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inspired by the tiger woods athletic thread (soccer)
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:22 pm
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:22 pm
If the top athletes in our country grew up playing and obsessed with soccer (deon sanders, reggie bush, Lebron, devon hester as examples) would we be in the top 3 perennial WC contenders...
not a big soccer fan but was interested in comparison of athletic ability
not a big soccer fan but was interested in comparison of athletic ability
5
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:26 pm to St Augustine
I think so, we have the best athletes in the world, and if someone like Barry Sanders or Walter Payton played Soccer, a lot of foreign mother frickers would have nursed some broken ankles and broken dreams.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:28 pm to St Augustine
This is true to a large extent. Even soccer seems to be getting bigger, but I can't help but think that guys like Jeff Demps or Noel Devine might be tough to hang with on a long run. 
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:29 pm to St Augustine
quote:
If the top athletes in our country grew up playing and obsessed with soccer (deon sanders, reggie bush, Lebron, devon hester as examples) would we be in the top 3 perennial WC contenders...
I think we would be legit contenders at every level if soccer was the #1 sport locally.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:31 pm to Froman
I believe we would definitely be a power in soccer. I think that a lot of the elite basketball players are probably in the running for best athletes in the world. The majority are huge and nimble. They also have a lot of stamina with the constant up and down the court at a fast pace.
I could see a player like Wade being unbelievable in soccer had that been his passion.
I could see a player like Wade being unbelievable in soccer had that been his passion.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:32 pm to LSUBoo
lebron james might make a pretty sick nasty goalie. talk about range and ball skills. 
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:33 pm to TheCaterpillar
quote:
lebron james might make a pretty sick nasty goalie. talk about range and ball skills.
Yeah, I was thinking Dwight Howard.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:34 pm to TheCaterpillar
i was thinking Lebron would be a brutal striker if he grew up doing it
could you imagine Bo Jackson as a defenseman
someone who legitimately knows soccer should post a potential united states dream team of guys
could you imagine Bo Jackson as a defenseman
someone who legitimately knows soccer should post a potential united states dream team of guys
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:35 pm to Stagg8
that was my first choice, but then I got to thinking that there really is a point when you can be too tall for a goalie (i.e. too far from the ground for dives). I think lebron is MUCH faster and has better reflexes and hands too.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:36 pm to TheCaterpillar
quote:
that was my first choice, but then I got to thinking that there really is a point when you can be too tall for a goalie (i.e. too far from the ground for dives). I think lebron is MUCH faster and has better reflexes and hands too.
True... I missed potentially one of the best guys... not as tall as LeBron but a pretty good leaper in his own rights and much better hands... Larry Fitzgerald.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:37 pm to St Augustine
In a single word, No. People seem to think athletic ability and training are all that it takes to be great at a sport. Soccer is a completely different animal compared to almost another sport. Being big and fast would help, but it isn't going to catapult the US into soccer royalty.
Almost every other sport in the world focuses on a huge amount of hand eye coordination. Foot and leg coordination is completely different. It's not about power in soccer. It can help, but can hurt as much as it would improve things.
I really think that there is a completely different mentality to the game as well, which is why England's national team has sucked and not won in so long. The US would definitely still be a long-ball team and while their set pieces may improve, its not like football where brute force helps. Its not like hockey for the same reason. Forget baseball, the lazy sport. Basketball would not help with the endurance, but would help with an indoor type system.
In the end, it may improve the potential, but not by much. The problem the US has is that the better soccer players aren't the ones being brought onto the national team and its developmental sections. It's all little rich kids and that's the US' problem.
Almost every other sport in the world focuses on a huge amount of hand eye coordination. Foot and leg coordination is completely different. It's not about power in soccer. It can help, but can hurt as much as it would improve things.
I really think that there is a completely different mentality to the game as well, which is why England's national team has sucked and not won in so long. The US would definitely still be a long-ball team and while their set pieces may improve, its not like football where brute force helps. Its not like hockey for the same reason. Forget baseball, the lazy sport. Basketball would not help with the endurance, but would help with an indoor type system.
In the end, it may improve the potential, but not by much. The problem the US has is that the better soccer players aren't the ones being brought onto the national team and its developmental sections. It's all little rich kids and that's the US' problem.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:37 pm to TheCaterpillar
great defenseman could be:
Ed Reed
Bo Jackson
Herschel Walker
Ronnie Lott
and many many more choices
Ed Reed
Bo Jackson
Herschel Walker
Ronnie Lott
and many many more choices
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:39 pm to GeauxBob
Dude, the hypothetical is what if soccer was the #1 sport in the US.
ETA: Meaning if you could take guys with the athleticism of top American athletes and train them up from childhood like other countries have.
ETA: Meaning if you could take guys with the athleticism of top American athletes and train them up from childhood like other countries have.
This post was edited on 5/14/09 at 9:40 pm
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:40 pm to GeauxBob
quote:
In a single word, No. People seem to think athletic ability and training are all that it takes to be great at a sport. Soccer is a completely different animal compared to almost another sport. Being big and fast would help, but it isn't going to catapult the US into soccer royalty.
Almost every other sport in the world focuses on a huge amount of hand eye coordination. Foot and leg coordination is completely different. It's not about power in soccer. It can help, but can hurt as much as it would improve things.
I really think that there is a completely different mentality to the game as well, which is why England's national team has sucked and not won in so long. The US would definitely still be a long-ball team and while their set pieces may improve, its not like football where brute force helps. Its not like hockey for the same reason. Forget baseball, the lazy sport. Basketball would not help with the endurance, but would help with an indoor type system.
In the end, it may improve the potential, but not by much. The problem the US has is that the better soccer players aren't the ones being brought onto the national team and its developmental sections. It's all little rich kids and that's the US' problem.
we are not saying get these athletes to convert to soccer players, but what if they had grown up focusing on soccer their WHOLE LIVES and had these god given bodies, speed, balance, etc.
ETA: if they had, we'd be bad arse in soccer internationally
This post was edited on 5/14/09 at 9:41 pm
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:40 pm to GeauxBob
quote:
In a single word, No
you dont know that. if they grew up playing soccer instead of playing bball or football... they would be some sick soccer players
ETA: youre an idiot
This post was edited on 5/14/09 at 9:41 pm
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:45 pm to NOLATiger86
Granted an equally interesting hypothetical would be...
choose one country (and support your argument) that could legitimately compete with the U.S. in American football if their athletes were trained similarly to current American football players.
choose one country (and support your argument) that could legitimately compete with the U.S. in American football if their athletes were trained similarly to current American football players.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:45 pm to NOLATiger86
there would be, but you people saying that lebron and company would be sick soccer players are equally as dumb.
fwiw, players like cristiano ronaldo and the elite players are equally as athletic as those guys, just in different ways.
fwiw, players like cristiano ronaldo and the elite players are equally as athletic as those guys, just in different ways.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:47 pm to rockchlkjayhku11
quote:
fwiw, players like cristiano ronaldo and the elite players are equally as athletic as those guys, just in different ways.
In what non-sport-specific way is Cristiano Ronaldo a better athlete than LeBron James?
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:50 pm to Stagg8
i dunno i just meant different aspects. i would pick cristiano in a race against lebron. there are just different skills and talents. cristiano ronaldo is a world class athlete, and he would not be successful in the nba. same goes for lebron and soccer.
Posted on 5/14/09 at 9:50 pm to rockchlkjayhku11
quote:
players like cristiano ronaldo and the elite players are equally as athletic as those guys, just in different ways.
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