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Nima Taradji / Polaris / laif
![Chicago Fire coach Raphael Wicky poses at SeatGeek Stadium in the city of Bridgeview.]()
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Chicago Fire coach Raphael Wicky poses at SeatGeek Stadium in the city of Bridgeview.
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Nima Taradji / Polaris / laif
![Wicky (left) together with Chicago's sports director Georg Heitz.]()
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Wicky (left) together with Chicago’s sports director Georg Heitz.
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![Wicky has been on the sidelines in the MLS since December 2019.]()
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Wicky has been on the sidelines in the MLS since December 2019.
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AFP
![Lille striker Timothy Weah celebrates after scoring a goal against Montpellier in December 2020.]()
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Lille striker Timothy Weah celebrates after scoring a goal against Montpellier in December 2020.
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They are currently rocking Europe, the young wild ones from the USA. Giovanni Reyna (18) near Dortmund, for example, or Timothy Weah (20) near Lille, or Schalke’s Matthew Hoppe (19), who last week shot down TSG from Hoffenheim with three goals and ended the royal blue series of losses.
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The fact that more and more US youngsters are drawing attention to themselves is no surprise, says one who should know: Raphael Wicky (43). The former FCB coach ended his active career as a player in the States in 2009 and later coached the US U17s. Today he coaches the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer (MLS). Wicky: “The USA has almost 330 million inhabitants. It is a sporting country. It has long been clear that there are good footballers here. “
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It was just that they received too little funding in the past. That has changed. “Football in the United States has made great strides over the past twelve years. More and more people are watching football, and more and more women and men are playing football. The leagues have developed, the structures have been improved. All clubs now have a youth department and professional youth centers. These are the reasons why you can harvest fruit today. “
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«Never-give-up-Mentalität»
The players especially convince with their attitude, explains Wicky. “In principle, Americans have a top mentality. I noticed that when I was playing here. He’s always positive, he always wants to improve, he has this ‘never-give-up mentality’. When young Americans go to Europe, she helps them. ” The Valais also saw this with today’s BVB star Reyna. “I coached him when I was a U-Nati coach. He has incredible talent and great qualities, ”enthuses Wicky, who is currently in Switzerland because the USA is off season.
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The MLS is a tough school for players. «The league is demanding. For example, a flight from New York to Los Angeles takes six hours. The geographical and temperature differences are great. We play in Houston or Florida – it’s hot there. But then also in Salt Lake City, it is cold there. “
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Wicky is convinced that the young and wild from the west will continue to rock Europe more and more in the future. «The players here want to achieve something. You set goals and work hard to achieve them. The league grows and grows. There is potential to take a big step forward in the coming years. “
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Published: January 15, 2021, 11:33 a.m.-Last updated: 01/15/2021, 11:33 am–Related posts:
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