Description

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An important read for those passionate about not only U.S. Soccer but fascinated by player development. This in-depth look uses unprecedented access and original data and analysis for the U.S. and other countries.

Prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team had won just four World Cup matches in 72 years. While the American women's team has made World Cup victories a regular expectation, the men failed to even qualify for the 2018 tournament. 

In What Happened to the USMNT Columbia Business School adjunct professor and acclaimed author of The Real Madrid Way Steven Mandis turns his lens inward to examine what it will take for the U.S. men to achieve lasting success on the international stage.

This meticulously researched, probing investigation challenges conventional wisdom and speaks to the importance of familiarity and authenticity to cultivate an organizational identity.  

If the Italians have their cantenaccio, the Spanish their tiki-taka, the Dutch their “total football,” and the Brazilians their ginga, Mandis argues that cultivating a unique "American way" of soccer (coined the “Spirit of 1776”) is not only possible but absolutely essential. 

Finally, a source of reference that goes beyond recounting history without context or repeating opinions without facts or analysis.

About the Author

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Steven G. Mandis is an adjunct professor at Columbia Business school, where he teaches in the finance and economics department. Previously, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and as a senior advisor to McKinsey. His previous books include What Happened to Goldman Sachs, The Real Madrid Way, and What Happened to Serie A. In 2015 and 2019, he competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He also was invited to present how sports can be an enabler of social inclusion at the 57th Session of the Commission for Social Development at the United Nations. 

Sarah Parsons Wolter is a Principal at FinTech Collective. Previously, she worked at Morgan Stanley and co-authored What Happened to Serie A. A sports enthusiast and former athlete, she was the youngest member of the 2006 Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team that won a bronze medal in Torino, Italy.