Watching this World Cup, I wish the US was a football/soccer powerhouse

[Malta]

Just look at the best players in the game, none of them are elite athletes (I mean, stats wise : leap, explosiveness, speed) because if they were, they wouldn't be that good. Even a breh like Cristiano Ronaldo who is the perfect example of efficiency (speed/power/skills) in the game is ridiculous compared to a breh the likes of Kendell Jones. Not because he can't be more athletic, but because he'd lose (some of) his skills by aiming at a more athletic body. As a matter of fact, look at young Cristiano who wasn't the cyborg he is now, he was frail but far more skilled and unpredictable that what he is right now. He gained some weight, developed his body to be more powerful, more resistant (he was fouled a lot) and more efficient and now he lost some of the magic he had in the late 2000s.

Isn't Ronaldo considered the best all around athlete in soccer, people raving about how high he jumps for headers? Forget Kendell Jones he's actually not that fast or athletic, you're not drawing the proper comparison, look at Derrick Rose (when healthy). He and Ronaldo are the same height 6'1" without shoes, however Rose weighed 15-20lbs more, that sports science shyt revealed Ronaldo's vertical was 31", Rose on the other hand registered a 40" vertical.

Sprint times -
Ronaldo ran 25m in 3.31 secs
Rose ran 23m in 3.03 secs


We have a heavier athlete in Derrick Rose, being far more explosive than Ronaldo, and roughly the same in sprint speed. There are a good deal of US athletes with similar athletic numbers to Derrick Rose, there are a lot of NFL WR/DBs that fall right around 6'0" that are faster/quicker. The point you are missing and the question we're asking is, what if these athletes that can match Ronaldo's great athleticism, had been fed through a world class soccer feeder system instead of basketball/football?

shyt, there was a kid that just went undrafted that is 5'10" 180lbs, he has a 44" vertical and ran 23m in 3.24 seconds, there are LOADS of incredible athletes that just don't make it to the NFL/NBA. Basketball requires skill, you have to be 6'6"+ to get the "He's athletic as hell" pass, there are tons of 6'0" guys with 35"+ verticals that weren't good enough to make it.

 

[ADLT]

cant tell whose trolling and whose being serious itt

 

[Rice N Beans]

Soon enough breh.

 

[Liu Kang]

Isn't Ronaldo considered the best all around athlete in soccer, people raving about how high he jumps for headers? Forget Kendell Jones he's actually not that fast or athletic, you're not drawing the proper comparison, look at Derrick Rose (when healthy). He and Ronaldo are the same height 6'1" without shoes, however Rose weighed 15-20lbs more, that sports science shyt revealed Ronaldo's vertical was 31", Rose on the other hand registered a 40" vertical.

Sprint times -
Ronaldo ran 25m in 3.31 secs
Rose ran 23m in 3.03 secs


We have a heavier athlete in Derrick Rose, being far more explosive than Ronaldo, and roughly the same in sprint speed. There are a good deal of US athletes with similar athletic numbers to Derrick Rose, there are a lot of NFL WR/DBs that fall right around 6'0" that are faster/quicker. The point you are missing and the question we're asking is, what if these athletes that can match Ronaldo's great athleticism, had been fed through a world class soccer feeder system instead of basketball/football?

shyt, there was a kid that just went undrafted that is 5'10" 180lbs, he has a 44" vertical and ran 23m in 3.24 seconds, there are LOADS of incredible athletes that just don't make it to the NFL/NBA. Basketball requires skill, you have to be 6'6"+ to get the "He's athletic as hell" pass, there are tons of 6'0" guys with 35"+ verticals that weren't good enough to make it.

What if ? Yeah there could be good maybe great players but not because they were top top athletes but because they would have in a deeply implemented system that would have develop them into world class football players (and sent to Europe as soon as possible to compete with the best). If it's your question, the answer is positive and it's obvious IMO, would have been the same everywhere else.

But please stop with those stats, it's ridiculous. Football is not about that because athleticism and physical abilities are a small part of the game. Obviously you have to run but it's about endurance, you have to jump or sprint but it's about timing, you have to make contact but it's about positionning. I understand that there are specific skills to master in American sports and being a top athlete don't necessary lead to success but the whole athleticism approach doesn't work in football. Brehs like Maradona, Pirlo, Zidane, Xavi, Riquelme, Modric and them can dictate a game at will and they are average athletes (stats wise I mean). Pirlo or Riquelme even barely sprint during a match and simply jog on the pitch.

A breh like Aubameyang is one of the fastest footy players in the world and he's a tier 3 striker. A breh like Sessegnon is super explosive, quick with the feet but plays at Sunderland, a mid-table club and so on. I wish you could understand that there is way more than athleticism and that because one has crazy numbers of numbers similar as Ronaldo, he could be the same as or better than Ronaldo just because. You really shouldn't care about athleticism when talking to football. It's useless honestly.

 

[yoyoyo1]

I don't know where this thread has gone since the first post, probably 7 directions, BUT....

the 1930 thing wasn't a fluke. USA had great players and great leagues. Think about an NHL-level of league of soccer, decently popular and with hardcore fans.. but in DIFFERENT CITIES. the st louis league, the new jersey league, the eastern league, the detroit league, and western league, and then the big teams that only traveled around and played in the open cup

it was just like it was in europe.. neighborhood clubs, teams sponsored by companies/factories/etc

but there was so muchtrouble and in-fighting among the leagues for DECADES that nothing could ever get done and america missed a MASSIVE opportunity for the sport to take hold and create a super league.. and then you all know the 'dark period' that happened after that


http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Wangerin/e/B001JPC5FI

awesome book on the often ignored early history of american soccer

 

[Trajan]

I mean with a huge country (bigger talent pool) and more money...who's to say it's not possible down the future?

