Rafa Zuluaga

This is a hopeful “told you so” tweet. 🇺🇸 🇪🇸 Let me explain. Years ago I warned my home nation that I was watching girls and women be trained in the Cruyff-inspired training method. (In fact, I founded TOVO Methodology on this very vision in 2016.) I wrote: “Spanish clubs are training young female players in a vastly different manner than US youth clubs. When European clubs’ commitment to women’s soccer matures, US athleticism will not be enough. We can live on our past or train intelligently for the future.” Since 2016, Spain has won: 🏆 5 FIFA Women’s World Cups U17: 2018, 2022 U20: 2022 U20: 2026 Senior: 2023 🏆 9 UEFA European youth championships U17: 2018, 2024 U19: 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 🏆 14 major FIFA/UEFA World Cup or European titles across the three age groups ▪️No, I am not claiming any credit for these remarkable women’s success. ▪️Yes, I am giving credit to players, coaches, clubs and a nation for embracing Johan’s vision. ▪️And to my friends who said I was crazy to ever claim that a small country could ever catch up to the US Women, I still love you. 🤣 I may be wrong most of the time, but not on this issue. 🤓 ✔️To my home nation. I want us to win every tournament. However, more than that, I want to promote learning and joy with a proven methodology. We have the resources. Do we have the courage to leave the status quo behind? If so, let’s go. (My DM always open to positive debate to benefit the next generation.) #TOVO #IntelligentTraining

Tell me again how Rondos are not match realistic. 🤔 Name a better activation exercise. Lines? Laps? Circuits? #TOVO

If we cannot debate the strengths and shortcomings of our youth development paradigms and programs, mediocrity wins. 🇺🇸 We need to be better educators - all of us. Me, first. #TOVO