[GrodZilla]

How many of you in here actually play the game we all love? If I understand it correctly the opportunities to play any sport in an organized way in the US after high school/college are quite limited. And if you don't now, you're bound to have before? So here comes a little presentation of my self.

Position: Striker (But can also play CB and Gk if needed, reluctantly I might add)

Type of Player: Big and strong with a knack for scoring goals, always struggeled to understand why though, since I'm not very good with the ball and I'm not fast and I can't shoot. I do have a talent in heading as my head is very hard for some reason. My device has always been heart before talent. (That's why I loathe talented teams/players that don't make the most of their talent.)

Playing career: Played in the second highest division in Sweden as a U18(quite a good feat. for our small club). After that I went on to play div.5 football for my clubs senior team and didn't find it all that challenging so that(and a few other things) resulted in me quitting for a year. But now me and my mates from my U18 team have started up a new club in swedish div. 8. It'll be a tough few years before we get somewhere.. but it'll also be fun which is what it's all about really...

[StrikerCW]

In college now I find it tough. I didn't try out for the club team at my uni but shall next year. Now I just play intermurals (or will this semester so I don't know how that will work) and pick-up games with alot of foreigners 1-2 times a week.

Position:
In high school I started from sophomore as fullback, mainly because I am quick (not so much fast) and decent defending. I am not tall (5'6") so I couldn't really play sweeper though I am probably better there because I never had any stamina in highschool, as I never applied myself in preseason, and wouldn't have to man mark the striker all game long. (which I hate)

My senior year I moved to CM, because quite frankly I had the most skill on the team and the best soccer knowledge. Unfortunatelly, I dislocated my arm several times before the season and was thusly made to wear a brace in the season and get surgery afterwards. With this I played like shite. I had no confidence and my first touch and thinking abilities on the ball went way down. So then I was moved back to stopper. Which I took on my accord to mean midfield destroyer in front of the back free. Thusly, for the last half of the season I managed to only mark the CMs streaking through, which I must say I did quite effectively. Needless to say, the midfield needed me in there (well me from my earlier years at least) and they suffered from lack of steal and commitment whilst I was not in there and some ************ skinny freshman/sophomore mfers were. It pissed me off to know end how people think you HAVE to look forward all the time.

These guys played the opposite of Fletcher. They went forward everytime and refused to look back at me even though I had time always as noone marks, what they think is, the stopper. They always couldn't defend at all and, like Darren, always got pushed off the ball.

I mostly have a decent touch, first touch is ok not great. I can't shoot that well either, I'm good with short and long passes, medium not so much. I am better at dribbling players in open space with speed ala Ryan Giggs than in close quarters ala Rooney. Which goes down to my lack of truely good touch.

[Motterman]

Position: Striker (but can play anywhere across the midfield if needed)

Type of Player: Hold up striker, but can turn and unleash hellish shots with either foot. I do favour my right foot a bit, but my left if far from useless. I have incredible awareness on the pitch, especially after developing some understanding with my teammates. I can pass pretty much any distance... I've come back for goal kicks cause I can send them past half field with good accuracy. I like making through passes to break down defences, usually with a bit of a curve on them for my attacking player to run onto. I'm also one of the only guys on my team to score from free kicks, and I take better corner kicks than anybody on Manchester United (except maybe Giggs). My only drawbacks are that I'm not in shape right now so I can't go 45 mins and then another 45 mins. I need a 5 or 10 min breather in each half. I can also direct headers really well, it's just that I'm not very tall and I don't have very big ups. I like playing 1 or 2 touch football with players who aren't idiots, and I play with a bit of flair - I'm not afraid to use flick-ons, backheels or other audacious and unorthodox things to make something happen in a match. However, if you say that I've done something that was almost "Brazilian" I'll punch you in the mouth.

