***Official 2026 World Cup Thread***
- Thread starter ISU3PtLand
- Start date
| Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals |
|---|---|---|
| FRA 1, PAR 0 | Thu 7/9, 3:00 (Boston) | |
| France vs Morocco | ||
| MAR 3, CAN 0 | Tue 7/14, 2:00 (Dallas) | |
| ESP 1, POR 0 | Fri 7/10, 2:00 (Los Angeles) | |
| Spain vs Belgium | ||
| BEL 4, USA 1 | ||
| NOR 2, BRA 1 | Sat 7/11, 4:00 (Miami) | |
| Norway vs England | ||
| ENG 3, MEX 2 | Wed 7/15, 2:00 (Atlanta) | |
| ARG 3, EGY 2 | Sat 7/11, 8:00 (Kansas City) | |
| Argentina vs Switzerland | ||
| SUI 0, COL 0 [SUI 4-3] |
Like if guys like Tyreke Hill and Adrian Peterson would have played soccer? I would tend to agree. However there are still plenty of good athletes to go around. Some of these European nations have 1/10th of the US population. Let's not forget we were getting our asses beat in international basketball for a brief period not long ago. It takes money and a good idea/plan to advance something.
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Bruh, no…..
Soccer players need an exceptional combination of speed and endurance to be successful. Do whatever you like, short of a lifelong doping program, the ‘average’ kid is never going to hit a sub 4.7 40 time AND a sub 17 minute 5k….
And yeah, I’m obviously pulling those numbers out of a hat, but any elite soccer player is an EXCEPTIONAL athlete
Huh? There are very few sports(if any in the world) that require you to be as athletic and agile as an elite soccer player. In fact you may need more of the total athleticism package in it than any sport to be world class. The skill, quickness, stamina, speed, footwork, hand eye coordination, etc... I would agree that unlike some it doesn't require you to be 6-4 or some certain size but I think you are wrong. R9 was an absolute freak for Brazil. When he was in his prime im not sure if I ever saw a more gifted athlete.
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Bruh yes…
Endurance 100% is taught and conditioned. Anyone with unlimited resources can do it. You also as you said completely made up that 40 time because the vast majority of non wingers and most forwards aren’t hitting that.
I played soccer my whole life and yeah you’re going to be an exceptional athlete but most of those skills can be taught. That’s the difference between US sports like football and basketball vs soccer. You need certain baseline physical measurements to even begin to consider playing professionally.
With unlimited resources and development and someone that has the determination and mindset you can 100% turn them into a professional. Most people don’t have that mindset and even more will never have access to the unlimited resources in the post I was responding to.
I’m not saying your creating the next world class all time great but someone that could play center back better then what we have? 100%
Yep and all that stuff can 100% be taught and is taught. Being naturally gifted in one of those areas is huge and makes it even easier. Part of the reason why soccer is beloved internationally is that it isn’t size or hight dependent.
That’s not saying soccer players aren’t elite athletes, they 100% are my point in responding to the poster is that those athletic abilities are often taught. Strength and conditioning coaches, speed and agility drills/training. It’s all taught.
What separates the rest of the world from the US isn’t athletes is the skill and technique training that we simply don’t offer to many here in the states
You cannot teach speed, quickness, and athleticism. You just cant. You sound like the coach of a suburban youth soccer league trying to recruit new players from wealthy families to make $$$. Its just like the clowns that pay all the money for their kids to play club basketball. The real athletes are the ones who end up a D1 schools and play professionally. JFC even endurance is a gift. There is a limit on what anyone can train to do given baseline biology/genetics. You cant train your kid to be the next great ISU or Michigan State basketball player if he isn't physically gifted. Just stop. Im not the one saying this US team isn't athletic enough. I agree skill is the issue. (Mainly goalkeeper). Basketball is maybe the most likely soccer of any sport. You can be the best damn ball handler in the world but if you arent quick you arent getting by anyone, and the same goes for playing defense and stopping it. May work playing against the other suburban snobs who suck, not against real athletes.
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You can improve your endurance through training. But I’ll never have as much endurance as a Kenyan 10000-meterer, no matter how much training and resources I put into it.
Size doesn’t equal athleticism. I know people who are huge, who would trip over their own feet if they moved faster than a snail’s pace.
“You don’t need athleticism to be an elite soccer player” is certainly a take
You’re mistaking improving on those areas to being “taught”. S&C coaches can maximize your potential. They can’t teach you speed or elite hand eye coordination.
I tell my wife this all the time but she doesn’t believe me.
Exactly. Good luck trying to teach your kids to hit like Barry Bonds. Even Barry couldnt get MLB guys to hit like him.
Here's an example. Im not real sure there is that big of an overall difference in say skill between a lot of Div. 1 and 2 athletes. The difference is the athleticism and explosion.
You 100% can teach speed. You 100% can teach agility.
The scenario here is unlimited resources. I added the part about having a young kid that is determined and has the mindset. In that scenario you can 100% get that kid to the pros in soccer from a pretty average baseline.
Again not an all time great but a guy that could make our USMNT, for sure
Did all of those atheists have unlimited resources from the town they are 7 years old? Are they playing a sport where athleticism is king?
Soccer is skill based and technique. Always had been.
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