Brilliant Game

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:42 pm

fearfaoin wrote:
Wombat wrote:One curious fact remains. Soccer doesn't seem to be very big in India although there is a professional league there and India has a population of a billion. I have no idea how this is to be explained.
That's odd, all the Indians I work with love it. Many got cable just to watch the World Cup.

Maybe it's just a matter of playing standards not having caught up with popularity yet. But that's odd; the one follows the other just about everywhere.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:43 pm

Wombat wrote:In fairness the Czech team were as impressive as any team on display to date.

True, they played very well. That last goal was very good. I was
wondering where our defense was. They appeared to be taking a
coffee break on the other side of the field. Our poor goalie didn't
stand a chance. I walked away thinking "Well, apparantly the
Czechs are good at something besides making beer."

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:49 pm

Wombat wrote:Maybe it's just a matter of playing standards not having caught up with popularity yet. But that's odd; the one follows the other just about everywhere.

*shrug* One of my Indian coworkers was telling me a story about the
Indian team in a World Cup qualifier many decades ago. Apparantly,
they were quite good, and always played barefoot. FIFA made them
wear shoes, which they weren't used to, so they didn't qualify. I
understand Afghanistan always had a similar uniform issue (they
were forced by the Taliban to wear trousers.)

Bloomfield wrote:But Italy shouldn't be a problem; they're hugely overrated.

Oddly, Walmart is selling US, Mexican, and Italian jerseys. The first
two make sense... My buddy was talking about wearing an Italian
jersey to a sports bar on Saturday, but I'm sure no one would notice.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:51 pm

OnTheMoor wrote:...the Hurricanes still can't pack the house, even though they're about to win the most storied trophy in sports.

That might be because they are a hockey team based in the South.
Honestly, I don't know what they were thinking. I mean, Raleigh gets
a lot of Northern transplants, but they already have team loyalties.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:08 pm

"In fairness the Czech team were as impressive as any team on display to date. Very poised, composed on the ball, wonderful shape and goals beautifully created and taken."

Well yeah, it's easy to look poised when your opponents show up on the field but don't bother to play.

"I didn't see an obvious weakness, unlike the other teams that had big wins like Germany and Australia."

I call lack of desire, and unwillingness to work, weaknesses. Seriously, the U.S. team has the speed and talent that they could have come back to at least tie the game, but instead of coming out in the second half blazing, it was more of the same old "let's play slow, pass the ball backwards a lot, and take few chances...." just like in the first half. It was like watching a team show up for the (baseball) world series and then refuse to swing at any pitches, hoping instead to win on walks.

I'd rather see the U.S. Soccer coach pull a bunch of U.S. fans from the stands, and watch them play - they'd get their butts whipped horribly, but at least they'd show some enthusiasm.

Loren

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:15 pm

Wombat wrote: Maybe it's just a matter of playing standards not having caught up with popularity yet. But that's odd; the one follows the other just about everywhere.

except Scotland *grumbles*

I wish England well (no, honestly) just as long as they don't win the bloody thing. I doubt I could take it. I'd need to avoid watching TV for the next 40 years.

Argentina looked impressive the other night, best team so far anyway. Missed the two games today as I was at work, but I hope Italy can lay a claim tonight.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:18 pm

The Beautiful Game: Why Soccer Rules the World (National Geographic Magazine)

There are many beautiful things about being an American fan of men's World Cup soccer—foremost among them is ignorance.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:39 pm

I think George Bush has stopped soccer becoming popular in America because he heard someone say that some teams use players on the left wing.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:50 pm

Well, Italy and Ghana are both looking pretty good. At least Ghana's
taking shots, even if they do go into the stratosphere. A lot of good
passing and ball handling.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:53 pm

jsluder wrote:The Beautiful Game: Why Soccer Rules the World (National Geographic Magazine)
There are many beautiful things about being an American fan of men's World Cup soccer—foremost among them is ignorance.

Bill Shankly wrote:
'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death.
I'm very disappointed with that attitude.
I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'

If you don't know who Bill Shankly was, you really ought to.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:44 pm

fearfaoin wrote:
OnTheMoor wrote:...the Hurricanes still can't pack the house, even though they're about to win the most storied trophy in sports.
That might be because they are a hockey team based in the South.
Honestly, I don't know what they were thinking. I mean, Raleigh gets
a lot of Northern transplants, but they already have team loyalties.

No sir, Boston, New Jersey and several others had tough times filling the seats too. And if all that mattered was what some here are suggesting, location wouldn't matter at all, they simply have to appeal to the neanderthal Americans, which the NHL is doing in spades (cheerleaders at a hockey game!!!???).

Still disagree with you Wombat. Few countries have sports that are as established (as organized and as successful commercially) as the United States does, you can't compare it to the national past-times of other nations. When you're splitting your time between professional football, professional baseball and professional basketball (multiply each by two for University leagues) there is little time left for whiney Europeans scampering around to the maniacal screams of their bizarre European fans. Nonetheless, you're also wrong in thinking it isn't catching on. Soccer is on the move in the States, the fact they even have a team that will be in most future World Cups is enough proof of that, and there were more than a handful of fans in Germany today. The professional league is expanding and it has always been popular with kids... they (and we) have just never been able to think of it any other way. It's a kids game, when guys and girls grow up they join real sports.

(don't take me too seriously, I enjoy a soccer match now and again)

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:36 am

fyffer wrote:[/unlurk]
The real reason "soccer" will never fly in America is they can't fill every 5 minutes with 2 1/2 minute, multi-million-dollar Coca-Cola or Budweiser commercials.

American television (isn't it all?) only exists to air commercials, and if the advertisers can't get their 30 second spot to show precisely 10 times over the course of 3 hours, with 25.5 million people watching, no American network in their right mind will pick it up.
[/relurk]

Watched my first game (well the first half when my friends said the game was over, US lost). It was so strange, the game just kept moving. No commercials, no time outs, even when some one was hurt and taken off the field the clock kept running!

Not a sports person, but actually found the game entertaining.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:33 am

Loren wrote:
"I didn't see an obvious weakness, unlike the other teams that had big wins like Germany and Australia."

I call lack of desire, and unwillingness to work, weaknesses.

So do I. I was talking about the Czech team , not the Americans.

But judge them on their three group games and not just that one. About a third to half the teams that make the World Cup finals aren't all that sure they belong at this level. About a third to half leave not being sure they belonged. The lists of doubters arriving and doubters leaving are never quite the same. Weakness is punished swiftly and mercilessly. Look at Japan—cruising to a win then blown away in ten minutes. Ouch.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:49 am

I.D.10-t wrote: Watched my first game (well the first half when my friends said the game was over, US lost). It was so strange, the game just kept moving. No commercials, no time outs, even when some one was hurt and taken off the field the clock kept running!

Not a sports person, but actually found the game entertaining.

Ever tried watching Canadian football?

I haven't... not a sports person either.

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:14 am

Hey what do you know? It turns out we (Aberdonians even, not just Scotland) invented football after all, not the English:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/nor ... 076326.stm

Pity we forgot how to play.