Originally posted by scacchipazzo Of course they do. Same as in the UK. How many of the people you mention in their pub leagues play with any skill? The difference is we admit we lack the skill and defer to those who do and come and watch. Further, we have many ex-athletes coaching high school or dedicating themselves to promoting healthy lifestyles. Plus, we do not have the hooliganis ...[text shortened]... e to watch scholckball as I call it an instead watch UEFA, Serie A and EPL and La Liga matches.
Are you saying the MLS teams no good? Surely not with the caliber of talent.
Right here in your own state you have http://www.houstondynamo.com/
Originally posted by stellspalfie yeah i have to admit the standard of pub leagues can be pretty bad, every so often you will play a team that have somebody who has played for a professional club and they stand out by a mile.
why do you feel anybody can play 'soccer' and not everybody can play 'football'?
Soccer has the same basic skill for every position except goalkeeper. NFL style football specializes in various positions. Playing each one credibly is near impossible even for a gifted athlete. Very early on a coach will explore what a kid is good at and groom the kid for a speciific position. THat's why quarterbacks are such a rare commodity. Even playing for years since childhood very few reach axalted levels. Big clumsy guys get placed in offensive line, speedy ones who can cut and run routes and have good hands get to be receivers. And on and on. Furthermore, it takes so much coaching to make all the positions gel together. Just follow New Orleans next season after their coach Sean Payton sits out a whole year! Saints are gonna suck real bad. Plus they will also have a significant number of players suspended as well, but their coach is one of the very best in the league.
I will say, I'd love to be in England some day and enjoy the Sunday atmosphere you describe. I love the singing in the stands, the bursting at the seams stadia, the knowledgeable crowds applauding excellent play, even from opponents. National passtimes are great regardless of country or sport. I do notice that crowds are genrally well behaved and really seem to enjoy their preferred sport greatly.
Originally posted by shortcircuit Are you saying the MLS teams no good? Surely not with the caliber of talent.
Right here in your own state you have http://www.houstondynamo.com/
Did you already forget how ManU's USA tour exposed our MLS teamsfor the schlockball they play? That was really embarrassing! Not a single MLS team could credibly compete in Europe's main leagues. We have no Bundesliga, EPL, La Liga or Serie A equivalents. Not one team could measure up to these leagues main teams. We have no Bareyn Munich's, Barcelonas, Real Madrids, ManU's and many other greats. Not one!
Originally posted by scacchipazzo Did you already forget how ManU's USA tour exposed our MLS teamsfor the schlockball they play? That was really embarrassing! Not a single MLS team could credibly compete in Europe's main leagues. We have no Bundesliga, EPL, La Liga or Serie A equivalents. Not one team could measure up to these leagues main teams. We have no Bareyn Munich's, Barcelonas, Real Madrids, ManU's and many other greats. Not one!
I noticed they are still playing pretty good baseball in Japan although they can't hang with MLB.
I see basketball played in Europe, but they can't hang with the NBA.
Are you suggesting the MSL is not legitimate?
Do they have to be top tier to be legitimate?
Originally posted by shortcircuit I noticed they are still playing pretty good baseball in Japan although they can't hang with MLB.
I see basketball played in Europe, but they can't hang with the NBA.
Are you suggesting the MSL is not legitimate?
Do they have to be top tier to be legitimate?
No. MLS is what it is and least is a start and I certainly do not want them to go away. I agree all the othr sports are played at a higher level in the USA than other countries. Fox Soccer Cahennel spoils MLS by showing the enormously high caliber UEFA games and top tier soccer leagues around Europe. As for basketball, they are certainly catching up. Did you ever dream a German would be MVP of the NBA? WE do export significant GK talent to EPL and many Amercian players have made it in top European leagues. WE will get there. Slowly, but surely.
Originally posted by scacchipazzo Soccer has the same basic skill for every position except goalkeeper. NFL style football specializes in various positions. Playing each one credibly is near impossible even for a gifted athlete. Very early on a coach will explore what a kid is good at and groom the kid for a speciific position. THat's why quarterbacks are such a rare commodity. Even pl ...[text shortened]... umber of players suspended as well, but their coach is one of the very best in the league.
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i can definitely see why they have specific skill sets in a.football, but what are we talking about? when we say anybody can play are you saying anybody could become a professional soccer player, or that anybody within a soccer team could switch positions? im not quite understanding your point.
theres very little hooliganism in british football these days. if there is any its usually done well away from the games.
Originally posted by stellspalfie i can definitely see why they have specific skill sets in a.football, but what are we talking about? when we say anybody can play are you saying anybody could become a professional soccer player, or that anybody within a soccer team could switch positions? im not quite understanding your point.
theres very little hooliganism in british football these days. if there is any its usually done well away from the games.
I am not diminishing soccer one bit. The veary appeal of soccer is its simplicity. Ball handling, shooting, dribbling, passing, tackling. It does not get exceptionally difficult until you reach the upper levels then these very same skills become enormously difficult. Not a one of us could hope to play offense like a Messi, Maradona, Pele, Rooney defense like a Cannavaro, midfield like a Pirlo, GK like a Neuer or Buffon. I am not suggesting positions can swithch. There are specific skill positions, but the essential skills remain. In American Football only offensive linemen tend to switch. Even greats at one position play poorly when switching such as Deion Sanders trying to play receiver.
