Premier Has the VMSL Premier division gotten really bad??

[Bronco]

Read one of Reedies posts in another thread and thought I would throw this out there. As a former player in this division for some 16 years , I'm curious to see what others thoughts on the matter are. Is it a generational thing that always will be present, in that we always think our generation was better than the current one, and perhaps not as good as the one right before us. Or has the quality of play really deteriorated?

My two cents: The last 5 or so years that I played and today appear to be a lot worse than the first 10 or so years. Or was it just me??

 

[Regs]

More likely than not, as much as we hate to admit it, I think it is a generational thing.

Today's pace is probably 100 times faster than when we played Bronco (well maybe 200 times faster to you since you were always a slug)

I've only seen a couple of games since leaving the division and to be honest, I was blown away by the pace of the game. Was suitably impressed by the skill demonstrated as well.

 

[freddy]

The key difference is post game. We always were good to drown at least 4-5 dozen Extra Old Stock (along with a few sideline-fans) post game. Now, they want a Tiger Woods Energy drink and to check their text messages.

 

[Regs]

Freddy, check your PM.

 

[Mr Base]

Branco soccer is slowley getting faster.Turn overs are way higher now than before. There is more chances in todays games. Soccer level is no better. In five years soccer level will get way better. More and more youth clubs are going to many tournaments in US. It is all about pace and total soccer. Two three clubs are on the right track. Metro Ford has improved in last two years.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I need a soldier......a second toy soldier........


a really bad ass soldier........I need a soldier a boy that needs how to take care of me......


boy that knows how to take care of me............coming over.........

 

[freddy]

CS - are you singin the Blues?

 

[whataboutbob]

I think there was a generational gap of a talented group after the late 60s - early 70s born players. It seemed that group dominated the VMSL from the early to mid 90's to mid 2000. Peg, Westside, Surrey, even Sapp for a time. (I recall when Club I started to emerge as a power with these players in the early 90's, as the Firemen, Norvan, and QPR era started losing ground to the new generation of players.)

Inter had a talented and concentrated group of 80s players but still didn't overtake the generation before them. I now see better, faster, and more talented players come into their own in the last 2-3 years or so. These players will overtake the weaker half-generation before them, if they haven't so already.

But is it better soccer? I think, in most aspects, yes. They are faster and more exciting to watch. Hopefully, controlled ball movement will catch up to their speed. Then we'll see a much more competitive national team.

 

[Mr Base]

If you are not in national team by the age twenty it is one in one thousand chance of you making it. If you think that VMSL premier players can help our national side. All you have to do go and see Mexico when they play Canada again and things will be way more clear to you. No chance. Forget all the stories Willy is posting. Soccer has got long was to go here to inprove. Most of the games are down the midle with tunel vision midfielders. Wide game overlaping fast feet cut ins are non existant. There is lots of fast guys but foot skill is way behind. Very seldum do you see a goal from a good cross. Mostly we see a scramble goal type. Things will never change unless we bring a coach or two to show it to the clubs and than other clubs try to coppy. Thats how things will get better.There is only four five guys in VMSL with national level pace. It takes dam hard work five times a week to get to the level where those guys in upper levels are.

 

[whataboutbob]

I'm noy insinuating that the VMSL has guys for our national team, I am saying if Canada soccer continues to develop the skill of ball movement, with the pace improving, then things will improve in the future.

 

[Mr Base]

It is not ball movment that we lack. We basicley can play with anybody. What we lack is a killer instict in last third. And that alone sends us home most of the time. They always blame our D,but that not it. Forwards can not score in tough games. Setup man are almost always late on a pass or far to much forward. We have to bring in a coach that will teach that part of the game. We have tuns of kids playing here. And always forwards lack agresive attacks.Also reffereeing has to improve to alow development. Some refs kill the flow with far tomany sisiy calls. Gold and select level soccer is the only pace you can develop that type of game. If you look very few clubs have gold teams. They have four five silver teams. It is no development at all. Kids just have fun. I wander why???????????Be green do not be agresive.

 

[soccer_veteran]

Premier Division has Talent but a lot of sloppiness!! Where in other places of the world, soccer has a more tactical approach, soccer here seems to be a lot of running and kicking aimlessly to another player leaving him stranded.. I have had cousins who played in lower pro divisions in europe that came here, and they watched a few games.. What they had to say: Where is there a strategy to this.. IN Fact in my opinion, there is none.. I have been through many teams here, although i wont designate myself as to which ones, however i can tell you that the coaching here is terrible.. If a coach doesnt know how to play the game the right way, how are the players supposed to follow? It seems as if coaches are picking up skillfull players footwork wise, and doing nothing with them.. Talent is being wasted, and not to mention, there ability to decide who to pitch on game day is worse..

