Recommended reading "One Goal" recent true story about a team of poor Somalian immigrants living in Lewistown, Maine that won't the Maine HS State Title and their struggles and the discrimination they faced along the way. The town came together over soccer and the racism and discrimination diminished. My 12-year old just read it and I'm reading it now. I heard the author interviewed about it. It's uplifting and offers hope which everyone could use in the current climate. |
Latin countries were not going to fare well in a World Cup in Russia. Actually, outside of Brazil 60 years ago, they’ve never fared collectively as well as when the Cup’s been held in Europe. You also have to take into account resources that the federations have at their disposal. Final point, why would stating nationalities not be PC? |
Such an incredible story. Real sports on HBO also did a segment on the team. Those boys can play. |
What do you mean by "they know better"? My kids have played with a lot of excellent Asian players through the years. One of the Indian players on my son's DA team ended up playing for India in the last U17 World Cup (in India). |
| I think its fair to say 75% of all club soccer teams a driven by rich white kids who can afford to pay $$$ to be given the status of elite team. when in reality if the playing field were free for all. most of those kids either wouldn't play because they would be beat out by better kids. Or the parents would find another sport to price most lower income kids out of so their kids would be able to play and told that they are in an elite program. no remember I didn't say ALL but feel comfortable saying 75%. and I don't mean wealthy rich I mean above average income because I know there are many families with an income under 100K a year that pay for Travel soccer. but very few with an income under 35K per year that do. Just facts. im sure their will be a family from lets say Potomac saying we have a hispanic who's on scholarship and comes from southeast dc to practice and play with our elite team. But would that same parent be willing to send their son to a much better skilled group of kids where he would learn more and get better everyday to southeast dc with a club of hispanics where everyone spoke Spanish and no English except their son? I think thats another way to show the economics factor in soccer |
They are less fit, in addition to being fatigued, because there’s a superfluous amount of games, which means you can’t focus on improving fitness at practice. Their bodies would break down. Totally agree with you on the large rosters. If you’re gonna have a big bench, you better believe in rotations, otherwise what are you even doing? Would also go a long way towards extending players’ careers. |
Not trying to derail the topic but France won the WC was more to do with their use of an more effective style to won the game (with some other factors). |
Yeah. In a lot of ways, Deschamps just recycled Jacquet’s formula from 1998. |
Plus France has players like Mbappe who trained with a professional coach (his dad) since he was 4 and they send their best players to soccer boarding school when they are 12. Here we are worried our snowflakes will burn out with 3 practices per week, just a different soccer culture. How much would that kind of training cost per year in the US (assuming your relative isn't a professional youth coach)? |
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Frances team is testimony to how great colonization was. Give us your absolute best individuals when we want from wherever we plant our flag.
It’s travel soccer on a global scale. |
What?? 4 years to prepare to play in Russia and what are we blaming location on not being able to fare well? did any of these locations not have European style climates during the cup? I'm not sure I understand what you are referring to. And these teams don't have enough resources? They likely have support of 99% of their countrymen with lots of people in the soccer playing pool vs the constant argument of not enough americans playing soccer or supporting it... I thought all players needed was pickup soccer and access to pro coaches? /sarcasm (maybe, not really) The PC comment was about something I had deleted, I think I may have had Portugal, Brazil in there and I was just caveating it so i didn't get more grief since I know how some folks from these countries don't appreciate being identified incorrectly. |
Look. 11 World Cups have been played in Europe. Only once out of those 11 times has a Latin team won the Cup, Brazil 60 years ago. Since then, only twice have Latin teams even made the final (Argentina in 90, Brazil in 98) and both times they were on the losing side. Ask all the rethorical questions you want, but the history of the competition speaks for itself. For example, 8 times the Cup’s been hosted in the Americas, and 7 out of the 8 were won by American nations. Back in 2014, when it was held in Brazil, half of the teams that made the knockout rounds were from the Americas. When the Cup was hosted by Japan/S. Korea, the latter nation made it all the way to the semis, knocking out the winners of the next 2 editions, Italy and Spain, along the way. Obviously there is homefield advantage for teams from the continent where the Cup is being hosted. |
Oh thanks--I did not know there was a Real Sports about it. I will definitely have to look it up and have my kids watch with me. |
There was also a film made about it called ‘One Team’. It’s pretty much impossible to find though
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| Doradus (what used to.be team America premier) appears very diverse. I.e. very few white kids. |