Simo Consumed By Host Nation’s Push For Progress
Paul Simpson has his own slower agenda to adhere to as America continues to go ‘soccer-crazy’ at the World Cup.
The former Wolves midfielder and England age-group coach is now employed in the United States as head coach of the country’s under-16 boys’ team.
By coincidence, he is based mainly in Atlanta, where Thomas Tuchel’s Group L winners will face DR Congo in their first knockout match on Wednesday teatime.
And Simpson found himself up against familiar foes earlier this year in the Vertex Cup in Miami, with America competing in the four-team tournament with England, Argentina and current co-hosts Mexico.
The mid-April camp and competition are part of America’s preparation for next year’s Concacaf under-17 qualifiers, which in turn serve as a stepping stone to the 2027 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
Simpson saw his side finish in a satisfactory second place behind England, with whom they drew 1-1 in the first of the round-robin matches.
Both teams followed up with 2-1 wins to hold identical records going into their last games and, while England thrashed Mexico 5-1, America lost 5-3 to an Argentina side who had been defeated in their opening two fixtures.
This post marks a third step into international coaching for the 59-year-old, who previously worked here for the Football Association and memorably led England’s Under-20s to glory in their World Cup in 2017.
His close friend, Keith Downing, inspired England Under-19s to their 2017 European Championship title and was part of Gareth Southgate’s scouting team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Simpson, who was born four days before England’s 1966 final victory over West Germany, headed for his new role in Atlanta in September after a short spell as assistant to Jamaica national coach Steve McClaren, a former team-mate of his at Derby.
He was therefore spared the abject disappointment that came with Jamaica’s two-leg play-off defeat that meant the minnows of Curacao went to a tournament that the giants of Italy again missed out on.
That surprise elimination was McClaren’s final act in the Caribbean, his former Derby colleague having bailed out a few weeks previously.
Simpson has also had two spells in charge of his home-city club, Carlisle, and a promotion-winning stint at Shrewsbury, his long playing career having contained a pleasing 55-game contribution at Wolves in the late 1990s.
The Americans have won Group D at the World Cup and are through to a knockout clash with Bosnia-Herzegovenia despite a much-changed side suffering a last-minute defeat against Turkey on Friday.