How much would we dominate soccer if our best athletes played it?

[Sanka]

[Goat Milk]

soccer not necessarily only about athleticism its a lot about craftiness, precision, etc. no doubt a guy with the determination like kobe bryant would aspire to be the best at whatever sport he played.

americans are not good at soccer. this is not even debatable. soccer is not in our roots. thats just the way it is.

[blowseq]

God this is hilarious..!!!!

[DeeWizzle]

Imagine if bconngemini never joined the forum and didn't start 100 imagine threads about soccer...

Imagine The Dream Team being an actuaI team! How many games wouId they win?

Imagine what wouId have happened if you wouId have turned Ieft at that 4 way stop yesterday instead of going straight, what wouId have happened?

Imagine a T-Rex was chasing you down the street!

Imagine not being abIe to Imagine anything at aII, what wouId you do when you didn't have anything to say?

Imagine what wouId happen if the Terminator and Predator were reaI and they both had to fight king kong and godziIIa in the middIe of the Super BowI and Jordan never went into the NBA but instead he was fry cook at Burger king and he got your order wrong and you got him fired but it was okay because Steve Nash hooked him up with a job on a Canadian Soccer Team and he became best friends with GSP cuz he was his new neighbor?

Huh Huh Huh?

[bconngemini]

all you European f*ucks can laugh all you want, but is there really any doubt about this question? Of course we would dominate soccer if soccer was our #1 sport instead of our 4th or 5th sport. Not because of some inherent American talent, but just by the sheer number of athletes we possess. You take all the great American athletes that are currently excelling in various other sports outside of soccer and you put soccer balls in front of them when they were younger instead of basketballs, footballs(American), baseballs, etc. and you can't tell me we wouldn't be able to produce 11 premier World Class soccer talents. And let's not discount the fact that despite many of our best athletes playing different sports, we have still managed to produce great soccer talents such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, etc.

Actaully it is innate American talent, we are physically superior and while it may not be politically correct to say so its true. No other country has athletes in the NFL because no other country can produce such masculine and physically superior men, if other countries had 6'5 280 lbs muscle monsters they would be in the NFL but other countries don't. Olympics also proves that we are the biggest, strongest and fastest humans.

[Cap dat 4ss]

We are certainly the biggest, russia is the strongest and Jamaica had the fastest. 1/3 isn't bad for you.

[Jonah]

Soccer players aren't clutch, most of them don't know how to score a goal. The true American athlete is inherittantly clutch which would account for a lot... America is obviously a very competitive place and it's whole system is based on winning and losing. This translates into sports in a profound way. Not saying this is necessarily good or better, but the European system is very different. Winning and losing is not everything and it too manifests itself in being okay with sailing a wide open shot 50 feet wide.

No Kobe or Lebron would not necessarily dominate in soccer, but if our shorter athletes were directed more towards soccer at an early age, we could do some damage.

[Bill Dozer]

Players like Messi (who stood up the country of Costa Rica last week) are showing the US that it's not about being the biggest and strongest. US leagues are learning that it's OK to take a much smaller player who is a little better than the big athlete. There are some good players coming up.

Soccer players aren't clutch, most of them don't know how to score a goal. The true American athlete is inherittantly clutch which would account for a lot... America is obviously a very competitive place and it's whole system is based on winning and losing. This translates into sports in a profound way. Not saying this is necessarily good or better, but the European system is very different. Winning and losing is not everything and it too manifests itself in being okay with sailing a wide open shot 50 feet wide.

No Kobe or Lebron would not necessarily dominate in soccer, but if our shorter athletes were directed more towards soccer at an early age, we could do some damage.

Some interesting points but how much of that do you think is American team sports focused on individuals? In baseball you are either the star pitcher or slugger. In hoops, the favored team has a player who can score 40. IMO lack of team is why Messi and Ronaldo didn't take over the World Cup and why Euro hoops has been successful against our overnight "dream teams".

[wrongturn]

The question should be how much would we dominate soccer if we all watch it like NFL, seriously.

[Jonah]

Here's another thing I find funny.

After American athletes all filled up their American football, hockey, basketball, etc. rosters, did they all of a sudden run out of athletes to fill up their soccer roster? Are you actually saying that you've filled up the top 4-5 most popular sports with elite athletes and then all of a sudden are left with nothing but rift raft?

The US national soccer team is filled with elite athletes, the only thing is, the rest of the world is simply so much better at soccer than the US is. Do you really think a 6'8", 275 pound LeBron James would have the endurance to play a full 90 minutes of soccer? He'd get gassed in the first half. Some of these arguments are just hilarious.

I don't agree with the the OP...

