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Post by Jindred on Jul 1, 2014 19:00:12 GMT -5
Again ...if US's athletes trained for that stamina, they would be better as well...due to their size. Yes height isn't a clear advantage but it adds advantages in many ways. Depending on the position.
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Post by saskabronco on Jul 1, 2014 21:43:56 GMT -5
Size isn't everything. Ronaldo is 6'2" though and built like a WR. There are some strikers like Nigeria's Emenike who are built like linebackers. But do you really think the size of American football players would be beneficial to them if they played soccer? Other countries have big strong guys as well, but they don't generally play soccer. To play soccer you have to be fit, lean and have a ton of stamina. Being 250lbs doesn't work for elite soccer players. If you don't think these 6'3-6'9" 230-70 lbers aren't "fit", you got something screwed up. They are fit in a different way.. But they aren't built to run a marathon. Soccer requires incredible stamina. You seem to have this idea that football and basketball players are the most physically gifted people in the world, but there are many different types of fitness. The soccer players from America are not necessarily any less incredible than the football and basketball players... Maybe if they focused their training on other things they would blow away the football world. The idea that soccer players are less gifted than these other sports is a joke... It's like comparing boxers to marathon runners... They are incredible in their own way and neither side could do what the other does without years of practice.
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Post by saskabronco on Jul 1, 2014 21:47:50 GMT -5
Again ...if US's athletes trained for that stamina, they would be better as well...due to their size. Yes height isn't a clear advantage but it adds advantages in many ways. Size can be as much of a disadvantage as it is an advantage. The most skilled players in the world are generally smaller, because they can keep the ball close in, under their control. Long, lanky legs make for awkwardness when controlling a ball, much like dribbling in basketball. Sure there are always anomalies, but the fact that you rarely see a player in soccer taller than 6'4" (unless it's a keeper) is evidence of that. USA isn't the only country with giant people. There is a reason super tall people stick to basketball and volleyball.
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Post by Morkim on Jul 1, 2014 22:08:26 GMT -5
If you don't think these 6'3-6'9" 230-70 lbers aren't "fit", you got something screwed up. They are fit in a different way.. But they aren't built to run a marathon. Soccer requires incredible stamina. You seem to have this idea that football and basketball players are the most physically gifted people in the world, but there are many different types of fitness. The soccer players from America are not necessarily any less incredible than the football and basketball players... Maybe if they focused their training on other things they would blow away the football world. The idea that soccer players are less gifted than these other sports is a joke... It's like comparing boxers to marathon runners... They are incredible in their own way and neither side could do what the other does without years of practice. Let me just put it this way and then I'm done Saska. Soccer in the US has a certain pool of people who dedicated their life to the sport. Now, in a hypothetical sense, if the pool size was increased dramatically, what do you think happens to the talent level of the sport? I'm not saying the pool level will, or should or that I even want it to increase. I'm just saying logically speaking, if more people go for a sport early and work their skills towards that particular game, we'd have a higher talent level. And more talent is alway more fun, Jindred envies the NFL talent.
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Post by saskabronco on Jul 1, 2014 22:29:02 GMT -5
They are fit in a different way.. But they aren't built to run a marathon. Soccer requires incredible stamina. You seem to have this idea that football and basketball players are the most physically gifted people in the world, but there are many different types of fitness. The soccer players from America are not necessarily any less incredible than the football and basketball players... Maybe if they focused their training on other things they would blow away the football world. The idea that soccer players are less gifted than these other sports is a joke... It's like comparing boxers to marathon runners... They are incredible in their own way and neither side could do what the other does without years of practice. Let me just put it this way and then I'm done Saska. Soccer in the US has a certain pool of people who dedicated their life to the sport. Now, in a hypothetical sense, if the pool size was increased dramatically, what do you think happens to the talent level of the sport? I'm not saying the pool level will, or should or that I even want it to increase. I'm just saying logically speaking, if more people go for a sport early and work their skills towards that particular game, we'd have a higher talent level. And more talent is alway more fun, Jindred envies the NFL talent. I understand that... I'm not dense. If America put more into soccer they would get more out of it. What I was annoyed at is the attitude of "look how good we are, despite the fact that we don't care about soccer." Maybe that isn't what Eagle was trying to say, but that's how I took it and it's the same way people talked about hockey during the Olympics. It's annoying to the rest of the world when Americans look down on everyone else like "you know, if we actually cared about your stupid game, we would embarrass you at it." It's an arrogant attitude that many Americans have regarding any sport that they don't dominate the world in.
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Post by Morkim on Jul 1, 2014 22:57:36 GMT -5
Let me just put it this way and then I'm done Saska. Soccer in the US has a certain pool of people who dedicated their life to the sport. Now, in a hypothetical sense, if the pool size was increased dramatically, what do you think happens to the talent level of the sport? I'm not saying the pool level will, or should or that I even want it to increase. I'm just saying logically speaking, if more people go for a sport early and work their skills towards that particular game, we'd have a higher talent level. And more talent is alway more fun, Jindred envies the NFL talent. I understand that... I'm not dense. If America put more into soccer they would get more out of it. What I was annoyed at is the attitude of "look how good we are, despite the fact that we don't care about soccer." Maybe that isn't what Eagle was trying to say, but that's how I took it and it's the same way people talked about hockey during the Olympics. It's annoying to the rest of the world when Americans look down on everyone else like " you know, if we actually cared about your stupid game, we would embarrass you at it." It's an arrogant attitude that many Americans have regarding any sport that they don't dominate the world in. Is it the truth that is so annoying?
