When it comes to international relations, the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States might be facing some questions—but in the world of football, that bond is stronger than ever.
US Soccer has just unveiled its stunning new $228 million national training center outside Atlanta, and the organization’s CEO is giving a major assist to the English FA for helping make it happen. JT Batson described the 200-acre facility as "transformative" for American soccer, and he didn't hold back in praising the FA's guidance.
"They've been incredible partners in helping us learn from what works well in England," Batson said. "That certainly factored into our thinking around the building of a national centre, as well as the designing of what we've called the 'US Way'—our strategy for sporting success."
So what does this new complex actually look like? Batson put it simply: "Think of it as St George's Park, but slightly bigger and obviously newer." For context, the FA's Staffordshire base opened in 2012 and has been widely credited with sparking the revival of both England's men's and women's national teams. US Soccer officials visited St George's Park during their fact-finding mission, using it as a blueprint for their own version—which will host the US national team's pre-World Cup camp.
But Batson was quick to note that this isn't just a carbon copy. "There's lots to learn from around the world, but the US is different," he explained. "We're really big, both geographically and in numbers of people. We think that really having a home for the first time for soccer in America is going to be transformative for us."
Batson also tipped his cap to former US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker, a Welshman who previously served as the FA's head of teams at St George's Park. Crocker was the mastermind behind appointing Mauricio Pochettino and Emma Hayes as head coaches of the US men's and women's senior national teams, respectively—though he left last month for a similar role with the Saudi Arabia football federation.
"Matt and team have done an incredible job of taking us from where we were," Batson added. With this new home base and a fresh "US Way" strategy, American soccer is clearly ready to level up—and they've got their English cousins to thank for the assist.