Explain something about soccer

[Fury]

Im done with this guys, every one of you are like "we will destroy everyone in everything if we want to!!!" - sounds to me like ignorant stupid bullshit. I don't need to discuss my favourite sport with people who obviously have no understanding or appreciation for it.

Don't get mad, my Norwegian chum. Enjoy the WC while raging over the fact that the inferior Norwegian team is stuck at home while the USA is playing for all the marbles.

[tonymctones]

100% honest opinion that if americans loved soccer and your best "athletes" played soccer, that you'd top 5-10 consistantly in the world and MAYBE win a WC or two in 50 years time. Not nr 1 like you all like to think.

I never said we would be number one all the time but we would be consistantly at the top  

I love how you convienently leave out the USs 310million citizens vs Norways 4 million or Swedens 8.  

I love how you convienently leave out that the US doesnt care about soccer and we are still world competitors, we may suck and get our asses beat but for a sport that gets the atheletes left over from other sports that seems pretty good considering they are competing against the rest of the worlds best atheletes...

bro why do you think we are always in the medal count race in the olympics? we as in the US do produce better quality atheletes in general than the rest of the world...maybe its b/c we put alot of emphasis on it maybe its b/c we have ppl in this country whos ancestors were bred to be that way either way it is the way it is...  

[tonymctones]

Im done with this guys, every one of you are like "we will destroy everyone in everything if we want to!!!" - sounds to me like ignorant stupid bullshit. I don't need to discuss my favourite sport with people who obviously have no understanding or appreciation for it.

LOL bro we are consistantly at the top of generally every sport we apply ourselves to, facts are facts deal with it...

Im not saying we would destroy everyone in soccer but fact is we would be consistently at the top...you think you can say the same thing about american football, baseball, basketball if your country or any other european country decided to get serious about those sports? LMFAO

[Ursus]

USA are ranked 14th.

The FIFA rankings are flawed as in they take account of teams that they play and use that as a basis for calculating their ranking. E.g USA play in N.America and Centeral American FIFA federation. They are playing much smaller teams etc hence their high rankings.

Football is like pretty much everything. A poor team CAN beat a good team, even a great team.

However, on average the good teams will beat the poor teams more often than not.

[tonymctones]

Brother mexicans are 31 million in the US, thats 5-6 times Norway already! They love soccer, the us is packed with foreigners who love soccer. You are a melting pot remember.

actually I think there are way more than that in the US and thats just the legal ones we know about 

doesnt mean anything, how many of those mexicans do you see playing on our world cup team? LMAO not many...

[tonymctones]

USA are ranked 14th.

The FIFA rankings are flawed as in they take account of teams that they play and use that as a basis for calculating their ranking. E.g USA play in N.America and Centeral American FIFA federation. They are playing much smaller teams etc hence their high rankings.

Football is like pretty much everything. A poor team CAN beat a good team, even a great team.

However, on average the good teams will beat the poor teams more often than not.

they need to do away with a couple of ppl per side and produce more scoring, seriously 90 mins to see a facking tie...really??? or even a one or two score game??? come on now

Like I said I dont have anything against soccer I actually like the aspect of not stopping and I would love to go to a soccer game in europe and see all they crazy fans but to think that they are as athletic as the football or basketball players in america is ignorant...I understand its a different sport but still the athleticism of soccer isnt that impresive to be honest.

[tonymctones]

Ok if this is your opinion then OK I will agree. The US could easily be a consistent quarter/semi finalist nation if they gave a shit, I was thinking that you think you would be the absolute best, thats not right.. But when it comes down to 11 players then its no longer about who has the most people, genetics, drugs, training.. Its about what 11 players are the best, and some nations like Holland are blessed with the best even with 16m ppl.

Oh and about the olympics I have no counter argument, the olympics are all about speed, strength, agility, (just like american football) thats why genetics (black americans) (no racist) have so much to say.


Hope you understand my opinion now.... cannot believe Im using my time discussing this while on vacation  

yesh yesh go drink and get some strange, if im ever in europe id be down to catch a soccer game

[Ursus]

Football is not so much about individual athleticism. I am not disputing that a NFL guy or NBA dude are not more athletic.

Football is different. relient more on skill, fitness, teamwork, technique, vision etc

I find that the first game or 2 in teh group stages of the WC are a bit slow as everyone is anxious to qualify etc. It does always get much better in teh later rounds with teh cream eventually rising to teh top.

I find NFL very boring to watch with its stop start mentality however I can appreciate how many people really enjoy it etc. Football (as I am sure NFL is) is much harder than it looks. I dount many onm her could kick a football 50 yards in a straight line.

[Ursus]

A lot comes down to culture also.

