Ten Differences from US College Soccer and English Semi-Pro Football
1) Studs. Gotta wear em, I resisted at first but eventually I gave in. Right now the fields are practically mud and you can find yourself skating instead of running if you’re not prepared.
2) You need to wear matching undies under your shorts. If they catch you, they’ll make you take them off and you’ll have to go commando. It may seem refreshing until you slide tackle and put on a show for the home crowd.
3) Those million dollar weight rooms, spacious renovated locker rooms and comfy coach buses are a thing of the past. The little extras and perks in college you didn’t realize don’t happen here. You have everything you need, but here even Manchester United’s changing room is plain and bare.
4) You can really cuss. Like a lot. In fact you can tell just about everyone to f*ck off — including the referee… and a lot of players choose to do that.
5) Physical is an understatement. Cleats up into tackles, elbows up on headers, all of it is common and legal. Man up you wuss.
6) That being said, you DO NOT grab the jersey. It’s not only called right away, but it’s almost an insult to the game. Get stronger and faster. Wuss.
7) Coaches don’t kill their players in training, sure we have fitness, sure we work hard. But that “we’re going to run” mentality so many college coaches can’t exist here.
8) The season is LONG. Which means you get to play NINE months out of the year. Huge. Bonus.
9) Though it’s faster, quicker and more physical, it’s simpler. In college we played an experimental formation and I was a full-time marking back. Here we still play quality football in a simple formation, no need to make it complicated.
10) It’s FOOTBALL. I get grief for pronouncing it “Sahker” with my Chicago accent.
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