Really not trying to throw shite against wall, but US players still seemed raised incredibly mechanical....with very little rhythm in their play or dribbling. What exactly is the Brazilian magic secret? If the brilliant minds here can deconstruct it, maybe one day someone with vision and chutzpah at the USSF could actually implement a regime to teach it (or some of it, anyway). Can it be done? Personally, in addition to a love of the game and heavy competition- I think one of the keys is Latin dance. The boys learn it young. They dance at parties and frequently. Samba has the upper body erect and the lower boys with lots of movement. Translates well into the Brazilian game. Combine that with a bit of whimsy in the culture + admiration of 'beautiful' football, and 'voila'? Maybe an exercise in the impossible, but we got to start somewhere, right? Its just too bloody painful watching white bread, stiff as glue Yank players representing our country 40 years into the youth soccer explosion..
Actually, the African team show a lot of skill on the ball ('dancing'). FSC had the Algeria vs. Brazil game, and Algeria did a commendable job of showing and using skill. They didn't have the overall (1 to 11) quality of Brazil, nor their speed- but the US could learn from an Algeria (how to teach players to dance with the ball). Its about shuffling your feet, and moving your body in a coherent way (to you) but confusing for the opponent. Why would you be against US players getting better at that? Its obviously a weakness of ours. Why not learn from the best? Kind of funny that you want to stop conversation on this, yet, our top young talents are Feilhaber (Brazilian influence), Adu (African influence) and Altidore (Haiti). Before that, Reyna (father from Argentina), Tab Ramos (Spain), etc. Clint Dempsey looks more and more the odd ball, I must say...
Take away unlimited access to TV, video games, cell phones, movies, malls, education, and the numerous other distractions young middle class americans are awash in and substitute a soccer ball as the single most important focus in the culture and, add a clear line of sight to the fame and fortune that a professional career promises and you'll get americans that play like brazilians.
You really want to know the secret? Well, here it is: You lose the United States at the U-20 World Cup and finish in 3rd place in your group Who the F*** is Brazil?
haha It's not because they samba danced growing up that they can move like they can in the soccer field. They can move like that because its in their DNA. You can't learn how to move like a Brazilian, either you were born with it or you weren't. It's the same thing with the Black and White athletes. The Black athletes move in ways the White athletes can't in most sports. For example, 99% of the running backs in the NFL are Black. Yes they are more athletic and thats a big factor, but how they move with the ball separates most. And that goes for the other skill positions WR and kick returner.
Are you serious? I see the issue the same as with streetball in the inner cities vs. structured youth basketball in the sub-burbs. Kids growing up playing streetball just for the love of the game almost always have more fluidity and flair to their game than the kids growing learning the art of the 2 handed pass at summer basketball camp. Right now American soccer is in the later (highly structured ) group and until American (non-immagrant) kids start playing for the love of the game they'll always lack the movement and flair Brazilians have. Don't get me wrong structured play and training is good but only as a suplement, not primary source of play. P.S. I realize that there are a lot of middle class suburban parents on here who swear their kids play for the love of the game but ask yourself this: Would my kid still play if he had to do it with no shoes on a dirt field full of rocks the way Freddy Adu did before coming to the U.S.? Would he still play if he had to do it in a refugee camp surounded by murder and rape like Nimo did?
You're right it can't be taught but it can be learned. Learned from free-flowing un-structured play at an early age, something American kids don't do much of.
When I was in Brazil, most open areas, whether grassy or not, had kids playing or the evidence of play. In Europe, where space is more limited, I didn't see much evidence of this. I see it a lot in the US, of course there's a hoop there and the kids are playing basketball.
Yes im very serious although I do agree with you with one point, they do need to have a better balance with structure play and free play, which of course can only help. That being said we can't expect to start producing kids with the flair and moves of the Brazilians no matter how much they play unstructured soccer. Look at Mexico for example, big soccer crazed country with alot of kids picking up soccer at a young age, yes they produce good players and play entertaining soccer but do they have players with the brazilians flair? No. P.S. Yes I believe if America was a third world country we would still have kids playing soccer.
