GO IRISH!!
Bring home another natty
Bring home another natty
Futbol
- Thread starter sluggo69
- Start date
6pm Eastern gametime. We beat Clemson 3-2 back in September, so hopefully we can repeat that success. Go Irish!
Definitely will be watching!!!
Go Irish! Beat Clemson!!
Soccer is actually my favorite sport and I've played at a high level. I am glad ND is doing well in this sport. But I have to say...college soccer players are WAY INFERIOR to their professional counterparts at European academies and will probably never go pro.
In Europe, you forgo education if you want to go pro. I'm from Croatia originally. Kids there even give up the normal HS experience, not going to college at all. They are part of a network of academies playing in leagues that provide Croatia a pipeline of talent.
There are about as many top academies in Croatia as the USA. There are roughly as many Croatian league teams as USA league teams, each having a network of top academies. Yet Croatia easily outproduces the USA in talent and achievement. Two main factors:
1) Again, Croatians like most soccer cultures forgo education...you get a base education, but soccer takes priority...no college for sure.
2) You don't get eliminated in age based competition, as it's more about development, not results...knowing it might take a kid time to physically, emotionally, and intellectually to develop.
College football now is basically semipro. The best ones, similar to soccer setups, must increasingly forgo education to be the best. Frankly I'm surprised the NFL hasn't supported semipro or alternate leagues for younger players...relying on colleges that, yes indeed, are supposed to be academic institutions of higher learning 1st.
Baseball has minor leagues. I'm not sure if college baseball competes with them in pipelining talent. I'm guessing it doesn't.
Soccer has it right. No way can you set up colleges to develop soccer players competitive to kids at academies. The college kids lose vital time, exposure, and development.
Again, it's interesting how college football does it in comparison...and the tension between academic and athletic responsibilities.
In Europe, you forgo education if you want to go pro. I'm from Croatia originally. Kids there even give up the normal HS experience, not going to college at all. They are part of a network of academies playing in leagues that provide Croatia a pipeline of talent.
There are about as many top academies in Croatia as the USA. There are roughly as many Croatian league teams as USA league teams, each having a network of top academies. Yet Croatia easily outproduces the USA in talent and achievement. Two main factors:
1) Again, Croatians like most soccer cultures forgo education...you get a base education, but soccer takes priority...no college for sure.
2) You don't get eliminated in age based competition, as it's more about development, not results...knowing it might take a kid time to physically, emotionally, and intellectually to develop.
College football now is basically semipro. The best ones, similar to soccer setups, must increasingly forgo education to be the best. Frankly I'm surprised the NFL hasn't supported semipro or alternate leagues for younger players...relying on colleges that, yes indeed, are supposed to be academic institutions of higher learning 1st.
Baseball has minor leagues. I'm not sure if college baseball competes with them in pipelining talent. I'm guessing it doesn't.
Soccer has it right. No way can you set up colleges to develop soccer players competitive to kids at academies. The college kids lose vital time, exposure, and development.
Again, it's interesting how college football does it in comparison...and the tension between academic and athletic responsibilities.
Football doesn’t need to set up academies because almost no other country produces football players. Croatia is competing against hundred of other countries in soccer. But I understand your point, and many would agree, there should be development league for kids who want to pursue football only as a career. If you were an NFL owner, would you want to create a development team or would you rather just draft from colleges?
How well trained would academy members get trained for other careers? Numbers would not likely well for the students. Always more interested than able to achieve professional level.
Christian Pulisic left HS and went to Germany to one of those academies.
But in this country, I think the baseball and ice hockey models are best. An 18-year-old prospect can choose going pro or going to college. They have a choice. If they go pro, they usually play in the minor leagues for a few years before they ever make the majors, unless they're a superstar.
But if they choose college, they'll have a degree to fall back on if their pro sports career doesn't work out. And many top prospects choose that option, and play at least a few years in college.
Interesting you ask. Croatian soccer players get a tailored education path: especially in finance. So that they know how to manage a budget. And they get career and job placement in case they don't make it. There is a social contract here to mitigate risk, as obviously not all make it.
Finally, Croatia actually has a decent pro league. 37% is foreigners, as the academies are famous. And you get near guaranteed playing time...compared to Big 5 league clubs where you compete against superstars.
As somebody mentioned earlier, soccer is so competitive that you weed yourself out if you go to college, even full time in HS.
Because no way is a kid spending time in academia going to develop like that kid playing and training full time. The skill gap will be too great, especially in teamwork, honed by consistent play with the best until you master it...as past a point, it's hard to acquire this later in life.
I wonder what the comparison is between minor league vs college players in baseball? That would be interesting.
BTW: last I checked NHL players mainly come from junior leagues. Only a small % come from American colleges. That makes sense to me.