Originally posted by scacchipazzo I am not diminishing soccer one bit. The veary appeal of soccer is its simplicity. Ball handling, shooting, dribbling, passing, tackling. It does not get exceptionally difficult until you reach the upper levels then these very same skills become enormously difficult. Not a one of us could hope to play offense like a Messi, Maradona, Pele, Rooney defense ...[text shortened]... greats at one position play poorly when switching such as Deion Sanders trying to play receiver.
i didnt mean to suggest you were diminishing soccer, there is a style of soccer called total football in which players switch positions. i just dont understand what you mean when you said 'anybody can play soccer' and 'not everybody can play football'.
you say soccer doesnt get exceptionally difficult until you reach the upper levels, doesnt that apply to all sports?
i reckon i could learn to tackle a.football style pretty quick but i reckon it would take years for an a.football player to learn how to get a soccer ball off me.
Originally posted by stellspalfie i didnt mean to suggest you were diminishing soccer, there is a style of soccer called total football in which players switch positions. i just dont understand what you mean when you said 'anybody can play soccer' and 'not everybody can play football'.
you say soccer doesnt get exceptionally difficult until you reach the upper levels, doesnt that app ...[text shortened]... eckon it would take years for an a.football player to learn how to get a soccer ball off me.
I doubt tackling a la NFL is terribly hard, except when youo get into attempting it against a 130kg+ 4.2 in 40 yard dash running abck coming at you full speed.
Soccer is a simpler sport conceptually and although it takes enormous skill to play it at a high level it is indeed much simpler. Fewer epople can play QB than other skill positions. I doubt many of us could throw a pass 38 yards right into the hands of a moving target like Eli Manning did in the last Super Bowl. Most of us could probably score a goal against like skilled peers. In reality it it all comes down to apples and oranges for the sports are too different for head to head comparison.
Just a couple of suggestions for you soccer lovers, why is it that the clock does not count down to zero? This is simply madening to those who have no idea as to what magic number the game will end cause you get the sick feeling that it never will. After all, last I checked numbers go on to infinity.
And lastly, I actually stayed awake!! Just a few suggestions for all you Yanks trying to stay awake at a soccer game.
1. Take along you cell phone and watch ESPN on it.
2. Attempt at some meaningful conversation, preferably with someone that is not into the game like yourself.
3. Volunteer to be the one to go get some munchies. This usually burns about 15 minutes away, plus you get first dibbs.
4. Drink lots of beer. Of course, this seems to help when facing most forms of pain and discomfort.
Originally posted by whodey I did it, I finally went to a soccer game!!!
Just a couple of suggestions for you soccer lovers, why is it that the clock does not count down to zero? This is simply madening to those who have no idea as to what magic number the game will end cause you get the sick feeling that it never will. After all, last I checked numbers go on to infinity.
And la ...[text shortened]... rink lots of beer. Of course, this seems to help when facing most forms of pain and discomfort.
I watched Milan vs Roma yesterday. Quite a game. However, here's my beef against soccer. At one point Boateng was accidentally hit in the face by De Rossi. He fell backwards as if he had been struck by lightning! It's stuff like that that drives us Yanks crazy. Play or don't play, but making it your mission to fool the ref is awful! Game was saved by Ibrahimovic and his fabulous winning goal. He did a "sombrerito" in the area then headed in his own pass into goal! Such moments of awesome soccer IQ make the game worth watching! That one and the Crouch goal are incredible examples of a quality sport!
Originally posted by scacchipazzo I watched Milan vs Roma yesterday. Quite a game. However, here's my beef against soccer. At one point Boateng was accidentally hit in the face by De Rossi. He fell backwards as if he had been struck by lightning! It's stuff like that that drives us Yanks crazy. Play or don't play, but making it your mission to fool the ref is awful! Game was saved by I ...[text shortened]... l are incredible examples of a quality sport!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTH-dudvw7k
cant argue with that point, play acting and cheating is becoming a big problem. its not as bad in the epl but its not far off. most fans say they hate it but dont condone it when its their player. its gotten worse since fifa have tinkered with the rules making it easier for players to get sent off and win fouls.
i dont watch much italian soccer as the games are usually a bit on the slow side but if you are into the tactical and technique side of things then its the league to watch.
crouch's goal was pretty good. he can go back into hibernation for the next 5 or 6 games now.
Originally posted by stellspalfie cant argue with that point, play acting and cheating is becoming a big problem. its not as bad in the epl but its not far off. most fans say they hate it but dont condone it when its their player. its gotten worse since fifa have tinkered with the rules making it easier for players to get sent off and win fouls.
i dont watch much italian soccer as t ...[text shortened]...
crouch's goal was pretty good. he can go back into hibernation for the next 5 or 6 games now.
Different leagues bring different styles. I love the fast paced EPL games, but also love Serie A. Barcelona is probably the best team on earth right now, but they are dive artists and deserve more Oscars than championship trophies. Bundesliga games seem almost as entertaining as EPL. I love Bayern Munich games. That Mario Gomez is a scoring machine!
Funny what you say about Crouch. He does remind me of Lurch of the Addams family and a bit of Dirk Nowitzki.
why do americans find "soccer" boring? spin off
24 Mar '12 15:04
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