However, you Americans are hilarious with some of the arguments you're putting up. Faster, Stronger, jumping higher That's no reason to assume you'll be the best. Big and strong don't mean shyt for the most part. You'll just be running up and down the field like an idiot.

If, like a poster stated earlier, they then train for a football player's body...then that defeats the whole point of your argument...you'll cease to be special if you have the same body type as everyone else.


Other countries with big populations e.g Brazil have kids that do this. So why assume you'll dominate?




:

Just a different culture brehs.

 

[yoyoyo1]

@ the breakdown of vertical and jumps and everything


massive massive differences in philosophy... typical american fans dont have the brain required ..


i'd love to see a physical stats breakdown of reggie bush vs carlos valderrama

 

[Type Username Here]

I don't know where this thread has gone since the first post, probably 7 directions, BUT....

the 1930 thing wasn't a fluke. USA had great players and great leagues. Think about an NHL-level of league of soccer, decently popular and with hardcore fans.. but in DIFFERENT CITIES. the st louis league, the new jersey league, the eastern league, the detroit league, and western league, and then the big teams that only traveled around and played in the open cup

it was just like it was in europe.. neighborhood clubs, teams sponsored by companies/factories/etc

but there was so muchtrouble and in-fighting among the leagues for DECADES that nothing could ever get done and america missed a MASSIVE opportunity for the sport to take hold and create a super league.. and then you all know the 'dark period' that happened after that


http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Wangerin/e/B001JPC5FI

awesome book on the often ignored early history of american soccer

Great article too about 1994 and just prior to that.

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/3/4/5466056/world-cup-usmnt-1994-usa-soccer-history

Someone earlier in the thread said 1994 was supposed to kick-start American soccer but it didn't happen. I'm not so sure that is true.

They advanced out of their group and lost a tough game to Brazil in 94. They did poorly in 98 losing all 3 games. In 2002 they made the quarterfinals. In 2006 they drew the group of death and didn't advance.

In 2010 they won their group and went on to lose to Ghana. In 2014 they have a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.

Not great but not bad.

 

[Bezerk]

The US has more youth football (soccer) players than any other country according to Fifa.They also have the biggest population of any world cup team.
So they already have a larger pool to choose from than most countries.

And like people said athleticism doesn't mean shyt, so converting all potential american football players/basketball players into soccer players isn't a guarantee that the country will be that much better. Whose to say the us team won't be made up of less athletic players.

If Lebron James and say Patrick Kane both started out as soccer players whose to say Lebron James would come out better? based on what?

Marvin Wynne is an american MLS player who is black and considered one of the fastest players in the league he can't get on the NT.

 

[yoyoyo1]

honestly I wish black people played soccer like we do football, basketball etc.

can you imagine a US team in the world cup full of swagged out nikkaz? imagine a nikka like JR smith celebrating after he scored a goal

rest of the world would be like

it's almost like people don't watch the sports they comment about in this thread.

when did that start happening on this forum?

 

[yoyoyo1]

USA is going to be shyte for years. Let it go with these fantasy scenarios and dreams of inner city kids dominating soccer on some Mighty Ducks shyt.

fukk outta here fukkboi, this was our version of knucklepuck time

 

[Lakers Offseason]

Soccer will be a huge sport in this country eventually.

Football is changing more and more because of all these recent studies. Pretty soon, the contact we all love about football will be minimized. More and more parents will send their kids to other sports. And soccer is going to capitalize on these kids.

You gotta be a feak athlete to make it into the NBA. Nikkas ain't all about baseball.

Soccer will get DeSean Jackson type athletes coming through sooner or later. Speed athletes who are no taller than 6'.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

honestly I wish black people played soccer like we do football, basketball etc.

can you imagine a US team in the world cup full of swagged out nikkaz? imagine a nikka like JR smith celebrating after he scored a goal

rest of the world would be like

Breh the way them Africans celebrate as well as other countries they would look at him like

 

[FakeNews]

The US has more youth football (soccer) players than any other country according to Fifa.They also have the biggest population of any world cup team.
So they already have a larger pool to choose from than most countries.

And like people said athleticism doesn't mean shyt, so converting all potential american football players/basketball players into soccer players isn't a guarantee that the country will be that much better. Whose to say the us team won't be made up of less athletic players.

If Lebron James and say Patrick Kane both started out as soccer players whose to say Lebron James would come out better? based on what?

Marvin Wynne is an american MLS player who is black and considered one of the fastest players in the league he can't get on the NT.

Marvell Wynne is the perfect example of a superb athlete who lacks technique and futbol iq

Brek Shea is another guy who is super fast and athletic, but he plays dumb.

This is why I usually bow out of these discussions. I get tired of the OMG imagine if we had Desean Jackson or Michael Vick discussions.... we have fitness,speed and athleticism on our side, but we lack technical skills and I generally think we play naive.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Being shorter is not bad for soccer.

This would be Brazilian advantage...

Breh imagine Brazil defending a corner against a bunch of 6'1+ nikkas with hops