Why do Americans not care about Soccer?

[Pacfanweb]

And really the argument is kind of moot anyway since the main reason most of us don't watch soccer is because our best athletes don't play soccer. If they did, we would have a soccer roster full of NFL wide recievers/corners/running backs, potentially some NBA and MLB guys as well.

Correct.....precisely zero of the current US soccer team would be on the team if our most talented athletes (none of which play soccer) all played the game.

The best athletes in the USA play Basketball, Football, and then Baseball. Then run track and other sports.

Those that can't do any of those sports play soccer. That's a gross generalization, but it's very accurate, with few exceptions.

 

[eits]

Can someone explain offside to me?

1. Why is it there?
2. Why don't teams just keep their defense back so opposing player is always offside when going towards goal?
3. Isn't it a lame rule? I mean if you're in good position or can outrun defense you should have shot at goal.
4. Is it so white guys can play too?

1. because if the ball is played to a guy who is behind all the defenders, he's offside.
2. that's called an offsides trap. they still do that, but not nearly as much as they used to since fifa changed the rules of offsides. it used to be that if the ball was played forward and anyone on that team was offsides, they'd be called for it. however, now, if you have like 3 players in an offside position, but you're not and the ball is played to you, then it's legal. you just have to be sure not to pass to the players who are offside.
3. no, it's not a lame rule. but, you're right... if you are in a good position and can outrun the defense, you should have a shot at goal... and that's perfectly legal. say that the ball is played behind the last defender and you are in an on-side position and are running full speed lined up perfectly with the last defender when that ball is passed behind him, you can end up in an offside position while the ball's in mid-air and play it. it won't be called offside.
4. white guys originated the sport and play it better than others.

 

[Pacfanweb]

So why is it popular in Europe then? We could all do expensive sports like tennis or yacht racing if we wanted but most of us still play football.

All Europeans aren't rich. Tennis and yacht are rich boy sports. Europe isn't filled with mostly rich people. Bad example.

The best athletes in the USA don't play tennis, either.

 

[eits]

Correct.....precisely zero of the current US soccer team would be on the team if our most talented athletes (none of which play soccer) all played the game.

The best athletes in the USA play Basketball, Football, and then Baseball. Then run track and other sports.

Those that can't do any of those sports play soccer. That's a gross generalization, but it's very accurate, with few exceptions.

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

 

[Pacfanweb]

In the following rant I shall refer to football as 'football'. It's pointless trying to explain to Americans why football isn't a boring game or a wussy game - shit - in some ways it IS a wussy game... if you're English and you want to see massive guys smashing into eachother you watch Rugby which is a whole different case of lager. Football isn't about that. Football is about skill. Individual and team skill at football and nothing else. It doesn't matter if someone is 5'5 and looks like a sack of potatoes if he's good at FOOTBALL. It doesn't matter if it's 1-0 and the second half is fucking tedious. It MATTERS because it's FOOTBALL.

*end*

And that's exactly why we think it sucks. And lol at English rugby players being "massive".

 

[Zebo]

1. because if the ball is played to a guy who is behind all the defenders, he's offside.
2. that's called an offsides trap. they still do that, but not nearly as much as they used to since fifa changed the rules of offsides. it used to be that if the ball was played forward and anyone on that team was offsides, they'd be called for it. however, now, if you have like 3 players in an offside position, but you're not and the ball is played to you, then it's legal. you just have to be sure not to pass to the players who are offside.
3. no, it's not a lame rule. but, you're right... if you are in a good position and can outrun the defense, you should have a shot at goal... and that's perfectly legal. say that the ball is played behind the last defender and you are in an on-side position and are running full speed lined up perfectly with the last defender when that ball is passed behind him, you can end up in an offside position while the ball's in mid-air and play it. it won't be called offside.
4. white guys originated the sport and play it better than others.

1. How is that the players problem? How about defenders defend? They have that option but instead move up and chose to leave a player behind them. This slows game, slows scoring opportunities and is lame. I'd like it to be more like basketball. If you fail to defend your goal fast breaks can and do occur.

2. Thanks, and the offisdes trap sux. I saw Oz using it against Germany and it slows game. I'm surprised it's not used all the time. Just keep your defenders 40 meters in front of you goal, no further period, and opponent would never get a shot on goal except from 40 meters out. Hard to make.

3. Yes off sides is lame as discussed. I think it would be a lot more popular if they just got rid of that rule.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Make the field half the size so it's faster with more scoring. That might make it interesting.

I always wondered how it was possible for there to be 90 minutes of mostly uninterrupted play and HUGE goals and the scores are still so low.

 

[Zebo]

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

It's absolutely true. Truth hurts. Fact is all the best athletes in HS play mainstream sports. Our HS never even had a soccer team. And we had surfing and water polo teams of all things! Without exposure and popularity how the hell are kids going to play it? Moving on to college the main HS sports football, wrestling, hockey, basketball, track and baseball already grabbed the best athletes so you're left with bottom of the barrel. Private soccer/community soccer and some HS where they had a program. And those kids could not play anything else which is why they were attracted to soccer in the first place. They couldnt start on the football team or they would have. Could not start on the BBs teams or they would have. They are second and third rate athletes to choose from who move into college programs and the best of second and third raters become our national team. Endemic mediocrity is what we field.

