SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP What is Flair anyway?

Back-to-back good observations!

Love it. Love it all.
Just to add to the observations so far. And now in defense of "embellished soccer movements"
Flair is the intangible that great players have that makes them look invincible. It is the way that defender executes a tackle, very harshly but with preciseness and finality. It sends a message to would be attackers -- "come in here at your own risk".. It is also the way that forward executes his Matthew's move. His floating arms keeping him in perfect balance as he feints and cuts with extreme smoothness. As this forward advances, the backline retreats giving him space because they don't want to be embarrassed.

This is not very different from the accentuated prancing of gazelles when they sense the presence of an animal of prey. They are saying, "Big Kittie, you may want to chase something that is slower than this".

True flair should indeed be a bye-product of repetition, an indication of mastery, a signature, if you will, of the accomplished player.

Agreed ... to a point.

All to often, "flair" is nothing more than over-hyped reputation. As in: "So-and-so" is "sick." When, in reality, "so-and-so" is one of 2-3 most overrated players in the state.

And, in the end, the "gazelle" is still prey.

Agreed ... completely.
When flair is sought after as an end to itself, it is most times empty, without substance. And we know those players don't we? But when flair is the icing on the cake, that's when the science of football turns into an art form. What I must lament though is that a lot of the players we produce from the the "pay to play" manufacturing line of US soccer, rarely get to the art form level. The US system is too rigid and so focussed on results that not enough time is spent on technical training in the formative years. The result? Mechanical players, fettered by technical concerns who cannot break free to fully express the soccer player within.

Excellent.

I'd add that the "flair" we see in our more traditional "American" sports -- football, baseball, basketball -- is more a product of playground "fun," as opposed to actual "training." You think a coach actively "taught" Earl Monroe his "stuff." No. instead the "smart" and visionary coaches learned how to focus and exploit that amazing creativity and artistry.
Creativity can not be taught or trained. It can only be recognized and fostered. Too many coaches/trainers feel threatened by it.

And this we call the..IT factor..You either have it or you don't.

That said, many matches are WON by everything but the "it" factor. Fall in love with the "it" factor, and you can overlook all the "other" factors that lead to success. Too much "it" can kill you.