Explain something about soccer

[tonymctones]

 Soccer is more physically demanding. Granted all the other sports mentioned here are physically demanding as well, but from not only the experience I have as an athlete, but the knowledge gained in sports medicine classes in college, soccer is obviously the more demanding sport.
Basketball is a very demanding sport when you consider the sprints that the players have to go through, but like mentioned here, they are very short sprints and half the people that play are over 6ft tall anyway to it doesn't take that long to get across the court. Then its a bunch of passing and quick movements, but endurance lacks. Its mostly anaerobic. Plus, with the combination of using hands and legs, does make it a bit easier.
However, in soccer not only do players sprint long distances, but in between (if they're a good player) they will be jogging or running the whole time, considering when the ball isn't around a player, they should be moving constantly to get in a good position. And when the ball does come near there's a lot of checking to and away from the ball. That involves sprinting. Its a combination of aerobic and anaerobic. Its very demanding. Plus on top of that, you aren't just throwing a ball to someone a few feet away, you may be trying to cross the ball over 30 or 40 yrds. Its a bit more difficult when you have to use your feet not only for running and cutting, but also to handle a ball at the same time. Basketball players don't even have to pay much attention to their feet in relation to the ball. Just the fact that everything in soccer has to be done with the legs and feet make it more demanding. I could run down the length of a soccer field and shoot a basketball in a a net WITH MY HANDS a lot easier than I could run down the length of a soccer field and then shoot after having used most of the energy in my legs.
But like I said, both are hard. I wouldn't expect a basketball player to step onto a soccer field and have the conditioning for it, but like I wouldn't expect a soccer player to step on a basketball court and have the conditioning for that.

 I will make simple google, if you find One result in favor of basketball. feel free to post.

 Skill is learned? how come we don't have a Ronaldo in every corner?

LMAO compare soccer to american football...

more physically demanding my ass 

[che]

are fuking you??? 

a skill is a learned action anybody can pick up skills but its their natural ability that makes the difference....

so who are better atheletes soccer players or football players? LMAO

You are right Payton Manning is  better athlete than Cristiano Ronaldo ,LOL.

[TacoBell]

I'm gonna have to break it down for you guys again cuz you guys are missing my point why americans cant just own the sport if they so choose.  In general to be a pro athlete only about 1 in 100 have what it takes to make it big, with the combination of general fitness and reflexs, in general in any fast paced sport. In the american big three a top player is much rarer than say about 1 in 100, a good guess would be maybe about 1 in 10000, that got the right size, strength, speed, endurance agility, and resistance to injury. Of course they spend there lives devoted to the sport and i'm not trying to say for a moment they without skill. There highly highly skilled athletes.


In soccer its still 1 in 100 people got what it takes to be a pro, I more than agree that there sub par in terms of any of the things that makes americans great athletes. The rest comes down to skill with the ball, team movements,  and a ability to see plays in advance/ manipulate the opposing team, much like any other sport.

Americans do well in conditioned sports because they have so many people. If you got a massive pool of athletes to choose from your sure to get the best and have the best teams. There is no way around this fact, more people more choice better selection.

In soccer it don't work like that at all. A small country like portugal can do very well in the world cup even though it only has 8 million people. Why because they have such a high level of soccer in the country, regardless the number of people. Developing a high level of play takes decades and decades. To act like somehow if americans care theyd dominate the sport in clown talk. Maybe in 30-40 years but it wouldn't
happen overnight

As far as what groinks saying about the american speed and endurance would win, it don't make sense. In soccer its the same size as a football field, but the major difference is that there spread across a field equally not tensed up in football. Which means it's very easy for a skilled team to play around fast players. Football and basketball are not like this a overbearing player can dominate someone because there in tight spaces.
  

The big three American sports/leagues have 2896 roster spots combined.  The us poulation is 308.4 million. Of course not all spots are even occupied my American players, but even if they were that 1 in every 103,000.

[Lundgren]

Your math is awesome.  The big three American sports/leagues have 2896 roster spots combined.  The us poulation is 308.4 million. Of course not all spots are even occupied my American players, but even if they were that 1 in every 103,000.

BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH so what they play for 78.6 years each. The average person in the nfl last 3-4 years. It differs for each sport, but either way it's a pretty good guess. I'm not trying to be precise.

if that is the case then youre fucked...

SKILL IS LEARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ATHELETICISM IS INHERIT!!!!!!!!

who is more atheletic? soccer players or basketball and football players? LMAO ist not even a contest...

No argument there, you got the best athletes in the world, and always will because you have by far the widest selection of players due to demographics. In soccer being a athlete is secondary skill is most important(if you can cover the field of course).  Which means those who have the better soccer to learn from become the most skilled. This is why little piss ant countries like uruguay(3mill folk) go crazy for soccer because they know there not screwed by demographics.

[FREAKgeek]

You guys are putting your own spin on the meanings of skill and athleticism. The words aren't mutually exclusive and it's often used interchangeably. The fact of the matter is, both sports in their own right require both.

