Alright, so I got on this kick a while back. I was trying to really understand certain types of soccer players, you know? Not your Messis or Ronaldos, but the guys who had a specific job, a role to fill. My whole thing, my “practice” if you will, was digging into forwards who were mostly about pure, raw speed. The kind of players who could scare defenders just by threatening to run past them. I was arguing with a mate about it, actually – what makes a forward valuable if they ain’t scoring 30 goals a season? That’s what got me started.
So, I started going through old rosters, looking at highlights, just casting a wide net. And somehow, I landed on Robbie Findley. Yeah, the guy who played for Real Salt Lake, had a stint with the US national team. I remembered the name, vaguely. So, I thought, “Okay, let’s see what his deal was.”
My “practice” then became a bit of a deep dive. I started hunting down old match footage. MLS games, those Gold Cup matches, anything I could get my hands on. It wasn’t always pristine quality, mind you. Some of that stuff is buried deep on the internet, looking like it was filmed on a potato. But I pieced it together.
And what did I find? Well, the dude was fast. No question about it. That was his calling card, plain and simple. He wasn’t the type to dance through three defenders with fancy footwork. Nah, his game was about that burst, that acceleration to get in behind the defensive line. He’d make these darting runs, trying to stretch the other team, create space for others if nothing else.
Watching him, it was interesting. Sometimes, that speed was electric. He’d get on the end of a through ball, and suddenly it was a dangerous situation. He definitely caused problems for defenders who weren’t expecting that kind of pace. But, and this is where the “practice” got real, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. You’d see the raw speed, but then maybe the first touch would be a bit heavy, or the final shot wouldn’t quite come off. It was a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. Sometimes he’d look unplayable for a moment, other times he’d kinda disappear into the game if the service wasn’t right there for him to chase.
It made me think, you know? It’s tough having one truly elite attribute like that. Everyone just expects you to make it work all the time. And if you’re a forward, and the goals aren’t flying in every week, people start to grumble, don’t they? It’s not just about being quick; it’s about consistently turning that quickness into something tangible on the scoresheet or a key pass. That’s the hard part.
It’s funny, this whole process. You spend a bunch of time digging into a player’s career, watching these old clips. It’s almost like an archaeological dig for sports nerds. And then you kind of sit back. For me, looking at Robbie Findley’s time, it wasn’t about discovering a hidden gem who should have been a global superstar. It was more about appreciating a certain type of player, the specialist. And also, it’s a reminder of how fleeting these careers can be, and how quickly the spotlight moves on. One minute you’re scoring in a big game, the next, well, people are digging through grainy footage trying to remember what your deal was. It’s a tough business, that’s for sure.