Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss Part II

[Anonymous]

Dumb discussion. This area is a melting pot. There are good players of all backgrounds. Who cares what the history of another country is. There are many passionate soccer loving countries around the world that have produced individual talents and are failures as a country. Hopefully that passion and love has been passed down to players in our area from those countries. Let's focus on the players in front of us with the hope of having a great talent emerge.

[Anonymous]

According to Ronaldo, Iniesta is the best player ever from Spain - Is this true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dumb discussion. This area is a melting pot. There are good players of all backgrounds. Who cares what the history of another country is. There are many passionate soccer loving countries around the world that have produced individual talents and are failures as a country. Hopefully that passion and love has been passed down to players in our area from those countries. Let's focus on the players in front of us with the hope of having a great talent emerge.

What is dumb is anyone thinking Bolivia is a top producer of soccer talent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dumb discussion. This area is a melting pot. There are good players of all backgrounds. Who cares what the history of another country is. There are many passionate soccer loving countries around the world that have produced individual talents and are failures as a country. Hopefully that passion and love has been passed down to players in our area from those countries. Let's focus on the players in front of us with the hope of having a great talent emerge.

What is dumb is anyone thinking Bolivia is a top producer of soccer talent?

I agree that they are not but it's not impossible that one day a top talent will come out of there. Etcheverry/Moreno/Platini Sanchez (their best 3 products) although good/solid pros not top talent at the world level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dumb discussion. This area is a melting pot. There are good players of all backgrounds. Who cares what the history of another country is. There are many passionate soccer loving countries around the world that have produced individual talents and are failures as a country. Hopefully that passion and love has been passed down to players in our area from those countries. Let's focus on the players in front of us with the hope of having a great talent emerge.

What is dumb is anyone thinking Bolivia is a top producer of soccer talent?

Nobody thinks that, stupid. Someone said that there’s not going to be any top players found at these Bolivian leagues. In this area? Are you joking? Clearly you have a huge bias, and think you must be superior. You’re a pathetic person who is generalizing an entire country.

[Anonymous]

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You folks will have to show me who besides DC United fans considers Bolivia a serious soccer nation compared to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Bolvia has qualified for World Cup once in 50 years and has not sent team to the Copa Libertador nor Copa America. Sorry folks but you would get more interest in a league of Brazilian or Argentine expats than one of Bolivians. I don't even know why we are having this discussion. You know the truth.

Google "tahuichi" and tell me if the only people writing about it are "DC United fans."

So ... back to travel soccer now?

Seriously! The smugness of this person who “lived in Argentina” so he knows the worth of South American players is revolting. They don’t know jack.

[Anonymous]

Far more teenagers sign their first professional soccer contracts in Bolivia every year than the US.

[Anonymous]

They don't have any college soccer there - you go directly from youth to pro at about age 17-19. That's normal. If you don't make it there in Bolivia, maybe you can come to the US to play on a scholarship as a backup. LIU (long Island University) used to be the destination for bolivian players.

The professional teams also have reserve teams that you can play on to keep developing. They also have pro/rel which keeps everyone pushing to move up or prevent themselves from moving down, so there's more pressure all around to succeed.

[Anonymous]

