Some really nifty soccer pics

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

I dont get why this sport isn't more popular in America...

Simple: we invented our own version of football that is far more complex and exciting, and we can actually afford the expensive equipment required to play the sport.

IMO american football takes far less skill to play, and is far simpler to play. Running a series of choreographed plays and hoping the working out doesn't compare to improvization.

This statement just shows your ignorance. To Americans, it looks like your football takes far less skill to play.

I don't watch your football because it bores the hell out of me. I don't care how much skill it takes, I just have no desire to watch it.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: scttgrd

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I love soccer, and I can honestly say I don't give 2 sh!ts if the majority of the rest of America doesn't. I'm done defending it; I'm done promoting it; you either get it or you don't. Luckily I can now see it whenever I want, whereas 25 years ago the most I got was 30 minute Bundesliga highlights on Sunday afternoon from 3:30-4 on PBS.

What strikes me as funny, though, is while the rest of the world simply ignores American football, the soccer hating American sect take every opportunity bash it into the ground for being so horrid and boring. I don't really quite understand why that is. Is someone forcing them to watch a game they don't like? When NASCAR comes on I simply change the channel...

I guess the reason for the venom is that they have been telling us for 25 years soccer will soon be as big here as in the rest of the world. The problem is that Americans have choices and are not forced to like soccer or forget about sports. If you add up all the sports fans from all the different sports in America it would make soccer look like a quilting bee. I say look at basketball, how long before it begins to take over some of the fans of field running (soccer).

well soccer is growing, and has grown significantly in the US, but I don't ever think it will be as big as the "Big 3". so, that said, i'm not disagreeing with your assertion that relatively speaking the fan base is small.

my problem is i'm still not making the connection with the hate.

if i had to guess i'd say it has to do with it being a traditionally "foreign" sport, and in some way it's virtuous or patriotic to hate it as an american. ??? i dunno you guys tell me.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I love soccer, and I can honestly say I don't give 2 sh!ts if the majority of the rest of America doesn't. I'm done defending it; I'm done promoting it; you either get it or you don't. Luckily I can now see it whenever I want, whereas 25 years ago the most I got was 30 minute Bundesliga highlights on Sunday afternoon from 3:30-4 on PBS.

What strikes me as funny, though, is while the rest of the world simply ignores American football, the soccer hating American sect take every opportunity bash it into the ground for being so horrid and boring. I don't really quite understand why that is. Is someone forcing them to watch a game they don't like? When NASCAR comes on I simply change the channel...

You either get it or you don't? You fvcking twat.

thanks for adding to the discussion.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: scttgrd
Kids have been playing soccer here in the US for a couple decades, yet as they get older they seem to outgrow the sport and move on to basketball, football and baseball. All you soccer fan keep holding your breath waiting for it to take off here in the states, if it ever happens it wont be for a good long while. Yes we understand the game, no we still don't care for it because we have other choices. And there are great athletes in every sport, do you really think if the best america had to offer played soccer all their lives the rest of the world would have much of a chance?

Well, actually yes. Numbers in football mean nothing. You need tradition. A school of thought. And that requires more than a lot of people. It requires decades.

Otherwise you could not explain how countries like the Netherlands (pop. 16 million) or Portugal (pop. 10 million) are football heavyweight while much more populous countries (i.e. Mexico) cannot really perform no matter how they try.

The physical component is only a (small) part of what it takes to play football. The most important component is intelligence on the field. That magic spark that real champions have. And that requires decades of tradition.

Just like no other country will outclass the US in baseball. Building a tradition needs more than money and lots of people. It needs time.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
you wanna know why soccer is so popular around the world? because it's cheap as hell to play, all you need a round-ish object to kick around

bingo! people in the desert who eat weeds for lunch and wear clothes made of bark can play soccer. so lots of people are raised with it, and that's why they like it so much.

 

[scttgrd]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: scttgrd

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I love soccer, and I can honestly say I don't give 2 sh!ts if the majority of the rest of America doesn't. I'm done defending it; I'm done promoting it; you either get it or you don't. Luckily I can now see it whenever I want, whereas 25 years ago the most I got was 30 minute Bundesliga highlights on Sunday afternoon from 3:30-4 on PBS.

What strikes me as funny, though, is while the rest of the world simply ignores American football, the soccer hating American sect take every opportunity bash it into the ground for being so horrid and boring. I don't really quite understand why that is. Is someone forcing them to watch a game they don't like? When NASCAR comes on I simply change the channel...