[che]

You guys are putting your own spin on the meanings of skill and athleticism. The words aren't mutually exclusive and it's often used interchangeably. The fact of the matter is, both sports in their own right require both.

Exactly

[TacoBell]

You guys are putting your own spin on the meanings of skill and athleticism. The words aren't mutually exclusive and it's often used interchangeably. The fact of the matter is, both sports in their own right require both.

Oh absolutely...it's just that basketball and football require way more of both. 

[Hulkotron]

How anyone can argue that being a professional soccer player requires unremarkable athletic ability and is something that 1/100 people around the world can accomplish is beyond me.

[GRACIE JIU-JITSU]

 I will leave this here.
 
 La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 meters or 11,811 feet) or in Quito, Ecuador (2,800 meters or 9,186 feet).

[Hulkotron]

I will leave this here.
 
 La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 meters or 11,811 feet) or in Quito, Ecuador (2,800 meters or 9,186 feet).

Not sure what you're getting at here GJJ.

[Palpatine Q]

So if you admit that the US has the best athletes...why is it so hard to comprehend that if they were as enthusiastic about soccer as other countries, those superior would be superior soccer players ?

 It is really quite simple. We would have teams with "ronaldos" at every position. Our defensemen would be faster and more agile than your wingmen.

You said it yourself...we have the best athletic pool of everyone......this somehow magically wouldn't translate to Soccer  ??

[GRACIE JIU-JITSU]

Not sure what you're getting at here GJJ.

 High altitude soccer matches.

[Lundgren]

You guys are putting your own spin on the meanings of skill and athleticism. The words aren't mutually exclusive and it's often used interchangeably. The fact of the matter is, both sports in their own right require both.

Regardless of the words it's a simple idea. Part of the each sport is genetic ability that your born with. Which also involves reflexes and reaction time btw. The other half is learned or developed over time and from your environment. Like I said a 100 times, americans have a huge advantage when it comes to having natural born athletes because of a population equal to that of western europe. This can't be transfered to soccer because development overrides natural born ability.

[che]

So if you admit that the US has the best athletes...why is it so hard to comprehend that if they were as enthusiastic about soccer as other countries, those superior would be superior soccer players ?

 It is really quite simple. We would have teams with "ronaldos" at every position. Our defensemen would be faster and more agile than your wingmen.

You said it yourself...we have the best athletic pool of everyone......this somehow magically wouldn't translate to Soccer  ??

It doesn't matter
The best player in the world Messi is 5' 7'' 150lbs

The best player of all time  Maradona was 5'5"" 165 lbs

[Lundgren]

How anyone can argue that being a professional soccer player requires unremarkable athletic ability and is something that 1/100 people around the world can accomplish is beyond me.

1 in 100 have the potential, where as american sports only 1 in 10000 have the potential. Realizing the potential means years of skill development. The great divide in soccer unlike american sports in not genetics but how you develop.

So if you admit that the US has the best athletes...why is it so hard to comprehend that if they were as enthusiastic about soccer as other countries, those superior would be superior soccer players ?

 It is really quite simple. We would have teams with "ronaldos" at every position. Our defensemen would be faster and more agile than your wingmen.

You said it yourself...we have the best athletic pool of everyone......this somehow magically wouldn't translate to Soccer  ??

Like I said you have the best natural born ability, but this don't carry over to soccer development. Just like in say  golf your not gonna say a gulfer got were they at because of genetics it has a lot more with how there developed.

[Palpatine Q]

Well look who they play against.

If they were facing a team full of blazingly fast, strong, agile players they would get owned. Bo Jackson would steal the ball from Maradona and fracture his leg at the same time....then he would score a goal by blasting the ball at 200 mph from mid field while the rest of the mexicans were still in the middle of setting up their defense. Then he would go back to the fallen Maradona and fart in his face

[che]

Well look who they play against.

If they were facing a team full of blazingly fast, strong, agile players they would get owned. Bo Jackson would steal the ball from Maradona and fracture his leg at the same time....then he would score a goal by blasting the ball at 200 mph from mid field while the rest of the mexicans were still in the middle of setting up their defense. Then he would go back to the fallen Maradona and fart in his face

Hahaha

[tonymctones]

You are right Payton Manning is  better athlete than Cristiano Ronaldo ,LOL.

LMAO so you pick a player who is a skill player and compare him to your most athletic soccer player LMAO

Adrian peterson
Andre johnson
Darren Sproles
Marion Barber

any number of atheletes makes ronaldo look like a little middle schooler...

goodness fuking gracious bro you have your own soccer ppl admitting that football and basketball players are more athletic...

[tonymctones]

I will leave this here.
 
 La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 meters or 11,811 feet) or in Quito, Ecuador (2,800 meters or 9,186 feet).

LMAO mile high stadium in denver...

and players get used to playing in thinner air over time...

like I said you have conditioning on us thats it

we run just as fast with a lot more muscle, jump higher, hit harder, cut faster and more times and generally have more atheletic ability than soccer players...

youre an idiot if you think otherwise

ok so you can out run us after 100 yds...you think that makes you a better athelete? LMAO 

[Hulkotron]

1 in 100 have the potential, where as american sports only 1 in 10000 have the potential. Realizing the potential means years of skill development. The great divide in soccer unlike american sports in not genetics but how you develop.

