Neil Doncaster is looking forward to having Rangers back in th

Jurgen Klinsmanns hiring five years ago was supposed to make America a great soccer nation.Didnt happen.Worse, its not going to change anytime soon.Klinsmann talked a great game. He promised skilled, ambitious, attack-minded teams instead of relying on the tried-and-true formula of athleticism, luck and overworked goalkeepers that marked the nations modest climb in the world rankings up to that point. And he smartly looked back to his native Germany for a plan to make soccer sexy in his adopted homeland.He vowed the U.S. teams youth programs would leave no gem undiscovered or community overlooked in its search for talent. He urged fans to hold him and his players accountable. He made clear that anyone with a valid U.S. passport would be welcomed on-board to develop a uniquely American style of playing the worlds game.What Klinsmann left behind, though, is a team with no discernible style that is even less American -- measured by home-grown-or-developed players -- and hardly more competitive than the one he inherited. Dont expect that to change under Bruce Arena, who is even more of a pragmatist than he was during his first stint (1998-2006) in charge.U.S. soccers best hope, at least for the foreseeable future, remains the Immigration and Naturalization Service.Theres no reason to blame either Klinsmann or Arena for that. The problem with soccer in America is much bigger than either man. For all the initiatives and money thats been poured into the game over the last three decades, from kids recreational programs to colleges to Major League Soccer, we still havent produced even one field player good enough to crack the starting lineup for traditional powers like Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Argentina and Brazil.Nothing will change until that does.America still hasnt developed a real soccer culture. It was supposed to happen after the 1994 World Cup was played here, or after the launch of the MLS, or after the U.S. team under Arena reached the quarterfinals in 2002, even after millions began tuning in each season to watch the matches in the Premier League and Bundesliga, and turning out in droves for World Cup viewing parties every four years.But having dedicated fans doesnt necessarily translate into developing great players. Predictions of a soccer boom has done more to hamstring the real development of the game here than all those well-organized, well-meaning parents who became youth coaches with no more than a vague idea of how its played. If you want to know how great a deficit that puts youngsters growing up here, think of it this way.If you gathered a handful of 10-year-olds from the remote corners of Brazil and dropped a ball at their feet in a 10-by-10-foot room, theyd position themselves quickly enough to pass the ball three times before rolling it through the doorway without a hitch. Hand a basketball to a similarly selected group of American kids and make the hoop the target and youd see much the same organization.Whether soccer will ever be on an equal footing with the big American sports is anyones guess. The best athletes in this nation of 300-million plus are still headed to the NBA or NFL first. Soccer is finally competing with the NHL, Major League Baseball and a few other sports for talented youngsters.But the most promising prospects -- like Christian Pulisic, only 18 and arguably already the most skilled player in the U.S. program, and a regular for Borussia Dortmund in Germanys Bundesliga -- only develop by going outside the U.S. national teams grasp.Both Klinsmann and Arena understood that long ago. Ever the optimist, Klinsmann believed he could meld all those different individual talents and playing styles in the short time the team was called in for national team duty, the way the other world powers have always done. He even doubled down on the idea by importing as many German-Americans as he could find, ruffling plenty of feathers in both the squad and the U.S. federation.Arena wont repeat that mistake. Instead of a grand plan to make America great, hell quickly cobble together a team that is long on veterans and will cut down on mistakes. Hell pack the defense, count on good-to-great goalkeeping every time out and take his chances in a sudden counterattack.It wont make anyones heart race, but it may be enough to turn around Klinsmanns disastrous 0-2 start in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup and produce the occasional upset, much as the 2002 team did.Toward the end of his re-introduction to the U.S. media on a conference call Tuesday, Arena was asked whether there was an American style of playing.You style is dictated by the qualities of your players, he replied. We are who we are.---Jim Litke is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org and https://Twitter.com/JimLitke . Fake Nike Air Vapormax . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Black Friday Nike Air Vapormax . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. https://www.fakevapormaxwholesale.com/ . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Discount Nike Air Vapormax .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Nike Air Vapormax Outlet .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore.SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has welcomed the return of Rangers to the Scottish Premiership. The Ibrox side ended their four-year absence from the top-flight by beating Dumbarton 1-0 on Tuesday night to secure the Championship title.They will be locking horns with Glasgow rivals Celtic in the league once again next year and Doncaster is delighted by the prospect of having the big derby games back on the calendar. Its great news for Rangers fans all over the world and, I think, good news for Scottish football as well, Doncaster told Sky Sports News HQ.Weve got an appetiser in 10 days time with the Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers, but weve got four pretty big main courses to look forward to next year. Four years after Rangers demotion to Scotlands lowest league, heres a brief look at the Glasgow giants return to the top tier of Scottish football. Doncaster added: There are also games against Hearts and Aberdeen, which are big games in their own right, and clearly thats going to drive eyeballs, thats going to drive interest, and that should translate into more commercial revenues for the benefit of all 42 clubs.When you travel overseas and talk to leagues across the world, the games between Rangers and Celtic are global events and they are games other leagues will talk about all over the world.So to have those games back, to have the increased level of interest, that can only help in marketing the whole game worldwide. SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster is looking forward to having Rangers back in the Premiership Doncaster does, however, believe that the game has thrived in Scotland in recent years despite the absence of Rangers from the Premiership.dddddddddddd He said: Rangers over the past few years that they have been in the lower divisions, they have brought thousands of fans all over the country and thats had a huge benefit to clubs all around the country in the lower leagues. Neil Lennon believes that having Rangers back in the top flight will help bring more money back into Scottish football. Its been a tumultuous time for Rangers and also Scottish football over that period, but over that period the game has thrived nonetheless and weve ended up with our biggest ever title sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes and also our biggest ever overseas television deal.So the game remains in good health despite the absence of Rangers from the top-flight. But, of course, we shouldnt be any doubt at all Rangers coming back into the top flight next year will help the whole game. Also See: Rangers must challenge Celtic Rangers back in top flight Rangers journey back Sky Bet Club ' ' '