lion, there is no need to take out your built up aggression on me. I understand that you are frustrated that you like, and play a sport that requires minimal athletic talent. However, track athletes also participate in throwing events like the discus, shotput, javelin, and jumping/power events like the high jump and pole vault, which require balance, power, and speed, and the USE OF YOUR HANDS!!! And then there are tri-athletes, decathletes. You can not deny that the best athletes in America begin playing American football, basketball, baseball at a young age, and by the time these kids are in high school the best athletes usually focus primarily on American football and basketball. They do track to improve their speed, indurance, and power. I was stating that if these top grade athletes, who go on to star in the NFL and NBA, decided to play soccer or baseball the small, slow, soccer fairies who participate in the world cup, would be reduced to playing golf or joining the chess club. Of course, there are exceptions especially in Europe where soccer is the biggest sport, but Europe is also backasswards in most things they do. Anyway, there should be a minimum IQ to be able to post on this site, and if you are telling me that soccer athletes are more athletically talented than the average college or professional American football or basketball players, you do not meet that minimum IQ requirement!!!
Thank you for confirming my theroy, it’s obvious you’d rather watch a load of men in a ton of armour thumble around a field when nobody really knows whats going on. I think you have to be American to understand football beacuse nobody in Europe has a clue and you dare to call soccer slow and boring, kettle/black??. In a country of nearly 300million you’d expect some bugger to play the game well in whats known as the worlds ‘universal game’ but I guess cheerleeders and hamburgers don’t fit soccer (thank god).
I never thought i’d be agreeing with a kraut but he is right. You only have to read these posts and you know why soccer will never make it stateside. The MLS is a sinking ship to the guy who thinks otherwise, and as for the world giving a shit about womens soccer, urm, yeah right!!. Womens tennis yes, soccer fuck no. Soccer fans are also the worlds best the singing, shouting and aggressivness of it all gets me going and the odd scrap is all in good fun. You don’t get this passion in American sport beacuse it’s all hotdogs, hamburgers and a nice cosey family atmosphere.
T-men should try supporting soccer, it has to be THE best testostorone atmospehere. COME ON ENGLAND!!!
Actually one of the most interesting parts about Football(The real one, U.S. Football) to me is the Chess game that ends up going on between the coaches. Of course it ultimately comes down to the variables ussually of the players and their skills. But I love to watch the Coaches try to counter, or remove certain threats, while the other just tries to find another way to advance the team towards the win.
To me, Soccer in comparison seems very boring. Even though the guy that was using caps lock seems like an idiot, he has a point. In most High Schools around the country, the best athletes are playing football, baseball and basketball. When soccer players starting getting huge contracts you're going to see american kids growing up on soccer, and yes, most likely either dominating at it or playing as well as any other country.
Fortunately I don't have much time, so I won't be wasting any of it watching the 1-0 scoring fest.
Europeans don’t understand American Football…therefore there must be a problem with Americans. gotta love euro-logic 
My opinion is this: Americans tend to enjoy sports where the dominant team of the contest can be easily “measured” by looking at the scoreboard. During a basketball game, when the scoreboard reads 50-30, the winning team is clearly dominating the losing team. Likewise, when the scoreboard reads 50-48, it is a very tight contest. Baseball and football also display these characteristics. In soccer, however, the score can be 1-0 for Brazil over China, but Brazil is dominating the contest. I don’t think Americans understand this and it’s frustrating to them. Americans enjoy the excitement of the score. True soccer fans can enjoy other facets of the game besides goals. This is not a knock against Americans, and I don’t mean to blanket Americans into a single group, but it just seems that this is the way it is.
The people that say that football is slow and boring should remember the stops and starts that occur in every NFL and MLB game. People will always like what they know, and kids in the U.S. grow up with the big 4 US sports, while kids in the rest of the world grow up with soccer/football, because it’s so easy to play. Get a ball (inflated or deflated it doesn’t really matter), use jumpers/sticks/coke cans/wall for a goal and that’s all you need. And who cares if some soccer players aren’t elite athletes? They are good at what they do. Who cares if basketballers aren’t as strong as powerlifters? Or baseballers aren’t as quick as sprinters? Soccer is not solely a game of strenght or speed, it’s a game of skill, which might be why it’s so appealling. You may not be the strongest or fastest kid in your school, but it doesn’t really matter. On to purplehosh’s post:“I was stating that if these top grade athletes, who go on to star in the NFL and NBA, decided to play soccer or baseball the small, slow, soccer fairies who participate in the world cup, would be reduced to playing golf or joining the chess club.” You are doing a very good job at making yourself look like a fool. How would an NBA player, with no soccer experience, be better than a 30 year old soccer player who’s been playing the game since he was 8? You must think that they have a natural ability for all sports, and could just walk into any professional sport and wipe the floor with all their competitors. I doubt soccer will make it in the US because of the insular attitude there. How can you have a ‘world series’ with only US teams? And on a final note, I have nothing against American sports, i used to watch alot of NFL and NBA on tv until it was pulled off the screens.
