Mike Vick is a loss for soccer. Steven Jackson as well. Chris Paul, Aaron Brooks, etc. etc. I still think LeBron would be an incredible keeper had he grown up playing the sport. Thanks for the run-down on how short soccer players are, which was my point, except in the US, where our great short athletes play other sports, leaving the scraps to play soccer.
That's another part of the problem that we're just now starting to deal with. The youth development systems just didn't exist until the late 90s at best. Now MLS teams are required to have them, which is great, but only for the 16 American MLS cities. Texas has two MLS clubs and the state is constantly seeing players go to Mexico. College remains the major development arm of US Soccer, but they can barely even speak with a kid before he's 16. Another part of the issue is that there is no money in developing players here. Arsenal can stock pile London kids and sell them off, even for cheap, to lesser clubs and recoup their investment. The Timbers can stock pile Portland kids, who will then go to college and get draft and the Timbers get zilch. Youth development investment just really isn't worth the money most of the time. Also, just caught this, Jermaine Jones was born and raised in Germany so he doesn't really fit the list above.
You seem pretty hostile for no apparent reason I don't think that I care whether you're happy or not about my lack of being a fan. Are you invested in the MLS doing well? If you are, and you don't care, then you're making a mistake because the changes I suggest would increase the chances of Americans paying attention. Ed O.
Then don't count on Americans to become fans of the sport like other countries. This is the US, we have faster, more entertaining sports with better athletes. I'm sorry, but watching players kick the ball around for the better part of 90 minutes with rarely any scoring, just isn't going to win over the hearts of many Americans. I can think of about 10 sports I'd rather take part in, or watch.
Bale is making Inter's defense look horrible. That last run for the 3rd goal was pure class. And this after a hat trick at the San Siro.
I'm still on cloud 9 after that game, that last goal is probably my favorite goal of all time. What a player.
We also have slower, less entertaining sports with worse athletes. I don't understand what point you think you are making.
Yeah that was a great goal, but there is just something about the occasion (Champions League at WHL), the opponent (Reigning Champions of Europe), the match leading up to it (miracle hat-trick with 10 men) and then THAT goal happened. Instead of bunkering down to cling to the goal advantage, Bale had the sheer audacity to boot the ball 20 yards a head of himself and dare any inter player to beat him to it. It was like a rope-a-dope punch to a heavyweight champ, it took guts and confidence and it was executed perfectly. It really summed up his performance over those two matches. It was brash and fantastic. btw, that Stoke goal was amazing.
Now this is how you make soccer more exciting! [video=youtube;bAJY5DGuDCo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAJY5DGuDCo[/video]
Eat your heart out, Gareth Bale. [video=youtube;yfmNVdQsoCw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfmNVdQsoCw[/video]
The run was incredible, Walcott is arguably the fastest player in football, but the finish was even better... almost arrogant. He shot it so early!
