- 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: So I see the FSU Spring Game on ESPN and realize....
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:21 pm to mytigger
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:21 pm to mytigger
Yea. It IS different. Being taller and bigger makes it harder to have foot/eye coordination and balance because your feet are farther away from your center of mass than your hands are. How come Kobe and Ocho Cinco sucked so bad at soccer?
1
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:22 pm to mytigger
Obviously if you have a larger pool of people trying to play soccer at a high level, you will have a few more guys becoming elite.
But just because they are freak football players doesn't mean they will be the next Ronaldo or even a Balotelli.
But just because they are freak football players doesn't mean they will be the next Ronaldo or even a Balotelli.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:23 pm to thesoccerfanjax
How are Kobe and Ochocinco your only sample size? Maybe they sucked. Maybe if 80 of their teammages played a couple of them would be professional soccer players.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:24 pm to mytigger
I see at least 10 Marino Bertinellis on LSU.About 6-8 Nomar Jr.s on Bama, and maybe 2 or 3 Christian rolandos on Oregon
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:25 pm to KosmoCramer
quote:
Obviously if you have a larger pool of people trying to play soccer at a high level, you will have a few more guys becoming elite.
exactly... and if those guys are professional grade athletes versus professional accountants I think your chances increase significantly.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:26 pm to mytigger
Because they're two "elite athletes" that I know of off the top of my head that grew up playing soccer.
You'll have to define "professional". I'm better than some "professional" players that I know personally and I'm not even very good.
quote:
professional soccer players.
You'll have to define "professional". I'm better than some "professional" players that I know personally and I'm not even very good.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:27 pm to mytigger
I think your point is very rational, not sure why the response is so negative. Of course a select few of these great athletes would possess great soccer skills if developed from a young age. What about a guy like Trey Quinn who is great at multiple sports? It's very likely he would have made a good soccer player. Elite? Who knows, but very good at least. Like others have said, it's a numbers game. Countries like Uruguay are rare.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:27 pm to mytigger
quote:
exactly... and if those guys are professional grade athletes versus professional accountants I think your chances increase significantly.
That's not what I was saying at all.
I was saying it's a numbers game.
If football didn't exist a lot more kids would choose soccer as their sport, and a very small number of those might get a chance to play for the USMNT.
It's not about being a professional grade athlete, the USMNT already has a ton of those. It's about technical skills.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:27 pm to mytigger
quote:
exactly... and if those guys are professional grade athletes versus professional accountants I think your chances increase significantly.
This is true. I dont think anyone can really deny this. This opinion is made at times and for some reason it makes some defensive.
It goes lockstep with preaching about growth of the sport in this country. Growth means more of your elite athlete types move to soccer as a nation. Comparing current NBA/NFL players isnt really an accurate way to approach the point though.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:34 pm to kilo
quote:
Comparing current NBA/NFL players isnt really an accurate way to approach the point though.
Good point, but there is still some element of truth in it. Euro-Asian basketball teams have made up a ton of ground in the last 20 years compared to when the "Dream Team" played in the Olympics. Why? Because more athlete's in those countries are now playing basketball. That's my only point. When our top athletes start playing soccer instead of football, basketball or baseball we'll be a force n the soccer world.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:35 pm to mytigger
Our top athletes are sure as shite not playing baseball, bud.
Soccer requires a different type of athlete anyways. Way more slow twitch fibers required.
Soccer requires a different type of athlete anyways. Way more slow twitch fibers required.
This post was edited on 6/25/14 at 8:36 pm
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:37 pm to mytigger
quote:
When our top athletes start playing soccer instead of football, basketball or baseball we'll be a force n the soccer world.
It will take a more robust development program than we have as well. Along with the personnel to develop these players. Its a two fold process and like others have pointed out, refining technical ability is crucial.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 8:50 pm to kilo
This line of reasoning about NBA/NFL talent playing soccer gets a bit of wearied reception here because of how often it's brought up and that many object more to the "pure great athlete" component.
Those of us who watch a lot of soccer realize that most of the greatest players are in no way "freak" athletes unlike in football and basketball.
Of course the more American kids that play the more chance of a great player coming along.
However, the kinds of skills they are learning and practicing at younger ages (mainly on playgrounds and then with quality coaches) is much more important than them being great athletes. That dumb soccer movie with Will Farrell and Mike Ditka and the 2 Italian kids is actually not that exaggerated in this sense.
For every Cristiano Ronaldo, there's 10 Totti's or Pirlo's etc etc, meaning a guy that's a decent athlete but would probably have given up a sport like football or basketball by junior high.
Those of us who watch a lot of soccer realize that most of the greatest players are in no way "freak" athletes unlike in football and basketball.
Of course the more American kids that play the more chance of a great player coming along.
However, the kinds of skills they are learning and practicing at younger ages (mainly on playgrounds and then with quality coaches) is much more important than them being great athletes. That dumb soccer movie with Will Farrell and Mike Ditka and the 2 Italian kids is actually not that exaggerated in this sense.
For every Cristiano Ronaldo, there's 10 Totti's or Pirlo's etc etc, meaning a guy that's a decent athlete but would probably have given up a sport like football or basketball by junior high.
This post was edited on 6/25/14 at 9:11 pm
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:01 pm to wm72
quote:
Those of us who watch a lot of soccer realize that most of the greatest players are in no way "freak" athletes unlike in football and basketball.
I wasnt implying that. I watch plenty of soccer. Simply increasing the pool of high end athletes, with the proper training in technical ability, will elevate the talent pool which is good for the USMNT and good for the MLS.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:07 pm to mytigger
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:10 pm to kilo
quote:
The more athletes in this country that play soccer, the better it is for the USMNT. Period.
Pretty much the truth. I think American baseball has taken a hit since fewer kids are interested in it. Like with all sports though some kids will shine while others won't make the cut.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:12 pm to KosmoCramer
quote:
You do realize there is just a wee bit of tactical and technical ability to "futbol" that these guys don't even come close to possessing right?
You do realize that if our country/athletes/kids focused on soccer as much as the rest of the world, they would be developing soccer skills rather than their skill at other sports right?
I'm not saying they win every World Cup, but they would without a doubt be better. Other countries best athletes all play soccer, that is not the same here.
If soccer was Italy's 4th or 5th favorite sport, you realistically think they would be nearly as good??? Same for Brazil, Argentina and any others.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:20 pm to kilo
quote:
I wasnt implying that. I watch plenty of soccer.
Sorry, I really didn't intend that reply directly toward you but just toward the direction of many of the comments in general.
Of course, there's the chance of a high end athlete with great soccer skills developing into a Balotelli (though with him specifically maybe the devil you know is preferable).
My point is simply that the great athlete part of the equation is much, much less important than USA producing elite technical skills in any mediocre athlete whatsoever.
Even a Brazil with their large population of high end athletes field many stars in soccer that are far from special athletes.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:20 pm to HollierThanThou
quote:
You do realize that if our country/athletes/kids focused on soccer as much as the rest of the world, they would be developing soccer skills rather than their skill at other sports right?
Except the Europeans have shown us that you need a massive coaching infrastructure imparting technical knowledge from the time kids are around 8 until their are teenagers.
The truth is that despite the fact soccer is not popular in the US, our players are among the most athletic in the world. We don't impart the technical knowledge at key stages so our technical skills are behind nearly everyone.
Posted on 6/25/14 at 9:22 pm to crazy4lsu
quote:
The truth is that despite the fact soccer is not popular in the US, our players are among the most athletic in the world
I don't think people like the OP get this. We don't lose because we have inferior athletes. In most cases, they are far superior in the American/NFL Combine sense of the word.
Page 2 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News