But our best athletes don't play soccer. What is so hard to understand about that? There is only so much cream on the top. Look how much better Lebron is at basketball than most everyone else, or Dickens with regards to writing, Sinatra with singing and performing, the great baseball announcers etc. etc. The very best kids, the ones with talent, confidence and charisma need to be playing soccer if you want to have a chance. Our best athletes want to play the sports they see on TV, the sports their friends and families like. Soccer aint it.

I am not making a complete argument here for what the OP said, just that of course our soccer players come from a pool of second rate for the most part and it is a very big deal.

[Jonah]

Some interesting points but how much of that do you think is American team sports focused on individuals? In baseball you are either the star pitcher or slugger. In hoops, the favored team has a player who can score 40. IMO lack of team is why Messi and Ronaldo didn't take over the World Cup and why Euro hoops has been successful against our overnight "dream teams".

The team aspect with regards to our individualism is a good point and definitely worth taking a look at. Many of our me-first athletes would not be good candidates in fielding an ideal soccer team. And those Euro teams do amazingly well against our basketball teams, which shows just what team work and fundamentals can accomplish...

That being said, I have always felt we could select a group of our smarter and less selfish players players and do just as well, with less talent. Coach K has brought a little "teamwork" into the mix and has had great results.

Also, American Football might be the ultimate team game and we have done well with that.*

Basically without trying to answer all of it, which would take some time, we have quite the diversity of athlete in this country and there would be many soccer minded athletes to field a quality team if they just committed to soccer at an early age. First things first tho - our kids need to be watching elite level soccer regularly and falling in love with it so they can begin to dream that way.

* Granted, still a different type of team dynamic.

[bconngemini]

Soccer players aren't clutch, most of them don't know how to score a goal. The true American athlete is inherittantly clutch which would account for a lot... America is obviously a very competitive place and it's whole system is based on winning and losing. This translates into sports in a profound way. Not saying this is necessarily good or better, but the European system is very different. Winning and losing is not everything and it too manifests itself in being okay with sailing a wide open shot 50 feet wide.

No Kobe or Lebron would not necessarily dominate in soccer, but if our shorter athletes were directed more towards soccer at an early age, we could do some damage.

Yes, soccer is very uncompetitive its all about feel good about yourself, not winning. Its not like soccer has the draft system, shared revenue between teams and non-stop scoring which real competitive sports have.

[bconngemini]

I don't agree with the the OP... But our best athletes don't play soccer. What is so hard to understand about that? There is only so much cream on the top. Look how much better Lebron is at basketball than most everyone else, or Dickens with regards to writing, Sinatra with singing and performing, the great baseball announcers etc. etc. The very best kids, the ones with talent, confidence and charisma need to be playing soccer if you want to have a chance. Our best athletes want to play the sports they see on TV, the sports their friends and families like. Soccer aint it. I am not making a complete argument here for what the OP said, just that of course our soccer players come from a pool of second rate for the most part and it is a very big deal.

True, soccer is associated with liberal elitist douchebags and dirty foreigners, not a cool demographic in America, we like our athletes all American and reflecting American values, like Lebron James.

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

you would think that the OP would have the dumbest post in this thread, as he usually does, but then this guy asserts his presence as a serious contender!

Soccer players aren't clutch, most of them don't know how to score a goal. The true American athlete is inherittantly clutch which would account for a lot... America is obviously a very competitive place and it's whole system is based on winning and losing. This translates into sports in a profound way. Not saying this is necessarily good or better, but the European system is very different. Winning and losing is not everything and it too manifests itself in being okay with sailing a wide open shot 50 feet wide.

[Jaug]

If football suddenly became the most popular sport in the US it would still take 50 years before results showed.

[cbiscuit]

If football suddenly became the most popular sport in the US it would still take 50 years before results showed.

Not 50years but you have the right idea. This guy pictures Kobe joining up with Chad and bringing home the World Cup in a few years. The best soccer minds and soccer players reside outside USA. Like others point out it is not all about the athleticism like it is with basketball.

[Salmon Steak]

[DeeWizzle]

true, soccer is associated with liberal elitist douchebags and dirty foreigners, not a cool demographic in america, we like our athletes all american and reflecting american values, like lebron james.

you hate soccer we get it!!!!

[forsberg21]

True, soccer is associated with liberal elitist douchebags and dirty foreigners, not a cool demographic in America, we like our athletes all American and reflecting American values, like Lebron James.

So you thought that The Decision was a gracious way to leave a team that treated you like a God season after season? You think the best way to thank Cleveland fans was to go on national TV and tell them that you're going to Miami? LeBron's career took a turn for the worse with that move. Where's this 70 win season that everyone expected out of King James?

