Female physical attributes for positions

Anonymous
The average height among elite players fell by two inches from 2005 to 2015.

This is according to in-house OZY analysis that looked at the 11 players selected each year for FIFA FIFPro World XI for that decade. Every year since 2005, over 20,000 professional soccer players around the world elect crème-de-la-crème footballers to World XI. The weighted average height of these soccer maestros fell by about two inches, from 6′0″ in 2005 to 5′10″ in 2015. The most dramatic diminution has been among the midfielders, as the average height of the three playmakers plummeted from 6′1″ in 2007 to 5′7″ in 2010 and 2013

Trophies reflect this downward spiral, as teams led or captained by 5′7″ players won the last two World Cups and the Euros, as well as the Champions League in four out of the last seven years. The driving force behind the rise of shorties was the emergence of tiki-taka, a playing style that relies on short, agile and technically gifted players such as the Catalan trinity of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. Pioneered and perfected at Barcelona and adopted by Spain, the tactic, equally admired and abhorred for its obsession with passing and possession, made these teams untouchable between 2008 and 2012.

After his formidable spell as the manager of Barcelona during its heyday, Pep Guardiola migrated to Bayern Munich in 2013 to evangelize tiki-taka. With Bayern players forming the backbone of its squad, Germany won the World Cup a year later thanks to 5′9″ midfielder Mario Götze’s extra-time goal. “Once Barcelona and Spain succeeded at the highest level, short players benefited as teams kept the ball on the ground more and used technical skills over physicality,” says 5′7″ San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Tommy Thompson. Lots of defenders say the smallest players give you the biggest problems, he adds, “because they go under you with faster pivot.”
Anonymous
Yo pp, this is a thread about female athletes
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Yo pp, this is a thread about female athletes


Yeah. I know. What do you want to know? That the last three local females that were or are rostered on Youth National Teams are average to below average in height, or that the local girl rostered on the USWNT is average height....or do you want to know that height has little bearing on midfielders....or that speed is more desirable than height.....or that height doesn't determine athletic prowess....or that height is one of many attributes......

This whole thread has been dedicated to height. Its exhausting 😩. Some of you really need to take out a ruler and remind yourself how small of a difference one or two inches is and how ridiculous you sound advocating so passionately about how that one or two inches is a game changer..
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yo pp, this is a thread about female athletes


Yeah. I know. What do you want to know? That the last three local females that were or are rostered on Youth National Teams are average to below average in height, or that the local girl rostered on the USWNT is average height....or do you want to know that height has little bearing on midfielders....or that speed is more desirable than height.....or that height doesn't determine athletic prowess....or that height is one of many attributes......

This whole thread has been dedicated to height. Its exhausting 😩. Some of you really need to take out a ruler and remind yourself how small of a difference one or two inches is and how ridiculous you sound advocating so passionately about how that one or two inches is a game changer..


Well that one or two inches ... that’s what she said.
Anonymous
Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.


Truest comment on entire DCUM Soccer board. +1
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.


It depends on the level of soccer frankly. There is still more to a player than technical ability and height, weight and speed.

If a college coach is making the selection there are multiple criteria. Attitude, grades for admission are huge and there is far more digging into a players personality than many here will give credit. College coaches do not want problem players for a inch difference. College coaches are not going to go out on a limb with admissions for a player that is not a true impact player if their grades or tests scores are in question.

There are lots of very talented players that do get overlooked for these and other deficiencies. Not all opportunities will be blessed due to soccer ability or physical attributes. There are many other variables that can become great equalizers depending on the soccer program and coach.

The slightly shorter same as kid with better grades has a distinct advantage in a college coaches eyes.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.


There is always a tie breaker if anything is even. However, everything is rarely even when you look at the totality of the kid.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Line up 1000 women.

Only 7-10 will be as tall as Ordonez and Morgan. Or Sam Mewis, Sauerbrun, Davis or MacDonald.

500 will be as tall at Kerr and Lavelle. So I get how out of 1000 or more players maybe you find a Lavelle.

But why are so many tall players selected if this is all random?

They are so so rare in the population.

It’s mathematically impossible. There is only one answer. They are selecting for height. At all levels. Otherwise there is no way to explain it. Otherwise there should be more shorter players than tall players right? These 1% should be the anomaly.


Alex Morgan is listed at 5'7". 17.7% of females age 20-29 are that height or taller. That is 177 per 1,000.

Many of the best male soccer players were relatively short. Maradona at 5'5", Messi at 5'7", and Pele at 5'8" are often cited as three of the best. Although they were short, they were quick, and strong, with a low center of gravity. Pele could even make up for lack of height because he had great leaping ability and was an extraordinary header of the ball. Mia Hamm was 5'5". She was quick. I think the reason women soccer players are comparatively taller is because the shorter women do not have comparable physiological advantages. They tend not to be noticeably quicker (Hamm and Lavelle are exceptions) than taller women.


You really can’t compare Maradona and Pele to today’s games. Messi was great but is not the rule. There are many more tall quick player Ronaldo, Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Virgil van Dijk vs short players.

Short player below 5’8 will struggle to establish themselves as professionals. Average height for premier league -5’11.5”, Bundesliga 6’ 1/4”, La Liga 5’10 3/4”. In addition to being taller vs average men, they also out mass your typical average men till about 24. After that average men are...let’s face it fatter vs pro soccer players. Those are average heights so the few players under 5’8” really bring the average.

Only 67 European clubs out of 572 (11.7%) fielded players on average shorter than 180cm. https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/atlas/en/


Yep, Harry Kane is lightning. I am sure prime Maradona and Pele would struggle to play at Kane's high level of athleticism and skill. (Speculation here, but if you had a team of Maradonas playing a team of Kanes the ball would be in the Kane side 90%+ of the time.) These guys may be fast, but not necessarily quick. And not one has top level close control.

As of summer the most valuable players (transfer value) were: Mbappe - 5'10"; Sterling 5'7"; Sancho 5'11"; Alexander-Arnold 5'9"; Rashford 5'11; Salah 5'9"; Mane 5'9"; Griezmann 5'9"; Davies 6'0"; Kane 6'2"; Firmino 5'11"; Bernardo Silva 5'8"; Gabriel Jesus 5'9"; Joao Felix 5'11" . . . Do you see a pattern?

The issue in the women's game is there are comparatively fewer counterparts to the list above. But if you did have a team of prime Martas vs pick a tall current player on U.S. team, I'm betting on the Martas.







Anonymous
USMNT suck. Whats their height?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:USMNT suck. Whats their height?


Christian Pulisic is 5'8".
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:USMNT suck. Whats their height?


Christian Pulisic is 5'8".


Go figure. The good guy is average height for US men.or is that below average? Either way....go figure
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.


Truest comment on entire DCUM Soccer board. +1


+1000
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sports is a game of inches and seconds in regards to height, jumping ability and speed.

There are always exceptions based upon a player’s technical abilities. But if the player has great technical skills along with height and speed, he/she would be highly recruited.

If a coach has two players with identical technical abilities and speed but one is 2 inches taller, the coach would pick the taller player. Reality sucks, but it’s true.


Truest comment on entire DCUM Soccer board. +1


+1000


The truest comment is that all thing are rarely equal when looking at the totality of the player.
Anonymous
Catarina Macario. Shes pretty good.
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