U.S. Soccer pins long-term hopes on new national training centre

ATLANTA: U.S. Soccer says its new national training centre in Fayetteville, outside Atlanta, could help narrow the gap with the game’s leading nations as the federation looks beyond another World Cup campaign that ended in the round of 16.

The United States advanced from its group before losing 4-1 to Belgium, a result that again left supporters disappointed despite early promise. The federation opened the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in May, in time for World Cup preparations, and moved its headquarters along with nearly 400 employees from Chicago to the new site.

Tom Norton, the centre’s general manager, said the project marks a first for the federation in terms of owning its own playing base and bringing operations together in one place. Speaking to Reuters, he said the aim was to create a setup that could help lift standards across the organisation.

"This is the first time U.S. soccer has ever ​owned a blade of grass", Norton told Reuters.

"It's an opportunity for us to bring all ​of our operation under one roof together so we can push our game to the next level", he added.

Facility backed by Arthur Blank

The 200-acre complex is the latest development in Arthur Blank’s wider effort to strengthen Atlanta’s place in the sport. Blank, who owns the NFL’s Falcons, contributed $50 million to the project. He also played a central role in the launch of MLS side Atlanta United and is bringing an NWSL team to the region in 2028.

The centre includes 17 outdoor playing surfaces, among them 13 full-size grass fields. It also has a full-size indoor artificial turf pitch, the Nike High Performance Gym, and areas dedicated to dining and nutrition.

U.S. Soccer said all 27 of its national teams will use the facility, though Norton indicated the federation wants the site to serve a broader role as well.

"We're not going to limit what we're working with here", Norton said.

"We're going to make sure that the rest of ​the soccer world can be welcomed here and grow the game together. The doors are open to the entire soccer community", he added.

Home base and wider legacy

U.S. under-20 women’s head coach Vicky Jepson described the campus as among the best she had seen, saying it compared very favourably with England’s St. George’s Park. Her team drew 1-1 with England in the first match staged on the centre’s dedicated event pitch.

"This is our fortress, this is our home, and it's incredible that we've got this", Jepson said.

Men’s soccer has long had to compete for attention in a crowded U.S. sports market, but U.S. Soccer chief operating officer Dan Helfrich said hosting the World Cup could leave a lasting effect beyond the tournament itself. He said the men’s team training at the facility and the local community’s chance to engage with the squad before it travelled to the West Coast could influence younger players.

"The World Cup leaves behind aspiration and ambition for the sport ​in our country", Helfrich said.

"The fact that the men's team trained here, that the community got to ​experience the men's ⁠team being here before they went off to the West Coast to play, all of that has a huge impact", he stated.

"We certainly believe that there are six, eight, and 10-year-olds whose desire to either start in the sport or continue in the sport or set their heights higher for ⁠their own ​career, has changed fundamentally", he added.

After the team’s World Cup elimination, discussion has also focused on youth access to the sport, with debate centring on how the pay-to-play model leaves many children unable to afford participation. Unless that issue changes, the new centre may still fail to reach a large pool of untapped talent.