Thomas Rongen has work to do.

Against Colombia the U-20s were out shot by a wide margin and the Colombians controlled the game. Cody Cropper got the start in goal, but didn’t have a chance on either of the two goals the Colombians scored. The first goal was from a penalty kick awarded after a suspect foul. The second goal was just an excellent piece of finishing. A number of young fringe players got a chance to show Thomas Rongen what they could do. Unfortunately, the loss adds a negative color to any individual performances Rongen might have liked.

In the next match against Peru the U-20s earned the lead, but gave up the win by allowing an 89^th minute and a stoppage time goal. Samir Badr was back in goal and this game didn’t help his cause. The Peruvians were not as dominant as the Colombians, but the US was again out shot by a large margin. At least the young Americans scored a goal. A rematch against Peru was even worse with the US losing 2-0.

In the end it wasn’t all bad as facing these teams on foreign soil was an excellent lesson for these young players. Thomas Rongen also got a chance to see some fringe players and make some decisions about who might be able to contribute in Colombia next year. In addition the players got experience playing at altitude, which changes the game a bit. At the same time this should be a wake up call for Thomas Rongen and his coaching staff that they will need to prepare their team better in the future if they want positive results. Four losses in a row just feels embarassing.

A number of MLS teams have recently used the designated player rule to bring in a number of talented players to the league. Adding these talents can only be good for developing young American players. Thierry Henry, Geovanni, Rafael Marquez, and others are all great competitors who can really challenge young American players. For instance Omar Gonzalez showed that he was up to the challenge of defending Thierry Henry in the recent Red Bulls v. Los Angeles game. These sorts of challenges can help young players in MLS become world class players in the future.

This level of development also has a knock on effect for the lower US divisions. For instance Luis Gil, a very talented young American plying his trade with Real Salt Lake, has been loaned to AC St. Louis in USSF Division 2. The level of talent is high enough now in MLS that this young star needed to be loaned out to get playing time. USSF Division 2 has shown that it isn’t short of talent as it is comprised of teams that have competed well in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the past. This league is poised to host many younger US talents like Gil, who is still only 16 years old. There is more good news about the development of US soccer players.

The U-20 US national team recently finished first in the Milk Cup, which is a major non-Fifa tournament. A number of exciting young players on that team also ply their trade in MLS. Juan Agudelo, Fuad Ibrahim, and Tristan Bowen are just some examples. Without a number of talents like Sebastien Lletget, Jack McInerney, and Amobi Okugo the U-20 team showed very well. It is rare that a US youth national team has had this much depth. This team may go far next year in Colombia during the 2011 World Youth Championship.

Reyna is an excellent choice for this position for a number of reasons. He holds an ‘A’ coaching license, which is the highest level of coaching in the United States. The license is a FIFA rating, which takes at least five years of training and testing to receive.

Furthermore Reyna speaks both English and Spanish, so he will be able to connect with Hispanic communities, coaches, and youth players. Beyond that, Reyna, who was chosen for the US World Cup squads from 1994 through 2006, has shown excellent soccer skill throughout a long and distinguished career. (His performance in the 2006 World Cup should not be taken as an indicator of his talent level.as he was at the tail end of his career.)

Professionally Reyna played for Glasgow Rangers, Sunderland, Manchester City, VFL Wolfsburg, and Bayer Leverkusen. He was a captain for the US National team and Sunderland. He was named to a World Cup All-Tournament Team in 2002.

Before playing as a professional he played in high school in Newark, New Jersey at St. Benedict’s Prep. He also played at the College Level at the University of Virginia. This means that he has a clear understanding of how American players have been developed in the past.

Furthermore, he has experience with many European teams – Glasgow Rangers, Sunderland, Manchester City, VFL Wolfsburg, and Bayer Leverkusen – which have their own method of developing players. This, combined with his experience with American methods, should give Reyna the knowledge to know what techniques work well and which don’t. Lastly, he has four children and probably has a good amount of experience in dealing with children.

It will be interesting to see what ideas Reyna comes up with. I am not sure how much power he will actually have outside of the US Soccer Development Academy system. Of course as the system grows, Reyna’s influence will grow. Good luck on your new job Mr. Reyna. What do you think of this development?