[Guest]

Now that the World Cup has arrived, what is your opinion on soccer? Do you like it, love it, or hate it? Please put your reasons.

As for me, I don't really like soccer. Why?

Reason 1: People don't score.

Well, a goal in soccer is as likely as a home run. How many games in the World Cup were tied 0-0?

Mexico vs. France, England vs. Algeria, and Portugal vs. Cameroon.

Reason 2: Too many whiners.

In one game between Italy and Algeria, one of the Italian players got "pushed." and he whined to the ref about it. He got a free kick and Italy scored. Italy would win 1-0, thanks to the whiner. Besides, in America, you're considered a sissy if you even whine to the ref about real injuries.

Reason 3: Horrible mascots.

This year's mascot is a lizard named Zakumi who has green hair and wears green hotpants. But they had a couple of crappy precedents too. In the 1982 Cup, the mascot was an ORANGE which is wearing a Spanish uniform. The 1990 Cup had a stick figure with a football head. In 1974, it was two kids showing off their midriff.

[Guest]

yes, I love it!

its a beautiful game, when played with such talent,drive and cohesion.

It can unite nations and the world in a celebration of universal sport and spirit.

its a powerful thing.

but I agree with you about the whining, and the refereeing has been atrocious and inconsistent at best.

[Guest]

yes, I love it!

its a beautiful game, when played with such talent,drive and cohesion.

It can unite nations and the world in a celebration of universal sport and spirit.

its a powerful thing.

but I agree with you about the whining, and the refereeing has been atrocious and inconsistent at best.

Yep. Unfortunately, I only watch it when I have nothing better to do, like waiting at a dentist's office.

[Guest]

Since when has whining been a soccer exclusive? Yes, there has been some pretty horrendous officiating (and some pretty weak fouls), but that's not different than any other game. And asserting that American athletes don't whine is just naive. I imagine that American athletes complain on average just as much as athletes in other countries, in their respective sports...

I can't think of hardly any sport (let alone an American sport) that is more athletic than soccer. The only ones that come to mind are rugby (which I don't really know the rules) and Australian Rules Football (which is similar to rugby in some ways and requires an amazing amount of coordination and athleticism ). Neither of those are American sports though and in any case, soccer requires most players to continue to run for 90 minutes. There is no American sport that even has that much play time. (Though of course gridiron and baseball can run much longer than that for other reasons... ) Gridiron routinely hires soccer players to be kickers since they actually know how to kick a ball and such like.

Good soccer can be one of the most dynamic and fluid games around, very unlike static sports like gridiron and baseball. The only reason I said I only *like* to watch soccer is because I prefer to *play* soccer more than I like to watch it. Just because the score is low doesn't mean that a lot hasn't happened during the game.

[Guest]

Guys need to learn that it is called football - it's played 99.99% with the foot - either one may be used.

Great game btw - haven't voted

[Guest]

Guys need to learn that it is called football - it's played 99.99% with the foot - either one may be used.

Great game btw - haven't voted

I think that all the use of heads, chests, thighs and knees (plus the goalie's hands) constitute a bit more than 0.01% of touches. Especially with professional players. If you say "football" over here in the US of A, you're liable to confuse people (hence my use of the name "gridiron" above to differentiate). Certainly one thing that it shouldn't be called is "Handball;" I think we're all agreed about that!

[Izzy]

And American football is played primarily with the hands..

I enjoy watching Fußball, but not nearly as much as I enjoy playing. Professional matches usually have low scores because of how good the teams are. At the high school level, we tend to dominate.

So, what something is considered in America (like whining = sissy) is the way it has to be? Haha, no. I vaguely recall you guys whining for days about your goal not being a goal.

[Guest]

The international appeal of (real) football is practically universal. And it is because of games like today's USA vs. Algeria. Tension mounts. The game moves beyond the end of the clock into stoppage time. The score remains 0-0 but everyone is on the edge of their seats and biting their nails. If the match ends a 0-0 draw the US will fly home defeated and cursing bad ref decisions. But no. A brilliant goal scored 'at the death' - in the 92nd minute of a 90 minute game, and the US not only survives, but wins their group.

Anyone in the US who didn't understand the appeal of 'soccer' ought to be a convert after such a game.

Watch Christiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho in his day, Messi. Watch the back-heel passes, the bicycle kicks. Watch the Brazilian team. It's pure artistry! The game is about more than scoring goals - it's about entertaining with almost magical skill. Watch a hapless opponent succumb to a nutmeg. Watch Tim Howard save a point-blank shot.