I guess the reason for the venom is that they have been telling us for 25 years soccer will soon be as big here as in the rest of the world. The problem is that Americans have choices and are not forced to like soccer or forget about sports. If you add up all the sports fans from all the different sports in America it would make soccer look like a quilting bee. I say look at basketball, how long before it begins to take over some of the fans of field running (soccer).

well soccer is growing, and has grown significantly in the US, but I don't ever think it will be as big as the "Big 3". so, that said, i'm not disagreeing with your assertion that relatively speaking the fan base is small.

my problem is i'm still not making the connection with the hate.

if i had to guess i'd say it has to do with it being a traditionally "foreign" sport, and in some way it's virtuous or patriotic to hate it as an american. ??? i dunno you guys tell me.

The problem is soccer fan telling the American public that the only reason we don't like soccer is because we don't understand it or we are not sophisticated enough to get the strategy or nuances of the game. For the most part we do understand and get it, we just don't care. I know it may be hard for some to come to grips with, but your beloved game just doesen't do it for us. sorry. And as far as the growing popularity, I believe it is the Latin/European population increase that is more resposible for that than converts.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Tango
Oh yes. I am not saying everybody should love football. I am just saying that a lot of people pretend to have an opinion on something they do not know.

I don't watch cricket, but I would never say it sucks, because I never really try to educate myself about it. Conversely, I used not to like American football because I did know anything about it, but after spending some time watching it with people explaining it to me I now at least understand what's going on on the field and I quite enjoy it.
Cycle races instead, I love the poetry and incredibly rich and dramatic history of the sport, but no matter how much I tried I cannot enjoy watching it.

To each his own.

well that was just you being ignorant.

i just think it's stupid on here that people get so offended when people say "soccer is boring" and then someone replies "well you just don't understand the game that's why you think it's boring!" when it has nothing to do with that.

sure not understanding the game can make someone not want to watch it or not care for it, but I agree they should not talk crap about it either if they do not understand it. but thats not whats going on here. people are getting offended just because someone says soccer is boring.

if a fan of soccer cannot understand why someone may find it boring then they too are not understanding of the game. i mean i play golf. it's probably my favorite sport to play and i love to watch it also.

does that mean i get mad if someone doesn't like it or says it's boring? no, because I can completely understand why someone would think watching golf is boring. it's slow as hell to watch, even though they are constantly showing people make great shots. the main appeal of watching it is because if you play golf, you can appreciate how fvcking good these guys really are at the game.

That was exactly my point. The fact is, I wasn't going around saying American Football is boring, because I could realize I knew not enough about it to have an educated opinion. I am not saying everybody here who says football is boring does it for the same reason.
But when you have comments like "they should get rid of off-side rules" it really makes you wonder...

Okay I definitely agree with you on that, and I see where you are coming from as well :thumbsup:

I too never understood offsides in soccer that well until I started playing video games with it turned off heh.

 

[theknight571]

<didn't read all responses>

Is that a european soccer match, or a Lions game from the Silverdome days? 😛

 

[MercenaryForHire]

This thread took off well. A+ troll post. 😀

- M4H

 

[blakeatwork]

Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Its really nice to see some people still see "the light"... There is a reason football (AND NOT SOCCER, AMERICANS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CALL IT SOCCER) is by far the most popular sport in the world... You dont like it because you arent watching it the way you should... The fun in football is not about seeing goals being scored..

There can be horribly boring games that end in 3-3 or something... Goals = nothing to do with fun... Similarly, there can be very fun games that end in 0-0... It depends on whether the teams play a very open game (which tends to be fun, with lots of attacks and opportunities for goal) or a very closed and tactical one, which usually is very boring since they dont get past mid field...

Either way, the fun is in those opportunities... the excitement of every attack "YES THEY ARE FINALLY GONNA SCORE......... NOOO HE FAILED WHAT AN IDIOT" and having only one 15 min break helps tremendously... I hate the constant breaks on american TV.. its horrible.. here in europe you get a comercial every 30 min or 1 hour at most, which is much better since I hate being constantly interrupted!

Soccer is an abbreviation of Association Football, created by the English...

not sure where in Europe you are, but Irish TV gets 10 minutes of commercial breaks every half hour, the same as in NorthAmerica. it's simply broken ito two blocks of 5 minutes, and placed at the beginning and end of the program.

try again though..

 

[blakeatwork]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster
well another example is what happened in Tel Aviv a while ago. this kid got trampled to death cause people got angry cause one player comitted a foul.

That's "hooliganism" or, for the rest of the world, people acting like they've pissed their brains out... it's the same as Detroit fans burning and looting after any of their teams win anything, or Michigan fans destroying anythign they come by after a victory by their team..

see, i can read the news and only point out the bad stuff too..

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: scttgrd

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: scttgrd

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I love soccer, and I can honestly say I don't give 2 sh!ts if the majority of the rest of America doesn't. I'm done defending it; I'm done promoting it; you either get it or you don't. Luckily I can now see it whenever I want, whereas 25 years ago the most I got was 30 minute Bundesliga highlights on Sunday afternoon from 3:30-4 on PBS.