 

[john]

If we are talking about development then all we need to do is look at hockey in this country / even province and compare it to soccer. A 10 year old in hockey at the rep level has 2-3 practices a week and 2-3 games per week......compare that to soccer and you start to see why we are so far behind other countries in terms of soccer development by the ages of 13 or so...........

 

[Gomesy16]

The problem with soccer here is that most players don't know how to play the game tactically. They don't understand the game and therefore can not play within a system. That has less to do with coaching at the higher levels and has everything to do with the development of our youth at the crucial age levels. I've played with many guys who are talented within their own right and/or natural athletes, but simply weren't intelligent soccer players.

 

[Regs]

Gomesy,

I have to say, I'm a little surprised that you would talk about your brother that way!

At the same time, I agree with you 100%!

 

[Balsa]

I've played with many guys who are talented within their own right and/or natural athletes, but simply weren't intelligent soccer players.

Sadly that is a very large percentage of the players out there.

 

[gomesy_jr]

Gomesy,

I have to say, I'm a little surprised that you would talk about your brother that way!

At the same time, I agree with you 100%!

Bastard! Kick a guy while he's down eh? Can't I just focus on trying to win a game? Now I have to try to be an intelligent soccer player too????

 

[bulljive]

The problem with soccer here is that most players don't know how to play the game tactically. They don't understand the game and therefore can not play within a system. That has less to do with coaching at the higher levels and has everything to do with the development of our youth at the crucial age levels. I've played with many guys who are talented within their own right and/or natural athletes, but simply weren't intelligent soccer players.

completely agree. I think it comes down to how we teach children to play, not just soccer but games in general. If we teach games from a tactical approach or game understanding approach instead of skill based, we will have much better games players. If you think back to how we learned to play games, it was all about learning how to dribble, shoot, pass in soccer or bump and volley in volleyball, all in isolation. Kids should be learning all these things in games with the main focus on game tactical understanding. I find it amazing that people can play a game for 20-30 years and still not have instint or understanding about how to play it, zero vision. I see all these talented players so focused on beating players one on one or doing a fancy step over that they have no fukcing clue what is going on on the field.

 

[LION]

I just learned a tactical system 3 years back. Before then, it was, here is the formation, get the ball to this guy, get stuck in,... go play. I've had one coach in my whole life that taught shape, zonal coverage and working as a unit defensively.

All pro teams play tactical soccer. At least when defending. you don't see them playing man for man (in there own third or box maybe) or some guys pressing and some not.
They go out and have a team mentality. No individual mentality. Its always as a unit.

BullJive and Gomesy are totally spot on.

Is there any teams that put lots of focus on defensive tactics/formations. Like where to funnel in what areas etc... as to dictate the other teams passing.
I don't think there is many premier teams that play an actual system as a unit on the park. I'm thinking, Columbus and Delta Whitecaps play a system of some sort.

I read a wonderful article way back when.
In south america as someone has brought up already.. they don't play 7+ aside games until they are much older.
They play futsol with a heavy small ball that leaves them no option but to play out of danger. The long ball or humping it up the park to get out of danger does not even exist.
They play 3 v 3 etc... with a small ball, so it really brings ball skills and quick 1-2 movement in the game. At the best time of motor skills development.
Then you put these kids with crazy skills on a large park, with space, and a ball they can have more options with. You just have to teach the tactical/positional/mental side of the game then.

But I do think there are some good clubs/coaches out there now that are implementing the systems at a younger age now. And I'm sure the new Delta Whitecaps system really teaches these skilled kids these things.

 

[Gomesy16]

I think a big problem with the development of soccer players nowadays is that everyone wants to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo. You look at the majority of young players coming up and they all do the fancy step overs and want to beat a guy one on one because it "looks awesome". Players are more concerned about how the look than how they play within a team.

As mentioned in previous posts, the focus is on individuality. I know a few players that have personal coaches and they get one on one training. What does that do for the player? I'll tell you...it makes him someone that can juggle the ball 100 or more times, and wow, that's really important in a game situation. And speaking of game situations, you put this player in the line up and he's totally lost. I'd rather have a player with limited skill but knowledge of the game over a highly skilled indivual player.

I for one am not the most individually talented player, nor am I physically tall or strong, but I know my capabilities and I can read the game better than the majority of players in our league, and that's what makes me successful. I didn't need a personal coach. What made me the player I am now was my dad talking to me after each game and explaining to me at an early age that when in this situation you did this and this happened, but if you did this what do you think would have happened? He made me think.

Unfortunately a lot of youth coaches only pick up on the individual skilled players, it takes someone to know the game to see the defensive center midfielder that's not flashy but is always in the right spot, plays the ball simple, and allows for the skilled guys to shine. You need one to have the other.