Looking Across The Pond: Similarities Between the NFL and European Football

Football and soccer fans are consistently bumping heads and arguing who supports the world's No. 1 sport. Football fans claim soccer players spend 90 minutes prancing around fields and faking injuries, soccer players insist football is merely the coward's version of rugby and is for overweight athletes.

However, despite the blatant differences, striking similarities do exist amongst the stars of each sport. Whether it is the iconic images the athletes hold or the strife they have faced, the athletes, at times, seem to be a mirror image of one another existing in a parallel universe.

Here is a closer look at the striking similarities between the athletes of the NFL and European soccer.

Tom Brady and Cristiano Ronaldo

The pretty boys.

There are very few icons who are on top of their game and are universally adored by every woman on earth.

In addition to their looks, these two model-athletes are offensive powerhouses and seem to have no off switch.

Brady, has more tricks up his sleeve than any other quarterback in the league, whether it is being proficient in the red zone or launching a cannon from deep, he is always setting the standard for offensive stats in the NFL.

Ronaldo is a magician from another world. His moves leave defenders baffled and often red-faced. He has unmatchable composure in front of goal and is no slouch from long distances. He too sets the bar that his compatriots try to meet.

Their high-profile lifestyles and unmatchable offensive success makes these two nearly identical to one another.

Terrell Owens and Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor and Owens are two controversial, big mouth, and, at times, big game players who have difficulty settling down and staying put.

Owens, came into San Francisco behind a 49ers hero, Jerry Rice, who was facing the end of his career and soon left the team. Owens quickly became a target man for the 49ers. In 1998, he had 1,097 total receiving yards and had 14 touchdown receptions.

In time, Owens left for the Eagles, but not without creating a racket before leaving. In an interview for Playboy, he was quoted as calling Jeff Garcia as a homosexual.

A few seasons later, he left Philly for Dallas and mocked Eagles fans by flapping his arms in the center of the Dallas star after scoring a touchdown again the Eagles.

This would become Owens stigma for the rest of this career. A selfish, drama-loving player.

Adebayor, faced a similar story. Adebayor came into Arsenal and sat in the shadows behind club legend Thierry Henry. Once Henry departed, Adebayor stole the spotlight, tallying 30 goals in the 2007/08 season.

A season later he fell out with the Arsenal fans and in the summer of 09 he bitterly parted ways with Arsenal, claiming their fans are ‘not real fans.’

Furthermore, he was fined by the FA and suspended for raking his boots across Robin Van Persie when the two teams met the following season and ran the length of the pitch to celebrate his goal in front of the traveling Arsenal supporters.

Since leaving Arsenal, Adebayor has been unsettled in City and has now been loaned out to Real Madrid.

The two love controversy and making their feelings heard.

Carles Puyol and Troy Polamalu

Both will no doubt go down as some of the greatest players for their respected clubs.

In recent years, they have led their teams to incredible success and have been near the pinnacle of defense. Not to mention they both rock strikingly similar hairstyles and captain their teams.

Polamalu is known for his unmatchable work rate, fearless tackling, and leadership abilities. He is constantly seen as one of the NFL’s best defenders and has a rich history and support base with his Steeler fans.

Puyol, is a Barcelona defending legend. He has been with the club since 1995 and quickly became a fan favorite amongst the Barca fans on his debut in 1999. He too sacrifices himself to defending and gives his heart in every performance.

They both have racked up numerous individual awards for their defensive performances and are the heart of their teams' defenses. Both continue to define the word 'defending.'

Devin Hester and Nani

Both are wide players who are blessed with trickery and pace. However, both face inconsistency and have difficulty convincing their sporting pundits that they are amongst the elite athletes in their sports, despite support from their teammates and most of their fans.

Nani has been tagged as the poor man’s Ronaldo. At times, the small Portuguese winger has shown bits of his brilliance, going on mazy, exotic runs, followed up with exacerbating finishes. Other times, he has left his teammates wondering what on earth he was thinking.

His pace and ball skills are both his blessing and downfall. The United supporters wait for the day when those mazy, exacerbating runs become a regular occurrence.

Hester has enjoyed more individual success, but his one glimmering strength, returning kicks, has flattened out since becoming a more predominant wide receiver.

He, too, has ballet-like moves and finds the smallest gaps to expose in defenses. His pace makes him nearly uncatchable by any NFL player.

However, the Bears fans are waiting for him to harness that speed and work on his route running so he can become a much-feared wide receiver.

Both players are sitting on the brink of greatness.

Charles Woodson and Edwin Van De Sar

Two show stoppers. Their jobs are the most similar of the two separate playing fields. They have been around for quite a long time and are experts in their positions.