why is this such a complex topic? Soccer just quite simply never developed as a commonly-played sport in the US, even before mass commercialization. Are Europeans ‘insular’ for not accepting American football? Hardly, and such an assessment would be ludicrous. Are Americans unwilling or unable to compete on an international level? Um, have you seen the Olympics lately?
Just like Canadians on average are much better at Hockey than Americans…because there’s a much longer icey period in Canada than in much of the United States, so it’s a standard thing to pick up when it’s winter and you’re bored. I mean, who’s better on average at Volleyball, people who live around beach cultures, or people who live in mountainous countries like Switzerland? The majority of this thread just looks like a desperate attempt to find fault with other cultures and make snide, booring little remarks about things they don’t understand. And anyone who thinks American spectator sports aren’t t-events haven’t seen post-game riots in Chicago or Detroit. Sure, soccer hooliganism reaches marvelous heights in Great Britain, but I don’t know if either of our body counts or mass property damage are exactly things to brag about.
Wow; this one has gotten a little heated. I guess I might as well add my two cents. I played soccer up until my senior year in high school and was recruited by quite a few colleges, but I decided not to play collegiate soccer for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, I’ve still got a lot of hooligan in me! I go to at least one U.S. National Team game each year (saw them play The Netherlands last weekend). I think the reason so many people dislike it is because they have a hard time grasping the strategy and ideal tempo of high level soccer because they’ve never played competitively. They may have played it as kids, but they never played it PROPERLY. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than talking to or playing with people who think it’s as simple as “kick and run.” Once you understand how to recognize/play possession, work the offsides trap, counterattack, etc., it’s just as fun to watch or play as any of the other major sports. Unfortunately, very few people are taught the right way here in the U.S., so they hold a narrowminded view for their entire lives. BTW, as for some of the “soccer wussy” comments, I would love to see some of you naysayers put your quads, hams, and calves up against these guys’ legs. I used to go to Babson College, where the NE Revolution train (and Argentina during the 1994 World Cup). They were often in our gym, and I couldn’t believe the size AND definition on ALL of them. They didn’t train all that heavy, but the simple fact that they are on their toes and periodically sprinting (essentially replicating HIIT training) for 90 minutes without rest gives them great wheels. Oh yeah, I’m picking Argentina over Italy in the finals. I’m looking forward to an Ireland/Italy rematch in the second round the most, though (Ireland won 1-0 in '94). Even if the U.S. can make it to the second round, they’ll probably get Italy (unless they win their group), which will mean a quick exit. Plus, they looked pretty crappy last Sunday, so things aren’t looking so hot to begin with. Even so, I’ll be watching and yelling at the TV until I’m hoarse…
Soccer is a communist plot to turn America’s boys into little pussies. I’m in Texas so I’m more than a little biased, but if you go to any highschool in Texas you’ll see three kinds of kids playing soccer: 1) women 2) people who aren’t fast enough for track, aren’t coordinated enough for basketball, or aren’t strong enough for football 3) little momma’s boys who aren’t allowed to play football by their overprotective mothers. Patricia’s post up above says a lot. It is a freaking game that women and men can basically play at the same level. That’s just sad.
You consider soccer players to have big legs?? You must be puny.
Soccer isn’t popular here because it’s never been a big US sport. We as American’s are guilted into watching it. It’s like you said “everyone in the world likes it,” well, we better like it too then, especially because Europe does. Besides, think about soccer in the US. It sucks here. When I was living in Europe, I watched it all of the time. I went to a Milan AC vs. Inter Milan game and the place went nuts. But I cannot stomach a DC versus Cleveland game on a lazy Saturday afternoon. And who is the symbol of US soccer? The soccer mom! Yeah, associate that with me. I want to be known as taking up a sport where I’ll be hauled around in a minivan by some yuppie PTA lovin’ middle aged house wife who encouraged me to play soccer because it’s less violent and I won’t get hurt. That and so she can feel rich and European. There’s a reason Adam Corolla says they should change the name of soccer to “fagball.” At least in the US, the most manly guys aren’t running out there to go work on their heading skills.
