World Cup

4aprice · Jun 14, 2010

I'm not a huge soccer fan but I played it as a youth (played football as well) and I do keep an eye on it, mostly following through the papers, the MLS and the European Leagues. I've always watched the World Cup. Its quite an event. Are people watching it?

We all know its not an American sport. Please spare me the "soccer sucks" comments as I can understand your feelings and i'm not pushing the game. I'm more interested in the reason why you don't like it or find it boring. My feelings is that Americans don't like the lack of scoring in the game.

To me the World Cup is facinating. Even more then the Olympics you see the fanatisim of the rest of the world.

Yes the horns are annoying.

Alex

Lake Hopacong, NJ

tjf67 · Jun 14, 2010

I have been watching it but am having a hard time being interested. I do have a question though. What is that annoying sound you hear at all the events. It sounds like a bunch of buzzng bees

bvibert · Jun 14, 2010

I watched a couple of games over the weekend. I'm not a sports watcher in general, but I enjoyed playing soccer as a kid so I'm giving the world cup a shot. I think the general lack of scoring probably puts people off. I do find it funny that it's such a popular sport for kids to play, but it gets largely ignored after the high school level.

Warp Daddy · Jun 14, 2010

Some random thoughts :

Soccer goals should be worth 5- 6 pts -- the situation is LACK of scoring value .

American Football would have the same problem if touchdowns were worth only 1 point .

If this were changed and say a soccer team scored four goals at 6 points each, the scoring VALUE issue is solved and fans need for scoring excitement would be met .

Simularly if Free kicks could be valued similar to a field goal in American Football and i'm sure thaty creative minds could generate the soccer eqivalent of a safety too more excitement would be generated for AMERICAN audiences

--Another observation : The bounce direction of the the damn ball is also way too predictable as it is limited by it's shape whereas as the shape of the American football or even a rugby ball adds a dimension of umpredictability to both the direction an "action" of the bounce and pass and adds complexity thus tension to the game which generates interest

deadheadskier · Jun 14, 2010

tjf67 said:
I have been watching it but am having a hard time being interested. I do have a question though. What is that annoying sound you hear at all the events. It sounds like a bunch of buzzng bees

vuvuzela horns..........so annoying

I have been watching more than I expected I would. wife likes soccer

4aprice · Jun 14, 2010

tjf67 said:
I have been watching it but am having a hard time being interested. I do have a question though. What is that annoying sound you hear at all the events. It sounds like a bunch of buzzng bees

Did you watch the USA - England game? A tie was a very good result for the US. If the US advances will you watch?

The buzzing bee sound are horns. There has even been talk of a banning them meaning it's annoying more then just the USA.

One of the things that I've always enjoyed is that alot of World Cup games have been broadcast, in the past, and this year too, in the morning. Soccer can be easily played with the sound down. Soccer and brunch are a good combination on the weekend.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

deadheadskier · Jun 14, 2010

I think the best part about watching soccer is no time outs / commercials. Except for when ya gotta pee. I'd hate to miss the one goal scored over the course of 90 minutes. :lol:

tjf67 · Jun 14, 2010

4aprice said:
Did you watch the USA - England game? A tie was a very good result for the US. If the US advances will you watch?

The buzzing bee sound are horns. There has even been talk of a banning them meaning it's annoying more then just the USA.

One of the things that I've always enjoyed is that alot of World Cup games have been broadcast, in the past, and this year too, in the morning. Soccer can be easily played with the sound down. Soccer and brunch are a good combination on the weekend.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

I will watch it as much as possible. If the rest of the world is fanatical about it so there must be something to it. Corner kicks are the most exciting part.

I do notice that 100 percent of the shots that go high or wide don't go in.

bvibert · Jun 14, 2010

deadheadskier said:
I think the best part about watching soccer is no time outs / commercials. Except for when ya gotta pee. I'd hate to miss the one goal scored over the course of 90 minutes. :lol:

Good call! :lol:

I found it interesting that they add time on to the end instead of stopping the clock for injuries.

snowmonster · Jun 14, 2010

I have followed every World Cup since Espana 82. Played it as a sport (sweeper) and supported clubs and teams that have both depressed and elated me. Played the game in some organized way until my mid-thirties when I went into a sliding tackle and tore a meniscus in my left knee. Gave both ankles (multiple times) and a knee to the sport. When it hurt too much to kick a ball, I drifted into skiing. I think my lower body strength and nimbleness in the feet developed by soccer helped me progress in skiing. It is a beautiful game and I wish more people could open their minds and appreciate it.

