Like a Running Back
Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (21) runs up the middle for a short gain.
With the World Cup almost over and the football season (American, that is) just two months away, I’ve been spending a bit of time watching games. Though I never liked soccer before, I’ve really been getting into it lately. (My son is on a soccer team and I’ve been to a few of the local team’s games.)
After watching the Americans in the World Cup, I can kind of see why Americans don’t like soccer – we play a boring game. Compare tactics with the Netherlands or – dare I even say – Germany and the difference is blaring. Even the South American teams with a bit more of a free flowing attack (like Brazil or Columbia) differ from the “careful” US team. Anyway, I’m an American going on about soccer so I obviously have no fucking clue what I’m talking about.
One thing that I have noticed though, is that the really good forwards in soccer run like the good running backs in American football. When out in the open, they have a larger stride and great speed. But when in a crowd, they take smaller steps and keep their legs pumping. This gives them both better maneuverability and stability to take/shrug off hits. Soccer players also get better ball control and maneuverability. (I found a decent example here.) This is probably one of those really obvious things that everybody already knows – but since I just started getting into soccer, I just noticed this and wanted to put it out there.
Oh, and don’t get me wrong, although soccer seems to be getting better over the years – I still can’t wait for football season to start!! No more of these 120 minute games ending in a man-on-man shoot out!
