I apologize to the US National Team for this article. I'd be quite mad also if some amateur writer would even suggest putting an MMA fighter on the team.
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With the exception of an 8-0 thumping in a World Cup qualifier against the Barbados National Team; team USA has struggled a bit in the international scene. While not lacking talent, as evident by the success of Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan (in America) and Brian Ching it just seems something is missing from this squad. As a supporter of the team, it's going to be a while before prospects such as Brek Shea will hit the team; so why not go for the hypotheticals?
If you could grab other athletes from various sports to join the USA National Team; who would it be? Keeping a majority of the team including Donovan, Ching, Dempsey, Freddy Adu and Carlos Bocanegra; let's fill in a few players with some of the major names in sports.
Looking back at the dreadful performance in the 2006 World Cup, there were some positives. One positive was the play of Eddie Johnson. No, he didn't play well but Johnson's speed made for some potential exciting plays from the 75th minute and onwards. You want a forward who can be a substitute with speed just to go pass tired defenders.
Welcome to the US National Team, Trindon Holliday! Holliday, a current KR/PR for the LSU Tigers in football is also a highly decorated college sprinter. While at a diminutive size, Holliday's burst and ability to change decoration on a dime would bring some life to a lifeless team. Holliday would be thrown into the Johnson role.
As a Cross Country runner for my high school (as well as a distance runner for track), it's quite common to see soccer players go from soccer to distance running. Olympian miler Alan Webb made the transition in 8th grade but now I'm going to revert him back to be a midfielder for the US National Team. Midfielders are usually on the run most often and as a freshman at Michigan, Webb proved his endurance by winning 8ks and 10ks right out of high school. Plus Webb is one of a rare few High School runners to go sub-4 in the mile at a 3:53.
England F Peter Crouch has shown the soccer world that sometimes, all you need is height and athleticism to succeed. While Crouch's overall game is lacking, his tall frame makes it easy for him to head oncoming corner kicks into the net. Randy Moss has the height and leaping ability to greatly aid the US team's offense. Also Moss just seems to want to win and that attitude alone can only help the team's morale.
When thinking of a goalie, all that's required usually are some quick reflexes and some athletic ability. Floyd Mayweather has awfully quick hands but lacks the height to stretch out for a ball. Yes, hockey goalies could posseses an advantage but for a lack of much American talent (yeah, John Grahame in goal?) severely dwindles that market. Randy Johnson has made some great plays on the mound, but his age hurts his stock. So without much of an outlet, let's dip into the NFL pool again. After being able to easily convert from basketball to the NFL, Antonio Gates has all you need in looking for a goalie. Wingspan? Check. Athleticism? Check. Relative Youth? Check. Acrobatic catches leading towards the notion of quick-thinking? Check. He's even got a menacing stare that could send some of the Italian players heading to the hills. Plus, this time they can't fake injury.
One last component to any sport is the intimidation factor. Heading off the bus, it's common for opposing teams to see the talent that's about to be seen. For that main purpose, let's throw Kimbo Sliceon the team. He'll never play a minute in a game, but watching him on YouTube made me even roll back a bit in the computer chair. Then again, there are players on the other National rosters that are built much like his YouTube opponents (wonder if Dreads is still living).
With Holliday, Webb, Gates, Moss and Slice; you have some starpower and talent to a team that needs both. But, America still won't be able to keep up with the South American and European firepowers. Why? There just isn't any appeal towards the game of soccer. Sure, we cared a bit about David Beckham and most people know of Landon Donovan but besides that the common thought is "Why is this on instead of (fill in the blank)?". The MLS is improving but still lacks a major TV deal, endorsements, player recognition and unless the USA National Team improves; it'll stay that way. There needs to be a charismatic figure like a Beckham to give some appeal. Someone who would make people tune in. But until that happens, soccer will remain a 2nd tier sport in the US.
Comments Appreciated.
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3 months ago
I agree with Alan Webb, and that's about it. I don't think Slice or Gates would have the endurance needed for soccer. Holliday would be an interesting selection, but I'm not so sure he'd have the ball skills necessary. I know that's being quite nit-picky because Holliday could have learned the ball skills at a young age, but I'm still not sure he would be up to par in that category. That said, you did a really good job of making some "What-If's"! Check out my Open Mic article on players who are good in other sports!
BW
3 months ago
I like the article, but what about basketball or hockey players? Can they make the cut?
3 months ago
please don't write about soccer again. u know nothing about it.
from 3 months ago
actually Olympian distance runner Craig Mottram (Australian) has mentioned that he's a supporter for Sunderland......
;)
3 months ago
Ben:
Well Slice wouldn't have to worry about endurance ;). But yeah of course, other guys wouldn't be as good because they probably haven't played soccer before or not in a long time. This is just the pure hypotheticals of the USA National Team. But thanks, I'll check out your article soon.
Jeremiah:
Hockey players are usually either too small to be taken seriously as a starter in the soccer world or just not athletic enough. I love the NHL and I wouldn't doubt a guy like LeCavalier or Malkin could do something. However, there isn't too much American talent right now in the game and it gets hard to pinpoint the rare talent.
I nearly had Kobe instead of Moss.
Nate:
Then you'll enjoy my season preview of Sunderland AFC in August.
from 3 months ago
yes! i can't wait to see which cricketers u think should be ont the team. maybe a surprise golfer should get a look.