At one point they were thought to be over the hill. Van de Sar left Juventus for Fulham, not the highlight of his career, and Woodson was traded from Oakland to Green Bay and most saw Woodson's time as up as a pro cornerback.

Van de Sar, calling his career quits at the end of the season, is widely regarded as one of United's greatest keepers alongside the legendary Schmeichel.

He rarely falters under the pressure and is almost impervious to mistakes.

Woodson runs a similar line. His experience makes him a vital asset to the Green Bay defense. Woodson, like Van de Sar, is not prone to making mistakes and can always be relied on in big games.

His age will soon start to catch up to him and he will surely go down as one of the Green Bay greats.

They are decorated with awards and hold high praise from their supporters and pundits.

Lionel Messi And Adrian Peterson

Both are on top of their game and arguably the best at what they do, score points. Despite Peterson's dip in form this year, he is feared by many; Messi is no different.

Both players are quick, deceptive, and are a nightmare for defenders to contain.

Messi broke on the scene in 2006-2007, but it was not until the 2007-2008 season that he really established in the Barcelona team. He has been wreaking havoc ever since.

He recently bagged up his second FIFA Player of the Year award (FIFA Ballon d’Or) and shows no signs of slowing down.

Peterson also busted onto the scene in 2007. In his first season, he rushed for over 1300 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. He was voted as the Offensive Rookie of the Year and has numerous accolades on top of that.

The progress he has made has set him on track to be one of the NFL greats.

Jose Mourinho and Rex Ryan

These two managers may not share similar success, but they are both strongly spoken and love being in the limelight.

Jose Mourinho proclaimed himself the ‘Special One’ and he is constantly making controversial remarks that get him into trouble. His comments and actions are uncommon for someone in his position and often receive criticism from the football world.

He once refused to shake the hand of Boavista coach Jamie Pacheco and received criticism from Muslim leader Mohamed Nour Dachan after Mourinho criticized his player, Sulely Muntari, for fasting during Ramadan amidst their season.

While Rex Ryan has not labeled himself, he still loves to talk himself into trouble and also feels little remorse for his actions.

At a convention in Miami he gave the finger to some nagging Dolphins fans and on the ESPN tour bus, he wrote “soon to be champs” and refused to apologize for his actions claiming that he saw his team in the Super Bowl through his mystic crystal ball.

The two managers love making their voices heard.

Nigel De Jong and James Harrison

Right now these players are tagged as the 'dirtiest players' in their sports. Harrison and de Jong are notorious for their tough tackling and unfair play.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, de Jong escaped as straight red card for a front kick to Spain's Xavi Alonso.

A few months later de Jong produced a tackle on Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa resulting in a double fracture. De Jong has been dropped from the Dutch national team for an undetermined amount of time.

James Harrison in the 2010 season alone was fined nearly $100,000 for dirty tackles on Mohamed Massaquoi, Vince Young, Drew Brees, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. He was voted one of the dirtiest players by FOX Sports in 2010.

Both are hard hitters and are reckless in their hitting.

Michael Vick and Ronaldinho

Arguably the most entertaining individuals to play during the past decade.

Vick, is a lethal quarterback who can run better than most running backs in the league and can throw further and just as good as most quarterbacks in the league.

Vick hit a low point in his career when he served three years in jail for dog fighting. He was picked up by the Eagles, with mixed feelings from the fans, and was a front runner for the 2010 MVP of the Season.

Ronaldinho is blessed with unmatchable foot skills and is a crowd pleaser. He can turn the game on its head with one of his many moments of brilliance.

However, after five glorious years with Barcelona, Ronaldinho decided his best years were behind him and left for AC Milan.

Through most of his first season and the start of his second season, Ronaldinho was searching for his best form and was often disappointing.

However, the remainder of his time with Milan was on a high. He helped dragged Milan back into title contention and notched numerous important goals and finished as Seria A's top assister.

These two bring entertainment and excitement to every match and despite dips in their careers, both have climbed out to show their true character.

Brett Favre and Ryan Giggs

Two of the oldest and most successful players in the game today. The two have earned their respect and lived through the ups and downs of their clubs and their individual careers.

Giggs holds the record for most appearances for Manchester United and is the most decorated player to ever play for Manchester United.

His lowest moment came in the 2002/2003 Premier League season, when his form dipped so much he was being booed by the Manchester supporters. Eventually, Giggs pulled through and United won the title.

Favre started every single game from 1992-2008 for the Green Bay Packers and he is one of the most decorated NFL players in the history of the game.

The world will never forget the Monday Night Football game he played the day after his father passed away.

He threw for four touchdowns and close to 400 yards. He had the highest quarterback rating of his career and dedicated the game to his father.

Both are living legends and are warriors to the game. Whether they are liked or not, their services to the game have been unmatched, and they are fully deserving of all their accolades.