It's sad that the general public has this POV about collisions and impacts of soccer players. As a coach and player...it's a brutal game. Your shins take a lot of impact...I/we wore shin guards in H.S. but it did little to help.

Now some are clever...and use the impacts as a chance to get to slow the game down. The timing on the game is very loose...and needs better regulation.

But please don't criticize soccer players until you've been at a game, at the sidelines...and watched the injured coming off the field.

There's a lot more impact and injury than you realize.

I played soccer, especially in the Navy. At one particularly badly reffed game, I made a complaint to the ref. A guy on the other team said, "I didn't think we were pussys here." A few minutes later, running at full speed, I took his ass out. He didn't have time to put his hands up before his chest and face planted in the ground. I should have been red carded; the ref whistled and simply gave the other team possession.

I understand that all scholarship soccer players are required 3 years of theater arts.