World Cup

[ManAboutTown]

Football analogy.

Ghana out gained the US 545 to 202

Ghana was 1-6 in the redzone, missing multiple FGs after being unable to punch it in.

The US returned the opening kickoff for a TD, then had a late drive and were able to punch it in from the one yard line. Americans win 10-7.

Better analogy:
Veteran Heavy Weight prize fighter lands a furious opening round combo, stunning the younger-faster-long lasting contender.

Vet lays back and tries to win be tactics and decision, knowing he can't possibly "out punch" the young buck.

Youth and athleticism catches up with the Old man, but low and behold, he uses determination and sound skill to land the knock out punch he needs late to win it.

Futbol is not football and can not be compared congruently.

[cajunhawk]

I disagree to an extent. Size is nice in soccer, but is not necessary. In fact, some of the world's best players have been incredibly short.

Where I think the US lags is that kids in foreign countries play pick up games in the street. They are around it 24/7. So, they develop an incredible feel for the game. It's why U.S. basketball maintained an edge. Even if other countries have great jump shooters, they didn't have a feel for the game. Now, as European kids are growing up with basketball, they are erasing our advantage. Some of the most creative players in basketball are foreign point guards.

IMO, until soccer becomes a game that kids play - - not organized youth league, but pickup - - we will always lag behind the rest of the world because we lack the skills and creativity to generate scoring opportunities that don't derive off of a counter attack.

The US also has umpteen choices that other countries don't have. Baseball, Basketball, and Football leave the talent pool pretty bone dry. In Brazil soccer is #1...by a large margin. I have good friends from Brazil...they pick up a soccer ball like we pick up a baseball or a football. The US is light years behind the European and South American powers. But we are making head way.

[SlappyCajun]

I was aiming more for the most athletic people in our country not playing soccer.

Oh, I definitely agree with that. In America, our best athletes are still above other nation's best athletes in my opinion. Clearly, if Reggie Bush spent his entire life with a soccer ball, he would be a formidable soccer player.

[ManAboutTown]

I disagree to an extent. Size is nice in soccer, but is not necessary. In fact, some of the world's best players have been incredibly short.

Where I think the US lags is that kids in foreign countries play pick up games in the street. They are around it 24/7. So, they develop an incredible feel for the game. It's why U.S. basketball maintained an edge. Even if other countries have great jump shooters, they didn't have a feel for the game. Now, as European kids are growing up with basketball, they are erasing our advantage. Some of the most creative players in basketball are foreign point guards.

IMO, until soccer becomes a game that kids play - - not organized youth league, but pickup - - we will always lag behind the rest of the world because we lack the skills and creativity to generate scoring opportunities that don't derive off of a counter attack.

Love this post.
Soccer is currently overtaking baseball as the most played youth sport in the country, and it's happening almost overnight.

[ManAboutTown]

Oh, I definitely agree with that. In America, our best athletes are still above other nation's best athletes in my opinion. Clearly, if Reggie Bush spent his entire life with a soccer ball, he would be a formidable soccer player.

Now THAT is an interesting thought..

[sportsfanatic21]

Futbol is not football and can not be compared congruently.

So futbol and boxing can be?

How about baseball:

One team gets 11 hits and draws 3 walks. Hits into a couple double plays, goes 0-7 with men in scoring position, and leaves 12 guys on base.

The other gets 3 hits, one is a 2 out double followed by a single. Team B wins 1-0.



I just realized how eerily familiar that sounds.

[sportsfanatic21]

Love this post.
Soccer is currently overtaking baseball as the most played youth sport in the country, and it's happening almost overnight.

It does seem that way, but people have been saying this for nearly 20 years, and we haven't seen a whole lot of benefit internationally. At least in the men's game.

[CrazyCajun]

So futbol and boxing can be?

How about baseball:

One team gets 11 hits and draws 3 walks. Hits into a couple double plays, goes 0-7 with men in scoring position, and leaves 12 guys on base.

The other gets 3 hits, one is a 2 out double followed by a single. Team B wins 1-0.



I just realized how eerily familiar that sounds.

Because your baseball and football analogies have the better team failing to get it done. The boxing analogy is about it being the veterans plan all along. Soccer is such a different game. Not a dig at you but a lot of people who think they get it, still don't really get it. Which is ok. I played most of my life and I didn't really get it until I played under a really great coach. Most youth coaches don't completely understand the game because it's still relatively new to most.

[RCAJUN90]

Love this post.
Soccer is currently overtaking baseball as the most played youth sport in the country, and it's happening almost overnight.

How old are you? I don't mean that as an insult but I went through all of this in the 70's. The Great Pele played for the New York Cosmos if my memory is correct. Youth soccer boomed all over the U.S. I would say that Youth Soccer is the #1 sport in America right now. You can go to almost any field and see dozens of games being played. It drops dead in high school. Why? It's just my opinion but our best players go for football, basketball and baseball. Those sports offer more prestige and the potential for a college scholarship.

[sportsfanatic21]

Because your baseball and football analogies have the better team failing to get it done. The boxing analogy is about it being the veterans plan all along. Soccer is such a different game. Not a dig at you but a lot of people who think they get it, still don't really get it. Which is ok. I played most of my life and I didn't really get it until I played under a really great coach. Most youth coaches don't completely understand the game because it's still relatively new to most.

No, I get it. I played quite a bit of soccer myself before I got to the point of concentrating on my sport of choice in HS. And I'm making those analogies because I do believe that the better team did not get it done. Ghana has beaten the US repeatedly in World Cup soccer (I may be mistaken, but I think I'm correct), so they would be the veteran in the boxing analogy. And the story would be written differently.

All of you who think the American team is in the class of the other 3 in our group need to look up our own coach's comments prior to the start of the tourney. He knows we don't have the talent/ability to beat these teams. And he said so. Our guys fought their butts off and won yesterday in a game they probably had no business winning. But they did, so kudos. I loved it!! The better team missed its opportunities, and our team did not. So we won. That's the bottom line.

[MelRock]

#RaginPagin must be really bored if they are arguing about soccer. Football season can't start soon enough #GeauxCajuns

— Drunk Scott Farmer (@FeauxFarmer) June 17, 2014

[CajunRage]

How old are you? I don't mean that as an insult but I went through all of this in the 70's. The Great Pele played for the New York Cosmos if my memory is correct. Youth soccer boomed all over the U.S. I would say that Youth Soccer is the #1 sport in America right now. You can go to almost any field and see dozens of games being played. It drops dead in high school. Why? It's just my opinion but our best players go for football, basketball and baseball. Those sports offer more prestige and the potential for a college scholarship.

What is the biggest contract in MLS history? When is MLS on primetime on major networks? What MLS player do kids "want to grow up to be"?

NFL, NBA, MLB are all on 4-5-6 nights a week on major networks and you can pick out hundreds of players from those sports. That is why soccer falls flat when kids get serious about sports.