It's a second-tier latin american soccer country compared to the likes of Brazil, Arg, etc. But the soccer culture there is FAR ahead of what we have in the US.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Someone made the comment that there is a league of Bolivians so we should get excited. My point is that in terms of "street cred," Bolivia is not a draw for the casual of serious soccer enthusiast. Again, look at the facts. Any country can produce one or two folks over its history but you will not find anyone in Latin America or elsewhere with a Tahuichi jersey let alone anyone who knows who he is. But you will find people who know Messi, Maradona, Palermo, Tevez, Neynar, Willian, Ronaldinho, Suarez, etc. Please folks, stop the nonsense. There is no smugness or generalizing. Bolivia is not a soccer powerhouse and never has been. The point here is that if you say that there is a Brazilian, Argentine, German, Italian league, people will flock to it. If you say there is a Bolvians league, they will likely yawn. Yes, Bolivia plays soccer as does a majority of countries in Latin America but if you go off its trackrecord of ranked players and placing it national team and professional teams in international tournaments, it is clearly a 3rd tier country behind every team in South America except Venezuela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Someone made the comment that there is a league of Bolivians so we should get excited. My point is that in terms of "street cred," Bolivia is not a draw for the casual of serious soccer enthusiast. Again, look at the facts. Any country can produce one or two folks over its history but you will not find anyone in Latin America or elsewhere with a Tahuichi jersey let alone anyone who knows who he is. But you will find people who know Messi, Maradona, Palermo, Tevez, Neynar, Willian, Ronaldinho, Suarez, etc. Please folks, stop the nonsense. There is no smugness or generalizing. Bolivia is not a soccer powerhouse and never has been. The point here is that if you say that there is a Brazilian, Argentine, German, Italian league, people will flock to it. If you say there is a Bolvians league, they will likely yawn. Yes, Bolivia plays soccer as does a majority of countries in Latin America but if you go off its trackrecord of ranked players and placing it national team and professional teams in international tournaments, it is clearly a 3rd tier country behind every team in South America except Venezuela.

The above is all good and fine but the original comment that spawned this digression was "Who consider Bolivia a serious source for any type of athlete?" The knowledgeable and measured responses showed that Bolivia has produced 2 of the top players in MLS history, other well respected soccer pros, qualified for the World Cup in 94 (beating Brazil on the way) and made it to the finals of Copa America in 99. So there is plenty of evidence that Bolivia has produced in the past some high level professional soccer players.

Have they ever been at the level of Argentina or Brazil, or Uruguay or other countries in terms of producing soccer professionals. No of course not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Someone made the comment that there is a league of Bolivians so we should get excited. My point is that in terms of "street cred," Bolivia is not a draw for the casual of serious soccer enthusiast. Again, look at the facts. Any country can produce one or two folks over its history but you will not find anyone in Latin America or elsewhere with a Tahuichi jersey let alone anyone who knows who he is. But you will find people who know Messi, Maradona, Palermo, Tevez, Neynar, Willian, Ronaldinho, Suarez, etc. Please folks, stop the nonsense. There is no smugness or generalizing. Bolivia is not a soccer powerhouse and never has been. The point here is that if you say that there is a Brazilian, Argentine, German, Italian league, people will flock to it. If you say there is a Bolvians league, they will likely yawn. Yes, Bolivia plays soccer as does a majority of countries in Latin America but if you go off its trackrecord of ranked players and placing it national team and professional teams in international tournaments, it is clearly a 3rd tier country behind every team in South America except Venezuela.

Where is the "Like" button?

[Anonymous]

Just to put this discussion about Bolivia to rest. Notice which Latin American countries are ranked in the top 5 and top 20 globally and which country is not. By definition, top 20 placement means strong. Under any measurement you use, Bolivia is not a serious soccer country. That is not meant to disrespect Bolivia but if you are going to say that "Bolivia" gives an adult league any credibility you need to get serious. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Someone made the comment that there is a league of Bolivians so we should get excited. My point is that in terms of "street cred," Bolivia is not a draw for the casual of serious soccer enthusiast. Again, look at the facts. Any country can produce one or two folks over its history but you will not find anyone in Latin America or elsewhere with a Tahuichi jersey let alone anyone who knows who he is. But you will find people who know Messi, Maradona, Palermo, Tevez, Neynar, Willian, Ronaldinho, Suarez, etc. Please folks, stop the nonsense. There is no smugness or generalizing. Bolivia is not a soccer powerhouse and never has been. The point here is that if you say that there is a Brazilian, Argentine, German, Italian league, people will flock to it. If you say there is a Bolvians league, they will likely yawn. Yes, Bolivia plays soccer as does a majority of countries in Latin America but if you go off its trackrecord of ranked players and placing it national team and professional teams in international tournaments, it is clearly a 3rd tier country behind every team in South America except Venezuela.

TAHUICHI IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SOCCER ACADEMIES IN THE WORLD YOU CLOWN

[Anonymous]

“I’ve never seen anyone wearing his jersey” that right there proves that you’re completely ignorant about your point yet you continue to dig your heels in.