USA culture is Baseball, NBA, NFL, wrestling and Track and field.

From an early age kids are encouraged and enabled to do so. The rest of teh world does not have the facilities/infastructure.

Ireland is tiny. However we win a boxing medal every olympics because it is in our culture to box.

Perhaps if the option was there 30 years ago then more people would be playing football in USA xerses. I have no doubt that in 30 years though football will be a major US sport. Not teh Top 2 but certrainly major!

[tonymctones]

Football is not so much about individual athleticism. I am not disputing that a NFL guy or NBA dude are not more athletic.

Football is different. relient more on skill, fitness, teamwork, technique, vision etc

I find that the first game or 2 in teh group stages of the WC are a bit slow as everyone is anxious to qualify etc. It does always get much better in teh later rounds with teh cream eventually rising to teh top.

I find NFL very boring to watch with its stop start mentality however I can appreciate how many people really enjoy it etc. Football (as I am sure NFL is) is much harder than it looks. I dount many onm her could kick a football 50 yards in a straight line.

american football may seem like just a brute strength contest but that is so far from the truth its insane. American football is very relient on skill, fitness, teamwork and vision.

how much skill, fitness and vision do you think it takes to fight off a defender while tracking a ball and then make a one handed catch from almost 50 yards away? Never the less being able to hit a person with a football running at a full sprint that runs 40 yds in around 4 secs while trying to avoid 300 lb men trying to tackle you.

there is a ton of teamwork in the NFL watch some of the runs in this video and tell me that all the blocking isnt teamwork. Anytime you have a successfull pass or run you can be sure that alot of teamwork went into it, the ppl have to know who to block, whether or not the block and the let them go to engage someone else downt he field...whether or not the running back should block or go out for a pass.

Like I said I know on the surface American football doesnt look like it takes a lot of skill but thats just not paying attention. Everything from the linemen knowing their blocking assignments to a running back giving a stiff arm or a juke uses teamwork and skill

I leave you with one of the leagues best wide receivers and some of his best catches from last year...this man is a true athelete

[TacoBell]

american football may seem like just a brute strength contest but that is so far from the truth its insane. American football is very relient on skill, fitness, teamwork and vision.

how much skill, fitness and vision do you think it takes to fight off a defender while tracking a ball and then make a one handed catch from almost 50 yards away? Never the less being able to hit a person with a football running at a full sprint that runs 40 yds in around 4 secs while trying to avoid 300 lb men trying to tackle you.

there is a ton of teamwork in the NFL watch some of the runs in this video and tell me that all the blocking isnt teamwork. Anytime you have a successfull pass or run you can be sure that alot of teamwork went into it, the ppl have to know who to block, whether or not the block and the let them go to engage someone else downt he field...whether or not the running back should block or go out for a pass.

Like I said I know on the surface American football doesnt look like it takes a lot of skill but thats just not paying attention. Everything from the linemen knowing their blocking assignments to a running back giving a stiff arm or a juke uses teamwork and skill

I leave you with one of the leagues best wide receivers and some of his best catches from last year...this man is a true athelete

Sooo true.  Perhaps football is just too complicated for the rest of the world to understand?  I mean is there  another sport where the number 1 draft pick has no intention nor may never even touch the ball?

[Ursus]

Appreciate thought out post man.

Skimmed through teh vids also. I do appreciate the athleticism etc but NFL IMO requires more athleticsm as more is allowed. Ie more tackling, harder tackling, throwing, kicking, blocking etc.

Bear in mind in football there is only kicking and heading the ball allowed. The constraints limit the outcome and possibilities etc.

Personally i don't need a 12-15 scoreline to be entertained and if you played I am sure you could understand why. The most enjoyable game I ever played was in my final year at school with about 400 people watching. 0-0 draw. Went to penalties. Went right through to teh goalkeepers taking the penalty. I saved the penultimate penalty, and scored teh winning penalty 

[Mr Nobody]

The next world sports event, replacing soccer and football

[tonymctones]

Sooo true.  Perhaps football is just too complicated for the rest of the world to understand?  I mean is there  another sport where the number 1 draft pick has no intention nor may never even touch the ball?

LMAO I think the Texans have done that twice but Im very happy with both of them...

it really is complicated, the amount of team work involved in running plays alone between the offensive line and running back is simply amazing...

I can see that on the surface with someone who never watches it how it could look like just a bunch of guys running into each other but its so far from that its not even funny...every play is a set design of teamwork, skill, vision and fitness on both sides of the ball...

how much vision does it take to read a qb and intercept a ball?

[Ursus]

LMAO I think the Texans have done that twice but Im very happy with both of them...

it really is complicated, the amount of team work involved in running plays alone between the offensive line and running back is simply amazing...

