Chad tries to play Futbol

[NJReds]

Nice story about Chad on SportsCenter today. Glad he's getting a chance to play with the KC practice squad today.

[Hoosier Red]

I mean isn't the question who would be a better soccer player if given equal training and experience, Landon or Kemba? If you still think it'd be Landon then you don't think athleticism means that much. I'd think an average NFL DB/WR or NBA PG is going to be a better raw athlete than a lot of pro soccer players, but maybe I'm wrong.

I think Yachtzee's probably not too far off for the reasons he mentioned. On an international level, the United States is almost always the most athletic team on the pitch.

When the United States beat Spain 2 years ago, they did it by running and running the spaniards to death. Generally the US is physically as strong if not stronger then their competitors. Maybe if you were drawing from a pool which included the likes of Lebron and Kobe and Drew Stubbs you'd be able to be that much more athletic that actual technical ability wouldn't matter, but I doubt it.

However, in terms of technical ability, Lebron James skills may just be better suited to Basketball then soccer.
The fact that Chad played both through high school doesn't show much as at the high school level, I imagine a guy who was somewhat miscast could in fact be pretty dominant due to his superior athleticism.

When the US played Argentina on Saturday night, the best player on the field was Lionel Messi. A 5'-7" striker. Certainly he's not the biggest, fastest(well he may be the fastest) or best conditioned athlete in Argentina, but he's easily the best soccer player, if not in the world than he's #1 or #2.

[BuckeyeRed27]

When the US played Argentina on Saturday night, the best player on the field was Lionel Messi. A 5'-7" striker. Certainly he's not the biggest, fastest(well he may be the fastest) or best conditioned athlete in Argentina, but he's easily the best soccer player, if not in the world than he's #1 or #2.

Yeah the US was only able to get a draw because they were athletic and were able to keep getting some good counter strikes and eventually scored on a set play. However they were largely outplayed and the passing abaility and the vision was clearly better for Argentina and it is against almost every the US plays.

So what happens if 85 nets a hat trick tonight?

[Hoosier Red]

It's funny though I think a lot of basketball players would make really good goalkeepers. But if there's one spot the United States has had pretty well covered over the past 20 years, it's been GK.

[Caveat Emperor]

We lack experience and intelligence in soccer, not athleticism.

So maybe the question isn't: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Chad Ochocinco played soccer?

Maybe the question is: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Mike Krzyzewski had grown up soccer players and became soccer coaches?

[Hoosier Red]

So maybe the question isn't: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Chad Ochocinco played soccer?

Maybe the question is: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Mike Krzyzewski had grown up soccer players and became soccer coaches?

We were talking about this last year at the World Cup, and I said then the biggest difference between other countries and the United States is the structured training received almost from birth.

There was a great New York Times magazine story about AJAX, a Dutch club which has squads as young as 6-7.
So while some may or may not like Bob Bradley, the real difference is made between the Dutch(or German or whatever nationality you prefer) professional coaches, and Joe the plumber coaching because the neighborhood needs a soccer coach.

This gap really seems to be closing as at the very least elite United States players seem to be noticed earlier and earlier. It's also in this way that the United States being so spread out works against it. Clint Dempsey was basically playing against himself in Nacagdoches Texas until he was in his early teens.
If he lived in England, it would be much easier for him to get noticed, and his parents could have him play with a "semi-pro" team without having to completely uproot their life.

[Yachtzee]

So maybe the question isn't: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Chad Ochocinco played soccer?

Maybe the question is: Would the United States be a better soccer-playing nation if guys like Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Mike Krzyzewski had grown up soccer players and became soccer coaches?

Maybe if Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Mike Krzyzewski spent years playing in Europe or South America. They are who they are in their respective sports because they've developed as players and coaches at the highest level. If they grew up playing soccer here, they would probably still be good coaches, but they wouldn't be at the same level they are today unless they were able to get some gigs in England, Spain, Italy or Germany.