The USMNT’s exit from the round of 16 renewed all attention towards the country’s youth soccer development. Several former players have argued that the U.S. youth development system needs major reform. And in doing so, the biggest barrier, which is restricting young talents from taking up soccer, needs to be eradicated: the high cost. As per Alexi Lalas, there’s nothing like a free lunch, and the cost will be there to train soccer. But American television host Kevin Frazier thinks Lalas himself is part of the problem.

“We’ve got to stop Alexi Lalas. Man, what’s Going On? What’s Happening… Every four years, we lose, and we go through this thing where we say What’s the problem with us soccer and you know, then he gives his explanation, he’s like. Oh, the pay-for-play system works, and it’s okay. And I’m like. Alexi, what are you talking about? You benefited from it like, you know, a kid from the suburbs. But back when we sucked, sucked, sucked in Italy, you were part of the problem. You are part of the problem,” Frazier went no-holds-barred on the Dan Patrick Show.

Just after the USMNT’s exit from the World Cup, former veteran Landon Donovan said that US soccer is getting deprived of talent due to the high costs involved. He cited research showing that only about 2% of youth soccer players come from households earning under $50,000 annually. This makes US soccer stay beyond a larger section of talent, but Lalas disagreed.

“Youth soccer (youth sports) is a competitive market with businesses selling a product that obviously customers are willing to pay for,” Lalas wrote on X, weighing in on the conversation. “I’d love it if soccer were free to all. But who is going to pay for all this free soccer? So they should be taxpayer-funded government entities or charities?”

According to Frazier, the problem lies with how the US perceives this sport. Many leading soccer nations prioritize broad access to youth development, whereas the U.S. system relies far more heavily on private, pay-to-play clubs. Dan Patrick Show producer Seton O’Connor cited Spain’s example in developing youth soccer. Business entities like Damm are funding soccer academies in Spain, attracting maximum talent.

“Now let’s think about American companies. Apple, Google, Amazon, Nike, Tesla, SpaceX: their resources dwarf Damm’s. And several of them have also benefited from stuff like government contracts and tax incentives and other forms of public support over the years,” O’Connor wondered why the US cannot replicate the same.

The USMNT’s exit and the renewed focus on redeveloping US soccer may help them to go beyond the round of 16 after 4 years. Only if the veterans stay on the same side.