I can see that on the surface with someone who never watches it how it could look like just a bunch of guys running into each other but its so far from that its not even funny...every play is a set design of teamwork, skill, vision and fitness on both sides of the ball...

how much vision does it take to read a qb and intercept a ball?

Exact same could be said for each sport. We are just ignorant of each others.

[tonymctones]

Appreciate thought out post man.

Skimmed through teh vids also. I do appreciate the athleticism etc but NFL IMO requires more athleticsm as more is allowed. Ie more tackling, harder tackling, throwing, kicking, blocking etc.

Bear in mind in football there is only kicking and heading the ball allowed. The constraints limit the outcome and possibilities etc.

Personally i don't need a 12-15 scoreline to be entertained and if you played I am sure you could understand why. The most enjoyable game I ever played was in my final year at school with about 400 people watching. 0-0 draw. Went to penalties. Went right through to teh goalkeepers taking the penalty. I saved the penultimate penalty, and scored teh winning penalty 

I agree and I think a game with that much scoring would be pretty boring actually but something like 3 or 5 goals per team a game would be nice...like you said Im sure that as the world cup goes on the games will get more exciting maybe the teams now are playing a little more conservatively b/c they are just trying to not lose instead of must win.

I just cant watch a game that ends in a tie, I feel like I got robbed of my time...why even watch it if the outcome is the same as the beginning?  

id still like to go watch a soccer match in real life and join in with all you crazy fuks drinking and shit...

[Ursus]

Ireland are not in this years WC,

Instead Ireland are supporting anyone but France and anyone but England lol

[tonymctones]

Exact same could be said for each sport. We are just ignorant of each others.

I agree I feel that soccer is a very skilled game that takes alot of teamwork and quick thinking...

and although I dont pick up on most of the things some of them are obvious...LOL I watched the US vs. England game and it was obvious england was better than the US to me b/c when england passed the ball they passed it to their teammate but when the US passed the ball they kicked it and the teamate had to run to the ball...

Im pretty sure there are set plays in soccer as well but like you said im just ignorant about them and probably see them without realizing im seeing them.

[Ursus]

This years winner of the English premier League were Chelsea.

This year they scored more than 7 goals 3 times in a game. Countless games they score 4 or 5 goals in also.

Yea man its just ignorance and lack of exposure to each others sport. I actually find that watching NFL on tv it moves so fast and I am not familiar with the rules that I do not know where the ball is at times as everyone is running different directions lol

[tonymctones]

tony I gotta say that I agree there is a lot of skill, teamwork etc in US sports as well, but think about it this way:

Are you big and strong/ agile? Then yes you might become a Drogba (one in a gazillion) but,

Many of the best with technique and vision etc are never gonna have a chance in pro american football, whereas in soccer being small can be an advantage for technique/center of gravity/quick feet.. being big can be better for headers, duels etc.. its a sport for everyone, but american football is only for big dudes..

not true, many players are around or less than 200lbs...the cornerbacks, wide recievers and even some running backs are probably about the same size of soccer players...

are there big guys in the NFL of course its a physical sport but its also a sport where agility is highly prized in certain positions and there is a trade off between size and agility...

the guy in the middle video i posted in the purple doing all the running is only 6'1" 210ish...and he is a decent sized running back...

Darren Sproles is one of the better running backs in the NFL and he is only 5"6" 185ish
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=8544

[Ursus]

I doubt there i even one football player in the premier league who is even 200lbs

Some of these guys run 12k in a game

[tonymctones]

LOL this dude is freaking awesome this is the 5'6" in college

watch the first couple runs he is just amazing

[tonymctones]

This years winner of the English premier League were Chelsea.

This year they scored more than 7 goals 3 times in a game. Countless games they score 4 or 5 goals in also.

Yea man its just ignorance and lack of exposure to each others sport. I actually find that watching NFL on tv it moves so fast and I am not familiar with the rules that I do not know where the ball is at times as everyone is running different directions lol

LOL i do the same thing with hockey I cant keep up with that shit I lose track of the puck and it turns into just a bunch of dudes skating around running into one another.

[tonymctones]

I doubt there i even one football player in the premier league who is even 200lbs

Some of these guys run 12k in a game

i believe that there are plenty of sub 200lb football players they just play certain positions...like I said its a physical sport so of course the guys are going to be a bit bigger but in certain positions agility and skill are very important so wide recievers, cornerbacks, safties etc...are often time under 200lbs...

[Ursus]

LOL this dude is freaking awesome this is the 5'6" in college

watch the first couple runs he is just amazing

He even looks tiny lol

Reminds me of maradona - agile and nimble and can turn on a sixpence.