Teams: I started playing when I was 6-7 years old, and played until I was 16 or so. I grew up playing on club teams with a nucleus of about 5 or 6 of us staying together through the whole thing. We one our share of trophies, medals and tournaments, but the one time we made it to the qualifier to make it to our regional finals, we got beat by a team made up of Mexican players. (they were later thrown out of the league when it was found out that they had 6 or 7 players who were 1 or 2 years older than allowed) Too late to do anything about it then though. I didn't play again until 1997-98 when I started playing indoor soccer at Garden Grove Arena Soccer Park in SoCal. I played there until Dec 99, when I moved to Frederick. I started playing at The Corner Kick in Germantown, MD. I guess it was only the 3rd or 4th time playing down there that I got hit from behind (by a Mexican) and it was so brutal that it knocked the wind out of me - which is actually quite hard to do from behind. In any case, I finished the game, but I didn't feel right for a day or two. On the third day I woke up in the greatest pain I've ever encountered then or since in my lower back. My grandmother (of all people) took me to the emergency room because I couldn't stand up or sit down or anything... they gave me 3 shots in my back and it was only then that I started to feel better. I had a partially herniated disc in my lower back, and instead of surgery, the doctors suggested physical therapy. I started with that and the pain started to subside after a few weeks, but the strength in my right leg was gone - I mean, I could hardly walk up the 5 or 6 stairs to the front door of my apartment - as soon as I tried to put any weight on my right leg, it just crumbled. After 7 or 8 weeks, the strength came back and my pain was minimal so I started doing some light training to play again. When I was finally ready to play again, the local sportsplex in Frederick opened and I joined a team made up of a few guys that were friends of my cousins. I've played with them ever since, including some seasons of outdoor soccer as well. However, it seemed like every year or two since, I'd re-injure or tweak my back and have to go through physical therapy to get the pain to go away - that was until Nov '04 when I re-injured it again and had a decision to make with my wedding coming up in June '05. I got an opinion from a neurosurgeon who said I could get a cortisone shot and that might make me feel better for about 6 months (great, right when my wedding was coming up, it would wear off) or I could get surgery done to shave off the herniated parts of the disc that was pressing against my spinal chord. I rolled the dice by getting the operation and I felt 1000 times better when I stood up for the first time after it was over. (in the years since my initial injury, I had actually had another disc herniate as well). After some post-op physical therapy, it's been over a year and I feel better now than I have in the 6 years since my injury. And if you're still reading up to this point, thanks. Anyways, I've been playing indoor soccer year round and I want to get back on a different outdoor team, preferably a team with a good group of guys who believe in passing the ball and where I won't be the only one on the pitch who not only knows how to switch fields with the ball, but actually does it.

[Achtung]

Position: Winger, though any midfield position works well, or support striker in a pinch

Type of player: I like to have a go at goal, but it depends on my confidence that day. I'm not huge, but if another player tries to get physical, I will push back, and I'll defend my teammates as well against that sort of thing. Though I've got a good shot, I almost prefer to set up a nice goal than to score one, and I can pass well, especially with players who are willing to make runs. I don't tackle well but I have no problem getting stuck in to intercept passes or block shots when needed.

I started playing when I was about 5, and continued mostly without stopping until 8th grade, when I quit for a variety of reasons. Played intramurals in college, mostly less competitive the first couple years until I found a club that was a little more ambitious. Unfortunately I was pretty out of shape at the time.

Since graduating, I've gotten into better shape and played a bit of indoor on a friend's rec team last fall, which was very fun and fast-paced, though the tight confines could make it more physical than you wanted at times.

[johno]

Positions:

LCB/GK/LM

I am well out of shape now, and when in shape I'm not quick at all. However, I've got a good left foot (which is why I've played LM) and although my right isn't as strong, I'm confident with my use of it.

I'm a big guy, very strong and I know how to use my strength. When I was younger I actually played what my coach called the link, which was probably more like a Fantasista. those were the days. I can dribble quite well, but I'm not fast, so I usually just evade an onrushing tackler and then pass. I've got confidence issues. I can always hit the open player and I love intricate passing, 1-2s and flicks. I'm a better than average passer and I know where the ball should go in most situations but my medium range passing is horrendous. I also can't pass long. I mean, I can switch the field of play, but that's about it, no diagonal long balls or anything like that. I just can't measure the distances right and I fail misserably.

GK is now my best position, because I'm out of shape, but as soon as I get settled I'm going to start playing more regularly and change that.

My biggest disapointment is my inability to get a header on target. I can win them defensively quite well. But I just can't concentrate on mugging the guy marking me and aiming my header on goal when it actually comes my way.

I played as a kid on a very competitive youth team and had great things said about me. However indiscipline saw my mom ban me from sport from 7 until highschool so I'm actually a better Rugby player than footballer . I did pick up football again when I got to college and played as LB and Centerback for a team that rather sucked. However, I moved to GK and we got some more players in and we won quite a bit in NCAA Div. III.

I'll say that I'd much rather play small goal, (3-4ft wide goals, teams of 5 or so, played on grass or indoor) than any other form of football. Its what I cut my teeth on and its where I can have the most fun dribbling players and using quick short passing. Its also when I can get forward and attack enough to score.

Interesting note... I generate more curl and power with my left foot while shooting, but on the two occasions where I've scored freekicks in an organized match they've been right footed shots.

[Sapphire]

Motter's back injury I hope you keep feeling all better.

I've never played, but I am in the process of working up to being able to. When I was a kid, I was always a little overweight and I started smoking WAY early in life, so my body only let me play games with little sustained running; I played volleyball and baseball throughout life.

Anyway, a few years ago, when I started following United, I got inspired. I thought: these guys are my age and they're kick ass athletes, and I get winded going up the stairs. Pathetic. So, I quit smoking and started running (well, walking at first). Lost a bunch of weight and got in great shape. I'm still trying to shave pounds by jogging, but I could definitely go 90 minutes now. (Another reason I love United!! )

My concern now is injury. Even just jogging around the neighborhood marathon-training, I get lots of foot and leg injuries. Whenever I get one and I can't jog for awhile, it really devastates me. I have friends who play soccer intramurals at my university, and they're always getting really banged up, so I'm a little afraid to try. I'm hoping that maybe after another year, I'll be in good enough shape, not only for running but also for absorbing tackles and everything, to go out and try my hand, errr foot, at some football. We'll see.