I see a lot of American kids who have slick moves and can play like Brazilians. There weren't very many fifteen years ago when I played. It has to do with exposure to players like Ronaldinho, Kaka etc. It has nothing to do with race either. Cristiano Ronaldo looks white to me. The problem is that coaches here consider most of the training that leads a player to be able to do crazy stuff later as fooling around or showboating. Sometimes it is. I will say it again that the problem is our teamwork. Parents calling someone else's kid a "ballhog" leads their kids to think the same of that player. Then they just stand and watch them instead of providing support or making an inspiring run that demands the ball. Kids are very sensitive to what their parents think, and will usually echo them. I can't tell you how many times I have heard things come out of kids' mouths that were obviously verbatim to what their parents probably said in the car after a game or practice, either about me (the coach) or other players. This kind of talk is grossly negligent and a huge hindrance to our advancement as a soccer nation. There are way too many yuppie soccer parents who think their kids crap solid gold. There ARE coaches who want their players to take chances taking people on and to play attracive, exciting soccer, but they are few and far between, especially at the younger levels. They also tend to get a lot of negative pressure from parents to win at all costs. Also, most of the kids have no skill when they start playing organized ball age 6-8. The ones who do are surrounded by incompetence. They learn to depend on themselves. Later on when these kids come together in ODP or whatever, they still have the same self-reliant attitude. Even if they try to play cooperatively, it is unsuccessful against real opponents. They pass the ball when they should shoot and don't take enough chances 1v1. You can see this with our USMNT... We are terrible around the box. It looks like everyone is waiting for someone else to do something, and no one is comfortable on the ball. The only guy who is comfortable can't even get a sniff.
I was afraid you were going to say that. You do realize that almost 100% of modern Brazil is made up of non-indigenous people, right? According to the 2007 CIA world fact book 98.4% of the population have their roots in Europe, Africa or both. Brazilian flair has shown to present in both white Brazilians like Kaka and Zico as well as Black Brazilians like Pele, so if we use your argument that “its in the DNA” that would mean it’s in the DNA of white (European) people and black (African) people thus it should be present in white and black people the world over, including the U.S. And if you still believe “it’s in the DNA” please tell me exactly what sequence or strand it’s located in 'cause I would love to be the first to offically identify it in a journal and win the noble prize for medicine. I promise to cut you in on the prize money
Thats what I tried to say before about the black american athlete with my example of NFL players. Im sorry I didn't make it clear, but I do believe they possess the creativity and movement that can make them play with the Brazilian flair. Yes maybe I did go too far by basically stating a white player has no chance since the post above named a few white amazing players with flair. That said, I still believe "it's in the DNA" that black athletes in general have a superior athletic and creative movement advantage, and no I don't know the sequence or strand they are located in.
I don't believe it's DNA more so how your brought up. Poor kids use sports as a vehicle out of the ghetto all over the world. Poor kids in America tend to be black or hispanic and it's ingrained in their culture. Poor white kids that grew up around blacks and hispanics tend to have the same attitude towards sports and is reflected in their style of play. Look at England some of the best white English players came from poor council estates in tough neighborhoods and used soccer as a way out.
Yes but your missing the point we are talking about the flair and movement the Brazilians play with and last time I checked the English play alittle different then the Brazilians.
Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard play with some flair and movement. Clint Dempsey is a great example of a white kid influenced by the culture around him. The point guard for Memphis (Jason somthing??) is a another great example. It's a socio economic reason imo.
Like I said in the last post I did go too far and was wrong by saying that a white athlete cant be capable of playing with such flair. My point was that black athletes can physically move in such ways that most white athletes can't.
Until you have scientific proof of this fact it will just be your opinion. Also you seem to be ignoring some major outside influences on athletes that affect their style of play. 1. National style of play 2. National youth development techniques 3. Economic issues that influence style of play 4. Argentines - please explain these people