I had no idea the WS was going on

[imac_21]

In what way? You need EXTREMELY quick reflexes to defend a good dribbler of the ball. And really, everything in soccer - from defending, to fielding/trapping, or shooting, to dribbling, to goalkeeping - takes a huge amount of hand-eye coordination. Add this to the fact that they are asked to run/spring for TWO 45 minute intervals, and it's not a contest, IMO.

Yeah, the footwork to defend a good dribbler is the equivalent to the reflexes required to react to a 99mph fastball, or a one-hopper hit 90 feet at 150 mph.

Clyde's here trying to compare EPL soccer to beer league slowpitch to make his point.

And soccer players do NOT sprint for two 45 minute intervals. They sprint for many 2-4 second intervals between walking around in two 45 minute intervals.

 

[erckm510]

IF this discussion was to continue we'd have to first define raw physical talent.......

Can I counter with this?

 

[TobyTyler]

Soccer players' ability to dribble, trap, pass, and shoot the ball the way they do takes an enormous amount of hand-eye coordination, and have to do it under severe stamina pressure, too. Baseball players spend the majority of their time, you know, chewing gum and spitting out seeds.

Physically speaking, Soccer is much more physically imposing.

What! Actually it takes zero Hand-Eye coordination since in almost every situation touching the ball with your hands is a foul. But, go ahead, give us an example of where hand-eye coordination is a necessity for soccer (other than a goal Keeper).

 

[purguy12]

Im a Yankee fan so I want Boston to lose.

I have watched most of the WS because im a baseball fan.

 

[TobyTyler]

In what way? You need EXTREMELY quick reflexes to defend a good dribbler of the ball. And really, everything in soccer - from defending, to fielding/trapping, or shooting, to dribbling, to goalkeeping - takes a huge amount of hand-eye coordination. Add this to the fact that they are asked to run/spring for TWO 45 minute intervals, and it's not a contest, IMO.

For instance, the fraction of a second you have to recognize a pitch and then get ready to hit that pitch and then hit it. Name another sport where if you fail 70 % of the time you are superstar.

 

[purguy12]

Baseball is a tough sport. One of the toughest to play and be good at.

 

[Yoshi]

There's nothing to get upset about. But I guarantee I've watched a lot more soccer than you, and its not a matter of kicking a ball sitting on the ground. Hitting a baseball is a skill, like hitting a pool shot or squaring up a golf ball. Fielding is more athletically-based, but even then you're talking about short sprints and catching a ball. Baseball is maybe comparable to goalkeeping in soccer - reaction, instinct, hand-eye, all that stuff. Even if you look at simply how they kick the ball, the extreme skill necessary to kick a ball well enough - with enough speed and movement - to get it past a goalkeeper, that's comparable to hitting. Pure skill and technique.

If you discount the aspects of soccer involving battling for the ball, outrunning guys, getting up for headers, defense in general, all that stuff.....well then that's where you're at.

By far the most logical post on here.


I didn't realize that doing a sample survey on 7 year olds on what is more physically easier for them and those 3 yard passes back and forth similar to what the Barca midfield does in La Masia tells me everything I need to know about the sport.

I'm not going argue which is more difficult and what 7 year olds will have an easier time doing physically, but soccer in itself is a challenging sport having played it myself and nearly breaking an ankle due to it. Of course, if people are just referring to MLS or watching North American soccer (where the U.S. is quite marginal at best followed by the craptacular national teams of Canada and Mexico), then that's not much to talk about. However, if you actually make the effort to follow the frenetic, fast paced back and forth passing that you see soccer players in the world's best teams exemplify on a weekly basis (the same avid commitment we all do in following the 49ers), then you'll notice something different. Passing a 60 yard bomb on the dime to a forward, challenges on aerials without head butting your opponent, curling in free kicks from several meters out, going full steam and performing sliding tackles without breaking your opponents legs, etc, are nothing to be taken lightly.


Oh, and btw, I've played baseball, too. But I'll just leave the ignoramuses where they are.

 

[TobyTyler]

By far the most logical post on here.


I didn't realize that doing a sample survey on 7 year olds on what is more physically easier for them and those 3 yard passes back and forth similar to what the Barca midfield does in La Masia tells me everything I need to know about the sport.

I'm not going argue which is more difficult and what 7 year olds will have an easier time doing physically, but soccer in itself is a challenging sport having played it myself and nearly breaking an ankle due to it. Of course, if people are just referring to MLS or watching North American soccer (where the U.S. is quite marginal at best followed by the craptacular national teams of Canada and Mexico), then that's not much to talk about. However, if you actually make the effort to follow the frenetic, fast paced back and forth passing that you see soccer players in the world's best teams exemplify on a weekly basis (the same avid commitment we all do in following the 49ers), then you'll notice something different. Passing a 60 yard bomb on the dime to a forward, challenges on aerials without head butting your opponent, curling in free kicks from several meters out, going full steam and performing sliding tackles without breaking your opponents legs, etc, are nothing to be taken lightly.


