Foreign players in college soccer

[Unregistered]

The awareness comes from playing much more often than American players, mostly in informal settings. They also start younger (again more informally) and watch games with family and friends. Not many American kids watch games regularly. So really immigrants are "working " much harder to learn the game and perfect their skills than many American players. It just isn't formal or even looks like work. They aren't born with more natural abilities. They just do it more and at an earlier age that the 3-4 organized times a week most Americans work at it

^^^thank you.

[Unregistered]

Yes, I do call people who were born in another country and then came to this country "immigrants". Pretty sure that's what the dictionary says, too. Has that become an insult? I hope not. I'm not jumping on the poster for the "Playing soccer comes easier [for children of immigrants]..." comment because I think I see his point. Watching games at the u15 and below ages I can usually figure out which kids come from households with a cultural connection to soccer. They tend to play with an awareness that simply isn't there with most culturally "American Only" kids their age. So, yes, there is an advantage there. But I stand by my comment that these kids are better and more committed to the game at the younger ages. (That changes in later years when the kids start absorbing their soccer from each other--the cultural advantage fades and then you see the influence of the backgrounds of the player-pool they are exposed to (cf, Landon Donovan speaks Spanish)...and you also see the impact of all that "ridiculously hard" work!)

Unbelievable. Everyone is so quick to try and be offended by what someone says. I said "immigrant as you call them" in the sense that the parent is an immigrant but the large majority of kids I see playing club soccer are American...they were born here...they aren't technically immigrants.

[Unregistered]

Do they what?

Improve.

[Unregistered]

The evidence is out there. Coaches recruit foreign players and play them a lot. Until they start being disappointed by that or start finding similar talent here they will continue to shop abroad. Keep in mind there's plenty of programs that don't have a lot of international players. Coaches have different preferences as well as resources to bring them in. Always look at rosters at schools you're interested in. If the team has multiple NT players from Greece, Argentina and elsewhere what are the odds you will see the field?

College coaches played in college themselves, some even professionally, and have large networks and resources. The womens women's side is growing but the depth isn't the same as on the men's side. An Irish player may not be interested in studying in the US but a poorer player from Brazil very well may.

[Unregistered]

^^^thank you.

Just keeping it real.

[Unregistered]

Not that winners are representative of everything but as examples from this years finals


D1 Women's FSU 7 internationals http://seminoles.com/sports/soccer/roster/ over UNC 2 internationals https://goheels.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

D2 Womens U Bridgeport 18 internationals https://www.ubknights.com/sports/wsoc/2018-19/roster over Grand Valley State 1 international https://gvsulakers.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

D3 Womens Williams 1 international https://ephsports.williams.edu/sport...2018-19/roster over Middlebury no internationals http://athletics.middlebury.edu/spor...2018-19/roster

D1 Men's University of Maryland 6 internationals https://umterps.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc over Akron 15 internationalshttps://umterps.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc

D2 Men's Barry University 19 Internationals https://gobarrybucs.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc over West Chester not one international and every single player is from PA https://wcupagoldenrams.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc

D3 Men's Tufts 2 internationals http://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/sports/msoc/2018-19/roster over Calvin not one international http://calvinknights.com/sports/msoc/2018-19/roster

[Unregistered]

Just keeping it real.

See you at the cross burning, buddy!

[Unregistered]

You state facts and it's deemed racist ,why.?

[Unregistered]

See you at the cross burning, buddy!

You are insufferable. Follow the chain of posts and you will see there is nothing racist. You are just searching. You must be a blast at holiday parties.

[Unregistered]

See you at the cross burning, buddy!

I think (if I've followed along correctly) you're on the same side...the comments were 1) immigrants have an inherent advantage in soccer (kinda racist, even if meant as a "compliment") 2) some called that out 3) another post clarifying that immigrants aren't imbued with soccer talent but *work* at it by putting in more time into soccer (because that's what their families spend time on, not because they have an innate, race-based advantage). Watching the World Cup, if you can't see that all sizes, shapes and colors excel, then yes, you may be a racist.

[Unregistered]

See you at the cross burning, buddy!

I was the one who pointed out that soccer-motivated kids work harder at their game than US kids but in more informal ways. It's the other guy who claims immigrant kids don't work hard and his white kid does.

[Unregistered]

I think (if I've followed along correctly) you're on the same side...the comments were 1) immigrants have an inherent advantage in soccer (kinda racist, even if meant as a "compliment") 2) some called that out 3) another post clarifying that immigrants aren't imbued with soccer talent but *work* at it by putting in more time into soccer (because that's what their families spend time on, not because they have an innate, race-based advantage). Watching the World Cup, if you can't see that all sizes, shapes and colors excel, then yes, you may be a racist.

Thank you. I was the poster who made that point.

[Unregistered]

The awareness comes from playing much more often than American players, mostly in informal settings. They also start younger (again more informally) and watch games with family and friends. Not many American kids watch games regularly. So really immigrants are "working " much harder to learn the game and perfect their skills than many American players. It just isn't formal or even looks like work. They aren't born with more natural abilities. They just do it more and at an earlier age that the 3-4 organized times a week most Americans work at it

This talk of "soccer culture" is all rot. In my experience, the only real difference between American and foreign players is that if a child doesn't have athletism and natural ability to be a real footballer either their parent would recognize it and limit their involvement to recreational ball or a coach would not move them forward onto a competitive team. No one says "your kid sucks", but it's just understood that playing for fun is all they'll do. I think there is a certain political correctness or ignorance here in America that keeps moving kids up who shouldn't be playing competitively. I don't think the college system helps because there are hundreds of schools that need players, but not all of them are good.

[Unregistered]

I was the one who pointed out that soccer-motivated kids work harder at their game than US kids but in more informal ways. It's the other guy who claims immigrant kids don't work hard and his white kid does.

That is not what this thread is about. It's merely pointing out that some teams offer more spots to internationals to win in college soccer than other teams that offer spots to US soccer kids who have invested in US soccer by dumping a ton of $$$ into the system and all associated with it. Btw the US soccer kids are of all races, sexual orientations and religions as well. Also, their grandparents, great-grandparents and/or parents may be immigrants, but they are US soccer kids. That's all.

Why are you shaming those who were born in the US playing for US schools (or trying to)instead of playing for international schools? Why is that a bad thing? Why are you trying to make it that it is?

[Unregistered]

That is not what this thread is about. It's merely pointing out that some teams offer more spots to internationals to win in college soccer than other teams that offer spots to US soccer kids who have invested in US soccer by dumping a ton of $$$ into the system and all associated with it. Btw the US soccer kids are of all races, sexual orientations and religions as well. Also, their grandparents, great-grandparents and/or parents may be immigrants, but they are US soccer kids. That's all.

Why are you shaming those who were born in the US playing for US schools (or trying to)instead of playing for international schools? Why is that a bad thing? Why are you trying to make it that it is?

The OP just asked if there really are more foreign players on college teams than he remembers 25 years ago. The simple answer probably is "yes, while many teams in the past had foreign players, it is more prevalent today". But what fun is that? Let's go on and on getting further off topic and insulting each other.