Basketball players are too tall for soccer. Probably point-guards maybe shooting guards would.
Probably baseball or hockey inclined players.
Probably baseball or hockey inclined players.
I was thinking of some of the many small, shifty and coordinated RBs and slot WRs that we produce.
If we can convince 10% of those kids that soccer is a better and less dangerous path, there'll be a lot of talent coming through the pipelines.
Also, we need guys like Zelalem to join the movement and choose us over their other options.
If we can convince 10% of those kids that soccer is a better and less dangerous path, there'll be a lot of talent coming through the pipelines.
Also, we need guys like Zelalem to join the movement and choose us over their other options.
Yeah the future of soccer in the US is going to come from would be RBs, DBs, and other smaller football players. There was a 10% decrease in youth football the year after the concussion stuff came out. That is going to continue and those kids are gonna want to play something and odds are a lot of them will be too short play basketball and not in a place where hockey is not feasible. Would leave the options to baseball and soccer and baseball's popularity is plummeting.
That article is right though. Youth sports in this country are not easy on families. Soccer clubs in particular are demanding and very expensive. The only ones that are really able to really get away with it are AAU but it is crooked as shit and basically funded by shoe companies and baseball because it is mainly upper middle class suburbia.
That article is right though. Youth sports in this country are not easy on families. Soccer clubs in particular are demanding and very expensive. The only ones that are really able to really get away with it are AAU but it is crooked as shit and basically funded by shoe companies and baseball because it is mainly upper middle class suburbia.
Haven't you guys been having that conversation since 1994? And then in the mid-2000s with the Adu hype... I doubt much changes in coming years. To crack the top10 for the US would take major cultural shifts, and a LOT of time. Since Americans are so fascinated with being number one, first you would need someone to achieve Ronaldo/Messi-type success. Even a Suarez or a Benzema would not be enough. Then it would take a lot more time to build a decent team, from the subsequent increase in youth playing the sport. It's just going to stall.
Basketball players are too tall for soccer. Probably point-guards maybe shooting guards would.
Probably baseball or hockey inclined players.
Just look at that 6'6" dude from Belgium. His dribbling skills on the pitch are horrible because of how long his stride is. Taller people are easier to slide tackle the ball from too.
Soccer is competing with Point guards, running backs, and baseball players.
Haven't you guys been having that conversation since 1994? And then in the mid-2000s with the Adu hype… I doubt much changes in coming years. To crack the top10 for the US would take major cultural shifts, and a LOT of time. Since Americans are so fascinated with being number one, first you would need someone to achieve Ronaldo/Messi-type success. Even a Suarez or a Benzema would not be enough. Then it would take a lot more time to build a decent team, from the subsequent increase in youth playing the sport. It's just going to stall.American soccer has changed immensely since 1994. We have guys who could actually play for some of the biggest club teams in the world, and some who actually do/did (such as Howard, Bradley, and Green).
The biggest difference between the US and the very best teams at the tournament is that depth of quality at the top. The Netherlands subs in guys like Huntelaar and Belgium subs in Lukaku (and isn't even playing Benteke because of injury). However, because of our population and wealth I'd argue that the margin for error is much larger. We can afford to let a few guys slip through the cracks as long as we're marginally more efficient at identifying talent.
Also, I would argue that having a Suarez-caliber striker would make this US team a contender for the semifinals at least. They were damn close to the quarterfinals without a guy like him (coming from such a tough group, no less) and guys like him really change the dynamics on the pitch. All of a sudden the other team has to constantly worry and account for his threat, making it quite a bit harder to be aggressive on offense. We'd still be a flawed team for sure, but which national team isn't?
Haven't you guys been having that conversation since 1994? And then in the mid-2000s with the Adu hype… I doubt much changes in coming years. To crack the top10 for the US would take major cultural shifts, and a LOT of time. Since Americans are so fascinated with being number one, first you would need someone to achieve Ronaldo/Messi-type success. Even a Suarez or a Benzema would not be enough. Then it would take a lot more time to build a decent team, from the subsequent increase in youth playing the sport. It's just going to stall.American soccer has changed immensely since 1994. We have guys who could actually play for some of the biggest club teams in the world, and some who actually do/did (such as Howard, Bradley, and Green).
