I live in a country where it only became a “big deal” about 5 years ago, because Japan’s soccer team had a decent shot at a medal in the Olympics (not really, but don’t try telling any of them that). And since then it has become this national obsession over here (as long as it involves Japanese winning, of course).
I have heard the arguments in favor of why soccer is so great, but I just cannot, cannot, buy them. No matter how hard I try. I cannot stand to watch a sport in which I have to go, OOOOHHH, OOOHH…AAAWWWWWWwwwww… around sixty times in a game with a final score of 1-1. Or 0-0, for God’s sake.
If I am going to invest myself that emotionally into a sport, I will do so with basketball, whose scores are usually over 100 points a side, and which offer hundreds of chances at instant gratifications; or football, whose incredibly complex plays and feats of physical prowess will keep me glued to the screen for hours.
I don’t disagree with football being crap as I live in a country where it is the only thing anyone ever talks about. and as a sport it’s boring as hell all running and kicking and people being pussy as hell when they get hit. What I do have a problem with as a matter of national pride is what you call it.
it’s not soccer it’s football, we invented it and we named it football and the rest of the world call it football except japan and the US. why can’t you just say the right name???
Just because some or most players play like pussies doesn’t make it a pussy game. Any more than life is a pussy game because most players play like pussies. Don’t like it? Don’t watch.
[quote]TheG wrote:
I don’t disagree with football being crap as I live in a country where it is the only thing anyone ever talks about. and as a sport it’s boring as hell all running and kicking and people being pussy as hell when they get hit. What I do have a problem with as a matter of national pride is what you call it. it’s not soccer it’s football, we invented it and we named it football and the rest of the world call it football except japan and the US. why can’t you just say the right name??? [/quote]
Because we don’t have accents for any letters.
I’d like to say soccer is an awesome sport… to play. It was something I really enjoyed playing growing up. I played on several travel teams and continued all the way through highschool, so I understand the game pretty well. All that being said, even I can’t stand watching it. I get bored. I used to have more fun watching my little brother play “bee-hive” soccer (20 little kids all swarming around a soccer ball trying to kick it).
I don’t like watching any sport for 90 minutes, and I prefer watching sports other than soccer… (MMA, boxing, track and field, basketball)
That said I have played “soccer” for a long time and find it a very challenging and demanding athletic endeavor. It is also a lot rougher than people think and the joints and ligaments do not take kindly to being kicked, tackled at speed with metal shoe studs or full speed body collisions.
Elite soccer players are some of the most fine-tuned athletes in the world and you pretty much have to devote your life to it from a young age (<10 years old) to be good. To be great you need a FREAKISH amount of dedication and early age specialisation, a requirement seldom seen in other sports.
That in my view is probably the most admirable thing for those who appreciate technique and skill in an athletic context.
To demonstrate just how comfortable with the ball elite players are, here’s a video of Zlatan Ibrahimovic doing kick ups with a piece of chewing gum.
I was born and grew up where soccer is king. It is the lifestyle most young boys are inaugurated into. When I came here to the US, I owned everyone I competed against. Not because I was very good, but because the competition was so much more inferior to what I experienced in Italy. Because of it, my leg development began early and now enjoy my wheels because of it. I love World Cup Soccer because you pan countries against countries, and its a test of teamwork, endurance, and strategy. It taught me so much in life that is applicable, that I could never hate it. Remember that sports are considered only a game, but have much more to offer than that.
[quote]Nikiforos wrote:
I don’t like watching any sport for 90 minutes, and I prefer watching sports other than soccer… (MMA, boxing, track and field, basketball)
That said I have played “soccer” for a long time and find it a very challenging and demanding athletic endeavor. It is also a lot rougher than people think and the joints and ligaments do not take kindly to being kicked, tackled at speed with metal shoe studs or full speed body collisions.
Elite soccer players are some of the most fine-tuned athletes in the world and you pretty much have to devote your life to it from a young age (<10 years old) to be good. To be great you need a FREAKISH amount of dedication and early age specialisation, a requirement seldom seen in other sports.
That in my view is probably the most admirable thing for those who appreciate technique and skill in an athletic context.
To demonstrate just how comfortable with the ball elite players are, here’s a video of Zlatan Ibrahimovic doing kick ups with a piece of chewing gum.
[/quote]
Before I get buried under a blanket of hatred, I just want to say that I agree that soccer athletes are awesome, I just think that watching the game itself is annoying as shit (not necessarily boring), and I would rather watch basketball or (American) football.
I play soccer and have for many years. and yes watching soccer is kind of boring. HOWEVER!!! I am able to appreciate the skill that the players have. Any moves that they do that seem oh so simple are usually not that simple.
Even to be able to sprint down the field with the ball at your feet, looking up to see where your space is…is admireable.
How about watching baseball… now i think THAT is boring.
[quote]jchenky wrote:
I play soccer and have for many years. and yes watching soccer is kind of boring. HOWEVER!!! I am able to appreciate the skill that the players have. Any moves that they do that seem oh so simple are usually not that simple.
Even to be able to sprint down the field with the ball at your feet, looking up to see where your space is…is admireable.
How about watching baseball… now i think THAT is boring.[/quote]
I like baseball because it’s a lazy sport. You can do something else while the game is on and not miss anything. I like to watch while I workout.
[quote]jchenky wrote:
I play soccer and have for many years. and yes watching soccer is kind of boring. HOWEVER!!! I am able to appreciate the skill that the players have. Any moves that they do that seem oh so simple are usually not that simple.
Even to be able to sprint down the field with the ball at your feet, looking up to see where your space is…is admireable.
How about watching baseball… now i think THAT is boring.[/quote]
I hate watching baseball as well. In fact, I will watch soccer over baseball, if given the choice…
When you play it and then watch it,your view might change a bit. The technique and accuracy to control the ball is amazing when watching a pro up-close.
Also there are strategies such as the off-side rule and of course the managers make their formation based on what type of football they want to play and what team they are up-against(if you watch the sport then you would certainly be interested of what formation your teams manager is going to use e.t.c…). It really is not boring if you actually watch a quality league and a quality game. Most people complain about american football being more entertaining bla bla yet most people are comparing the NFL to what soccer league exactly(and how many times have you watched that certain league? once…twice…not even a whole game??). There are hundred if not thousands of proffessional soccer leagues in the world. Most people here in America only bother to watch the world cup(sucks in my opinion unless you are watching it live since it’s got to be an amazing experience) or the MLS. Then compare that to the NFL which is probably the best american football league in the world(not that there are many).
If you want to say soccer sucks…go out and play it a few times with people that are actually good. Come back and watch a few games from a quality league with quality teams(EPL-Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool…e.t.c…).
[quote]Cortes wrote:
I have heard the arguments in favor of why soccer is so great, but I just cannot, cannot, buy them. No matter how hard I try. I cannot stand to watch a sport in which I have to go, OOOOHHH, OOOHH…AAAWWWWWWwwwww… around sixty times in a game with a final score of 1-1. Or 0-0, for God’s sake.[/quote]
Must be more to liking or disliking a sport than the scoring surely?
Having said that I tire of sports where the scoring is like some elaborate accounting scheme.
Play FIFA on the XBOX…you’ll appreciate soccer more. Besides, the game rocks…even if you don’t like soccer. If anything, the game kinda got me into the sport, but for the most part I still find it a bit boring.
Playing soccer is hard…the only game I really enjoy playing is hockey, but I’m a damn Canadian so what do you expect!?