Before I say anything, you must read Phil Ball's fantastic look into the youth academy at Barcelona through the stories of three of the world's premier footballers (also the three players in line to win this years Ballon d'Or); Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. I'll wait for you to get back...
For those that didn't read, it's about the strength of the Barcelona youth academy, the top stars it's churned out, and the mental rigors this type environment places on teenagers. In America, we don't have this system in place because A) we aren't looking for the next Maradona within our ranks (the next Kobe maybe) and B) the American sports system isn't setup for an 18 year old star to emerge. Save for the Lebron's of the world, American superstar athletes are expected to emerge after a steady high school and college career.
To the untrained eye (and some trained), Landon Donovan is the best American soccer player the red white and blue have today. We should recall that he followed the European model, Donovan moved to Germany to join powerhouse Bayern Leverkusen at 17. He fanned out due to home sickness (not unlike the Barcelona stars in Ball's ESPN piece), but the long term success of his career still proves out the early sacrifices he made.
In the great ranks of European football, the sacrifice to become the best starts at a young age, and there is no room for slip ups. While success might come as a sacrifice to youth, those that make it out and become the Messi's of the world are proof in the system.
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