The biggest difference between the US and the very best teams at the tournament is that depth of quality at the top. The Netherlands subs in guys like Huntelaar and Belgium subs in Lukaku (and isn't even playing Benteke because of injury). However, because of our population and wealth I'd argue that the margin for error is much larger. We can afford to let a few guys slip through the cracks as long as we're marginally more efficient at identifying talent.
Also, I would argue that having a Suarez-caliber striker would make this US team a contender for the semifinals at least. They were damn close to the quarterfinals without a guy like him (coming from such a tough group, no less) and guys like him really change the dynamics on the pitch. All of a sudden the other team has to constantly worry and account for his threat, making it quite a bit harder to be aggressive on offense. We'd still be a flawed team for sure, but which national team isn't?
It's ok to admit, no one cares about soccer.
It's ok to admit, no one cares about soccer.I'd be there right with you if this was 2002, but the scene has changed quite a bit. It's gaining in popularity steadily year by year. It's not gonna unseat the major four sports within the next year, but next generation of soccer in the US will be a different landscape.
And for what it's worth, when it comes to World Cup time, the US as a whole does care. Which is a huge improvement when nobody even knew that the World Cup was held in the US in 1994.
In 94 in the US more people cared and watched shit about OJ than the world cup. Plus any momentum that could have been built off of the US hosting and doing better than expected was killed by a combo of the clusterfuck that was the MLS launch, coupled with little to no soccer on TV, and capped by the 1998 performance. Things are much different now.
Major League Soccer, only one generation old, was created because FIFA made it a condition for the U.S. to host the 1994 World Cup.
Yea, that's another thing to remember. The MLS wasn't even a thing back then, and now it's slowly building into a somewhat legitimate league. The product isn't great, but it's a lot better than what it was.
Granted, my perception could be clouded by the fact that the Timbers games always have an amazing atmosphere in Portland, so that might not hold true leaguewide.
Rich Luker has been conducting and analyzing polling of American sports fandom since 1994, when he launched the ESPN Sports Poll. The poll – the first of its kind and the only national syndicated intelligence service dedicated to the study of sports — gathers data on a broad, inclusive list of sports and their U.S. fan bases. The growth Major League Soccer fandom has experienced the past five to 10 years is remarkable, Luker says.http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2013/11/08/after-flirting-with-failure-major-league-soccer-popularity-now-surging/
Of the 18,000 people surveyed in 2012, more than a third identified themselves as fans of Major League Soccer, according to the Luker on Trends – ESPN Sports Poll. It’s a 24% increase from five years ago and a 33% increase since 2002. Avid fans of the league — now at 7.3% — grew 35% from 2007 and 43% from a decade ago.
The poll defines a fan as “a little bit interested” in a sport and an avid fan as “very interested,” a far more coveted distinction.
Haven't you guys been having that conversation since 1994? And then in the mid-2000s with the Adu hype… I doubt much changes in coming years. To crack the top10 for the US would take major cultural shifts, and a LOT of time. Since Americans are so fascinated with being number one, first you would need someone to achieve Ronaldo/Messi-type success. Even a Suarez or a Benzema would not be enough. Then it would take a lot more time to build a decent team, from the subsequent increase in youth playing the sport. It's just going to stall.American soccer has changed immensely since 1994. We have guys who could actually play for some of the biggest club teams in the world, and some who actually do/did (such as Howard, Bradley, and Green).
The biggest difference between the US and the very best teams at the tournament is that depth of quality at the top. The Netherlands subs in guys like Huntelaar and Belgium subs in Lukaku (and isn't even playing Benteke because of injury). However, because of our population and wealth I'd argue that the margin for error is much larger. We can afford to let a few guys slip through the cracks as long as we're marginally more efficient at identifying talent.
Also, I would argue that having a Suarez-caliber striker would make this US team a contender for the semifinals at least. They were damn close to the quarterfinals without a guy like him (coming from such a tough group, no less) and guys like him really change the dynamics on the pitch. All of a sudden the other team has to constantly worry and account for his threat, making it quite a bit harder to be aggressive on offense. We'd still be a flawed team for sure, but which national team isn't?
