Soccer and US Top Athletes

[Hayezb]

For the people that actually follow soccer and other sports as well, Iv'e got a question...

How good do you think we could be if our top athletes focused on soccer instead of basketball or football?

I like to imagine Kobe Bryant choosing soccer over basketball when he was a kid, which he has said that he considered it. Would be an amazing forward or winger. Lebron James has the speed and quickness to play center back or even as a goalie with his reach and reflexes.

Just a few other athletes that I would love to see playing soccer: Chris Johnson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, Russel Westbrook, Steve Nash (even if he is Canadian! ). All these guys are athletes plain and simple. There is no doubt in my mind they could have been unbelievable players if they put as much effort and drive into soccer as they did their current sport.

Soccer is growing tremendously and over the years we will start picking away at some of the top athletes.

[n_huffhines]

Soccernomics makes a pretty convincing argument that national soccer prowess is a result of 3 factors: wealth, population, and experience.

We are strong with regard to the first 2 factors. We don't have the experience. Soccer doesn't even have to be the #1 sport in the US, if it were just the #1 sport in CA, or TX, that would be a big enough talent base that we would be a perennial world power within a decade or two, IMO.

[n_huffhines]

....and think about Rondo playing striker....

[vol4eva]

The U.S. could be a world power in soccer if it wanted to. People just don't care enough about soccer in this country to actually be one though.

[Hayezb]

Originally Posted by n_huffhines

Soccernomics makes a pretty convincing argument that national soccer prowess is a result of 3 factors: wealth, population, and experience.

We are strong with regard to the first 2 factors. We don't have the experience. Soccer doesn't even have to be the #1 sport in the US, if it were just the #1 sport in CA, or TX, that would be a big enough talent base that we would be a perennial world power within a decade or two, IMO.

I can agree with that.

Klinsmann is suppose to be changing the way we train and develop our elite youth players. I really hope they give him time to turn things around. He's one of the brightest minds the US has imo.

[Hayezb]

Originally Posted by vol4eva

The U.S. could be a world power in soccer if it wanted to. People just don't care enough about soccer in this country to actually be one though.

In general, I agree. But I do think it's changing, slowly but surely.

[utvolpj]

I don't see guys like Lebron or Kobe making it as a world-class soccer player (Nash could have). Some sports skills just don't translate into others

[Hayezb]

Originally Posted by utvolpj

I don't see guys like Lebron or Kobe making it as a world-class soccer player (Nash could have). Some sports skills just don't translate into others

True. I agree the Lebron thing is stretching it, but Kobe def could of played soccer. There are some videos of him playing with Barcelona players and he's not bad.

[utvolpj]

Originally Posted by Hayezb

True. I agree the Lebron thing is stretching it, but Kobe def could of played soccer. There are some videos of him playing with Barcelona players and he's not bad.

playing where? There a difference in basketball speed over a max 94ft and making numerous 40-60yd runs

[trevols81]

Tebow would of been a great rugby player.

[n_huffhines]

It's not guaranteed that Lebron could play on a world class level, but he has a huge head start with his athletic ability. If you have our large, diverse athletic talent pool focus on soccer we would frequently field the best team in the world, IMO. It's just the law of averages.

[Hayezb]

Originally Posted by utvolpj

playing where? There a difference in basketball speed over a max 94ft and making numerous 40-60yd runs

As a winger or forward.

I know there is a difference from playing both. If he had trained physically to play soccer instead of basketball he could have made it imo.

[Hayezb]

Originally Posted by n_huffhines

It's not guaranteed that Lebron could play on a world class level, but he has a huge head start with his athletic ability. If you have our large, diverse athletic talent pool focus on soccer we would frequently field the best team in the world, IMO. It's just the law of averages.

I just want to see a 6'9 freak of nature going up for corners Now Lebron could have played TE, his high school football films are crazy.

[utvolpj]

Originally Posted by Hayezb

I just want to see a 6'9 freak of nature going up for corners Now Lebron could have played TE, his high school football films are crazy.

too bad there aren't situational subs in soccer. Trying to say a great athlete at one sport translates into success in all others is ridiculous. Yes there are some that could make the transition but not the ones you're considering

I do think more emphasis on identifying and training young talent is severely lacking in the US. Other countries do this much better and their success shows it works.

[milohimself]

Originally Posted by utvolpj

I don't see guys like Lebron or Kobe making it as a world-class soccer player (Nash could have). Some sports skills just don't translate into others

IIRC Nash's brother floated around between League Two in the UK (fourth tier) and wound up playing for Vancouver in MLS a few years. He was an alright player overall.

Soccer is a very different animal than other team sports in a number of ways... First, athleticism is very much third fiddle to field vision and foot-eye coordination. If somebody has the latter two but is a relatively poor athlete, they can still succeed at soccer. If somebody is a great athlete but lacks the latter two, they will suck.

I give you Chad Ochocinco and Usain Bolt as exhibit A. They both grew up with soccer and still play occasionally, but 85 tried out for Sporting KC, Bolt showed interest in playing for Man Utd. Ochocinco was (stupidly) offered a contract but was utterly clowned in practice, and Man U's manager wouldn't even entertain the idea. Contrarily, there are guys in top flight leagues who could probably get outpaced by NFL offensive linemen, but it doesn't matter because they keep themselves in good position at all times, and make smart, accurate moves with the ball.

So it really comes down to development. There are robust programs all over Europe, while until recently US sides relied on a hodge podge of drafting high school and college players, and mickey mouse development programs. That's improving but it will take years, if not decades to get to the point where American development matches that of even middling European leagues.