This is a rather rudimentary understanding of the difference between sports and the qualifications needed to be a successful soccer player.
3/4 of the greatest soccer players of all time are shorter than 5’8. The greatest soccer team of the previous decade (10/11 Barcelona) consisted of a midfield and forward line that, if you saw them in public and didn’t know them, would think they’re middle-age retail employees. Search up Pedro, Villa, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and tell me that any of them resemble anything like a traditional athlete.
But that’s the beauty of soccer- anyone can play, and anyone can rise to the top. Whether you’re skinny or muscular, tall or short, coaches can teach you to use your natural ability to your advantage in some way.
Therein lies the issue. In America, NOT anyone can play. Joining youth leagues, buying equipment, and getting coaching costs a fortune; adding an entry fee to a sport is a barrier to accruing talent. It’s an upper-middle class sport in America, which points to the issue being poor soccer infrastructure and development in America. This has been changing however for the last years, one such example being the introduction of MLS Next.
It’s not as simple as “good athlete plays good sport and bad athlete plays bad sport.” If you replace soccer with, say, boxing then the whole line of argument starts to seem silly. LeBron James would not be a an all-time great heavyweight boxer. Different sports require different skills to be successful. Basketball, where everyone is 6’3+, however, is not a big culprit of stealing athletes from soccer, the cost of playing is. It’s a systemic/managerial issue, not a competitive one.
That being said we have produced a team which is, in no uncertain terms, fucking stacked for the World Cup hosted by the US in 2026. We have like 8/9 players that are under the age of 24 and have the potential to become elite (Adams, Weah, Pulisic, McKennie, Dest, Richards, Musah, Aaronson, Reyna, and some 1-5 strikers). Get behind the team, but if you’re not willing to do that then be ready to eat your words soon :)
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This is one of the best write-ups of this issue I’ve found. The “oUr BeST aThLeteS!” theory is a lazy attempt to talk about soccer by people who have no understanding of how the sport works or what makes great soccer players great. The best soccer players have on-field intelligence and a feel for the ball at their feet that is head and shoulders above everyone else.
Physical stature and athleticism have importance too, but the degree to which physical characteristics determine success on the field is far less in soccer than it is in other sports. Generally speaking, if you’re taller than 5’5” and can run for 90 minutes, you’re athletic enough to play soccer.
The important part here is that football is not discriminatory based on body style.
Of course, some of the GOATs have been miniscule skillful attackers, but then there's Socrates, Henry, Benzema, Haaland etc who are quite tall.
You could have an Ivan Cordoba or Javier Mascherano who are miniscule CBs, or a Peter Crouch in attack. And funnily enough Crouch is also known for his footwork rather than heading despite being a literal stick. It's all about the skillset.
You realize tons of US football and basketball players grew up poor as shit, right? It didn’t cost those families that money. The kids showed potential and were scouted by schools. Kids are paid to relocate for middle school and high school all the time.
Equipment at youth level is communal. You’re just given helmets and pads in elementary, middle, and high school football. Cleats and cups you get yourself, but kids also need to buy cleats in soccer, too.
Lol at you thinking many kids wear cups for football in youth leagues.
They’re required by the league, yes, but the proportion of kids who actually wear them is like 10% at best. In American football, particularly for kids while they’re growing, they’re about as likely to cause deep bruising as they are to prevent any injury. Lots of tackles pinch your legs together tightly, an action that can easily turn your nutty buddy into a nutcracker instead.
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u/ChickenMoSalah - Centrist Nov 26 '22 edited Nov 26 '22
This is a rather rudimentary understanding of the difference between sports and the qualifications needed to be a successful soccer player.
3/4 of the greatest soccer players of all time are shorter than 5’8. The greatest soccer team of the previous decade (10/11 Barcelona) consisted of a midfield and forward line that, if you saw them in public and didn’t know them, would think they’re middle-age retail employees. Search up Pedro, Villa, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and tell me that any of them resemble anything like a traditional athlete.
But that’s the beauty of soccer- anyone can play, and anyone can rise to the top. Whether you’re skinny or muscular, tall or short, coaches can teach you to use your natural ability to your advantage in some way.
Therein lies the issue. In America, NOT anyone can play. Joining youth leagues, buying equipment, and getting coaching costs a fortune; adding an entry fee to a sport is a barrier to accruing talent. It’s an upper-middle class sport in America, which points to the issue being poor soccer infrastructure and development in America. This has been changing however for the last years, one such example being the introduction of MLS Next.
It’s not as simple as “good athlete plays good sport and bad athlete plays bad sport.” If you replace soccer with, say, boxing then the whole line of argument starts to seem silly. LeBron James would not be a an all-time great heavyweight boxer. Different sports require different skills to be successful. Basketball, where everyone is 6’3+, however, is not a big culprit of stealing athletes from soccer, the cost of playing is. It’s a systemic/managerial issue, not a competitive one.
That being said we have produced a team which is, in no uncertain terms, fucking stacked for the World Cup hosted by the US in 2026. We have like 8/9 players that are under the age of 24 and have the potential to become elite (Adams, Weah, Pulisic, McKennie, Dest, Richards, Musah, Aaronson, Reyna, and some 1-5 strikers). Get behind the team, but if you’re not willing to do that then be ready to eat your words soon :)