3 months ago
"The MLS is improving but still lacks a major TV deal, endorsements, player recognition and unless the USA National Team improves; it'll stay that way."
All wrong. Completely.
TV Deal:
ABC/ESPN: Rights deal through 2015/2016
Fox Soccer Channel: Deal for a cable channel that reaches roughly 30-40 million people.
Univision/Telefutura: Televise a weekly match as well as partners for SuperLiga and Champions League
All games are regionally televised and big market teams receive money.
Endorsements: David Beckham - enough said.
Landon Donovan - Nike
Jozy Altidore - Adidas (recently departed for Villarreal CF)
Marcelo Gallardo - Volkswagen
Clint Dempsey - Nike
Ben Olsen/Brian Ching/Duilio Davino/Christian Gomez - Dicks Sporting Goods
Coming next year - XBox 360
Look - I realize that blogs are more opinion than fact - but please be advised when you write again.
Cheers
3 months ago
Fox Soccer Channel is a premium package. I had to order the Entertainment Sports Package on Comcast Sports Net in order to get that and GOL TV.
ESPN is a cable channel, yes and I'm aware the MLS is regularly on it. However, ABC tends to rarely broadcast soccer games, if memory serves correct and I just remember the Dynamo / Revolution game on there. Or as the season progresses.
Endorsements, I mentioned Beckham. However, I stand by what I said. Obviously athletes are going to have endorsements; just looking at the shoes they were, etc. But none are the MAJOR endorsements. In retrospect, I should've mentioned the word MAJOR. Besides the rap video with the late Big Hawk, Dempsey won't be known to the average masses. The Dicks Sporting Goods group are in commericals but I still doubt most sports fans would know them. Compare the soccer endorsements / commercials to the one with Stacy Keibler, Chad Johnson and Matt Hasselbeck.
MLB on FOX, NFL on NBC (and before that ABC), NASCAR on FOX / NBC and even TNT, NBA on ABC are not as well-known as MLS on ABC. The MLS is on ABC, probably less than the Indy Racing League is.
Maybe, it would've been better suited if I said "ABC needs to air more MLS games" in comparision to that.
3 months ago
You can't take a bunch of olympic track stars, NFL recievers or NBA superstars and think that they would make a winning soccer side. It takes a lot more than just world class athleticism (which is widely available in world class soccer like the world cup/euro/cham league...etc and doesn't distinguish you, there are a lot of soccer players who run 10 sec 100m sprints and leg press 1200lb so that doesn't make you a winner), it takes creativity, field vision, field intelligence...etc which one has to gain by playing every day from the moment they can walk. And not only that, but there are hundreds millions of others trying to get to be the winner as well, so you really have to be something special.
from 3 months ago
The Open Mic was "Where would the U.S.A. soccer team rank amongst the world’s best if its top athletes grew up playing soccer? Which athletes from other sports would make great soccer players (i.e. could Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant hold their own in goal)?". Thought I'd do something interesting.
Obviously, I'd highly doubt that you could just grab Webb, Gates, etc. off the track/field and throw them onto the NATIONAL team and expect success.
But I do agree with you that soccer isn't this easy game. You are always thinking ahead instead of the present.
from 3 months ago
If I had to make a guess, I would say in the top 5 for sure simple because the US has a gigantic population and tons of resources to support world class talent.
The problem with using current athletes like Kobe is that its assuming that what makes one a top athlete in one sport would make them a top athlete in another. Sure there is overall physical athleticism (who can run fastest, jump highest, last longest...etc) but that hardly ensures success. Look at zidane, he isn't fast or athletic at all he is in fact incredibly unathletic compared to other players, yet he's probably the most dominant player in the last 10 years. There are countless players who run faster jump higher...etc who aren't 1/10th of the player he was. Micheal Jordan was the greatest basketball player EVER and my favorite ahtlete, but he absolutely sucked ass in baseball and he was really passionate about baseball and trained hard for it. You can't just transfer athletic talent from one sport to another, especially not in a sport like soccer where skill counts for so much more than any physical talent. Shaq dominated basketball, but he wouldn't be able to even finish a soccer game, let alone dominate...it would be interesting to see him try and dribble the ball while sprinting lol :)
3 months ago
Cool article. All i want to imagine is KG in goal; that would be intimidating and tough to get by (if he knew soccer of course).
3 months ago
gem:
Zidane didn't have the world class athleticism in comparision to other soccer players but he still was highly athletic. Soccer is such a mental sport. It's not like when we were in grade school or rec leagues in which you just dribbled to the goal and shoot aimlessly. Throughout many a-tournaments (whether it be World Cup, Euro, SuperLiga, anything) you will see so many one-touch passes. People can't appreciate the difficulty it takes. They aren't just tapping the ball at will.
I'd love to see Shaq try though haha.
But, I do think soccer does indeed have a chance here. But it could be regional. American football may get a little surge of popularity overseas but I'm willing to bet that it won't catch on. Look at the "Americanized" sports. Basketball has a lot of power across the world. Baseball caught on heavily in Japan, South America and you are starting to see more of a Canadian presence in the game. But it's still regional. I remember Lance Painter but that's it for English - born players. NASCAR? You have Montoya, Franchitti but it'll never be as popular overaseas as Formula One racing.
It's a shame but hey, the MLS is slowly turning into profit.
Andrew, is there any information about which teams are turning in a profit? I remember LA and Dallas I believe were.....
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