在2018年成為管理不善的隱喻。

poor development, and infighting that doomed the US Men's bid

爭霸賽

to qualify in the World Cup.

以獲得世界盃的參賽資格。

That analysis and reporting is great

這種分析和報告是偉大的

and it hits at the big problems with American soccer today.

並直擊當今美國足球的大問題。

But the US soccer problem goes back a lot further than that.

但美國足球的問題要追溯到更遠的地方。

This chart shows US Men's National Team's World Cup record.

這張圖是美國男子國家隊的世界盃紀錄。

At the top are the best finishes.

在頂部是最好的結局。

The highest dot?

最高的那個點？

It's third place.

是第三名。

At the bottom, 16th place.

底，第16名。

And all these dots?

這些點呢？

These are times the third most populous country, with the largest global wealth, failed to

這些時候，這個人口第三多的國家，擁有全球最大的財富，卻沒能做到

even qualify.

甚至有資格。

This is bigger than an own goal.

這比自己的目標更大。

And it's not because soccer isn't as American as apple pie.

還不是因為足球不像蘋果派那麼美國。

We have proof.

我們有證據。

Americans suck at the game they call soccer.

美國人對足球運動很不在行。

But they're also the best in the world.

但他們也是世界上最好的。

These are the US women's World Cup performances since play started in 1991.

這是美國女足自1991年開賽以來在世界盃上的表現。

Champs, champs, champs.

領域，領域，領域。

It's not about American culture.

這不是美國文化的問題。

It's about the American men's game.

這是關於美國男人的遊戲。

When you stop looking at the present and start looking to the past,

當你不再關注現在，開始關注過去。

You find a lost golden age of American soccer.

你找到了一個失落的美國足球的黃金時代。

You also find the reason it's been doomed for almost a hundred years.

你也找到了近百年來它被註定的原因。

In 1926, 46,000 Americans crowded into a Manhattan stadium to see Hakoah, an All-Star European

1926年，4.6萬名美國人擠進曼哈頓體育場，觀看歐洲全明星球員哈科亞的表演。

soccer team, lose to Americans.

足球隊，輸給美國人。

In the paper that same day?

在當天的報紙上？

A season high Yankees baseball game - that 4,000 fewer people went to see.

一場賽季最高的洋基棒球比賽--少了4000人去看。

The 1920s was American soccer's golden age.

20世紀20年代是美國足球的黃金時代。

But to understand it, you have to go even further back.

但是，要想了解它，就得再往前追溯。

In the 1860s, soccer and rugby existed on a bit of a continuum — people played a little

在19世紀60年代，足球和橄欖球存在於一個有點連續的過程中--人們玩的是小

bit of everything.

位的一切。

In 1863, rules were finally established in England to build a game that played more like

1863年，英國終於建立了規則，建立了一個更像遊戲的遊戲。

the soccer we know.

我們知道的足球。

The US diverged from the English soccer game with the first Harvard-Yale football game

美國與英式足球比賽分道揚鑣，首創哈佛-耶魯足球賽。

-- which would quickly turn into American football.

--很快就會變成美式足球。

Until then, Ivy league colleges had played a more soccer-like game, but Harvard challenged

在那之前，常春藤聯盟的高校都是玩的比較像足球的遊戲，但是哈佛大學挑戰了。

Yale to a rugby-style game they'd learned from McGill in Canada.

耶魯大學以他們從加拿大麥吉爾學來的橄欖球式比賽。

That game was a hit, and Ivies like Princeton quickly picked it up.

那場比賽一炮而紅，普林斯頓等Ivies很快就接受了。

That was the first split between European and American football culture.

那是歐美足球文化的第一次分裂。

By 1905, soccer was still being “tested” in America as “college football” took off.

到了1905年，隨著 "校園足球 "的興起，足球還在美國 "試水"。

But the tragedy of World War I slowed down European sports culture.

但一戰的悲劇卻拖累了歐洲的體育文化。

In the 20s, America started catching up in soccer.

20年代，美國在足球方面開始追趕。

In 1925, for example, when Cincinnati built a new stadium, they assumed baseball and soccer

例如在1925年，辛辛那提建造新的體育場時，他們承擔了棒球和足球。

would both be part of the mix.

會都是組合的一部分。

Americans even stole British and Scottish talent — “enticing players” for

美國人甚至搶走了英國和蘇格蘭的人才--"誘人的球員 "為

The Coming International Sport.

即將到來的國際體育。

English stadiums had the biggest crowds, but the US was part of the growing international

英國的體育場館人數最多，但美國是國際上不斷髮展的一部分。

audience for the sport.

運動的觀眾。

The 20s saw a formidable soccer presence in the US, with big attendance numbers.

20世紀20年代，美國的足球發展勢頭強勁，上座率大增。

That development helped America score a third place finish in the World Cup in 1930.

這一發展幫助美國在1930年世界盃上取得了第三名的成績。

But that was the beginning of the end.

