At least is better than Schincariol(sp?). Once a group of friend and I started drinking that beer and 2 hours later, I did not even know whom I was drinking with. Somebody else later told me that I was pointing out a good friend and telling him: "you! you look "familiar" to me, I kind of know you, don't I? what is your name?"
Re: Re: why are you guys so good at soccer Hmm...there's a parallel. Zico = Larry Bird ??? No let's not even start that game. Then this will feel like the USAMNT board...
Footvolley and Futsal is why Brazilians dominate The reason Brazilian players are so good is simple: they grow up playing in tight spaces and also are infatuated with always touching the ball. This is where footvolley, beach soccer, and futsal tremendously help Brazilian soccer players. Imagine playing on the dense and heavy sand of Copacabana under 100 Heat and then strappin' boots to play on perfect grass pitches, you think they'll have a problem with that ?? Futsal also helps tremendously with quick one touch passes. The US takes the wrong approach in teaching youngsters ... this is why there is maybe one pure dribbler on the entire national team: DeMarcus Beasley ... the rest ..... faw ghet about it .... Dont get me wrong, Donovan is a great player, but imagine if he grew up playing futsal and footvolley ... he'd be a Ronaldinho Gaucho now ...
Don't forget to add that just about EVERYBODY plays futebol in one of these fashions you've listed. Even Lula (the president for those who don't know) and most of his fellow politicians play weekly games. Funny thing is that many of these same guys were complaining because important cabinet members were breaking legs and blowing out knees, thus distracting them from their jobs. Anyhow, on top of the passion for the game and various forms of the sport, the size of the talent pool is tremendous. Sure volleyball, surfing, and to some degree basketball is popular - but most of those guys also joga bola and would probably choose it first if they could be great.
I've got alot of Brazilian friends, and this topic has been dicussed at lenghth. The general belief when this has been talked about is that most Brazilians consider the Ball a woman. They flirt with her, caress her and generally just take care of her when she's at their feet. If that is done correctly she'll do anything to please. So it's kind of cultural, the brazilians are passionate free spirited people and it translates on the pitch, when they are doing what they love most, play futebol.
I watched a FSW Español special on Brazilian football. One of my favorite segments was a spot that showed a Brazilian restaurant owner and staff going out to play football at 3 in the morning after the restaurant had closed. Apparently, they did this type of thing on a regular basis.
In America, we learn soccer, and we train, and we are taught tactics. In Brazil (and, for that matter, Argentina and Spain, Portugal and England), soccer is something the people do. It's like baseball was in the States until the proliferation of tee-ball, Pony League, Babe Ruth ball, Legion baseball, and the oversaturation of media attention on 12-year-old Little Leaguers. You see, here in America, baseball players would go out to a sandlot and "make up" games like One Old Cat or Two Old Cat where you don't have to have nine players and all four bases. Brazilians just need a flat surface, a ball, and some kind of creative goal. Brazilians also are encouraged to improvise, which leads to amazing ball skills. We Americans get benched if we "mess around with the ball" during practice. The American men are fit, and have good tactical ability, but not the technical skills of even our women's national team. Lilly, Hamm, and Milbrett would win dribbling and/or juggling contests over many American males.
They really don't even need a flat surface. One of my favorite regular sights here in Salvador is the game that I always seem to interupt when driving downhill on a pot-hole filled, narrow asphalt road enclosed by a concrete wall and a row of shops/shanty apartments. Looks like it's kids from about 4-9 yrs old playing all the time. I just wonder how they determine who defends the downhill goal. Also, someone earlier mentioned playing on Beach sand and how that facilitates a good transition to a grass pitch. More commonly people play on a harder, faster surface like asphalt or concrete. Imagine how slow and how much easier things would seem on a pitch after constantly playing at a higher rate of speed.
Lilly, Hamm, and Milbrett would win dribbling and/or juggling contests over many American males if they were males. I don't know if that was the intention of the comment, but this makes more sense to me than the original post.
Does the best female striker have better ball handling skills than the worst defender? I don't know. Probably. Of course they still can't get the ball to exceed 15 mph on most passes, so...
Can't believe I'm actually replying to this, but.... my point was that when you play the game at 1/5 the pace, it is just a LITTLE bit easier to look like you're in control....I can control any pass you send to me, as long as the ball is moving less than 5 mph when it gets to me, ok??
1/5 the pace? Doubt it. I watch some international men's matches and most of the players are walking. The American women hustle and they don't writhe in pain like pansies when they get breathed on. Unless you're Charmaine Hooper (who is Canadian, by the way).
Can't believe we're talking about women's football here! International Men's matches... you mean as in Brazilian or Argentinian or Italian, SPanish or Dutch? Or perhaps International Men's matches as in Wales, Canada, Jamaica, Venezuela, Egypt, South Africa.
Let me try to explain it to you. Brasilians actually prefer the jogo bonito. They could be up 6-0 and if the crowd doesn't the way team plays, they'll boo the team. That's how seriously they take it. Touchpassing. One-two passes. Give-and-goes. Creating open lanes. Genuine dribbling skills. Shielding the ball while keeping possession to then find an open man. Open field vision. Something the Europeans should learn from.