Korean Job Discussion Forums

dsun1226 · Joined: 27 May 2010 Location: Seoul

It's great that millions of children play soccer at a young age (I played myself as a kid and for a year in high school) but it comes down to the mindset of these youth programs. Is the point of youth soccer to prepare these kids for the professional level or is it so that they're doing something productive once a week and not playing video games? Unfortunately I feel that while things have improved, the mindset still tends to be the latter, with a vast majority of youth/academy coaches being parents who are limited in resources and advanced knowledge in the theory of soccer. In places such as Europe and South America, children are placed into academy systems in which they are being given nothing but the best nutrition, equipment, and coaching to ensure that these kids will eventually become top-class talent. Canada does a great job of this with hockey and the U.S. with football (crazy how high school/college football has become such a huge business).

Until the U.S. decides to take a more similar model to the Europeans and South Americans we will always be a good national team, but not elite.

Seoulio · Joined: 02 Jan 2010

metalhead · Joined: 18 May 2010 Location: Toilet

El Macho · Joined: 07 Nov 2008

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

young_clinton · Joined: 09 Sep 2009

Professional contact sports players like Football Players and Professional Wrestlers are much more prone to very early dementia. This is one more good reason Soccer is better than American Football. Why researchers don't know, but my guess is all that battered tissue in the battered body goes to the brain.

Steve_Rogers2008 · Joined: 22 Mar 2010

If only george carlin had a chance to compare soccer in his rants.... Crying or Very sad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0

Neil · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: Tokyo

Their qualifying group is not of a high enough standard. Whilst it guarentees qualification to every final, playing the likes of Canada and Jamacia is no way to prepare for playings the likes of Brazil and co...

They should (much like what Australia have done with Asia) ask to move to South American qualifying. Sure they run the risk of missing out on the odd WC but long term it would mean they arrive at the finals on a more level standard of preparation as the Europeans and Sth American sides. It could only improve their chances of winning it.

This is equally applicable for the Mexician side as well.

conrad2 · Joined: 05 Nov 2009

The US already has the finest soccer players in the world. They are called the women's national team. What is happenig on the womens side that isnt happening on the mens?
American boys aspire to become American football and basketball players and to a lesser extent baseball and hockey. Not enough care to beacome soccer players. Until this basic fundamental changes, the US will be mediocre and no Ajax style academies will spring up.
The US has a lot of wasted athletic talent that could be used for soccer. Every year thousands of college football and basketball players fail to make to pro ranks and they just move on with their lives. If some of these talented athletes had focused on soccer, who knows.

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

dumpring · Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Location: Auckland, NZ

Ahaha, that made my day. Ururguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Slovenia apparently play cricket -__-

Baseball is a terribly boring game. Where's the strategy? Take steroids, get buff and try to hit a ball someone throws at you? It's more fun on the Wii than in real life.

Steve_Rogers2008 · Joined: 22 Mar 2010

Quack Addict · Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

I'm trying to get into soccer. I want to like it. The problem is the inconsistancies with the referees. One play its a foul, the other its not. And the diving! A little bump and the player falls down like he was just shot. Then when he sees nobody cares...he's up running full speed down the field. What the heck?

I don't mind the lack of scoring. Some of the best baseball games are 1-0 or 2-1. Add some instant replay and this game would be way better. In the NFL a coach can challenge a call by throwing a red flag. Do the same in soccer and what we saw with England and Mexico would be eliminated. It takes 30 seconds to look at the replay. All the fans at home and in the stands have replay.

As for Americans getting more into it. I don't see it. Sports in USA:

1. American Football
2. Basketball
3. Baseball
4. Hockey (low scoring but there is fighting)
5. Soccer

Your not going to get the best athletes to play when the sport is ranked 5th in the country.

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

I'm not sure where I stereotyped Americans. I read a lot of American sports journalism and it seems to be a prevalent idea that if only their 'athletes' were playing soccer, then they would dominate.

Whilst it would be beneficial for a larger % of the population played, there are more than enough players in the country.

I do think there is an obsession in American sports journalism about the 'athlete'. 'Athlete' often being a euphemism for being of west African origin. I have a pet idea that the reason that international white players in the NBA are so much more successful than American white players, is because of this inbuilt bias in American culture.