What strikes me as funny, though, is while the rest of the world simply ignores American football, the soccer hating American sect take every opportunity bash it into the ground for being so horrid and boring. I don't really quite understand why that is. Is someone forcing them to watch a game they don't like? When NASCAR comes on I simply change the channel...

I guess the reason for the venom is that they have been telling us for 25 years soccer will soon be as big here as in the rest of the world. The problem is that Americans have choices and are not forced to like soccer or forget about sports. If you add up all the sports fans from all the different sports in America it would make soccer look like a quilting bee. I say look at basketball, how long before it begins to take over some of the fans of field running (soccer).

well soccer is growing, and has grown significantly in the US, but I don't ever think it will be as big as the "Big 3". so, that said, i'm not disagreeing with your assertion that relatively speaking the fan base is small.

my problem is i'm still not making the connection with the hate.

if i had to guess i'd say it has to do with it being a traditionally "foreign" sport, and in some way it's virtuous or patriotic to hate it as an american. ??? i dunno you guys tell me.

The problem is soccer fan telling the American public that the only reason we don't like soccer is because we don't understand it or we are not sophisticated enough to get the strategy or nuances of the game. For the most part we do understand and get it, we just don't care. I know it may be hard for some to come to grips with, but your beloved game just doesen't do it for us. sorry. And as far as the growing popularity, I believe it is the Latin/European population increase that is more resposible for that than converts.

Well said.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I love soccer, and I can honestly say I don't give 2 sh!ts if the majority of the rest of America doesn't. I'm done defending it; I'm done promoting it; you either get it or you don't. Luckily I can now see it whenever I want, whereas 25 years ago the most I got was 30 minute Bundesliga highlights on Sunday afternoon from 3:30-4 on PBS.

What strikes me as funny, though, is while the rest of the world simply ignores American football, the soccer hating American sect take every opportunity bash it into the ground for being so horrid and boring. I don't really quite understand why that is. Is someone forcing them to watch a game they don't like? When NASCAR comes on I simply change the channel...

You either get it or you don't? You fvcking twat.

thanks for adding to the discussion.

Oh I added to it in some other posts. You can read them if you so desire.

I'll reiterate, telling people that they reason they don't enjoy watching Soccer on TV is because they don't understand the game, is moronic.

Case closed.

 

[linkgoron]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster
well another example is what happened in Tel Aviv a while ago. this kid got trampled to death cause people got angry cause one player comitted a foul.

Got a link? I don't remember that happening.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: scttgrd
Kids have been playing soccer here in the US for a couple decades, yet as they get older they seem to outgrow the sport and move on to basketball, football and baseball. All you soccer fan keep holding your breath waiting for it to take off here in the states, if it ever happens it wont be for a good long while. Yes we understand the game, no we still don't care for it because we have other choices. And there are great athletes in every sport, do you really think if the best america had to offer played soccer all their lives the rest of the world would have much of a chance?

I used to play soccer when I was little, too. But as you say, I grew up to like football. I would still have fun playing soccer, it's just boring to watch. I love playing tennis, too, but I can't watch it for long. Baseball's fun, but I can't watch that at all. I find it ultra boring.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: So
This is America, when we want a real sport, we invade a "raggedy ass excuse for a country." :evil:

OR buy it from Canada, like the NHL expansion into the USofA... Still sore about that.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
cuz even if we win in soccer we lose. people would think of course usa win, usa is superpower and the anti american sh*t would fly. if we lose the anti american sh*t would go nuts. more death to america!! world sports is way too political, its best we stay as far away from soccer as possible.

plus why follow? we can do our own sports. soccer isn't even fun to watch, its boring as sin. we play it on the school yard so its not due to lack of exposure, we just don't care for it. and well, fat americans already spend too much time watching sports, adding one more is stupid.

Actually I am very happy USA team got a whole lot better and can hold its own in the world stage. Rest is really up to luck 🙂 My hope is that it would make it a little more popular in the states. I guess that is why Beckham is going the LA.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: blackllotus
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MqPyWdBvoNU

OMFG, I am laughing so hard. Funny thing is there is actually a move in kung fu that is like that. Not sure which discipline, not even sure if it is for real. But the name is something like "Life Threatening Scissor Legs"

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Quintox
He's not kidding, that's one of the main reasons it isn't very popular.

Plus, only like 3 goals are scored the whole season (I like soccer I'm just saying)

Corrected

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: gsellis

I will watch soccer over basketball any day. Different strokes.

Actually, all our "soccer" fans are at the hockey games. Those silly Europeans don't realize that you can pay to watch it happen instead of doing it yourself 😛

Lol, hockey is pretty big in Europe too. Not the same scale as football, but fairly big. Personally, I like their hockey better, NHL is just goon on ice. Sad to see it turn that way really.