USA vs Brazil Friendly

[RastaRocket]

The point wasn't that they would make good soccer players, but that they are great athletes and superior athletes to soccer players. I am not talking about just throwing them into soccer and seeing how good they would do. The same in the other direction. I wouldn't throw Ronaldo or Messi into the NBA or NFL and expect them to do well. As all around athletes, I would choose pro basketball and football players over soccer players.

And I disagree that they would be terrible soccer players. If they had the training since childhood you could turn both Ware and James into good central backs or goalies.

I think Ware would be better, Lebron would be a huge soccer player. At 6 ft 4 Ware would not look as huge as he does in the NFL. He would be more lean and have less muscle mass. He could definitely be a defender if that is what he was trained to do. Just like you said.

 

[burmafrd]

garbage about soccer players being the best athletes. Total garbage

 

[RastaRocket]

garbage about soccer players being the best athletes. Total garbage

Eh that is a pretty garbage statement.

[youtube]BUhZF9KghyI[/youtube]

Yes, 73 goals and 28 assists this season. That is an all time record in the worlds most popular sport. Messi is the best athlete on the planet right now.

 

[joseephuss]

Eh that is a pretty garbage statement.

[youtube]BUhZF9KghyI[/youtube]

Yes, 73 goals and 28 assists this season. That is an all time record in the worlds most popular sport. Messi is the best athlete on the planet right now.

I think it would be more accurate to say he is the best sports star on the planet right now. While he is a very good athlete, there are lots of others who are more athletic than him. Even in his own sport, there are lots of other soccer players who are more athletic than him.

 

[RastaRocket]

I think it would be more accurate to say he is the best sports star on the planet right now. While he is a very good athlete, there are lots of others who are more athletic than him. Even in his own sport, there are lots of other soccer players who are more athletic than him.

It depends on how you define athlete. I think he is the best right now. His skills are far superior than anyone in the sport.

 

[joseephuss]

It depends on how you define athlete. I think he is the best right now. His skills are far superior than anyone in the sport.

I agree, it does depend on how you define athlete. Obviously, we have different definitions. Yet we both agree he is the best at his sport right now and he dominates his sport more than others do in their own respective sports currently. My definition of athlete takes those kinds of things into account, but I also consider their overall athletic ability. I imagine how they would perform in a decathlon, and weight lifting/power lifting and marathon running and anything else that pops in my head. There are lots of other guys who are better athletes even if they aren't as dominate at their respective sport.

 

[CATCH17]

I think Ware would be better, Lebron would be a huge soccer player. At 6 ft 4 Ware would not look as huge as he does in the NFL. He would be more lean and have less muscle mass. He could definitely be a defender if that is what he was trained to do. Just like you said.

If Lebron and many other NBA guys could defend the low ball they could be amazing as goal keepers.

 

[CATCH17]

Eh that is a pretty garbage statement.

[youtube]BUhZF9KghyI[/youtube]

Yes, 73 goals and 28 assists this season. That is an all time record in the worlds most popular sport. Messi is the best athlete on the planet right now.

Messi is the best professional at his sport but I don't think he is the best athlete.

I doubt he could bench 200 lbs.

He has amazing technique and endurance but he isn't some
E freak athlete even for his own sport.

 

[erickb]

Not a good few days for American soccer.

http://********.com/5914573/fifth+t...and-timbers-in-biggest-us-open-cup-upset-ever

Fifth-Tier Amateur Soccer Club Beats Portland Timbers In Biggest U.S. Open Cup Upset Ever

It's been a rough week for MLS teams in U.S. Open Cup competition, as eight teams from the nation's top soccer league fell to lower-tier competition in the tournament open to all sanctioned clubs in the country. The latest such loss is the most embarrassing, as the Portland Timbers lost 1-0 in extra time to Cal FC, an amateur team from Thousand Oaks, California.

What's even more shocking is that while many of the previous MLS upsets happened while the teams were playing backups, the Timbers started their regular lineup—including $1.25 million dollar man Kris Boyd, who missed a penalty kick in front of 5,489 very angry Portland fans at Jeld-Wen Field.

That is an awesome day for me, I am a Seattle Sounders fan and portland are our rivals! Plus Cal was put togeather for the open cup run and his been their focus, and they where put togeather by a formal MNT player and soccer anylist. We heve the Kitsap Pumas up here as well and they are a very good pdl team (lower level)

 

[Cythim]

Not a good few days for American soccer.

http://********.com/5914573/fifth+t...and-timbers-in-biggest-us-open-cup-upset-ever

Fifth-Tier Amateur Soccer Club Beats Portland Timbers In Biggest U.S. Open Cup Upset Ever

It's been a rough week for MLS teams in U.S. Open Cup competition, as eight teams from the nation's top soccer league fell to lower-tier competition in the tournament open to all sanctioned clubs in the country. The latest such loss is the most embarrassing, as the Portland Timbers lost 1-0 in extra time to Cal FC, an amateur team from Thousand Oaks, California.

What's even more shocking is that while many of the previous MLS upsets happened while the teams were playing backups, the Timbers started their regular lineup—including $1.25 million dollar man Kris Boyd, who missed a penalty kick in front of 5,489 very angry Portland fans at Jeld-Wen Field.

