Boxing is a very technical sport. Clearly soccer players lack the hand/eye coordination necessary to be effective boxers.
I guess that's why the biggest football power in the world just happens to be the most populous footballing nation in the world? Other factors come into play so population size isn't the only factor but it most certainly is a factor. Blame it on baseball. Baseball is built for stats.
Even though USA basketball still dominates, one can sense that the rest of the world is making bigger strides. The College basketball system is an absolutely terrible way of developing top tiered talent . At some point it should go the way of the dinosaur. The club system, prevalent everywhere else, may overtake the NCAA in developing top basketball talent, even factoring the superior player pool in the US.
meanwhile, back at the ranch.... Arsenal are about to sign their most expensive player ever. ---------------------------Higuain --------Poldi------------------------------------------Theo ---------------------------Cazorla ---------------------JFW-----------Arteta Nacho--------------Kosc------------Mert-----------Sagna ----------------------------Szczesny Looks good. In the starting 11 I would like an upgrade in midfield (Fellani?), LWF (no rumors yet), and maybe GK. For depth purposes, we are good at FB and up front (especially if we bring in another starting caliber player for the left), same with midfield, we need to sort out our 3rd and 4th CB situation. Also, we need another reliable solution in goal. Higuain 24GBP, Fellani 20GBP (or similar player), Ashley Williams 10GBP, and Julio Cesar (or similar experienced quality GK) would be a great summer. If we are being really ambitious, we splash some cash on a starting LWF. More liekly we live with Poldi / Ox, Gervinho in an emergency.
I actually agree with this. A lot of it is just bad coaching, imo. I dont think the other nations will ever overtake the usa bball. but that gap is close. College bball is a big reason why but the development beforehand is the bigger culprit, as well as the lack of great big men developing in the usa. (for many reasons: Magic Johnson, the crack-cocaine disparity in sentencing, etc);
There was some stuff about AAU being all corrupt and all, when it's not useless. It's a weird time for me, with Arsenal transfer season in high gear, and Bulls draft day dealings (hopefully) tomorrow. I stopped following the NCAA tournament after I graduated from college, so I have no idea who these players are. The Bulls are like the (San Antonio) Spurs insofar as they are not afraid of drafting international talent. We got a Euro who plays for Real Madrid, a big who can shoot, who was voted top player in the EuroBasket (the Champions League, if you will) that we drafted in the 2nd round and are waiting to come over. The problem is transfer fees (in NBA talk: the "buyout clause") are covered by the basic agreement and the salary cap, so a rich team like the Bulls can't afford to pay Nikola Mirotic's transfer fee. I hear we're trying to trade up to draft an American-born player whose parents are from Nigeria and Sierra Leone, Victor Oladipo. Who apparently payed at Indiana.
May it long derail the Arsenal forum for many more years. Big Soccer Logic at that. Where is Spock when you need him? So you consider not winning anything not a failure? Are you the one who suggests everyone gets a trophy for E for effort? I don't support Juve and you forget that Texas pwns them all. I would also add that they tend to go south of the border if they can because they think 2013 MLS is 1996 still. They have the MFL snobbery. the good news is MLS academies are catching some gems and helping the development slowly, but surely.
College coaches want to blame the AAUs, but they are also part of the problem. A lot of these players goto college and do not improve, even after 4 years. Mason Plumlee at Duke is the same player he was entering college 4 years ago, just like his brother. AAUs are a problem as well, but kids arent coached well from the start. The Bulls do not do a good job with their roster, you guys are lucky to have Thibs. Oladipo would be an interesting pick, but he has some flaws in his game. I am rooting for him because he is from the area and Nigerian but I dont think he is worth giving up anything substantial.
USA would beat England 6 times out of 10 right now Also please get Fellaini. For the love of God lets win something this season. Fellaini is the answer.
quote="AmericanArsenal, post: 28101328, member: 228551"]USA would beat England 6 times out of 10 right now [/quote] You know, some where in England, Big Man just woke up from a sound sleep and is wondering why...
I mean lets be honest. The only team England has beat in the last 9 games is San Marino...San Marino...San Marino.
I like the look of this XI, except I'd rather Jenko and Gibbs at fullbacks and OX at Left wing. Add another attacker, a midfielder, and a GK and I think we might have the depth to challenge for some titles.
I did not watch them play full games, but I grew up watching all the goals of Italia 90. So when I think Belgiums greatest I think Enzo Scifo, Preudhomme (Sp?) and Ceulemans. I know they did better in 86 (I also watched all the goals of '86) but the video quality was much better for 90. Anyway, this generation I think looks really good on paper but I'm not totally convinced. People tend to overrate players like Fellaini, Mirallas,(both good players) and Lukakau because they play in England. They are good players who play well in England, but that describes all of the England NT. Right now I would say Belgium is on par with England. SO like I said before, an above average team. Until Belgium makes a run at a tournament I feel they are a team that just has great potential.
Prince you don't think Chi does a good job with their roster? It seems they have a great mix of shooting, defense and Rose. With another big who scores they'll compete for titles, imo based on NBA front offices' infatuation with individual points per game I have a hard time blaming the earlier developers. there aren't that many smart personnel traders in bball is the rest of the world really catching up that fast?
Think Wenger is much more likely to play Cazorla in the left wing, Wilshere up front and Ramsey with Arteta at the deep midfield. He seems to have a strong preference for playing a playmaker in the wings. He's also more likely to start Gibbs than Nacho, Nacho had been disappointing towards the end of the season and Gibbs had looked better when he isn't recovering from some injury.
This thread is still golden. I came, I saw and I trolled Lots of 15 year olds here, I have seen plenty of mls games these last 2 years and I remember people saying how the quality of the league will compare to europe one day......tbh it does! The conference north is shitting itself!