[listen_up_fergie]

I was in my high school team, but ever since coming to University I haven't played much soccer. I played on an intramural team last year, but this year I just didn't have time (I was on bigsoccer instead!).

Position: LB/RB - I could play anywhere across the back four in high school, but I'm not too comfortable as CB primarily due to my height. I've played as LB quite frequently even though I'm right-footed.
Type of Player: I can't offer much in terms of size and strength, but my reading of the game tends to be quite decent. I don't have extraordinary pace, but I'm not slow either - but I try not to let players get past me as my positioning and tackling are quite good. In high school my teammates described me as the most 'efficient' player on the team because I managed to get the job done without breaking a sweat. It's not that I'm lazy...I used to have very good stamina and a good work rate when I occasionally played in midfield.

[FIFARay007]

History: Yea, I've played since I was 5 or 6. City leagues up thru high school, then in college I went with club and intramural. I then went on to play in a corporate league with MasterCard. When they decided not to employ me anymore, I relinquished my managerial position, and now I'm just playing with another corporate league here in CT.

Position: Goalkeeper. I love being in net. Something about it gives me that nice warm fuzzy feeling inside. Oh, and nothing better than sliding for a ball and taking out some guys ankles in the process... yeah... good times...

Future: Well I've played, coached, and managed. The only frontier I haven't crossed is reffing. So I've started taking classes, and assuming I pass the test on Monday, I'll be a ref.

[gildarkevin]

Position: I've played everywhere at some point, starting as a striker when I was younger, playing midfield in HS and eventually moving to outside full back for my youth teams in the latter years. That's where I play now on a men's amateur team, though I also play some centerback/sweeper when necessary, such as on coed teams where women often play the outside back position.

Type of Player: I'm not the biggest person in the world, standing about 5'5" but I am rather fit and, though I've lost a step after tearing up my ankle (1 surgery and a year off the game), am still somewhat quick. As an outside back, I'd probably compare myself, unfortunately, to Evra. I'm better going forward than I am defending and look to get into attacking positions whenever I can; I'm also known to put in a goal and/or assist at least once a season from the back (never off set pieces). I'll readily admit I'm easy to beat in the air and not the strongest tackler, but I guess where I differ from Evra is that I'm more likely to actually be in position to defend when the play is there and I'm much more of an organizer of the entire back line when needed. I'm also pretty difficult to simply beat off the dribble due to positioning and the ability to contain well -- I've always said that man marking is about the easiest thing to do on the field. Nowadays, I also tend to rely on my soccer knowledge as much as my skills now that I've hit 34. And the fact that I'm equally strong with either foot.

Playing career: I had the luck to play for one of the strongest clubs on the east coast, from Bethesda, Maryland, and for a fantastic coach who had come over from England at an early age and really taught us, from the beginning of HS age, to train in a professional style. We were a very good team, winning the Region I (eastern) title in 1990 and going to nationals where we finished 3rd (and that was a real shock and disappointment after going out to a team from SF in a 13 round shootout in the semifinals). I didn't play much on that team but when I did, I was an outside back, a position I stayed with through college. I stopped playing when I went to law school but picked it up a little later, playing for a men's team mainly as a striker again, relying on my speed to get goals. I switched from that team (Gildar) to a team in the Northern Virginia men's amateur league that is now in the top division of the NVSL. Since that team is much stronger than Gildar, I was moved back to outside fullback, mainly left side (I'm right footed but lefthanded, so I've been pretty adept at the left wing, having played left mid for my high school team), in an attempt to get all XI players involved at all times. I've got to say that my playing days, however, are slowly giving ways to a rising referee's career, both due to age and the fact that I'm moving up the reffing ranks, having just updgraded to Grade 6 (State Level Ref) this past winter.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Position:
Every single one, for any tactical formation you can possibly think of. I shit you not. Recently I have been playing as a sweeper. By that I mean I have been given a completely free role the side. Which suits me perfectly.

Type of player:
Not that big in terms of height or weight, but that works to my advantage as the opposition tend to underestimate me, to their downfall. My right foot is stronger, but I can play with either and the only complaint people have is with my heading, which to be perfectly honest isn't as good as it should be. There are two sides to my game. On one hand I am good going forward and creative, but on the other I'm very tenacious, hard in the tackle and have the full array of gamesmanship to call upon. I'd say my main skills are scoring, tackling and through balls I suppose that's why I have been able to play anywhere. Temperamental has been a word used often.

History:
Played for school (etc).
Did in both knees (one was 10/90 tackle, other was hockey)
Out for ages.

Future:
Given all clear.
Looking to get back into things and get coaching badges.