I've played football with... Dennis Rommedahl, Matt Holland, Bobby Petta, David Johnson, Lomana Tresor Lua-Lua and Just about every player of Colchester United about 10 times.
An old coach used to play for Santos and Ecuador and another guy I know used to play for Southampton (when Alan Shearer was there). Both are just very confident with excellent touches.
I played at the same combine as Jamil Walker before he got signed to the 'Quakes, but I'm not sure if I played against him. Another guy I played with at the same combine played in a lower division is Spain - ran into him recently in my league and again at a tryout for the Harrisburgh Islanders. I've definitely played with guys who played in the USL D3 as it was called then. Also played against guys who are pros in Trinidad: Ian Lake and George Isaacs - both St. Kitts & Nevis internationals. As an aside, Ron Harper's brother was (is?) a teacher at my high school.
My current coach played in the dream team. i cant remember when it was, the team with pele NY cosmos i think it was he was the goal keeper . Yasin Ozdenak. he is 50+ and does 200 sit ups a day and his legs are the size of tree stumps he is huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i played with this guy Chico...he played for Argentina i think in one of the world cups... this guy is so old but he still is amazing
Hey i know who your talking about..is his name like chico chicauraun or something..ive played odp with him well he coached and yes hes old he lives in connecticut (where im from) i suppose becuase he coaches a FSA club team in CT EDIT ...Debernardo i think we've talked on AIM before my SN is southckid10...well this is they guy i wus talking about from above http://www.soccerhall.org/RNO - WATN/ChicoChacurian_WATN.htm
One of my friends who is a senior in high school played against freddy adu. i believe he was 11 playing against 15 year olds and he scored two goals...
Heh, my brother played against freddy adu's brother @ regionals. I watched Fredau (i think thats his name) and I dont think he is going to be nearly as good as freddy. Im not saying he was bad, but ive seen better players than him @ his age
I was on a team with a guy from the Liberian national team, also played for Bastia on Ligue 1. He was flippin GOOD, and he's not even a big name or anything. Went by "Prince Daye" but his name was Albert. Also, A friend and referree who just unfortunately recently died of cancer, Salvadore Sanchez, reffed many games I've been in, and he was in the Olympics, I think in '68... but I don't remember what country, either Chile...or...Paraguay? Don't remember the country.
I think what he really wants to know is: How are they better? What is it that they can do and you can't? It's great to drop all these names, but what is it that some have that most don't that makes them able to make a living playing this game whereas all we can do is criticize and find fault with every little thing the pros do?
Does my old coach count? he used to play for a professional club and the Portugese national team. He even knows Eusebio.
My soccer coach is former colombian soccer star Andres Estrada. He played in the 94' and 98' world cups for colombia. He also played for Atletico Nacional in his native country. He also survived being kidnapped by leftist colombian guerrillas a few years ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/724145.stm
Played a lil with Danny Karbassiyoon against Santino Quaranta played in college vs Ricky Charles, who is currently on trial at Columbus Crew
i think i played against a benfica player (futsal). his name was pedro roma. do any guys know him? ps. he kicked my ass
Well for me the biggest thing with the guys that were pro's and really decent players (unlike Devin Barclay and a few MISL guys that I mentioned) was the basic skills were very solid and they didn't make dumb mistakes that amatuer players make. The amount of time spent training on the ball really showed as all of them were composed on the ball and never looked like they were uneasy when playing(for example none of them looked like they wanted to crap their pants when they recived a pass and a man was in front of them). Also they played a higher speed both pyhsically and mentally than most of the players they were playing agasint that were not pro or pro level players.Some of the guys that were playing had the same ball skils as the pros but just could not produce the stuff at a higher tempo at least not as often. The difference between some really good semi pro guys and pros is the amount of time spent training(fitness and skills) and the dedication level. I know a lot of guys that just don't for whatever reason want to take that next step and play for a living even though they have the ability. The difference for a really good amatuer and the decent level pro is not that much really when you break it down. Now as for people like Zidane or Cruyff and so on, they are in a much different class than anyone in this thread is talking about having been on the same field with.
I've played with a curent Nat before he was a pro. He was good and we were'nt. It was shameful how far ahead of us he was in not only speed , but speed of play. I think he was like 16 then. Guess that's why he is a Nat now.
I played against a formerly pro goal keeper for one Uzbekistan teams in a pick-up game. He was quite remarkable and it was next to impossible to get in any shots from any further then the penalty kick spot. He would scream out "Mine" whenever he went for the ball. He was also good in capacities other then a goalkeeper.