Now -- about your other complaints. Yes, one of the worst aspects of the games is the 'simulation' and exaggeration of injuries that result from fouls. It makes me sick. But the players have to get the attention of the referee, who has a lot of things to pay attention to. More refs, including refs watching the TV feed in real time, would help with this. The judicious use of instant replay, as long as it didn't stop the flow of action, would also help.

Regarding the flow of action. One of the things I love most about football is the non-stop action (except for injuries, throw-ins, free kicks, corners and goal kicks). The clock NEVER stops. If you look away for one second you could miss the definitive play of the game. Contrast that with American throw-ball, where there is one second of action followed by 40 seconds of nothing at all happening. All the action in an American throw-ball game can be shown in less than 20 minutes. I've seen it done.

Mascots -- can't disagree with your complaint. But the olympics has the same problem. That's peripheral - part of the hype, not part of the game. Just ignore it.

Another thing I love about football is the passion of the fans. In the English game fans take their role seriously, and it can make a difference in the psychology of the game. I may be in the minority in this, but I absolutely love the South African vuvuzelas -- that constant din of horn-noise that pervades the sound-track. In England it's organized singing and chanting, and drummers who will not stop beating their drums throughout the match. Football fans make the American throw-ball fans look like wusses, even the Cheese-heads of Green Bay, the Dawg Pound of Cleveland, etc. They should take lessons from the English fans.

[unreality]

I said 'it's ok' because in general I'm not a big sports-watching fan. I like to play pickup games with friends but I don't really follow professional or college sports. So I'm just as neutral with soccer as I am with other sports. I don't go out of my way to watch it but if it happens to be on the TV i won't change in the channel in disgust haha. I do like the simplicity and universality of the sport itself though

[Guest]

Regarding the flow of action. One of the things I love most about football is the non-stop action (except for injuries, throw-ins, free kicks, corners and goal kicks). The clock NEVER stops. If you look away for one second you could miss the definitive play of the game. Contrast that with American throw-ball, where there is one second of action followed by 40 seconds of nothing at all happening. All the action in an American throw-ball game can be shown in less than 20 minutes. I've seen it done.

Mascots -- can't disagree with your complaint. But the olympics has the same problem. That's peripheral - part of the hype, not part of the game. Just ignore it.

Another thing I love about football is the passion of the fans. In the English game fans take their role seriously, and it can make a difference in the psychology of the game. I may be in the minority in this, but I absolutely love the South African vuvuzelas -- that constant din of horn-noise that pervades the sound-track. In England it's organized singing and chanting, and drummers who will not stop beating their drums throughout the match. Football fans make the American throw-ball fans look like wusses, even the Cheese-heads of Green Bay, the Dawg Pound of Cleveland, etc. They should take lessons from the English fans.

Yes, the main two "All-American pastimes," baseball and gridiron have vast oceans of nothing interspersed with brief hectic moments of action. I don't understand how people can get "bored" watching soccer, but find watching that drivel exciting (especially now that they add breaks in for commercials, showing that the television/commercial industry is god over here ). There are theoretically 60 minutes of activity scheduled in gridiron, but there are all manners of ways to kill time while doing nothing and because they are controlled by advertising, they run for 4+ hours.

I also agree that the mascots are immaterial. I didn't have any idea about any of the mascots before I read this thread. I certainly wouldn't go to a game to watch the mascot. Maybe that's why I can't stand most American sports. They're so terribly dull that only adding an interesting mascot can make it tolerable.

I have heard that people in Britain and Ireland (and other places) are bamboozled by our selling of booze in our stadiums. I've heard that no drinking is allowing in most stadiums over there because there would be riots on the field before most games finished if it were allowed. Not ever having been to that side of the pond, I can't verify any of that first-hand, but it seems that Americans go to sporting events to watch mascots (and cheerleaders, I suppose) and get drunk, while people elsewhere go to watch the spectacle of the sport.

[Guest]

I said 'it's ok' because in general I'm not a big sports-watching fan. I like to play pickup games with friends but I don't really follow professional or college sports. So I'm just as neutral with soccer as I am with other sports. I don't go out of my way to watch it but if it happens to be on the TV i won't change in the channel in disgust haha. I do like the simplicity and universality of the sport itself though

same