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Computer Hobbyist · 06-07-2002, 10:56 AM

Hi guys

Before we launch off in to the classic soccer v football fight, let me share that my number 3 son plays semi-pro football (he is a defensive end -- 6'6" 275 pounder) and my daughter is heading off to England this summer to play soccer (she is an offensive minded wing/forward.) I have also had the privilege of showing an American football fan from Liverpool the ropes for the KC Chiefs and I attend a lot of KC Wizards games. I really love basketball (go Jayhawks and Tigers), and I really miss major league baseball (there are only 8 or so major league teams left -- the rest are just farm clubs who play in the same league.)

All that is by way of preface for what I want to say about America's victory over Portugal. Make no mistake the victory over Portugal is of great importance. The USA beat the number 5 team in the world--a team with 6 mature players including the best player in the world. The victory was huge. Americans should be proud.

For all of you folks in the rest of the world, you haven't seen anything yet. America might not win this world cup. It might not advance to the next stage. It might not even win another game. But sometime in the next few World Cups America is going to emerge as the world power in the sport. It will win the world cup and it will win it regularily.

Why would anybody be so bold as to say that? Well, millions of soccer moms have assured that my prediction will come true. The game has really taken off at the youth level. It is quickly displacing baseball. All the great athletes who used to play baseball are smaller than my number 3 son (who is too small to play pro-football.) Many, if not most, of those great athletes are now playing soccer instead of baseball. Those that aren't playing soccer are playing basketball, but there are only so many NBA slots. America is a giant country. It is as large as Europe. America gets to have one team in the World Cup. The only way Europe is going to be able to compete once the current generation of American soccer kids reaches maturity (in about 5 or 6 years) is for Europe to combine into one team. Brazil (itself a giant country) might be able to compete, but they lose a lot of potential players to poverty so the actual pool of talent is much smaller than sheer numbers would dictate. Some day Russia will also emerge. That won't happen until they get their economic house in order.

To my European friends, enjoy this World Cup. It might be the last in which you have any hope of competing. Maybe the world should be working on a World Club Cup to give the nice people in Europe a chance?

CH

06-07-2002, 10:56 AM	#28
Computer Hobbyist Member (11 bit) Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Blue Springs, MO Posts: 1,766	Hi guys Before we launch off in to the classic soccer v football fight, let me share that my number 3 son plays semi-pro football (he is a defensive end -- 6'6" 275 pounder) and my daughter is heading off to England this summer to play soccer (she is an offensive minded wing/forward.) I have also had the privilege of showing an American football fan from Liverpool the ropes for the KC Chiefs and I attend a lot of KC Wizards games. I really love basketball (go Jayhawks and Tigers), and I really miss major league baseball (there are only 8 or so major league teams left -- the rest are just farm clubs who play in the same league.) All that is by way of preface for what I want to say about America's victory over Portugal. Make no mistake the victory over Portugal is of great importance. The USA beat the number 5 team in the world--a team with 6 mature players including the best player in the world. The victory was huge. Americans should be proud. For all of you folks in the rest of the world, you haven't seen anything yet. America might not win this world cup. It might not advance to the next stage. It might not even win another game. But sometime in the next few World Cups America is going to emerge as the world power in the sport. It will win the world cup and it will win it regularily. Why would anybody be so bold as to say that? Well, millions of soccer moms have assured that my prediction will come true. The game has really taken off at the youth level. It is quickly displacing baseball. All the great athletes who used to play baseball are smaller than my number 3 son (who is too small to play pro-football.) Many, if not most, of those great athletes are now playing soccer instead of baseball. Those that aren't playing soccer are playing basketball, but there are only so many NBA slots. America is a giant country. It is as large as Europe. America gets to have one team in the World Cup. The only way Europe is going to be able to compete once the current generation of American soccer kids reaches maturity (in about 5 or 6 years) is for Europe to combine into one team. Brazil (itself a giant country) might be able to compete, but they lose a lot of potential players to poverty so the actual pool of talent is much smaller than sheer numbers would dictate. Some day Russia will also emerge. That won't happen until they get their economic house in order. To my European friends, enjoy this World Cup. It might be the last in which you have any hope of competing. Maybe the world should be working on a World Club Cup to give the nice people in Europe a chance? CH Last edited by Computer Hobbyist; 06-07-2002 at 11:29 AM.