Oh, and btw, I've played baseball, too. But I'll just leave the ignoramuses where they are.

Tool.

 

[Yoshi]

Tool.

Thank you for your oversimplified response. I'll say it again - I'll leave the ignoramuses as they are.

 

[Yoshi]

I take it back, I put Mexico and the U.S. on par followed by the craptacular men's soccer team of Canada. There a couple of Mexican players who are rated very highly and are truly world class.

 

[TobyTyler]

Thank you for your oversimplified response. I'll say it again - I'll leave the ignoramuses as they are.

Tool.

 

[sallynemo]

No one is more relieved that the WS isn't being followed than the muni buses on the streets of San Fran.

 

[charles ponzi]

Clyde. You're wrong. Straight up wrong.

Here's the thing, you can take a random athlete from Africa (or other country) and make him into a pro football player, soccer player, basketball player (tons of examples in each sport).

You can't do that with Baseball. It's a unique skill that doesn't require athleticism, but does require coordination and hand-eye coordination.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

Here's the thing, you can take a random athlete from Africa (or other country) and make him into a pro football player, soccer player, basketball player (tons of examples in each sport).

You can't do that with Baseball. It's a unique skill that doesn't require athleticism, but does require coordination and hand-eye coordination.

I'm sorry, but that is blatantly wrong. Beyond weight/height requirements, I'm guessing you are talking about running backs or wide receivers with the "plug in and play" idea. For RBs, you can look at LMJ, who is a fast scat back with no vision that has been playing football for most of his life. What abot AJ Jenkins? or Marlon Moore? Both are considered "fast,"but neither one is burning NFL secondaries for TDs.

And what about Okoye? Okoye is the embodiment of your argument, and he has only made a practice squad.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Clyde. You're wrong. Straight up wrong.

There are lots of people that can get hit in the forehead with a balloon. There are not lots of people who can hit a 99mph fastball from 60 feet away.

Soccer players spend most of their time standing around on the pitch watching one of the other thousand guys kick the ball. Every once in awhile they have to run.

I need to stop reading this thread. Soccer fans are nuts.

Such a ridiculous, biased analogy. Hitting a soccer ball with your forehead that just traveled 60 yards at high speeds is not easy. But that's not even what I'm talking about, really. That's a TINY part of what soccers players are asked to do. And I've seen NUMEROUS people who've never even touched a Baseball go into a batting cage and hit multiple balls. GTFO.

 

[TobyTyler]

Here's the thing, you can take a random athlete from Africa (or other country) and make him into a pro football player, soccer player, basketball player (tons of examples in each sport).

You can't do that with Baseball. It's a unique skill that doesn't require athleticism, but does require coordination and hand-eye coordination.

Agreed. If I take Mike Trout and put him in a game for Barcelona and I take Lionel Messi and put him in a game for the Yankees, Trout would at least have a chance to compete; Messi would have none.

 

[clyde_carbon]

What! Actually it takes zero Hand-Eye coordination since in almost every situation touching the ball with your hands is a foul. But, go ahead, give us an example of where hand-eye coordination is a necessity for soccer (other than a goal Keeper).

You know what I fucking meant you doofus. Physical coordination in general. To be a good soccer player you need have straight-light speed, great agility, great stop-go and quick-twitch ability, you need to be able to dribble a ball with great footspeed through multiple defenders. Crossing the ball 50 yards to your teammate through traffic and have it land on his chest/feet is extremely difficult. Having the leg strength and talent to shoot the ball that hard, fast, and accurate to connect on deep passes, through passes, and score goals. You need the reflexes and quick-twitch to stop on a dime and react to every pass/shot. Even the movement and spin these guys put on the ball and how they control its angles its nothing short of amazing.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

Agreed. If I take Mike Trout and put him in a game for Barcelona and I take Lionel Messi and put him in a game for the Yankees, Trout would at least have a chance to compete; Messi would have none.

Both could go 0-4 at the plate, but only one would have a chance to score a goal.

 

[clyde_carbon]

For instance, the fraction of a second you have to recognize a pitch and then get ready to hit that pitch and then hit it. Name another sport where if you fail 70 % of the time you are superstar.

Soccer players fail all the time to score goals. In fact, I'd wager to put that they score goals on less than 30% of their shots on goal in general. It's one of the hardest things to do in all of sports.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Agreed. If I take Mike Trout and put him in a game for Barcelona and I take Lionel Messi and put him in a game for the Yankees, Trout would at least have a chance to compete; Messi would have none.

LOL. Mike Trout would last about 5 minutes on the soccer field, and I'd doubt he'd be able to touch the ball ONE time.