Playing Soccer and Driving Cars

As I was watching film from high school matches a rather strange, yet very pertinent, thought crossed my mind.  What if the players drove their cars in the same manner as they play soccer?

Think of the player who receives the ball, does a U-turn and runs right into on-coming defenders?  It's kind of like doing a U-turn in your car, ignoring the wrong way signs and causing an accident, isn't it?

Or the soccer player who is going at full speed towards goal right into multiple defenders in front of him. A wrong way driver on I-75?

And what about the player with ballwatchingitis?   Nothing like parking your car in the middle of a busy thoroughfare so you can watch the chaos of honking cars going on around you, right?

These are the thoughts bouncing around my head as I watch players and their teams "play" at the game of soccer. There are so many different paths to goal but so many only see the most direct route.

When I am driving to the same destination repeatedly I often find alternative routes to take. Just a change of scenery. Soccer should be like that. Sometimes we take the direct expressway route. Other times we take a (possession) scenic route. When the preferred road is closed we detour and meander around the obstruction until we find our path once again - we find the path of least resistance to the goal.

Isn't it better to actually play soccer instead of creating chaos in the game environment by playing at soccer? When you drive your car there are accepted standards that allow you to have an enjoyable experience while making your way to the intended destination. When someone deviates from these standards it can result in chaos on the roadways. Attacking soccer is very much like this - there are proper techniques and tactics - soccer standards - that must be adhered to or chaos ensues on the pitch.

A smart driver will map out his route before starting his journey.  He will have a plan but be flexible. If he encounters congestion on the roadways he will alter his route. The driver of a car strikes a balance between speed and arriving safely at his destination. Rules of the road are followed and perhaps sometimes bent, but when broken often come with severe consequences. If the driver does something stupid he will draw the ire of others on the roadway - honks, gestures and or screaming? When the driver arrives safely home he is warmly greeted and if it's been a while there might be quite the celebration.

Yeah, soccer is a lot like that.