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Posted

Growing up, summer rec league soccer was the sport that most kids played because they weren't good at any other mainstream sports (football, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse)

Posted
Growing up, summer rec league soccer was the sport that most kids played because they weren't good at any other mainstream sports (football, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse)

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I think that's changed -- soccer is really popular for kids now. But we'll see if that translates to greater talent being infused into the sport on a national level. You're right though, that right now, there is so much diversity of sport in the U.S. and we generally don't send our best athletes into what the world calls football. Also, I don't think lacrosse is any more (and is probably less) mainstream than soccer.

Posted

I don't know how good the athletes on the current team are, but I've gotta believe if there was no NFL & the likes of Reggie Bush, etc. had played soccer all their lives & were on the team, no one could touch us.

Posted
Also, I don't think lacrosse is any more (and is probably less) mainstream than soccer.

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Depends on where you grew up. I grew up in Rochester and youth lacrosse is much more popular than soccer and as popular (if not more) than baseball. The same can probably be said for L.I and Maryland. It is also getting very big in California.

Posted
I don't know how good the athletes on the current team are, but I've gotta believe if there was no NFL & the likes of Reggie Bush, etc. had played soccer all their lives & were on the team, no one could touch us.

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You may be right, but at the same time Brasil is a big nation and they play some pretty soccer.

Posted

Well, something to think about..the best athletes are not necessarily the best soccer players. Look at some of the best , Riquelme, Maradonna, Platini, Zidane, Berkamp, Van Basten, etc. Paul Gascgoine - fat tubby player, arguably one of the most gifted players to play on the English national side.

 

England are no slouch nation when it comes to athletes as they have had some very good athletes and soccer is very popular in England, but that doesn't mean they are the best in the world.

 

Probably slow 40 times, etc. But they were magicians witht the ball, where one pass could split open an entire defence. These players are rare, and it's not their athleticism that makes them great, it's their vision, ability to understand the game and the touch on the ball that comes from 20+ years of honing their skills.

 

ie. Argentina just played against a much athletically superior team in the Ivory Coast, but Argentina won convincingly.

 

So, while Reggie Bush is an uber athelete, and can play one position in a sport where he is asked to carry a football and run as fast as he can to a hole, I don't know that it would necessary make him a great soccer player.

Posted

I think another huge factor in our soccer suckiness is coaching. I don't think US players get the same level of coaching as in soccer power countries. It's a vicious cycle. We aren't good at soccer, so our players never learn the game, and our future coaches never do either.

 

But really, except for World Cup and the Olympics, does anyone care? I can recite a list a mile long of things wrong with soccer as a sport. Becoming a world power in the game, woun't change my level of interest in it.

 

PTR

Posted
Well, something to think about..the best athletes are not necessarily the best soccer players. Look at some of the best , Riquelme, Maradonna, Platini, Zidane, Berkamp, Van Basten, etc. Paul Gascgoine - fat tubby player, arguably one of the most gifted players to play on the English national side.

 

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i think the reason for the US sucking at soccer is because we dont have any single name players. All of our rosters have players with a first and last name. If we had a single name player like pele or rohnaldino, we'd probably win more.

Posted
I think another huge factor in our soccer suckiness is coaching.  I don't think US players get the same level of coaching as in soccer power countries.  It's a vicious cycle.  We aren't good at soccer, so our players never learn the game, and our future coaches never do either.

 

But really, except for World Cup and the Olympics, does anyone care?  I can recite a list a mile long of things wrong with soccer as a sport.  Becoming a world power in the game, woun't change my level of interest in it.

 

PTR

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Actually people do care. The champions league draws high ratings and tv contracts for those games are through the roof. Just because poeple in the US don't watch it, doesn't mean it's not popular

Posted
I've gotta believe if there was no NFL & the likes of Reggie Bush, etc. had played soccer all their lives & were on the team, no one could touch us.

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There is no question about this. Soccer is and always has been a popular youth sport because of the lack of cost involved. As soon as the best athletes get into Jr. High, they start playing other sports because they can.

Posted
i think the reason for the US sucking at soccer is because we dont have any single name players. All of our rosters have players with a first and last name. If we had a single name player like pele or rohnaldino, we'd probably win more.

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Actually, Brazilians have like 5-6 names but shorten it. For example, the captain of Brazil's full name is Marco DeMoraes Evangelista Pendolino Cafu, but everyone knows him as Cafu.

Posted

Lets see if Cher is available....or Pink. Prince?

 

Good point on the coaching. There are different styles of soccer and I think Canada and the US would be best served if they adopted a South American style. But it's more of a European (German/English) style and I don't think it's good.

 

I have nephews etc. and I go to watch their games and their coaches are essentially hockey dads coaching the team. Not a clue on teaching technique, tactics, etc. I was fortunate enough to play for an all Chilean team at a very young age and that is likely why I can still play.

Posted
I think another huge factor in our soccer suckiness is coaching.  I don't think US players get the same level of coaching as in soccer power countries.  It's a vicious cycle.  We aren't good at soccer, so our players never learn the game, and our future coaches never do either.

 

But really, except for World Cup and the Olympics, does anyone care?  I can recite a list a mile long of things wrong with soccer as a sport.  Becoming a world power in the game, woun't change my level of interest in it.

 

PTR

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Arena sucks as a coach! Why the !@#$ is Adu left off the team? Why didnt he start Eddie Johnson? Why wasnt Donovan playing midfield? Why dont we ever take a shot farther from 10 yards away?

Posted
Growing up, summer rec league soccer was the sport that most kids played because they weren't good at any other mainstream sports (football, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse)

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Who cares? We probably suck at badminton too.

Posted

The reason the US is bad at soccer is because it's not ingrained in our culture like it is in other nations. In Europe, kids don't play pickup basketball or baseball, they play pickup soccer. They are born and raised playing it and thus even the slouches develope more skills than the majority of American kids do.

 

There is a reason that the NFL WRs who think they can play in the NBA (see: Moulds) really can't. The NBA isn't like football where you can get by on pure athleticism. To be successful in the NBA you need to practice shooting jumpers, dribbling etc for HOURS a day to maintain your skill. The same holds true in soccer. You need the basic skills AND the athleticism.

 

And soccer isn't a big enough part of American culture for kids to spend their childhood honing the basic skills required of the sport.

Posted
The NBA isn't like football where you can get by on pure athleticism. To be successful in the NBA you need to practice shooting jumpers, dribbling etc for HOURS a day to maintain your skill.

 

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:D:D:w00t::lol::lol:

 

The onyl requirements to be a solid NBA player is to dunk, pork 3's, and have a rap sheet.

Posted
To be successful in the NBA you need to practice shooting jumpers, dribbling etc for HOURS a day to maintain your skill.

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That only pertains to the white guys :D

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