buffon01

iTrader: (9)

Please, do tell.

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

I get it shooter. I was just saying that Spaniards had had to emigrate to Germany too. The Turks are a completely different matter for Germans.

Bond

iTrader: (6)

Soccer is the worst sport to watch, what a bunch of ******* pussies.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

I don't know man, it looks easy on TV...but I've played in some of the advanced leagues around here and it's definitely a sport that requires *****.

I know you do worse in hockey, but it's with pads...trying running at break neck speed, take a flying leap midstride, and throw yourself straight at the ground. Then get back up and run another 5 miles, taking a break every mile to throw yourself on the ground again. Oh, and cover your man and try to score.



I really used to not like soccer, and picked it up pretty late in life. Once you play a little, learn some of the tactics and how an attack builds it's a really great sport. Best part is you sit down and get absorbed into the game. No commercials, no downs, just the flow of a battle for each goal which can come in the 4th minute or the 91st...or never, which sucks.

Playing is even more fun, and easy to get into. If someone shows you how to do an open footed pass you're set.

Now hockey, there's a sport I don't get for ****...

Bond

iTrader: (6)

No, I like soccer. I play it all the time now that I am agile again. I don't like the diving, crying, complaining, and horrible officiating. Like WTF, is it really that hard to have a back goal judge sitting behind the goal, or even video replay, after all, it is 2010.

And these professional "atheletes" seem to fall over very easy and grab their ankle everytime, how is that professional or sportsmanlike at all. Hockey has a penalty for diving, we don't **** around.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Yeah, the diving is beyond getting old. Expect to see a lot of that going on in the Spain-Portugal game today.

Officiating has been abnormally poor this time around.

I think the world stage sometimes brings out the worst of the above two. I try and catch a couple of Dynamo (MLS) games each season, and it's nice to sit and watch in person, with hardly any dives, heck, hardly any fouls, good officiating, and some decent play. Things only get ugly during the playoffs.



There's supposed to be a ref meeting with FIFA later this week in which they may discuss video replay. I don't want to see it in every aspect of the game, just scoring. Even major league baseball is using it for that now. I simply don't understand how you can be willing to call back goals in the lowest scoring sport on the planet (besides golf, which can go negative). I mean, you've got more Americans than ever tuned in and excited, and we sit around waiting for the 1.75 goals/game we score, and you're going to have the nerve to call back nearly 1/3 of them? No wonder no one here gets the sport. Dumb calls just put US soccer interest back at least 8yrs...hell, I think we cared more in 2002.

Oscar

iTrader: (2)

While I agree about somesort of video assistance for ***** that may or may not have passed the goal line completely, it's BS to do so to keep the US audience interested. 1.75 goal per game average or not.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

I never said to do it for the US audience, and I regret that my post may have carried that tone. I was making an observation of what is a very obvious poor outcome of these calls in regards to my home audience...which does matter to me.

Soccer needs it...period. I'm watching the world cup, and in 4 games that I've personally watched, a called back, uncalled, or offside goal was the biggest issue.

I was relating this to the main gripe of US soccer fans, that there simply isn't enough scoring. American sports range from baseball with the lowest scores, still averaging at least double a soccer match, to football, averaging five times that, and then basketball, which is an order and half magnitude greater.

US audience or not, the goal situation is bad for soccer fans. No one wants to see a game pivot on a bad call...and I think I discussed how important those goals are to the course of a game, despite the final score, in an earlier post.

buffon01

iTrader: (9)

Is called being smart, and using all you can take to your advantage. If Im in the position in which getting a free-kick is a better option than try to take two or three defender I would look for contact. Any free-kick within 20m is half a goal. There's penalties for diving, if you dont know how to create the situation then you will most likely get caught. With that said Ronaldo is still the biggest ***** ever and he over does it.

FIFA will never approve the camera review. This is not Baseball, or Failball where theres a play everyother 5 minutes. Replays will kill the game. Say that it was ruled to be implemented then in the England game Capello would have have to call a "challenge" or a "review". Then the refs would have to stop the game and review the ******* play, there will have to be more people involved other that the referees to avoid bias calls. Then a decision will be made, by the time all that **** happens you already lost 5 minutes. The players lose rythim, and the sport becomes another boring **** like Baseball, or Failball (flame-suit on)

I think Human error makes is more interesting. I have been in both sides of the play. I've taken goals from the inside of the goal, and is has been done to me. I've hit, and gotten hit and not get a call.

Really is not like the USA is a ******* super power in football. The sport has been more than fine without it. I think someone is just trying to sell gringos some shirts and tickets.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Soccer would be awesome if it had fighting and power plays. Oh and if it was on ice. And if they used a frozen rubber puck instead of an inflated ball. Shrink the nets, and give all the players sticks, too. Then it would be pretty cool.

buffon01

iTrader: (9)

If you want to see more fighting watch Central and South American football. Sometimes the players get it on with the fans.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

It's soccer so that makes it hooliganism. In hockey we just have enthusiastic fans.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Americans don't care much about soccer because they have other choices.

buffon01

iTrader: (9)

Is interesting that some have brought that up as if there's nothing else but football in other countries.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

there's cricket and rugby?

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

I'm just coming in this thread to point out that South Africa had the opportunity to shine on the world stage, and now all everyone knows about them is:



kthxbai

Edit - Okay so vuvuzelas aren't ALL we know about South Africa. There was apartheid too. And Johannesburg (sp?) has the highest carjacking rate in the world or something. Great country, that South Africa.

turotufas

iTrader: (7)

It's going down right now. Winner takes all I think.

drddan

They cant "Rig" the game with instant replay! Thats why they dont want it. There's a lot of money exchanging hands in the WC. Which means...Payoffs!

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

It's like Detroit but without all of the federal assistance money. Yeah, those South Africans have done wonderful things with the place since the locals took over. All of the business and industry left because all of the people that managed foreign corporation offices were having their families terrorized, beaten, raped, and robbed by the sweet innocent locals. Now all the locals can find for their AIDS infested asses is menial labor and subsistence living. I watched a documentary filmed in 2007 called "Stayin' Alive in Jo-burg" and most of the high-rise buildings you see in the wide shots of the city have no water, electricity, and sanitation. They are full of squatters who moved in after the owners fled. They throw feces and garbage down the non-functional elevator shafts and the aroma fills the buildings. No one ever cleans it up and the shafts have been filling up for years.

Pay attention New Jersey. This is what happens when you drive away those who are actually paying the taxes.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

this thread is about soccer, not whitey's colonialism.