Exactly. A 6'6" 310 lbs defensive end certainly could not play soccer with a possible exception of a goalie. And even that would probably be a stretch given the weight. Size is not a major advantage in soccer. Speed, agility, and endurance are. It is like comparing apples and oranges.
and then there are the pure speed athletes...wow...plenty of 4.4s in the DC Metro area and some sub 4.4’s.
Again, speed can be an asset in soccer, but it is not a track meet. You can't outrun the coverage that easily and remain onsides. And of course, you must be able to run with the ball at your feet and be able to maneuver around defenders. Speed without technique and control is of no use.
There are over 13.5 million high school soccer players, male and female, in the US. There are plenty of tremendous athletes playing the sport.
Again, I’m taking nothing away from soccer athletes...they are well conditioned and extremely skilled...but objectively they can’t compare to football, bball and baseball athletes...I’m talking about pure speed, agility, strength and power/explosiveness combination...it’s no comparison my friend.
Of course they can compare with the athletes in those sports. In fact, many of the soccer players play those sports. And when you compare the number of people that play soccer in the world to those who play football, basketball, and baseball, there is far more competition to make it to the very top rung of the sport. Power and explosiveness are not part of the sport. Soccer players certainly have the speed and agility to match any in the other sports. Have you ever attended an international level soccer game?
Steve Nash was a helluva soccer player. And Nash is the first to acknowledge soccer's advantage in developing his superb basketball skills. Kobe Bryant was introduced to the sport as a child in Italy. Some of the best kickers in the NFL were soccer players. Many of the he foreign born players in MLB, approximately 30% of those in the majors, were soccer players.
Comparing sports and the physical and other skills and attributes to be successful is very difficult. It really is like comparing apples and oranges. If speed was such an important attribute, then why aren't more track athletes successful in the NFL? Of course, you need to be able to catch a ball, run tight routes, and absorb the hits without fumbling. That rules out a lot of world class sprinters.
“Soccer players certainly have the speed and agility to match any in the other sports.”
Umm, no. It’s not even close.
I’ll put 10 great college football players up against the 10 best soccer players from the Elite League and the speed/agility gap will be huge. If you go to the NFL instead of college it will even be more of a disparity in speed/agility.