@mbd11
BTW: Christian Pulisic used his Croatian heritage to get a passport to play in Germany at 16. It made a crucial difference in his career development. He wouldn't be the same player if he stayed in the USA...and no way if he did go to college.
This is rare in American general culture. Not many want to give up college...although ironically for many college football players, the degree is questionable. More so now given how they are easy paths to accommodate football which is why I bring up what's the point, why not just have a semipro league?
BTW: Christian Pulisic used his Croatian heritage to get a passport to play in Germany at 16. It made a crucial difference in his career development. He wouldn't be the same player if he stayed in the USA...and no way if he did go to college.
This is rare in American general culture. Not many want to give up college...although ironically for many college football players, the degree is questionable. More so now given how they are easy paths to accommodate football which is why I bring up what's the point, why not just have a semipro league?
I did a quick check of this year's MLB draft's first round - 17 were college players and 11 were high school players. Usually the college players, being older, need to spend less time in the minors than high school players do. College baseball basically substituted for minor league baseball for them.
But the MLB draft's only for American players. Foreign players (which there are many nowadays) are signed like free agents. For example, Julio Rodriguez, the young Seattle star, signed with them at 16 years of age as an international free agent. Then he played in the minor leagues for several years, before debuting with the Mariners at 21.
How built up is the areaI'm fortunate to live in the USA and have a home in Croatia as well!
Any affects from the war?
Wrestling is big in that area from what I read in the UFC articles
@deadirishpoet
Croatia has basically been rebuilt. It's a 1st world country infrastructure wise. Solid living standards...although soft corruption remains a big problem. The usual nepotism, connections, and bribes for the top government positions...as they siphon GDP that is 35% based on tourism.
Mind you, they don't steal too wildly. Like I said they actually invest in infrastructure, the arts, and what not. It's just that well educated kids with aspirations don't have many options but to go to the greater EU, coming back in a decade to afford a house. The government is run by clowns who red tape diversified economic development.
They love sports. UFC is big. Croatia has a a good heritage across combat sports. Stipe Miocic is American, but wears his Croatian tattoos proudly. Of course we're good at soccer to.
Lastly, you might know this. But Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, and Pete Carroll are of Croatian heritage. Check this article out, which discusses all 3.
ftw.usatoday.com
Croatia has basically been rebuilt. It's a 1st world country infrastructure wise. Solid living standards...although soft corruption remains a big problem. The usual nepotism, connections, and bribes for the top government positions...as they siphon GDP that is 35% based on tourism.
Mind you, they don't steal too wildly. Like I said they actually invest in infrastructure, the arts, and what not. It's just that well educated kids with aspirations don't have many options but to go to the greater EU, coming back in a decade to afford a house. The government is run by clowns who red tape diversified economic development.
They love sports. UFC is big. Croatia has a a good heritage across combat sports. Stipe Miocic is American, but wears his Croatian tattoos proudly. Of course we're good at soccer to.
Lastly, you might know this. But Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, and Pete Carroll are of Croatian heritage. Check this article out, which discusses all 3.
Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll have one surprising thing in common
PHOENIX – Only at the Super Bowl. New England Patriots Coach Belichick was asked at his press conference Wednesday whether he was aware he and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll shared ancestral r…
ftw.usatoday.com
I didn't know that. All three are great, but I was soooo glad PC went to the NFL@deadirishpoet
Croatia has basically been rebuilt. It's a 1st world country infrastructure wise. Solid living standards...although soft corruption remains a big problem. The usual nepotism, connections, and bribes for the top government positions...as they siphon GDP that is 35% based on tourism.
Mind you, they don't steal too wildly. Like I said they actually invest in infrastructure, the arts, and what not. It's just that well educated kids with aspirations don't have many options but to go to the greater EU, coming back in a decade to afford a house. The government is run by clowns who red tape diversified economic development.
They love sports. UFC is big. Croatia has a a good heritage across combat sports. Stipe Miocic is American, but wears his Croatian tattoos proudly. Of course we're good at soccer to.
Lastly, you might know this. But Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, and Pete Carroll are of Croatian heritage. Check this article out, which discusses all 3.
Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll have one surprising thing in common
PHOENIX – Only at the Super Bowl. New England Patriots Coach Belichick was asked at his press conference Wednesday whether he was aware he and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll shared ancestral r…
Dana White has a special of the Wrestlers turned MMA fighter two, or three months ago. "Tall with alot of reach......" I believe the quote was
Thanks for the comeback.......continued
Sorry brother it was late and I didn't want to leave you hanging
Do wages include compensation for the corruption just curios
I deployed to Bosnia in 1995....loved the mountain peak view and being a winter person the cold wasn't that bad for me
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