What if American athletes...

It's just that he's almost too tall. Dwyane Wade is the guy who would make your argument way better. Or Rose, people like that. Guys that are just a bit smaller, but still tall by soccer standards, but guys who can change direction very quickly and think very quickly. You see it with all the taller soccer players in that sometimes the ball just seems to get stuck under their feet. At a certain point the extra height almost becomes a hindrance. And my point with my High School is relevant no matter the level, the fact is that people with too much muscle struggle to finish a game. There's no way Lebron would be able to stay like that... like I said, look at Jozy.

About Lebron's size, that's distinctly average for some rugby positions, pretty much the exact same physique as well... which is my point about New Zealand. If a country of 4 million people can produce guys like Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, etc., in that height range, and then guys like Tana Umaga, Ma'a Nonu, Sivivatu, etc., in the "Maicon/Revis" (as I like to call it) physique range, surely athleticism isn't as big of a factor as you're making it. I'm more interested in what would have happened if a guy like Maurice Jones-Drew or Michael Vick had chosen soccer instead of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant (who played a lot and really wasn't very good), etc. had.

 

Fair enough Diegan. It's just that being a basketball player myself when I think athlete I immediately think LeBron James, because I've played against guys like LeBron and it's not even fair. But now that you mention it I think Rose all the way, he's still a decent height and is impossibly quick. Thanks for arguing buddy

 

Look at Maurice Edu for example.

Great athlete, * footballer.

 

True, but I think Edu pales in comparison to say, Rose or Revis when it comes to pure "athleticism" then again I had a month long psychology lesson on how "athleticism" can mean a multitude of things

 

Yep... maybe even surfers (shameless plug :icon_mrgreen should be a group we look at. When I look at Xavi and see his low center of gravity, great endurance, and incredible balance, I think he'd be an incredible surfer if he'd started young. Obviously being from San Diego, where some of the best surfers in the world are from, I've seen some guys with absolutely ridiculous balance while being rocked by a wave and lungs which are like oxygen tanks. They also need good vision to be able to anticipate the break of the wave. One of them was actually involved with the youth national soccer teams but decided to quit at the age of 16 to focus full-time on surfing.

 

I always think when people call Edu an "athlete" its verging on racist, I can only think people say that because hes 6 ft 2, American and black as hes as stiff a footballer as there is in the SPL.... if he is an athlete what is Daryl Murphy, Joe Ledley or Charlie Mulgrew?

 

Normally I'd agree but I think Edu is actually a pretty good athlete. Tall, strong, has very impressive endurance, good balance, etc. I'd agree though that Murphy is probably a better athlete, utterly * footballer though unfortunately.

 

You can turn a football player into an athlete. You can't turn an athlete into a football player - Cesar Luis Menotti

 

Racist?

Behave man...

Tell me how you would you describe Edu then? Footballing genius?

He's a good athlete, poor footballer. No racism in that at all.

Edu was used as an example because

a) He's American.
b) Fits the OP's question.
c) He's a good athlete. Strong, fast, tall and good stamina.
d) The only good American athlete I know that is pish at what he does.

 

Not true. A full back or a defensive midfielder are positions which an athlete converted into a footballer can play with little problem. A defensive forward(Olić, Kuyt, Tevez, K. Miller, Okubo...) has to be an athlete, too.

 

Same could be said about Ireland, imagine all those brilliant Hurlers and Gaelic Footballers chose Soccer(saying that just to make it easier) Shane Long played minor Hurling for Tipperary, he played alongside some of the best Hurlers in Ireland now,if he hadn't chose Soccer he would be playing Hurling with those lads now, probably receiving plaudits and favourite to win the All Ireland. Look at all those great Gaelic Footballers from Cork, Kerry, Tyrone, Armagh, Dublin, Down etc.... imagine they chose Soccer? for such a tiny little country we excel in sporting talent.

 

Yeah that's true buddy. I played real football when I was younger then moved on to American football in junior, high school and College. Football in Boston, there is a small league I play in, don't get paid or nothing.

 

i think american athleteswith the height and sizewouldn't have the knees or endurance for full 90 minutes twice a week for 6 months, i think football is a sport for men within normal ranges of size (obviously with exceptions)where as basketball and gridiron are for the giants.

likes of steve nash , point guardsetcthos guys could definetly play football.

 

I've always thought that Americans make good goalkeepers because of the other sports out there all involving using your hands Throwing, catching etc.

I must admit though, like the OP I have wondered in the past what it would be like if 'soccer' was as big in America as it is everywhere else. Surely just due to the amount of people into sports they would be up there?

 

The counter to this is that the US has a ton of really good athletes in that size range who can't make it in (American) football or basketball because they're too small. If all of those guys (and there are a lot) tried soccer instead our player pool would be enormous.

But still, I think I posted in this thread earlier, I don't really like these comparisons because it depends on the culture more than anything. If we had a system like the Dutch or the Spanish where the emphasis was on technique and tactics, I think we'd do well - but if we adopt the English way too much I'm not sure that we would ever be in the top tier, let alone dominate.

 

In the time of Addvocaat at the * pit, they focused on the athletic/physical ability of their youth because they believed they could coach the technical stuff later on.

Mental attributes are the ones that make the difference, Perception,Concentration etc.