re: Importance of possession in soccer vs. other sports

quote:

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For example, a football gam

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I get what you're trying to say, but soccer differs from football and basketball in that you can keep possession for an infinite amount of time and not be forced to turn the ball over to your opponent through the laws of the game (4th down and a shot clock, respectively).

Soccer is just a weird ol' game where being able to keep possession (usually) means you are just technically better than your opponent.

And if you have the ball longer and are better than the other team, chances are that you will win. But the key is having possession with purpose of going forward.
Don't try to overthink it.