I played baseball growing up and I love that sport too. I never really played football, basketball, hockey, cricket, rugby and a bunch of other team sports. But, I know the rules and internal logic of each of those sports and I can appreciate watching them. If you don't understand the rules of a sport, you will find that sport boring. Everything will be so random. A non-footballer watching the Super Bowl may be turned off by the fact that there's so much stoppage of action and the fact that there are so many arcane rules (try explaining the tuck rule). Soccer is a simple game played with few stoppages. As for 0-0 ties, wait 'til the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Geoff · Jun 14, 2010

I'm in Amsterdam. The whole country shut down for today's Holland-Denmark match. It's a real trip. No different from Boston when the Sox are in the World Series or the Patriots in the Super Bowl but it's the whole country.

o3jeff · Jun 14, 2010

Those horns are probably the reason there are so many riots at soccer games.

JimG. · Jun 14, 2010

I've been watching...I enjoy soccer a great deal.

I played in HS and my 2 oldest boys play premier elite travel.

Soccer won't ever be popular in the US for many reasons; low scoring for the most part, no stoppage of play. Mass media will never support soccer for that reason alone...no commercials during matches.

I think it is the rest of the world's sport because it rewards the team that works harder. The team that hustles to the ball usually wins at any level.

wa-loaf · Jun 14, 2010

Big announcement today:

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/

bvibert · Jun 14, 2010

wa-loaf said:
Big announcement today:

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/

That's what you've been waiting all afternoon to post???

wa-loaf · Jun 14, 2010

bvibert said:
That's what you've been waiting all afternoon to post???

lol, it was pretty funny when I first saw it and then I just felt obligated to post.

How about the lego version of the game:
http://deadspin.com/5563011/usa+england-tie-given-the-lego-treatment

bvibert · Jun 14, 2010

wa-loaf said:
lol, it was pretty funny when I first saw it and then I just felt obligated to post.

How about the lego version of the game:
http://deadspin.com/5563011/usa+england-tie-given-the-lego-treatment

No, it was pretty funny, I was just being a dick. The Lego one was good too.

Talisman · Jun 14, 2010

Soccer was a lot of fun to play, but I liked ice hockey more. Growing up ina town too small for football, soccer was the fall sport and I enjoyed playing, but not watching. The view from the side lines was never as good as the view on the field watching a play unfold or get thwarted. In hockey, only goalies play the entire game, so watching from the bench had a different intensity. For televised sports, it may be a tie between skiing and soccer for the hardest to watch. I did watch 5-10 minutes of the UK-US game and I'm set for televised soccer for at least four years.

I would rather do something active than watch most sports on TV.

BackLoafRiver · Jun 15, 2010

For the past couple weeks I have been listening to a few talk shows on Sirius debate the importance of the world cup. More importantly, why America doesn't seem to give a rats ass about soccer. I have tried to call in a couple times to chime in but the queue has always been 45 minutes or so. Not sure if any of you catch Opie and Anthony or not but they have been all over the different nationalities that display their countries flag on their car or out the window of their apartment. They get pretty pissed off when callers voice their support of soccer on an international stage.

I love the World Cup. I can only name 4 active soccer players in the world but that doesn't change the game. I love that there are no time outs. The game is fast but more importantly, the athleticism is absolutely amazing. When you take into account how much the guys on the field are running (some are way over 10 miles) and that they rarely substitute out players, it is pretty unreal.

I watched Italy/ Paraguay yesterday. A surprising end to it, I thought the Italians were going to keep Paraguay on the defensive most of the game.

As an aside, I like the horns. This seems to be a major complaint from a majority of Americans who watch the game. I think it adds to something to the atmosphere. (aside from the sound of a swarm of bees) And, you can't beat the camera guys who, when they go to crowd shots, always find the HOTTEST international women. Always.

bvibert · Jun 15, 2010

BackLoafRiver said:
The game is fast but more importantly, the athleticism is absolutely amazing. When you take into account how much the guys on the field are running (some are way over 10 miles) and that they rarely substitute out players, it is pretty unreal.

That's what I find amazing about soccer too. That's a big field and the guys are constantly running.

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