- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: The "US can't compete because athletes choose other sports" Argument
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:13 pm to SabiDojo
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:13 pm to SabiDojo
quote:
It's a silly argument. The US players are as fast and agile as any other soccer player in the world. It's the touch and vision that sets them apart.
Winner winner chicken dinner. One day we will have enough interest and resources in the sport to develop these sorts of players. shite, if Holland can do it, or Belgium can do it, I think we can do it.
1
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:16 pm to cwil177
I think so too. It takes time. A growing population can mean a growing market for soccer. It's all about resources and a change of culture, and I think the US is changing its attitude towards soccer for the better.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:18 pm to SabiDojo
quote:
It's a silly argument. The US players are as fast and agile as any other soccer player in the world. It's the touch and vision that sets them apart.
Athletic ability isn't the problem with US players. We are as fit, big and fast as any other team except maybe Brazil and Germany. It is the coaching and immersion into the game at a younger level. Also, the want of parents of elite kids wanting a soccer scholarship to college. Elite kids need to be pros at 13 or 14 instead of going to college.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:20 pm to glassman
quote:
Elite kids need to be pros at 13 or 14 instead of going to college
Yeah, it is completely different how we do it.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 9:24 pm to cwil177
quote:
People who say that, I suspect, have a complex about soccer in this country and pull "facts" out their arse to make themselves sound smart.
Na, it's anti-gay discrimination dog. Us queers gotta stick together.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 10:02 pm to jackwoods4
Speaking of Odell and soccer, did anybody catch a few weeks ago when Collinsworth said he was "a world class soccer player"?
That's a very lenient use of the term world class.
That's a very lenient use of the term world class.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 10:11 pm to rdw1690
quote:
Speaking of Odell and soccer, did anybody catch a few weeks ago when Collinsworth said he was "a world class soccer player"?
Beckham should replace Michael Bradley because he sucks.
Golfer mode: [on] off
Posted on 12/14/14 at 10:20 pm to Vicks Kennel Club
quote:
Beckham should replace Michael Bradley because he sucks.
Golfer mode: [on] off
Posted on 12/14/14 at 10:35 pm to rdw1690
quote:
Speaking of Odell and soccer, did anybody catch a few weeks ago when Collinsworth said he was "a world class soccer player"?
Omg...
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:03 pm to SabiDojo
quote:
It's the touch and vision that sets them apart.
Was watching a BPL match between a Top 6 and a bottom feeder with a friend. Bottom feeder team had the ball, and their nameless English striker--positioned a few yards outside of the 18 yard box with his back to the goal--took a difficult pass on his chest, let it drop, pivoted, and smashed the ball toward goal with his weaker foot without even thinking about it. He didn't score, but the ball was on target and needed saving.
My buddy was amazed at the shot, but was more amazed when I told him that the guy who shot the ball was probably not the 500th best player in England.
There probably aren't 5 U.S. players who would have made that shot, or even had the wherewithal or awareness to think about taking that shot.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:11 pm to LuckySo-n-So
You're right. There aren't five Americans in the BPL.
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:13 pm to LuckySo-n-So
The tweet by McHenry is stupid, but the premise of the actual article on the MLS website shows you why soccer isn't a viable option for many young athletes at the moment.
1) OBJ didn't want to leave his family and go to Europe where the best training was.
2) Not much money available to play stateside.
Sure, there is the potential glamour that comes with playing in a World Cup – the biggest sporting event on earth – and we have largely been successful on that stage as a second or third tier squad. But even then, that won't allure many local players as we may think.
Just take our 23 that we sent to Brazil: 7 (5 germericans, Bacon and Mix) of them spent most of their youth development in the other country's system. As much as those guys make our current talent level better, it doesn't look very good on our development system when 35% of our field players on the World Cup team weren't developed here.
Once we take that seriously (which we are taking the right steps to), then the more noticeable things to the general public (and young prospective players) will start to fall in place.
1) OBJ didn't want to leave his family and go to Europe where the best training was.
2) Not much money available to play stateside.
Sure, there is the potential glamour that comes with playing in a World Cup – the biggest sporting event on earth – and we have largely been successful on that stage as a second or third tier squad. But even then, that won't allure many local players as we may think.
Just take our 23 that we sent to Brazil: 7 (5 germericans, Bacon and Mix) of them spent most of their youth development in the other country's system. As much as those guys make our current talent level better, it doesn't look very good on our development system when 35% of our field players on the World Cup team weren't developed here.
Once we take that seriously (which we are taking the right steps to), then the more noticeable things to the general public (and young prospective players) will start to fall in place.