Jochen please shut up, you are a shame for our country.
Soccer is boring its a sport for girls.
You say that nobody has a clue wat is going on in a game of U.S.Football? If you would watch it more frequently you would understand it.
And please don´t write on an U.S. board and make fun about the amerikans. Because of guys like you the prejudice about the bad german keeps alive.
Oh and i wouldn´t be surprised if the U.S. team will participate longer in the WC then we will. But who cares about soccer.
I grew up in Scotland then moved to the US when I was 16, I hated football at first because I did not understand it. Now I love it, if I had my way we would college football in the spring and pro in the fall so we could have football all year round. I also love to watch soccer, I cannot get into major league soccer, the atmosphere and intensity is just not there. In Scotland all we needed was an open space, a ball, and a couple of sweaters for goalposts and anyone could play. I ate, slept, and breathed soccer. The world cup is the biggest sporting event in the world for a reason. The Superbowl is also one of the biggest… why? two great sports.
Purplehosh, can you explain to me how a baseball player has more athletic skill than a soccer player? I don’t know, I’d say running around for 90 minutes takes a little better athlete than standing for most of a game, then running really fast for 90 feet occasionally. Try playing the sport a little bit or at least learning something about it, then maybe your comments won’t sound so idiotic.
JRC, I guess guys with long hair and hairy chests is a hell of a lot worse than a bunch of corn-rowed thugs comin’ straight outta jail, huh? I’d probably disagree with that.
I’ve had this argument a hundred times…I’ve played all of the sports mentioned…the most difficult, soccer. The sport where I’ve recieved the most injuries…soccer. The one taking the most skill…soccer. The one requiring the most thinking…soccer. But this argument is all pointless since guys have been brought up their whole lives saying “football is great, soccer is for fags”, and they don’t seem to have the mental capacity to take an open-minded look at it.
I don’t consider soccer to be a “fag” sport. Quite the contrary. And yes, I said that alot of people are taking part in soccer - but that doesn’t mean it’s due to it being a easy sport to master. It’s one of the best sports I competed in - a great team sport.
There are several "adult" leagues in the Portland area and a few indoor leagues. I think the people in these leagues got involved due to the want of doin' something that looked fun - and soccer is a "inviting" sport. But it does take a huge amount of skill to evolve into a serious competitor. Soccer isn't all just "running and kicking" a ball. The dribbling through opponents and down a field, passing, and the ability to coordinate strategies with your teammates WHILE running down a field takes both physical and mental skill. And for all those here who have played soccer competitively you know what I mean when you have to be able to "seperate" your lower body from your upper when dribbling and trying to "fool" the opposing player (your dribbling the ball one way, and you need to fool them in going the "other" way). I'd say, for the others ripping on soccer, try to go one on one with a longtime soccer player - just try.
I too, was asked (by my HS soccer coach) to continue on through college ( I was a midfielder by the way). I wanted to move onto competitive BB instead - oh, the decisions we make :-) Anywhoos, I respect soccer players - especially the pros. Men and women. It's a great, great sport and I can't wait to watch some of that World Cup.
Thankyou doogie!!! SOCCER SUCKS
it is a third world sport. soccer may be the dumbest “sport” man has ever created. poor people play soccer because all you need is a stupid looking ball. soccer will NEVER become popular in this country, NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!
Well shit Michael I can’t help but feel partly to blame for 100s of years of German predjudice! My attempt at a little Euro/Americano banter has backfired as a few individuals lacking a sense of humour have taken things a little too seriously. Damn it’s a free for all forum and as soon as I start to jokingly criticise American culture
you start pissing and moaning. Man does America have a fragile ego call me a nazi, krout, cunt and i’ll just laugh it off why can’t you do the same? The ‘we are superior’ attitutde is strong in you guys and i’ll say what you said to me ‘why do you think the rest of the world hates you’, I can take the remark can you??
as soon as the pro teams here start paying multi-million dollar salaries to the players,especially if it is guaranteed and at a higher pay rate than the other major sports, then you will see the best athletes we have playing soccer.if that day ever comes then k-d bar the door for the rest of the soccer playing nations that routinely kick the shat out of us.