|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
|
|
world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
Always Right,
I'll take Julie Foudy over Marcello Balboa any day......and I find Wynalda's "schtick" somewhat entertaining. There not bad, despite their American accents.
No, I don't watch the WNBA or professional fast-pitch softball, however I have watched (not religiously) NCAA womens basketball & softball tournament games. My 12-year old daughter doesn't watch any of this because she's not interested in basketball or softball.
However, my 19-year old daughter watched a lot of professional womens soccer (primarily US womens National Team) when she was 12 years old. Point is.......I don't see my current 12-year old doing it. She's watching Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry, not Abby Wambach and Shannon Boxx.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 630
Goal
|
|
Goal
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 630 |
Hurst66, I hope you're not one of those Yanks that speaks with a fake British accent. Seems to be a lot more of those these days.
I'm a women's soccer fan too, but I've lost a lot of respect/admiration for Foudy on these broadcasts. It's almost like she's included just because she's female.
I'm always amazed by folks that think just because someone is from Europe, that they're automatically a good soccer coach. That's like me being a good baseball coach (never played) just cause I'm from USA.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
|
|
world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
202677,
I don't speak the Queen's English....I grew up outside of Philly.
Foudy's on the broadcast because:
a) She's American
b) She won a couple of World Cups
c) The camera loves her
d) She's a very good speaker
None of this guarantees that she will have anything dramatically profound to say.....but how "technical" do you really need to get to explain the world's simplest game to a country full of people where many don't understand it?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,429
hat-trick
|
|
hat-trick
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,429 |
Joga Bonita
Ok, I'll bite. What does it mean? How is it pronounced? Seeing as I never read/heard the expression until just before World Cup, does it really mean something or is it an Adidas invention?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,429
hat-trick
|
|
hat-trick
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,429 |
Altavista translates from Portugese as meaning "Play it pretty".
Bonita also translates as pretty from spanish.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
|
|
world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 854
brace
|
|
brace
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 854 |
My 17-yr-old daughter wears #14 in club because of Lori Fair, who she met a few times at UNC matches and who was very kind to the girls who swarmed her. BUT she wants to be LIKE her immediate peers who are top-notch players. One of her teammates who plays beside her on defense pushes her, inspires her. I think that sort of influence is the kind that matters. Our younger girls NEED to have contact with the older girls in our clubs to build those real-world relationships. Superstar role models of either gender come and go.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 38
kick off
|
|
kick off
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 38 |
quote:
Originally posted by Hurst66:
tango,
Thanks.
Nice to see that the younger girls playing now are concentrating on skills and creativity. All else being equal, I'm still not sure if that's enough to trump sheer athleticism.... if the ref doesn't blow the whistle. I'd like to see some of these current World Cup refs (who are handing out yellow cards like they are candy) officiate some U13 and U14 competitive girls matches.
Does anybody think it is disappointing that the young players today do not have female role models (on the national level) to look up to?
With all else being equal: Sheer athleticism will usually come out on top. With things not being equal in the skill department, size and strength will be used to counter it. It is so in all contact sports to include soccer.
As for the mens national team they seem to be under sized in most positions and spent allot of the time on the groud especially against the c-republic.
As for the womens team it currently has some very good players on it, and with skill as high or higher than any team they have fielded.
The difference between the men and the womens teams is that the women obviously spend as much time developing their bodies for the demands of the sport, as well as, working on the technical and tactical part of the game. (There are plenty of role models for our young girls to follow, and as stated in another post on this subject coaches need to get out of the way and not impose our perception of what a soccer player should be on these girls but develope the athlete that is within them.
I would submit that the reason you see more physical play on the womes side is that the women have figured out that skill is necessary but physical preparation is critical and involves MORE than just being able to run 90 minutes and or be TRICKY with the ball.
Lets face it, like all other contact sports the game for the men is evolving. And though there have been allot of cards in this world cup, there is no way one can say the game for the men is all skill. Spain, Italy, Brazil arguably three of the hardest hitting teams in the game when they need to be. The difference is they also have a high skill level across the board to go along with size, strength, athleticism, etc..... That is always a hard combination to beat and why these teams are and have been so dominant.
Just some useless opinions from and old coach ............
|
|
|
|
|
|