Michael Jordan > LeBron James x 1,000,000

LeBron James = ZERO values

[nj6]

Imagine Kobe and Larry Fitzerald and D.Howard playing soccer, they'd win the world cup every year and we'd dominate it as much as we dominate football.

Dwight Howard playing soccer, are you retarded?

[k13]

Actaully it is innate American talent, we are physically superior and while it may not be politically correct to say so its true. No other country has athletes in the NFL because no other country can produce such masculine and physically superior men, if other countries had 6'5 280 lbs muscle monsters they would be in the NFL but other countries don't. Olympics also proves that we are the biggest, strongest and fastest humans.

How many world's strongest man did the US win the last 25 years????

6'5 280 muscle monsters = tiny

[Jonah]

How many world's strongest man did the US win the last 25 years????

6'5 280 muscle monsters = tiny

We are talking about athletes here, not professional exercise.

[jcubs55]

This is actually a very interesting question. I'm not saying I agree that we'd dominate, but it is intriguing...

[bconngemini]

This is actually a very interesting question. I'm not saying I agree that we'd dominate, but it is intriguing...

Why do you hate America? Its pure anti-Americanism to suggest that America wouldn't dominate soccer like we dominate ALL OTHER sports. Look at how much we dominate all popular sports: football, baseball, basketball, nascar.

[SoV]

Why do you hate America? Its pure anti-Americanism to suggest that America wouldn't dominate soccer like we dominate ALL OTHER sports. Look at how much we dominate all popular sports: football, baseball, basketball, nascar.

For being dominant in baseball, you only seem to have won one gold medal.

Football, and I assume you mean American football, is mainly only played in the US, so I expect them to dominate with zero competition. Same with Nascar.

And for popularity, neither of the sports you mentioned are massively popular outside of the US, bar basketball, and arguments can be made against it too.

You should consider travelling abroad sometime.

[jgray]

It's not Kobe, James or Howard that would excel at soccer. Guys like Derrick Rose or Devin Hester, fast quick, strong guys, might do some damage though.

[bconngemini]

For being dominant in baseball, you only seem to have won one gold medal.

Football, and I assume you mean American football, is mainly only played in the US, so I expect them to dominate with zero competition. Same with Nascar.

And for popularity, neither of the sports you mentioned are massively popular outside of the US, bar basketball, and arguments can be made against it too.

You should consider travelling abroad sometime.

First of all we dominate baseball, who has won more World Series Championships than other country? Who has won the Super Bowl World Championship? Nobody but America, we dominate because we win all the world championships. I'd like to see some foreign team take us in football, they'd get destroyed like we'd destroy soccer if we cared about it.

Also why travel when I already live in the greatest country in the world? The rest of the world is starving and has to play third world sports like soccer, I'd much rather spend my money going to cool first world locations like Florida and Texas.

[TheBeautifulGame]

First of all we dominate baseball, who has won more World Series Championships than other country? Who has won the Super Bowl World Championship? Nobody but America, we dominate because we win all the world championships. I'd like to see some foreign team take us in football, they'd get destroyed like we'd destroy soccer if we cared about it.

Also why travel when I already live in the greatest country in the world? The rest of the world is starving and has to play third world sports like soccer, I'd much rather spend my money going to cool first world locations like Florida and Texas.

You have to be taken the piss, right? It was JUST pointed out to you that Baseball and AMERICAN football are played mainly in America.

Also, I'm all for being proud of your country but to be honest, you're coming across as obnoxious.

[bconngemini]

You have to be taken the piss, right? It was JUST pointed out to you that Baseball and AMERICAN football are played mainly in America.

Also, I'm all for being proud of your country but to be honest, you're coming across as obnoxious.

First of all baseball and football are played worldwide, however all elite baseball and football players are here because we have the best teams and best athletes. There is even a football world cup, yet we let Japan win because we had to send our D3 college players to play against the biggest best players from other countries.

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

There is even a football world cup,

duh. it's the most popular sporting event in the world.

or are you talking about throwball?

[bconngemini]

duh. it's the most popular sporting event in the world.

or are you talking about throwball?

NO I'm talking about REAL football, the one with big strong 300lb manly men that pound each other hard on the football field, not some 160lb skinny europussies falling over and crying like women on a soccer "pitch".

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

real football is a sport primarily played with...foots. duh. you're talking about throwball, you know, the game where every play starts with one man putting his hands on another man's butthole/crack to receive the snap. nothing gay about that...except for the very tight pants and all the ass-slapping and what not.

you sound confused, bro.

[k13]

We are talking about athletes here, not professional exercise.

So Pudzianowski is not an athlete???