It's ok to admit, no one cares about soccer.
The honest truth is that people care about the World Cup because it gives us a chance to be faux patriotic. No one is ever going to give a shit about a domestic league. Its easier to find Arena fucking Football on TV than it is to find an MLS game.
Basketball players are too tall for soccer. Probably point-guards maybe shooting guards would.
Probably baseball or hockey inclined players.
But seriously, the issue is that athletically gifted kids don't go into soccer, so even those that don't grow enough for the NBA just turn into bitter street-ball players, not soccer stars.
American soccer has changed immensely since 1994. We have guys who could actually play for some of the biggest club teams in the world, and some who actually do/did (such as Howard, Bradley, and Green).
The biggest difference between the US and the very best teams at the tournament is that depth of quality at the top. The Netherlands subs in guys like Huntelaar and Belgium subs in Lukaku (and isn't even playing Benteke because of injury). However, because of our population and wealth I'd argue that the margin for error is much larger. We can afford to let a few guys slip through the cracks as long as we're marginally more efficient at identifying talent.
Also, I would argue that having a Suarez-caliber striker would make this US team a contender for the semifinals at least. They were damn close to the quarterfinals without a guy like him (coming from such a tough group, no less) and guys like him really change the dynamics on the pitch. All of a sudden the other team has to constantly worry and account for his threat, making it quite a bit harder to be aggressive on offense. We'd still be a flawed team for sure, but which national team isn't?
Look, I would like soccer to pick up in the US, keep getting better, etc.
But your team was dominated by Belgium. Howard had his best game in like 5 years, but Belgium had over 30 shots. This is not an anecdote. Greece was even closer to going to the 1/4 finals, and Greece might be the 7th best European nation. What will happen when the US do not make it out of the group stage in 4 years? It's very likely. Happens to everyone: Spain, Italy, England, France 2010, etc. There's less stability in world soccer than there is in other sports, such as basketball.
It's not at all a matter of subbing in better players. Raw talent wise, at the top, you've never had Eden Hazard, Schweinsteiger, Neymar, etc. If you want another statistic, look at the number of American players who have significant Champions' League experience. Compare that with Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands... So far, individual performance wise, you're down to mentioning Howard playing for Man United more than 7 years ago. You're not a Suarez away, you're not even a Ronaldo away (look at Portugal, their roster is not so bad), you're "a generation after a pop-culture phenomenon such as Ronaldo"-away.
Basketball is another animal, but we can look at it a bit. The Dream Team of 1992 and Jordan most especially changed the game. Here in France it sparked the Parker-Diaw generation, like it made Spain what it is today. So we have our Suarez-type player if you want. We even won the Euro last year. Now what? Basketball is nowhere neaaaaaar close to achieving soccer-level recognition. It's never on television. The number of people playing basketball has grown, but it hasn't made a great difference. Soccer will be first, rugby second, and then a number of events (Rolland Garros, The Tour, etc). To be better than the US at basketball, what would it take? So much more. Brazil, Argentina and European nations share the advantage in soccer that the US has alone in basketball, but that's the kind of hill you need to climb. It takes a lot.
My argument is, the US will get better eventually, for sure (large country with many many kids), but they have peaked for the next 12 years. I think in 20 years time it might be more popular than hockey or baseball, but that's the most optimistic scenario, and it might be a requirement for the national team to be a contender. I hope it happens.
We can discuss whether or not it's necessary for soccer to be more popular than traditional sports, that's not something I'm sure of. Belgium is a super-small country (10m people), and it's going to be a true powerhouse for the next ten years, so you don't need the whole country to go into it.
As far as athletes go, you want track athletes to switch to soccer, forget team sports.
I thought if France kept the attacking as heavy as they did in the 1st half, they could've equalized or even won. But they gave up and got lazy. And then in those final 2 minutes...phew. Poor Benzema, looked like he was the only one who gave a fuck. He had a ton of great shots.
Gotta love comments about laziness when the weather was suffocating.
Holland Mexico was worse, and both teams' efforts were immense.
Doesn't hide the fact that Germany covered 7.5km more than France despite grabbing an early lead.
