Soccer recently has gained attention in the United States not because of the game, but because of the legal assault on the upper reaches of the sport’s international governing body. But soccer has separate significane in America; soccer may have helped one of the league’s next franchise quarterbacks better prepare for football.
“I think soccer is a great fundamental sport -- I think it built a foundation for me as an athlete,” Mariota said told 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. “Whether that’s my footwork now, or relative to just kind of seeing the field and instincts.
“I think soccer is just such a game where you have to understand the complexities and the system of what’s going on, and you have to know that before you get the ball. And once you get the ball, you have to react. I think that has helped my growth not only as a football player but as an athlete.”
That could make soccer a viable alternative for young athletes who may not be ready for full-contact football. The only risk is that the best athletes may stick with soccer and never gravitate toward football.
Which would be bad for football. But which could eventually make the USA relevant to the international game for reasons other than the ability to prosecute and potentially incarcerate those who run the sport.
