WORLD CUP

[red]

I went to a major league soccer game on Saturday. How the hell did this ever become the most popular sport in the world?

you gotta wake up early on saturdays starting next month.

espn2 always shows one of the premiere league games. to me the atmosphere at the european games is better then the actual games. i like listening to whole crowds chanting and singing their teams songs

and the pyro shows that the fans in greece and turkey put on are just amazing

this is when the team takes the field

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNO2e...eature=related

here's another

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv5Q_...eature=related

and my favorite in england

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeH3o_2NRE0

[Bretsky]

I keep wondering which thread is worse..... a soccer thread or the Brett Favre thread

[wootah]

I've never understood the aversion that some American guys have for soccer. I get that if you're used to basketball you may find it boring because the pace is slower, like others may find the pace of golf, baseball or cycling too slow. Yet only for soccer the loathing needs to be expressed clearly and repeatedly.

Is soccer bashing a generally accepted way of proclaiming your own toughness or something? Or does the sport need to be marginalized because the Americans aren't exceptionally good at it?

[sooner6600]

Soccer is like runny cheese. Some like it. Some don't. It has mold. Fifa is corrupt. So there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did enjoy the FA Cup many years ago while in England. Nill Nill ; then overtime. Whew! what a waste of a good Saturday.

[Bretsky]

my apathy for soccer is also felt for golf and cycling fwiw and people I know would profess that I don't show it anymore than the other sports fwiw. I don't love baseball but I sometimes watch games. I think with soccer most are really into it or it's miserably boring in the US.

[MJZiggy]

I've never understood the aversion that some American guys have for soccer. I get that if you're used to basketball you may find it boring because the pace is slower, like others may find the pace of golf, baseball or cycling too slow. Yet only for soccer the loathing needs to be expressed clearly and repeatedly.

Is soccer bashing a generally accepted way of proclaiming your own toughness or something? Or does the sport need to be marginalized because the Americans aren't exceptionally good at it?

I think the vocalization of the antipathy is simply in response to the worldwide obsession. They just don't get what the fuss is about, but so many adore the sport that they feel they need to defend not liking it. I do prefer to play soccer than to watch it, but every week we go to this little pho joint that always has soccer on the TVs and if I run into it while channel surfing, I'll watch.

[Scott Campbell]

I've never understood the aversion that some American guys have for soccer. I get that if you're used to basketball you may find it boring because the pace is slower, like others may find the pace of golf, baseball or cycling too slow. Yet only for soccer the loathing needs to be expressed clearly and repeatedly.

Is soccer bashing a generally accepted way of proclaiming your own toughness or something? Or does the sport need to be marginalized because the Americans aren't exceptionally good at it?

I sincerely just don't understand the worldwide appeal. Nothing personal.

[Deputy Nutz]

my apathy for soccer is also felt for golf and cycling fwiw and people I know would profess that I don't show it anymore than the other sports fwiw. I don't love baseball but I sometimes watch games. I think with soccer most are really into it or it's miserably boring in the US.

For some reason I have an addiction to watching golf. I am Tiger Woods guy and no player that I remember seeing was ever that dominate in the game where he is expected to win everytime he goes out on the tee box. He brought an energy, determination, and intensity unlike any other golfer. It was like he was amping himself up to play 3 hours as a middle linebacker for the Ravens. It was his will to win that was captivating. He still has it, but his head and leg are all fucked up.

I am sure their is some asshole in shin guards running around with the same intensity and determination but they bore the fuck out of me. Let me tell ya I played soccer for one summer down in North Carolina and that sports difficulty meter is like a 3. Sure juggling the ball and passing and shooting are skills that take a long time to master, but flat out speed, and defense is pretty much all one needs to dominate the game.

[wootah]

Let me tell ya I played soccer for one summer down in North Carolina and that sports difficulty meter is like a 3. Sure juggling the ball and passing and shooting are skills that take a long time to master, but flat out speed, and defense is pretty much all one needs to dominate the game.

Come on now, speed & defense will help you as much in soccer as it does in football; it's a big part of it, but no matter what Al Davis keeps telling you, it's not the only thing. Good soccer is all about ball control (!!), positioning & passing. No matter how fast you are, if you have no control over the ball, you suck. And it takes years & years of training to perfect this. Check out these FANTASTIC pieces of skill in the videos below.





I don't care if you like soccer or not, anyone who likes sports has got to admire the beauty of this.

[red]

funny story about americans hating soccer. last year my uncle came to visit me, he's a big nascar type of guy. never watched soccer, never wanted to. it was during the world cup, and after he watched the first game with me, i couldn't keep him from watching every other game.

i think americans need high point totals, and lots of scoring . we need a more fast paced game. also i think people do hate the game because the rest of the world loves it and is better at it then us. i think maybe they also see it as more of a kids game. thats why almost every kid plays it when they are young and love it, but eventually move on to something else as they get older

[red]

btw, this is the video i was looking for last night. this is how die hard fans welcome their team onto the field

these folks are nuts, but i would love to be there to see it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKQ-i...eature=related

[Freak Out]

I thought I heard bagpipes as well. Gotta love the respect for fire codes.

The comments are classic.

[Bretsky]

Instant gratification; this is what America is all about

You might be surprised to know that the last time the USA Women Soccer team won it all I watched nearly every minute of every game. It just so happened that the games started the day after my torn ACL surgery. The pain was bad enough that for several days ever four hours I'd take vicodin and I mixed a lot of Ibuprofin in with it. I really couldn't sleep much over two hours straight so I'd time out when Mia Ham and the Chesty girl would play next. Anything to divert my mind. In retrospect I think I was probably more interested in the jugglies than the game but I was happy I could keep watching them play.

[Deputy Nutz]

Come on now, speed & defense will help you as much in soccer as it does in football; it's a big part of it, but no matter what Al Davis keeps telling you, it's not the only thing. Good soccer is all about ball control (!!), positioning & passing. No matter how fast you are, if you have no control over the ball, you suck. And it takes years & years of training to perfect this. Check out these FANTASTIC pieces of skill in the videos below.





I don't care if you like soccer or not, anyone who likes sports has got to admire the beauty of this.

Did I mention I was playing against high schoolers, not professional soccer players? The game boils down to positioning and timing. Sure great players have fantastic ball skills, but even good high school players weren't so hard to keep up with. I certainly wasn't spun into the ground by their fabulous ball skills. If you can cover a wide receiver you can guard a guy having his feet tied up with a ball.