What about Erling Haaland? Isn't he 6"4" and 200+ lbs? And he's the most dominant offensive player currently playing, although I suspect not long ago he would have been shifted to a different sport based on the assumptions listed in this post.
I think a lot of this is chicken/egg with regard to ideal body size. That was a common belief regarding MLB pitchers, until players like Pedro and Wagner etc upended the assumption that 6' tall and 200+ pounds was the ideal body type.
I suspect many players are sorted by body type size into certain sports based on our assumptions but that taller/stronger players will continue to fill rosters in high level competitive soccer.
Thanks for your comment! I think you make a good point about athletes being sorted based on body size, similar to the evolutionary pressure phenomenon.
Yes, Haaland is 6'4" and just under 200 lbs, I believe. My point isn't to say that there is a cutoff based on physical attributes that makes one good or bad at soccer. More so that there are advantages based on physical attributes in soccer that are very different from other sports. Haaland is an amazing finisher (probably the best?), but definitely has his challenges when it comes to dribbling, passing, and keeping possession, which his size could impact (check out his stats from last year: https://footystats.org/players/norway/erling-haaland). Now, he's definitely not asked/expected to be a creator in City's system, but just something to note.
And let's not forget the criminally underrated Peter Crouch!
As for the original question, if soccer became the top sport in the US, over time that team would dominate in world competition, but not with the specific athletes who currently star in other sports.
I think US soccer would likely be regular contenders if soccer was the most popular sport in America because that would mean the infrastructure would be set up at the youth levels and the domestic leagues would be better and more competitive. I’d recommend the book Soccernomics—it talks about this in detail!
I will refer anyone who makes that argument to this excellent article.
Appreciate the kind words!
If we are talking athletes built for soccer, I'd, as a biased mavs fan, like to throw Kyrie Irvings name into the hat. Great article btw
Thanks! Kyrie would be an interesting case study!
What about Erling Haaland? Isn't he 6"4" and 200+ lbs? And he's the most dominant offensive player currently playing, although I suspect not long ago he would have been shifted to a different sport based on the assumptions listed in this post.
I think a lot of this is chicken/egg with regard to ideal body size. That was a common belief regarding MLB pitchers, until players like Pedro and Wagner etc upended the assumption that 6' tall and 200+ pounds was the ideal body type.
I suspect many players are sorted by body type size into certain sports based on our assumptions but that taller/stronger players will continue to fill rosters in high level competitive soccer.
Thanks for your comment! I think you make a good point about athletes being sorted based on body size, similar to the evolutionary pressure phenomenon.
Yes, Haaland is 6'4" and just under 200 lbs, I believe. My point isn't to say that there is a cutoff based on physical attributes that makes one good or bad at soccer. More so that there are advantages based on physical attributes in soccer that are very different from other sports. Haaland is an amazing finisher (probably the best?), but definitely has his challenges when it comes to dribbling, passing, and keeping possession, which his size could impact (check out his stats from last year: https://footystats.org/players/norway/erling-haaland). Now, he's definitely not asked/expected to be a creator in City's system, but just something to note.
And let's not forget the criminally underrated Peter Crouch!
As for the original question, if soccer became the top sport in the US, over time that team would dominate in world competition, but not with the specific athletes who currently star in other sports.
Agree! Definitely underrated.
I think US soccer would likely be regular contenders if soccer was the most popular sport in America because that would mean the infrastructure would be set up at the youth levels and the domestic leagues would be better and more competitive. I’d recommend the book Soccernomics—it talks about this in detail!