 

[Zebo]

Make the field half the size so it's faster with more scoring. That might make it interesting.

I always wondered how it was possible for there to be 90 minutes of mostly uninterrupted play and HUGE goals and the scores are still so low.

Just get rid of offsides and scores would be like 10-5 and such. Also games would be more decisive where you could clearly see the superior team. Less luck and no BS like #1 Brazil barley beating a #107 NK.

 

[Pacfanweb]

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

It's 100% true.

 

[MrPickins]

Having referenced the British Empire in my post I'm hardly going to level THAT particular accuasion at you am I...

/edit: sp...

My point was that both arguments are similarly asinine.

 

[Fingolfin269]

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

In a world where a Chris Johnson type athlete (RB Titans) is raised to play soccer instead of football, one of the current World Cup team members for the US is sitting at home.

 

[vi edit]

In a world where a Chris Johnson type athlete (RB Titans) is raised to play soccer instead of football, one of the current World Cup team members for the US is sitting at home.

I was thinking more like a team full of Deon Sanders and Andre Johnsons running the field with somebody like Calvin Johnson or Dwight Howard playing goalie.

Yikes.

 

[Zebo]

In a world where a Chris Johnson type athlete (RB Titans) is raised to play soccer instead of football, one of the current World Cup team members for the US is sitting at home.

Pfft. You could take the guys who didnt make the NFL but were just good in college and raise them to play soccer and win every World Cup. I don't think people realize just how bad athletes play american soccer. It's the sport of last resort.

 

[xSauronx]

Just get rid of offsides and scores would be like 10-5 and such. Also games would be more decisive where you could clearly see the superior team. Less luck and no BS like #1 Brazil barley beating a #107 NK.

id rather see it a little more like hockey....reduce the field size and pull maybe 2 players off the field. keep offsides because it wont take 5 minutes to get the ball down field for a play to start with. i think if you removed offsides youd see *a lot* of people kicking straight down field. I like some of the jockeying required to get the ball across the field....just not all of it

 

[erikistired]

So why is it popular in Europe then? We could all do expensive sports like tennis or yacht racing if we wanted but most of us still play football.

i think you have a very warped view of the economical situation of europeans. i'm fairly certain most people can't afford yachts to race.

 

[zinfamous]

Just get rid of offsides and scores would be like 10-5 and such. Also games would be more decisive where you could clearly see the superior team. Less luck and no BS like #1 Brazil barley beating a #107 NK.

that wasn't a close game at all....

But I do agree that it should have been 6-0. damn commies!

 

[Zebo]

I just looked at my HS...been 20 years and they now have a team so who knows maybe it will get popular and we will get more competitive.

Is there still a stigma with the game? I dunno.


In my day none said in HS I want to get on the soccer team (if they even had one)? No one period and I was a "jock" and knew them all.. never heard it uttered. In fact I'm not sure soccer was ever mentioned. We certainly never heard of pro teams to aspire to so why mention it. So there it starts at K-12 and non-school clubs got either kids who could not play anything else or from parents who would not let them play football. Perhaps we need to foster it more and it appears to be happening. With those salaries in Europe to be had and globalization I bet we'll get a lot better if not great athletes deferring thier football choice.... give it time..

 

[IndyColtsFan]

So why is it popular in Europe then? We could all do expensive sports like tennis or yacht racing if we wanted but most of us still play football.

Who cares? The sport is like watching paint dry. This thread is about why Americans don't care for it, not why Europeans like it. Like many things European, it boggles our mind how this boring sport could be their favorite but that is not the subject of this thread.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

Except, of course, he is 100% correct. Think about it -- if you are a super talented/gifted athlete in the US, why on EARTH would you play soccer professionally, even if you loved it? The money is in one of the four major leagues -- NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.

 

[zinfamous]

Who cares? The sport is like watching paint dry. This thread is about why Americans don't care for it, not why Europeans like it. Like many things European, it boggles our mind how this boring sport could be their favorite but that is not the subject of this thread.

Europe does plenty of things much better than we do them, but I do believe that sports is not one of those things.

 

[Atheus]

i think you have a very warped view of the economical situation of europeans. i'm fairly certain most people can't afford yachts to race.

If the point was that if people only play football because it's cheap, why do people who could equally play anything else, play football?

 

[JD50]

lol!

probably the stupidest shit i've heard in a long time.

He's right....

 

[Zebo]

Europe does plenty of things much better than we do them, but I do believe that sports is not one of those things.

LOL Truth. And Black Africans are not near the athletes of African Americans. It's controversial to talk about but 400 years of, natural selection on slave ships, selective breeding as well as diet and limited opportunity made AA's the best athletes in the world.

 

[Atheus]

And that's exactly why we think it sucks. And lol at English rugby players being "massive".

Some are up around 300lb. You can't be much bigger without just being fat.