Like Griezmann tho. He should come to Munich and be Ribery's replacement.
Gotta love comments about laziness when the weather was suffocating.
Germany totally wasn't playing under the same conditions. France didn't play with any sense of urgency in the second half. Whether it was lack of drive or hunger to win, it just wasn't there.
#AnybodyButFrance&Argentina
Nice.
Hoping for Brazil here, keep the party atmosphere going.
Why the hate for Argentina though?
Gotta love comments about laziness when the weather was suffocating.
Germany totally wasn't playing under the same conditions. France didn't play with any sense of urgency in the second half. Whether it was lack of drive or hunger to win, it just wasn't there.#AnybodyButFrance&Argentina
Nice.
Hoping for Brazil here, keep the party atmosphere going.
Why the hate for Argentina though?
England supporter. Hating the Argies is just as much a part of it as dashed hopes and quick exits.
Sorry France but America wasn't there to save you from Germany again.
So tasteful. #muricans
I probably should go for the Vietnam or Irak reference I'm guessing, fuck relatives who died there, right?
SamuraiX, of course, French players totally just gave up, it's obvious, who would need motivation for the World Cup?
France dominated. They still lost. That's football. Happens.
The gameplan was to go over the defense with long balls. It didn't really work. We'll be back. Pogba is 21, Griezmann is 23, Lloris has 10 years ahead of him... We're a very young team.
And the US fans will show up in 4 years after having not cared about the sport for 1500 odd days, thinking they will make it to the Final.
Hopefully Germany kills Brazil.
A game where both teams have the ball 50% of the time is not a domination. 9 to 6 shots on goal is not domination.
Sorry France but America wasn't there to save you from Germany again.
So tasteful. #muricans
I probably should go for the Vietnam or Irak reference I'm guessing, fuck relatives who died there, right?
SamuraiX, of course, French players totally just gave up, it's obvious, who would need motivation for the World Cup?
France dominated. They still lost. That's football. Happens.
The gameplan was to go over the defense with long balls. It didn't really work. We'll be back. Pogba is 21, Griezmann is 23, Lloris has 10 years ahead of him… We're a very young team.
And the US fans will show up in 4 years after having not cared about the sport for 1500 odd days, thinking they will make it to the Final.
A game where both teams have the ball 50% of the time is not a domination. 9 to 6 shots on goal is not domination.
Hahaha, PimpWerx was convinced that Neymar was full of shit and that he was perfectly fine in the other forum's thread. I LOL'd.
I thought he was too, but when he was still crying on that stretcher...shieeeet.
Anyways, I'm proud of Germany, even though they played a lazy ass game today.
But the officiating against Colombia (I emphasize against) was fucking horrendous.
I thought he was too, but when he was still crying on that stretcher...shieeeet.
Anyways, I'm proud of Germany, even though they played a lazy ass game today.
But the officiating against Colombia (I emphasize against) was fucking horrendous.
Rooting for a Low Countries semifinal.
Shame about Neymar too. Really wanted to see Brazil at full strength against Germany.
Shame about Neymar too. Really wanted to see Brazil at full strength against Germany.
X-Ray of Neymar's fractured vertebra:
Man, that's fucked up. I can't stand the guy for all his diving but nobody deserves this. Fuck that clown from Columbia for the blindsided tackle. They better beeline his ass to the nearest plane out of Brazil because he'll be lucky to make it out of the country in anything other than a coffin.
Man, that's fucked up. I can't stand the guy for all his diving but nobody deserves this. Fuck that clown from Columbia for the blindsided tackle. They better beeline his ass to the nearest plane out of Brazil because he'll be lucky to make it out of the country in anything other than a coffin.
Sorry Gabyskra, i wish this could've been the finals.
Germany should take care of Brazil and then lose again in the finals :cry:
Germany should take care of Brazil and then lose again in the finals :cry:
The Belgians probably just didn't feel like playing their best.
/internetspecialist
gotdayum you're still bitter as hell
Why you so mad? France never had a chance to win the Cup anyway. You're getting Melo back, bruh. Cheer up.
EDIT: Whoops! Never mind about the bold. Just checked the off-season thread. :lol: :lol: :lol:
