Soccer Questions.

[manker]

Offensive talent is there right from the start (dribbling, shooting) and cannot be taught, as such, you'll either be good at that when you're a kid, or you never will - but defensive tactics are easy to teach (tackling, positioning)

i disagree there. Defensive positioning can be taught but it's much more instinctive then attacking off-the-ball runs. Strikers just have the simple job of running into space

also didn't they consider splitting a football match into quarters to increase advertising time and cause all sorts of mathematical problems?

Yeah they considered it when the World Cup was in the US. Well, American advertisers lobbied the American soccer officials into considering it - FIFA told them to feck awf.

What you did earlier was not disagree with my statement but bring another slant on things. I quite agree that it is easy to run into space.

What I said that the ability to strike a ball with swerve and precision and having the abilty to make turns and feints are innate and can only be coached to a certain extent. This is in marked contrast with defensive abilities, such as tackling and positioning - which can be coached to competence in even mediocre players using systems like zonal marking.

You cannot coach a player to have better balance and balance is more important when the ball is at your feet (attacking) than when you're trying to retreive the ball (defending).

[manker]

It's the sport played and watched by the most people. It's not the rest of the world's fault if Americans don't seem to get it. We've tried but you prefer high scoring games.

Not really. We watch hockey and NFL football on a goal basis, it is about the same. A touchdown just happens to be 6 points and a field goal, 3.
I mentioned before that shit game I froze my ass off for where both teams scored 1 touchdown and the game ended in a tie.

Yeah, I should have mentioned the draw aspect.

It was difficult to write more because I was laughing so hard at Junky's soccer appraisal.

[manker]

3. Soccer skills, even offensive skills, can be taught.. Natural talent IS important, but Brazilians don't come out of the womb and can immediately "step-over" as soon as they can walk.

No-one is saying that they cannot, simply that they are much more difficult to coach to a high level in mediocre players than defensive skills. It's a widely accepted fact.

Unless you have another explanation as to why kids' football usually ends up with scorelines akin to 24-10, amateur football regularly yields ten goals per game - yet the average in the Premiership is circa 2 goals a game and the scoring in International soccer finals is even lower.

[Barbarossa]

3. Soccer skills, even offensive skills, can be taught.. Natural talent IS important, but Brazilians don't come out of the womb and can immediately "step-over" as soon as they can walk.

No-one is saying that they cannot, simply that they are much more difficult to coach to a high level in mediocre players than defensive skills. It's a widely accepted fact.

Can I quote you?

Offensive talent is there right from the start (dribbling, shooting) and cannot be taught, as such, you'll either be good at that when you're a kid, or you never will

Unless you have another explanation as to why kids' football usually ends up with scorelines akin to 24-10, amateur football regularly yields ten goals per game - yet the average in the Premiership is circa 2 goals a game and the scoring in International soccer finals is even lower.

I've watched my 7 year old nephew play kids football.. 12 kids running around after the ball like a flock of sheep, all the dads yelling from the sidelines.. eventually the ball just goes into the net of it's own accord...

Amateur football - generally the best players want to play up front, their enthusiastic but clueless mates get made to play in defence, hence the high scores...

I understand what you're saying about training and defensive tactics and positioning and formations being things that must be taught, but dribbling, shooting, crossing... that can be taught as well, assuming there is some talent there in the first place. That's why we have football academies...

I couldn't dribble for toffee as a kid, but in my twenties I learnt a basic "dropping the shoulder" technique, and worked out how to take the ball round people. Now if only I could shoot straight...

[manker]

Can I quote you?

I said 'as such'.

Meaning that it cannot be taught in the same way as defensive skills.

It's all about the balance, mang.


So far as learning to dribble - sure, you can learn to drop the shoulder but if you didn't have the natural balance to begin with, then you'll suck at it.

Shooting - Beckham strikes the ball now in exactly the same way he did as an eight year old - it's been tuned a little but my point is that I doubt John Terry uses the same tackling technique now as he did back then.

I'll reiterate; it's easier to coach defensive skills, such as tackling and positioning, to a high level in mediocre players than it is to coach offensive skills, such as dribbling and shooting, to a high level in mediocre players.

Example: Rooney is an exceptional, genius, player coached at the highest level. Richard Dunne is a mediocre player coached to a fairly high level yet he completely shut Rooney out last weekend. Rooney is stopped from scoring by mediocre players more times than he isn't.

This is the reason that goals are fewer the higher standard that you play.

[peat moss]

One thing to keep in mind about childrens sports is the cost . Soccer equipment is cheap compared to football. hockey and even baseball .

[Busyman]

One thing to keep in mind about childrens sports is the cost . Soccer equipment is cheap compared to football. hockey and even baseball .

When I was a kid, I played soccer often but hated basketball.

Soccer requires a field, ball, and goal net. Open fields are ubiquitous. No special equipment to wear.

All other sports either require special equipment to wear or special facilities.

Ironically, I played tackle football with no equipment (as everyone did).
Only organized football required equipment.

[Barbarossa]

"Soccer" requires nothing more than a couple of piles of coats to use for goalposts, and something to kick.

Preferably round.

[Busyman]

"Soccer" requires nothing more than a couple of piles of coats to use for goalposts, and something to kick.

Preferably round.

When I used to play in Silver Spring, MD, we drove 4 poles in the ground.

I loved making the Spanish fellas fall from my misdirection. I was the only black guy that played with them.

[JPaul]

"Soccer" requires nothing more than a couple of piles of coats to use for goalposts, and something to kick.

Preferably round.

When I used to play in Silver Spring, MD, we drove 4 poles in the ground.

I loved making the Spanish fellas fall from my misdirection. I was the only black guy that played with them.

A mixed game you had going there, a load of chaps from Spain, a chap from America and four from Poland.

Pity you had to be so violent regarding the Polish chaps.