This post was edited on 12/14/14 at 11:14 pm
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:19 pm to Broski
quote:
1) OBJ didn't want to leave his family and go to Europe where the best training was.
OBJ had European offers? Or interest? Source?
quote:
glamour
The queen's English
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:20 pm to cwil177
quote:
OBJ had European offers? Or interest? Source?
LINK
quote:
"I played seriously until I was about 13 or 14 then the (US) national team wanted me to try out for it," Beckham Jr. told the Star-Ledger in the summer. "It's just so much for a young kid to have to decide that. You'd have to leave your family. But I always played in the premiere leagues. I was 11 playing U-14, stuff like that. I was always playing up."
But Beckham Jr. grew up in New Orleans and there is no MLS team in the area for now. The nearest top-flight club is the Houston Dynamo, more than 300 miles away. And he wasn't interested in Europe.
"At such a young age it's hard to just leave your family and say I'm gong to go to Europe and do my thing," he told TMZ Sports at a sneaker store opening. "It was one of those things where you couldn't wrap your mind around that and just completely leave your family and leave the country."
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:25 pm to Broski
That article makes me mad, not because OBJ didn't play soccer – he clearly made the right choice.
Louisiana produces the more NFL players per capita than the other 49 states and are also well represented in basketball and baseball. We have so many fricking athletes here. For that much talent, the MLS has largely ignored us. I'm not expecting an MLS or even NASL team, but shite, there should be a handful of top-tier (in terms of our own development system) youth academies in the state. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is the Chicago Fire-sponsored one (in New Orleans, right?).
Louisiana produces the more NFL players per capita than the other 49 states and are also well represented in basketball and baseball. We have so many fricking athletes here. For that much talent, the MLS has largely ignored us. I'm not expecting an MLS or even NASL team, but shite, there should be a handful of top-tier (in terms of our own development system) youth academies in the state. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is the Chicago Fire-sponsored one (in New Orleans, right?).
Posted on 12/14/14 at 11:45 pm to Broski
Kind of on the same topic, but not OBJ related. I'm watching ESPNFC and Shaka just raised a good point regarding Jurgen urging for more players to test Europe.
Should our technical director be openly disparaging MLS?
Shaka was legit pissed and ranted on, calling it "hypocritical on so many levels"
The discussion was ignited based on a rather cryptic tweet from JK yesterday where he posted a link of the breakdown of players in the UCL group stage by country. All Jurgen said was "interesting" so it could mean anything, but it is being assumed that he was pointing out that the US only had 1 (Sacha) and wasn't happy about that.
Should our technical director be openly disparaging MLS?
Shaka was legit pissed and ranted on, calling it "hypocritical on so many levels"
The discussion was ignited based on a rather cryptic tweet from JK yesterday where he posted a link of the breakdown of players in the UCL group stage by country. All Jurgen said was "interesting" so it could mean anything, but it is being assumed that he was pointing out that the US only had 1 (Sacha) and wasn't happy about that.
Posted on 12/15/14 at 12:37 am to cwil177
quote:
we know where Jurgen stands on the MLS vs Europe argument.
Well yeah, that has been no secret. The question though is that should the technical director be openly taking shots at the domestic league when it is essential for building a sound youth development system?
Posted on 12/15/14 at 12:56 am to Broski
quote:
"hypocritical on so many levels"
It's not hypocritical at all. US Soccer and MLS are not the same thing. Correct me if I'm wrong here please, but the only connection is the American MLS players who also represent the USMNT. Jurgen should be more respectful when discussing things like this to the media and maybe not be so blunt. But to his credit, he's been very public, consistent and matter of fact about it since day one. And he's right. Our players should be playing against the best competition out there. And, at the moment, that level of competition does not exist here in the States.
This post was edited on 12/15/14 at 1:15 am
Posted on 12/15/14 at 1:18 am to Broski
quote:
should the technical director be openly taking shots at the domestic league
I doubt he is just spouting off at the mouth for no reason. Surely, it's calculated what he's trying to convey. MLS needs to get better. It is getting better. Really fast. Probably faster and more efficiently that any other soccer league in the history of the sport. But it's still not really that close to where we need it to be. If we want MLS to grow into the type of league that can be the main supplier of talent to the national team. And I'm not talking about Chris Wondolowski and Brad Davis here. I'm talking about real players who can win real things, like tournaments. These things maybe need to be said publicly by someone as important as Jurgen. That's how things get done. Pressure is probably the most important factor in what motivates.
Page 2 of 13
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News