USA vs Brazil

[bullets13]

Do you really believe you just have to be big, tall or fast to dominate the other sports. To many examples to prove that wrong.

don't misunderstand me... there are tons of all-around athletes in the various sports, and those guys dominate their sports.  i have plenty of respect for those guys.  here's the point i'm making:

In football, you can make a successful career out of being simply: unnaturally Big (linemen) or unnaturally fast (wideouts). 

In baseball, you can make a successful career and not even be particularly athletic by throwing hard (David Wells) or being huge and hitting the ball a mile (i realize this takes skill, but i wonder how long Cecil Fielder could run before he'd have a heart attack)

In basketball, you can make a successful career of simply being 7 feet tall (Sean Bradley, Minut Bol, George Mhurasan, etc, etc)

In soccer, if you are not: very talented, at least fairly fast, and have incredible endurance, there's no way you'll be successful on even a division one college level. 

[MMSLB]

We will have to agree to disagree on the football and baseball part. I said on another thread how I played with a SWC high hurdle champion who could fly, but he could not catch a football or run good routes. And throwing hard is just not enough you have to have control and know how to pitch. I guess my point is every sport requires certain skills and work ethic to truly be elite in that sport. Soccer requires a certain skill set as football and baseball do.. They may be different, but you just can't throw a big fast guy on any sport field and expect him to excell if he does not possess those skills.

[Bon_Mot]

I apologize to you, Terrier, if I'm coming off like a jerk here because that's not my intention.  I've played soccer since 1976 so I've endured quite a bit of "soccer is a commie sport", "soccer is for &#$s", "the US will never accept soccer", and "what if people like Player X played soccer?"  And I realize that we will most likely never agree here, but...

I really don't know how I've reinforced your ideas.

On the idea of US athletes playing soccer?  Seriously.  I really don't think Lebron would be good at soccer.  Or Larry Fitzgerald.  They're too bulky.  But am I ready to admit that soccer in the US would be better if it was as popular as football, basketball, or baseball?  Sure.  Probably so.  Higher numbers in population give you more to choose from.  That's why the UIL has classes.  So there ya go.  Just don't say that if half of the guys the NFL had chosen soccer instead of football we'd be on par with Brazil and Italy.  First of all, you're saying that for some reason the rest of the world CANNOT produce athletes as good as the United States can.  That's kind of arrogant.  An incredibly large number of American kids play sports because they can.  A large percentage don't have to work, aren't fighting in a war, or aren't expected to study when they get home like so many other cultures. That has nothing to do with what sport they play.

Next.  The US soccer system is jacked up.  Everywhere else in the world, soccer is a ghetto/lower class sport.  I can almost guarantee you that you could go around to the barrios of America and with a little training and put together two or three teams that would beat our USMNT on a regular basis.  But here, your ability to move up in the soccer ranks is directly influenced by where you live, who your parents are, and how much money your family has.

And the US has a guy who runs a 4.40! His name is Marvell Wynne...and he sucks.  He has very little skill on the ball but keeps getting looks because he is an ATHLETE.  I joke that he is one of the only players on the US team who can be beaten twice by a single person because he is so quick.

Check this blog from Jen Chang:

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This is how most real US soccer fans feel about the Confederation Cup.

[RonBurgundy68]

To be honest, people who don't play or have never played, won't ever understand the technical ability, the endurance, the fitness, and the vision to be a good soccer player... I'm not saying I'm that good, but I certainly don't suck, and I have to use EVERY single one of the examples I just used in every second of the game, just to succeed as much as I do...

I'm not gunna even go into the football, baseball and basketball discussion because I've played all of those sports, so I know what's needed to excel in them, and they weren't as difficult as what I have to use for soccer...

Bon's quote "But here, your ability to move up in the soccer ranks is directly influenced by where you live, who your parents are, and how much money your family has" is probably one of the most dead on statements I've ever read on this forum... Families and players around this area who aren't as financially stable have to settle for playing in a rec league, when they really deserve to be in Houston, but honestly the cost these days is insane... I can personally guarantee you that had my family had the money to bring us to Houston every weekend to play and get training, I wouldn't be in SETX right now playing in a co-ed league... Luckily my parents found about scouting and stuff so my brother has that opportunity... But really if you don't have the money or time, good luck finding a place to play away from here with a scholarship to back you up...

Now to the subject that this topic was created for... The performance in the 2nd half by the US is an exact copy of the same US team that got beat 3-1 by Italy, and 3-0 Brazil earlier in the tourney... The first half was a different story, and everyone knows that... I'm really interested to see what the team that is getting sent to the Gold Cup is going to do... If they can play with the intensity and heart that the US played with against Egypt and Spain, then the tournament is ours...

Can't wait for the World Cup!

[MMSLB]

Nice sucker punch aries, you said you wouldn't go into the football, baseball stuff then said they weren't as difficult as soccer. 8) I am not going after soccer in my posts,but to say soccer requires more than football or baseball is just a joke,just as it would be for me to say soccer requires less than football would be. They all require different skill sets and attributes. If you put an NFL player in an elite soccer match he would be lost, if you put an elite soccer player in a NFL game he would be lost. Not because one is more difficult than the other, but because they haven't developed the skills it takes to compete in that sport. And if football and baseball was that much easier for you, why didn't you stay with them and make millions a year. 8)

[RonBurgundy68]

Nice sucker punch aries, you said you wouldn't go into the football, baseball stuff then said they weren't as difficult as soccer. 8) I am not going after soccer in my posts,but to say soccer requires more than football or baseball is just a joke,just as it would be for me to say soccer requires less than football would be. They all require different skill sets and attributes. If you put an NFL player in an elite soccer match he would be lost, if you put an elite soccer player in a NFL game he would be lost. Not because one is more difficult than the other, but because they haven't developed the skills it takes to compete in that sport. And if football and baseball was that much easier for you, why didn't you stay with them and make millions a year. 8)

Lol because I have a rediculously high metabolism, so I don't have the body size to stay in them... Or I would 

[Newcastle]

ok here is a random thought.... ;D

I have known MMSLB for a long time (I go to church with him!)

I have coached against Bon_Mot for years and know for a fact that is soccer knowledge is spot on

I have watched Aries on the field and known his family for a long time

I have never coached against dualdellortos but have met and every year hear about his Cubbies (he and his team received huge kudos at A&Ms soccer camp) which is why I love to hate Brenham

I have met Gabe once or twice during my stint at LCM (but it was always at baseball games) >

the funny part is i can see most of these guys sitting at there computer typing away, muttering to themselves, rolling their eyes, start typing-erase-start typing again...

the fact is that this tournament has sparked some great discussion about the game!!!  Some posts are great some aren't but the fact that this game now has four pages...AWESOME!!!!

[MMSLB]

You are right Matt, I watched the game and am posting on the soccer board. I love watching great athletes in all sports they all bring something different to the table.I understand the game of football a whole lot more than soccer,but like I said I love watching elite athletes and that is why I enjoyed watching the USA - Brazil match.