That game was all about coaching. CFC was dynamic and changing shape throughout the game and Portland never changed their failed "knock the ball up the wings and cross it in" style. Portland has a cheerleader as a HC who does not know how to properly manage a team. Portland was the much better team, dominating possession and keeping CFC out of the attacking 3rd most of the match, but CFC knew what was coming and did all of the right things to counter Portland. If Portland doesn't clean house on the coaching staff the team will headed to the bottom of the table. If only there was relegation in MLS...

 

[Cythim]

That is an awesome day for me, I am a Seattle Sounders fan and portland are our rivals! Plus Cal was put togeather for the open cup run and his been their focus, and they where put togeather by a formal MNT player and soccer anylist. We heve the Kitsap Pumas up here as well and they are a very good pdl team (lower level)

Wynalda said the team was thrown together to give those guys a place to play and train. Qualifying for the USOC was an afterthought and the team is amazed to have made it so far. Portland put their starting 11 on the field and allowed an amateur side hold a clean sheet for 120 minutes. I want to trade Spencer and Gavin for Wynalda.

 

[Cythim]

Messi is the best professional at his sport but I don't think he is the best athlete.

I doubt he could bench 200 lbs.

He has amazing technique and endurance but he isn't some
E freak athlete even for his own sport.

Since when is an athlete defined by his ability to bench 200 lbs? His amazing footwork and technical ability make him a great athlete.

 

[Future]

Best athletes? Soccer players are the most fit out of all sports out there, so your point is not very well made. Most American Athletes that want to make money play other sports, should be your point and that one would be true

There are plenty of players that are over weight in the sports you listed, but you will not find one over weight soccer player, period end of story

You can run 30 miles and be a crappy athlete...fitness and athletic skill are not the same.

The point is that the best athletes, in the US, aren't playing soccer, and the OP is dead right about that. I don't see that changing any time soon either. If other countries had other sports, their soccer programs would be weaker as well.

 

[Future]

Since when is an athlete defined by his ability to bench 200 lbs? His amazing footwork and technical ability make him a great athlete.

Absolutely.

 

[jterrell]

this just in.
Brazil is good in Soccer!

Fabian Johnson looks really good.
He was probably the only true excellence for Sam's Army.

Poor Gooch looked bad, bad, bad.

Clint Dempsey looked quite good in his abbreviated appearance.

Hulk is gonna look great in the Chelsea blues #upchels

 

[jterrell]

You can run 30 miles and be a crappy athlete...fitness and athletic skill are not the same.

The point is that the best athletes, in the US, aren't playing soccer, and the OP is dead right about that. I don't see that changing any time soon either. If other countries had other sports, their soccer programs would be weaker as well.

No, you can't. You can run 30 miles and be a mediocre athlete but you wont be crappy.

Soccer players are fast, agile, powerful and well-conditioned.

In this country the best male athletes still play other sports first but the US national team guys are extraordinary athletes. You can't make the team without elite levels of speed. All those guys run below 4.6 and most are legit 4.4 guys. And they do it for 90 minutes.

US Soccer is very strong. People don't understand how it works from the end of league season to International play starting. Dempsey, Howard, Bradley and many others are making big names for themselves playing European Soccer. This US team is closing in on a real roster but without Dempsey and Altidore as starters it isn't there yet. It also has to either get Gooch back in top form or find a replacement.

 

[joseephuss]

In this country the best male athletes still play other sports first but the US national team guys are extraordinary athletes. You can't make the team without elite levels of speed. All those guys run below 4.6 and most are legit 4.4 guys. And they do it for 90 minutes.

I think you are giving the U.S. team too much credit. Most of them are not legit 4.4 guys. I often see them get outpaced by players from the better soccer nations. Not just out skilled, but beaten athletically. The U.S. only has a few players that may be legit 4.4 guys.

 

[CATCH17]

Anyone else liking Gomez more than Altidore?

 

[jterrell]

I think you are giving the U.S. team too much credit. Most of them are not legit 4.4 guys. I often see them get outpaced by players from the better soccer nations. Not just out skilled, but beaten athletically. The U.S. only has a few players that may be legit 4.4 guys.

the us mnt has had legit 4.3 guys not even make the cut plenty of times.

chad ochocinco came to football from soccer. he was obviously a legit 4.4 guy at his peak and he was never a star in soccer.

no team sport runs as much as soccer players. internationally no sport trains longer for a sport than soccer players who begin at an early age with nothing but running and agility drills.

in fact i advise every parent i know of young athletes to get them in soccer.
the soccer players i get are generally my fastest and most well-conditioned athletes.

internationally they run 40 meters so it skews times but the world's fastest players are 4.2 guys. (walcott from england and thierry from france in his prime)

the us doesnt generally get out-athleted (though they did from brazil) they generally get outskilled.

 

[erickb]

the us mnt has had legit 4.3 guys not even make the cut plenty of times.

chad ochocinco came to football from soccer. he was obviously a legit 4.4 guy at his peak and he was never a star in soccer.

no team sport runs as much as soccer players. internationally no sport trains longer for a sport than soccer players who begin at an early age with nothing but running and agility drills.

in fact i advise every parent i know of young athletes to get them in soccer.
the soccer players i get are generally my fastest and most well-conditioned athletes.

internationally they run 40 meters so it skews times but the world's fastest players are 4.2 guys. (walcott from england and thierry from france in his prime)

the us doesnt generally get out-athleted (though they did from brazil) they generally get outskilled.

Truth, and no one has mention how athltic you have to be to play keeper! But there are those that just think soccer players can run at that is it.