但那是結束的開始。

American soccer always had a weird structure, with a league - the ASL or American Soccer League,

美國足球的結構一直很奇怪，有一個聯賽--ASL或美國足球聯盟。

and a governing association: the USFA, or United States Football Association.

和一個管理協會：USFA，即美國足球協會。

The USFA was American soccer's liason to FIFA and the international community.

美國足協是美國足球與國際足聯和國際社會的聯絡人。

The USFA and ASL had a long feud that was resolved one day only to pick up again the next.

美國足協和ASL的恩怨由來已久，前一天解決了，第二天又重新拾起。

The ASL wanted to change soccer rules and add ideas that were uniquely American at the

ASL希望改變足球規則，並加入美國特有的理念，在。

time, like substitutions and a penalty box.

時間，比如換人和禁區。

The USFA didn't.

美國足協沒有。

Not clear enough?

不夠清楚？

Just look at the names.

看看這些名字就知道了。

These two organizations couldn't even agree on what to call the game.

這兩個組織甚至無法就遊戲的名稱達成一致。

And this?

這個呢？

This is what happens when acronyms take over your sport.

這就是當縮寫詞接管你的運動時發生的事情。

FIFA's at the top.

國際足聯的在上。

They threatened to kick out the USFA because the ASL was recruiting those European players.

他們揚言要踢出美國足協，因為ASL正在招募那些歐洲球員。

FIFA didn't like that at all.

國際足聯一點也不喜歡這樣。

USFA agreed to sanctions.

美國足協同意制裁。

ASL got mad and pulled out of a big USFA tournament.

ASL生氣了，退出了美國足協的大型賽事。

Three ASL teams went over and played anyway, which got them kicked out by the ASL.

三支ASL隊伍還是過去打了，這讓他們被ASL踢了出去。

They whined to the USFA, which kicked out the ASL.

他們向美國足協發牢騷，美國足協把ASL踢了出去。

So then the ASL played without USFA approval, so the USFA made a new league with their own teams.

所以後來ASL在沒有得到USFA準許的情況下進行比賽，所以USFA就用自己的球隊做了一個新的聯賽。

Yeah.

是啊。

All this acronym infighting split soccer teams, players, and fans in half.

所有這些縮寫的內訌，讓足球隊、球員和球迷一分為二。

Civil Wars: they are not fun.

內戰：它們並不有趣。

They patched things up again in 1929, but it was too late.

他們在1929年又把事情補上了，但為時已晚。

The Great Depression hit the financial system.

大蕭條衝擊了金融系統。

Teams were already weakened.

隊伍已經被削弱了。

The Depression forced many of them to fold.

大蕭條迫使他們中的許多人倒閉。

The United States entered a soccer dark ages while Europe and South America steadily built

美國進入了足球黑暗時代，而歐洲和南美則穩步建立了

the sophisticated leagues that people wish America had today.

人們希望美國今天有的複雜聯盟。

Short-lived American leagues have had cash - but the mass enthusiasm was stuck in the 1920.

短命的美國聯賽有現金--但大眾的熱情停留在1920年。

For women, a small fan base and lack of private development wasn't a problem — development

對於女性來說，粉絲基數小、私下發展不足不是問題--發展

of the women's game was behind the men's game across the world.

的女子比賽落後於全世界的男子比賽。

In the absence of a significant league business, federal programs like Title 9 in America effectively

在沒有重要的聯盟業務的情況下，美國的Title 9等聯邦項目實際上是

mandated a women's team in schools wherever there was a men's team.

規定凡是有男隊的學校都要有女隊；

But for men?

但對男人來說呢？

You can rightly talk about development leagues, and bad coaching, and own goals.

你可以理直氣壯地談論發展聯盟，和糟糕的教練，以及自己的目標。

But when you see a pie like this, you don't blame the crust, or the apple orchard, or

但當你看到這樣的餡餅時，你不會責怪餅皮，或蘋果園，或

the textured aluminum wrap.

紋理的鋁膜。

You blame the thing that smashed it.

你要怪就怪那個砸了它的東西。

The soccer wars put the United States on the sidelines, during a crucial half century in which global

足球戰爭使美國置身事外，在這關鍵的半個世紀裡，全球的足球運動都是由美國人主導的。

sports acquired fans, talent, and cash.

體育獲得了粉絲、人才和現金。

Can American men catch up today?

今天美國男人能趕上嗎？

Maybe.

也許吧

But it's a long shot.

但這是一個很長的機會。

So, if you want a slightly less depressing look at American soccer, check out this video

所以，如果你想稍微不那麼鬱悶地看看美國足球，看看這個視頻。

from our friends at SB Nation.

來自我們在SB Nation的朋友。

They chronicled the historic 1999 US Women's National Team Victory.

他們記錄了1999年美國女子國家隊歷史性的勝利。

It's pretty amazing.

這是相當驚人的。

I'm gonna take a shower now.

我現在要去洗個澡