***OFFICIAL USMNT SOCCER THREAD***

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I mean, imagine Lebron James playing soccer. And I bet he could. He'd be unstoppable. Still I think we have enough athletes that we should be much better. A few potential issues.... SUM has been accused of favoring developmental players who can afford developmental camps. Basically camps for rich people in suburban neighborhoods. A lot of the best international soccer talent comes from people with nothing to lose so they practice nonstop. And it's so easy for them to do because unlike hockey where you need to buy hundreds of dollars for equipment, all you need for soccer is sneakers and a ball. Soccer can't just be a game for rich kids. The best talent should be developed regardless of ability to pay. The other fixable thing is that we shouldn't wait til the last minute to send someone to Europe. Our best talent at a young age should develop in Europe. Period.

Our usmnt will probably always struggle to recruit the best American athletes because they play different sports. But theres no excuse for us to be this bad.

I can't disagree. And yes, sports that need little investment are havens for the financially challenged who see it as a potential ticket out of poverty. It's hardly unique to soccer.

And yes, I PAY OUT THE ASS for ice time...

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I can't disagree. And yes, sports that need little investment are havens for the financially challenged who see it as a potential ticket out of poverty. It's hardly unique to soccer.

And yes, I PAY OUT THE ASS for ice time...

What's unique about soccer is that unlike basketball, the developmental leagues all favor the suburbs. To play in the best leagues where you'll grow and get noticed, you have to pay to play. Basketball it's easy to get noticed just by being good at it. Which is where sending them to Europe would help. If we can't afford to give all our best talent the best coaching, then let Europe pay for them. Let them play in Europe, just make sure they represent the US in the world cup.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I mean, imagine Lebron James playing soccer. And I bet he could. He'd be unstoppable. Still I think we have enough athletes that we should be much better. A few potential issues.... SUM has been accused of favoring developmental players who can afford developmental camps. Basically camps for rich people in suburban neighborhoods. A lot of the best international soccer talent comes from people with nothing to lose so they practice nonstop. And it's so easy for them to do because unlike hockey where you need to buy hundreds of dollars for equipment, all you need for soccer is sneakers and a ball. Soccer can't just be a game for rich kids. The best talent should be developed regardless of ability to pay. The other fixable thing is that we shouldn't wait til the last minute to send someone to Europe. Our best talent at a young age should develop in Europe. Period.

Our usmnt will probably always struggle to recruit the best American athletes because they play different sports. But theres no excuse for us to be this bad.

I disagree slightly, in terms of pure athletic 'advantage' counting as much in soccer as it does in other sports.

The fascination of soccer, and ironically what makes it so boring to the lay viewer, is the way the rules and makeup of the game neturalizes so many singular athletic traits. Many of the best soccer players ever in history have been of slight build and medium to slightly below average height.

Offsides neutralizes a lot of the advantages of speed.
The difficulty of operating without your hands neutralizes a lot of size and span differences, as the longer your limbs the less intricate your maneuverability.

It's a unique mixture of the skill of things like golf and darts and bowling, with the athleticism/stamina of rugby and football, with the teamwork/strategy of basketball and hockey.

Lebron might be a potent defender, perhaps a great goalie, but it would be tough to picture him having the fine motor control in space like a Messi or Pele to be a scoring threat that rises above the rest.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I disagree slightly, in terms of pure athletic 'advantage' counting as much in soccer as it does in other sports.

The fascination of soccer, and ironically what makes it so boring to the lay viewer, is the way the rules and makeup of the game neturalizes so many singular athletic traits. Many of the best soccer players ever in history have been of slight build and medium to slightly below average height.

Offsides neutralizes a lot of the advantages of speed.
The difficulty of operating without your hands neutralizes a lot of size and span differences, as the longer your limbs the less intricate your maneuverability.

It's a unique mixture of the skill of things like golf and darts and bowling, with the athleticism/stamina of rugby and football, with the teamwork/strategy of basketball and hockey.

Lebron might be a potent defender, perhaps a great goalie, but it would be tough to picture him having the fine motor control in space like a Messi or Pele to be a scoring threat that rises above the rest.

Maybe not the best example... Good point. But not hard to imagine many guards and defensive backs and receivers who would have been elite soccer players if they devoted the majority of their time to the game. Our best athletes end up in other sports a lot of the time.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I disagree slightly, in terms of pure athletic 'advantage' counting as much in soccer as it does in other sports.

The fascination of soccer, and ironically what makes it so boring to the lay viewer, is the way the rules and makeup of the game neturalizes so many singular athletic traits. Many of the best soccer players ever in history have been of slight build and medium to slightly below average height.

Offsides neutralizes a lot of the advantages of speed.
The difficulty of operating without your hands neutralizes a lot of size and span differences, as the longer your limbs the less intricate your maneuverability.

It's a unique mixture of the skill of things like golf and darts and bowling, with the athleticism/stamina of rugby and football, with the teamwork/strategy of basketball and hockey.

Lebron might be a potent defender, perhaps a great goalie, but it would be tough to picture him having the fine motor control in space like a Messi or Pele to be a scoring threat that rises above the rest.

Since I was i kid in Rome I've hated Soccer's off sides rule. Tradition or not, it's a detriment to the sport. But that's just my opinion.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I mean, imagine Lebron James playing soccer. And I bet he could. He'd be unstoppable.

This is the stupidest take in the world of soccer, and yet people still repeat it every year.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by sedated

This is the stupidest take in the world of soccer, and yet people still repeat it every year.

It was not the best example. For some reason it was the first name I came up with only because I was imaging a physical freak of nature playing the game. But elite guards, DB's, Smallish receivers and RBs... Some of the best footwork and agility in the world.

[loochy]

I'd love to see someone try that where I work. All of the old, stodgy, super nerdy, antisocial geniuses would shut that down REAL fast.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by loochy

I'd love to see someone try that where I work. All of the old, stodgy, super nerdy, antisocial geniuses would shut that down REAL fast.

^^^ LOL, the reason we can't compete on the world stage, amirite? ^^^

All things being equal, the kids in my building would get yelled at when it was raining and we moved the game inside. Marble floors make for a lot of noise when the bambinos are trying to siesta...

[Setsuna]

The problem is, the males in these other countries play futbol as a way to relieve stress, and just for the fun of it. And they play well into their 40s. They just don't stop playing. Here soccer is organized and controlled. They just out there having the time of their lives in South America and Europe, simply because they love futbol like they love their mom's cooking. There's nothing like it.

[Baby Lee]

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