Haha, alright man sounds like you've got it all figured out!  You should write a book about this shit.

So then there are millions upon millions of people around the world who have the "potential" to be a professional soccer player, but don't.  What are they doing instead, exactly?  Too lazy?  Would rather punch the clock 9 to 5 making a fraction of the salary?  Don't like humping super models?  Get real.  Soccer is not some unique special magical unicorn that anyone can excel in if they just try hard enough.  It's an athletic event that requires supreme athletic ability at the professional and international levels, just like any other team sport.  Do you have any idea how many people play soccer worldwide, and what a small minuscule fraction of those people will ever even sniff a World Cup roster?  If you grab 100 random assholes off the street odds are none of them could ever become a professional soccer player regardless of "development".

[GRACIE JIU-JITSU]

It doesn't matter
The best player in the world Messi is 5' 7'' 150lbs

The best player of all time  Maradona was 5'5"" 165 lbs

 Sorry Che.

  Pele was elected Athlete of the Century
  In claiming the award, Pele beat out a list of Olympic greats including Muhammad Ali and Carl Lewis.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The world's National Olympics Committees have voted Brazilian soccer star Pele as No. 1 in their top five Athletes of the Century even though he's the only one of the five who didn't take part in the Olympics.

Behind Pele come Muhammad Ali, who won the Olympic light-heavyweight boxing title in 1960 before becoming a heavyweight megastar as a pro, Carl Lewis," full of drugs" who won nine athletics gold medals in four Games between 1984-96, basketball star Michael Jordan, who was among the United States "Dream Team" gold medalists in '92, and Mark Spitz, who won seven swimming titles at the '72 Games at Munich.

The NOCs also listed their top five leaders in sport with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, architect of the modern Olympics and International Olympic Committee president from 1896-1925, as No. 1 ahead of current IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who has held the position since 1980.


 
 
Former FIFA president Joao Havelange was third ahead of Primo Nebiolo, who was president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation for 18 years until his death last month, and Avery Brundage, IOC president from 1952-72.

[Hulkotron]

I never saw either of them play but I really don't see how anyone can make a strong case for anyone other than Pele being the best ever.

[che]

Sorry Che.

  Pele was elected Athlete of the Century
  In claiming the award, Pele beat out a list of Olympic greats including Muhammad Ali and Carl Lewis. AP

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The world's National Olympics Committees have voted Brazilian soccer star Pele as No. 1 in their top five Athletes of the Century even though he's the only one of the five who didn't take part in the Olympics.

Behind Pele come Muhammad Ali, who won the Olympic light-heavyweight boxing title in 1960 before becoming a heavyweight megastar as a pro, Carl Lewis," full of drugs" who won nine athletics gold medals in four Games between 1984-96, basketball star Michael Jordan, who was among the United States "Dream Team" gold medalists in '92, and Mark Spitz, who won seven swimming titles at the '72 Games at Munich.

The NOCs also listed their top five leaders in sport with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, architect of the modern Olympics and International Olympic Committee president from 1896-1925, as No. 1 ahead of current IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who has held the position since 1980.


 
 
Former FIFA president Joao Havelange was third ahead of Primo Nebiolo, who was president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation for 18 years until his death last month, and Avery Brundage, IOC president from 1952-72.

Not so fast Gracie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Player_of_the_Century

[Lundgren]

Well look who they play against.

If they were facing a team full of blazingly fast, strong, agile players they would get owned. Bo Jackson would steal the ball from Maradona and fracture his leg at the same time....then he would score a goal by blasting the ball at 200 mph from mid field while the rest of the mexicans were still in the middle of setting up their defense. Then he would go back to the fallen Maradona and fart in his face

You've not even listening. Your not evening listening at this point. It don't matter if your stronger or faster, or bigger. People will just play around you. When there ten players spread across a 300 foot field. Each player has over 100 square feet each to avoid faster stronger bigger players.  Not to mention the more basic part. That is your knees get destroyed playing soccer. All the flexing, and jolting and straining of your knees is brutal. It's not just like in straight forward running. Because your constantly devoted half your knee to the ball and the other half to running. Your not kicking at direct angles either which means your going against the natural movements of the knee, causing even more damage. That why being over 200 pounds in soccer is a huge liability. There pushing the limit of what your knees can handle.

[Palpatine Q]

I dont think these guys grasp that its a HYPOTHETICAL discussion.

I KNOW that Soccer takes a lot of skill.....but you seriously think that if a guy like Barry Sanders was kicking around a soccer ball since he was 4 years old dreamed of being a Soccer player, he would not be fucking GREAT  at it??
 Same  goes with hundreds upon hundreds of RBs, DBs, strong safties. Players that are between 5'9" and 6'2" and ridiculous physical specimens,  IF soccer was their game, it would be lights out. They would do things youve never seen before.

My Bo Jackson story was just fucking around, but thats kinda how it would go