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Post by 101mitch on Jul 1, 2014 23:04:30 GMT -5
Now you're just raging to hate on the US. Yes, there are some very good athletes on our team. I would hope so, it's 23(I think?) players out of 400+ million people. Let's put it this way. I can't say this with total certainty, but if we listed the top 60 or so athletes for the US, I don't think more than 5 or so play soccer. How many of Belgium or Germany's top 60 play soccer? Did I say they're second class or rejects? No. I simply said generally our best athletes don't gravitate towards soccer. Some very good ones do, but I don't think they're our best. What does the skill of the game have to do with it? If anything you're reinforcing my point. Our best athletes would have to gravitate towards soccer very early if they're going to pick up all the skills it takes to compete at the WC level. I'm glad we've got players who are as skilled as they are, and play for our country. I don't need to makeexcuses for our WC performance because we exceeded expectations. And I think played fair the first half against Belgium. No one would mention soccer players as America's best athletes because soccer players are nowhere near as popular in America... But how do you define 'best athlete'? Soccer players has to be fast, strong, able to jump, and they need incredible stamina. Just because football players can tackle harder and bench press more, that doesn't make them better athletes. I do rage on America often because the selfish and arrogant attitude that stands out with many (not all) Americans when watching sports like soccer and hockey is so pathetic. As I said, many Americans just need an excuse for why they aren't the best at something. The rest of us accept that we can't be the best at everything and we can't be the best every time.. Notice I don't try to argue anyone when they say USA is better than Canada at soccer or in the Olympics, because I'm not in denial. USA is better than Canada at soccer.. No excuses, we just aren't very good at soccer. See that is the thing.. We STRIVE to be the best at every sport whether it is football, futbal, or freaking Ping-Pong. You are ACCEPTING your weak soccer team.. We can't do that, and we will never accept being second best.
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Post by awesomeace on Jul 1, 2014 23:36:53 GMT -5
Good luck with ping pong... here some Asian country keeps sweeping the podium
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Post by saskabronco on Jul 2, 2014 0:14:24 GMT -5
No one would mention soccer players as America's best athletes because soccer players are nowhere near as popular in America... But how do you define 'best athlete'? Soccer players has to be fast, strong, able to jump, and they need incredible stamina. Just because football players can tackle harder and bench press more, that doesn't make them better athletes. I do rage on America often because the selfish and arrogant attitude that stands out with many (not all) Americans when watching sports like soccer and hockey is so pathetic. As I said, many Americans just need an excuse for why they aren't the best at something. The rest of us accept that we can't be the best at everything and we can't be the best every time.. Notice I don't try to argue anyone when they say USA is better than Canada at soccer or in the Olympics, because I'm not in denial. USA is better than Canada at soccer.. No excuses, we just aren't very good at soccer. See that is the thing.. We STRIVE to be the best at every sport whether it is football, futbal, or freaking Ping-Pong. You are ACCEPTING your weak soccer team.. We can't do that, and we will never accept being second best. I think you are mistaking my accepting of a fact for a lack of caring or trying. First of all, as a fan, I don't have much control over the skill of my team. It's not up to me how good they are. I want Canada to be the best and I guarantee that the Canadian players strive to be the best that they can. I would imagine the same can be said for American players, it's just many fans (more so the non-soccer fans who know nothing and care little about the game) try to act like America is good without even trying. I don't fault the players or the actual dedicated fans, but I get annoyed at the ignorance and arrogance of people who just want to wave their flag and brag about being American.
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Post by Jindred on Jul 2, 2014 1:35:31 GMT -5
You do realize that Canada is in the same boat as what you guys are talking about right now. Theoretically all of our best athletes are hockey players, if all of them and our money focused on another sport instead of hockey we would likely be as good at that sport as we are at hockey. The deal is that we don't go saying "If we did we would be better than you" its just arrogant. Every other country in the world with the money and population are in the same boat but you don't hear fans from other countries saying it.
American fans have three tendencies. One if they are the best at a sport they act like "WE ARE THE BEST EVER AND EVERYONE ELSE SUCKS WOOOO U.S.A, U.S.A!"
Two if they aren't the best at the sport and they win you get "WOOO! We aren't even into this sport and we still own you, how embarassing is that that we put in half the effort and we are still better U.S.A, U.S.A!"
Three they lose at any sport. "Er ma gerd! The ref is against us, our players were tired from partying last night, we don't put as much money into this sport, but if we put the money and players into this sport we would be the best ever at it and nobody would ever beat us just like football and basketball, man are we awesome at those!"
It gets tiresome listening to that every time we face Americans on a world stage. It would be nice to see some class and humility out of American fans but I don't expect that to ever happen.
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