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06/25/2009 05:08:01 PM · #26 |
Originally posted by HeiSch:
Isn't that funny?
Just in the town I live (app. 15,000):
1300 kids play soccer (recreational)
650 kids play baseball
250 kids play American football
We have 22 teams in our travel club (soccer)
We have 5 adult teams (recreational soccer)
Originally posted by Jdroullard:
wow, we even win sports we hate! |
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it's an indisbutable fact that among professional sports in the USA, soccer is not popular. Kids like to play, sure, but there's very little professional market here. |
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06/25/2009 05:34:35 PM · #27 |
Originally posted by Jdroullard:
it's an indisbutable fact that among professional sports in the USA, soccer is not popular. Kids like to play, sure, but there's very little professional market here. |
Quite true, but if you look at the shift in American consumption of televised sports soccer is growing, as baseball is declining. If you look at the numbers of people playing the sport, the same is true.
The average American watches soccer the same way the average European watches American football, with no understanding of the rules, strategies or philosophies governing the game. They watch the scoring play and have no idea what happened to set up the scoring chance. As kids grow up playing a game, they tend to follow it through the media, and subscriptions through cable to follow premiership league and FA cup soccer are growing fast, despite the fact that local professional teams are not supported at anything like the level we support football and baseball teams.
Given another twenty years soccer will probably sit somewhere between the popularity of hockey and football. As the quality of our U17 squads gain reputation and we stop being a bad joke in the international stage, the game will gain following. Part of the reason we love football is that no one beats America, partly because no one else plays. Sometime in the distant future when the US can field a team that dominates the world stage as completely as Brazil has of late, American will love soccer.
Having watched the 2-0 drubbing Brazil gave the US last Thursday, I can see little sign of any such rise to glory. |
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06/25/2009 05:39:16 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Having watched the 2-0 drubbing Brazil gave the US last Thursday, I can see little sign of any such rise to glory. |
That was all part of our devious plan to lull them into a false sense of security. We've been working on it mainly for fifty years and it's all going to pay off on Sunday. MUAHAHAHA! |
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06/25/2009 05:55:01 PM · #29 |
FWIW in the 1969-70 season my suburban California high school (about 2000 total enrollment) had more boys go out for soccer than football.
There are two main reasons the sport has not caught on as well as an adult spectator sport:
1) It doesn't translate well to American-style television, with frequent commercial breaks.
2) The turtle-like defensive alignments used these days, going to almost any length to avoid giving up a goal; nil:nil is the target, scoring a win seems to be considered a bonus ... when I learned to play the game, teams were using a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 attacking alignment, not retreating into the ridiculous 2-4-4 they seem to use now ... now that made for a fast, fun, exciting game. |
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06/25/2009 05:57:51 PM · #30 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
The average American watches soccer the same way the average European watches American football, with no understanding of the rules, strategies or philosophies governing the game. |
Gee, it's not that hard -- it's really just hockey, basketball, or lacrosse played without using your hands ... |
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06/25/2009 06:07:34 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
FWIW in the 1969-70 season my suburban California high school (about 2000 total enrollment) had more boys go out for soccer than football.
There are two main reasons the sport has not caught on as well as an adult spectator sport:
1) It doesn't translate well to American-style television, with frequent commercial breaks.
2) The turtle-like defensive alignments used these days, going to almost any length to avoid giving up a goal; nil:nil is the target, scoring a win seems to be considered a bonus ... when I learned to play the game, teams were using a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 attacking alignment, not retreating into the ridiculous 2-4-4 they seem to use now ... now that made for a fast, fun, exciting game. |
How true that is!
Brazil and Argentina (and recently Spain)are the only teams that have kept this philosophy and style of play. They attack until the final whistle! It is why they are successful on the world stage.
I gave up on my Italians years ago because they believe that by going up a goal and then sitting on their asses and defending will win them games! YAWN!!
Ya I know they won the world cup. Whoopdee doo! They won because they didn't have to beat Brazil and France beat themselves.
Italy when will you learn? |
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06/25/2009 06:08:27 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
There are two main reasons the sport has not caught on as well as an adult spectator sport: |
and there is a solution that will never be implemented.....
If the goal were to be enlarged to one foot higher and four feet wider, there would be a lot more scoring.
The U.S. needs more instant gratification which means more scoring. Having grown up in Europe (Germany - four years, and England - three years) and having played H.S. varsity, a traveling Air Force Base team, semi-pro, and recreational with world class players, I understand and appreciate the complex stategies in the game.
But I also yearn for more excitement and definitive winners that result from scoring. And I don't mean a penalty shoot-out at the end of a tie game (I HATE THAT!)
With increased abilities to score, games will almost always go to the superior team, not the team that got lucky with a goal or two while the better team had a dozen 'almost scored' shots.
Enlarging the goal would transform the game into a more aggressive and offensive game which, for most, would be more exciting and result in a win for the better team (usually).
But this will never happen because the accepted standards for goal size is universal and would require too much change around the world.
Oh well, I think it was a good idea anyway.
edit to add:
I would love to see games with scores of 12 - 8 often instead of 0 - 0, or 2 - 1.
Message edited by author 2009-06-25 18:10:24. |
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06/25/2009 06:11:40 PM · #33 |
Originally posted by LVicari:
Brazil and Argentina (and recently Spain)are the only teams that have kept this philosophy and style of play. They attack until the final whistle! It is why they are successful on the world stage. |
It's good to know it's not totally forgotten ... I was lucky enough to see Pele more or less in his prime (late 1960s) in a game in Oakland, where he scored a totally amazing goal which showed why he was considered the best. |
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06/25/2009 06:16:37 PM · #34 |
Originally posted by yakatme:
Enlarging the goal would transform the game into a more aggressive and offensive game which, for most, would be more exciting and result in a win for the better team (usually).
But this will never happen because the accepted standards for goal size is universal and would require too much change around the world. |
It's not completely unthinkable -- about 30-some years ago football goalposts were moved from the goal line to the back of the end zone, make all kick attempts 10 yards longer (and avoiding numerous concussions). There's been some consideration to raising the basket height to 11 or 12 feet to return basketball to a game of passing and shooting skill, not shouldering your opponent out from under the goal and jamming the ball in his face ...
PS: Having played goalie a bit I'm opposed to this proposition. ;-)
PPS: An NHL goalie was recently asked what improvements he'd like to see in the game. "Make the puck bigger and softer."
Message edited by author 2009-06-25 18:19:01. |
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06/25/2009 06:18:18 PM · #35 |
| Raising the net on men's tennis even two inches might make it an interesting sport to watch again... |
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06/25/2009 06:20:20 PM · #36 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Raising the net on men's tennis even two inches might make it an interesting sport to watch again... |
Try watching a world-class badminton match. |
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06/25/2009 06:22:21 PM · #37 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Raising the net on men's tennis even two inches might make it an interesting sport to watch again... |
Try watching a world-class badminton match. |
Wasn't there a picture somewhere of a shuttlecock actually embedded in someone's leg? |
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06/25/2009 06:23:19 PM · #38 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
There's been some consideration to raising the basket height to 11 or 12 feet to return basketball to a game of passing ans shooting skill, not shouldering your opponent out from under the goal and jamming the ball in his face ... |
I guess you haven't seen Dwight Howard do this or this.
Message edited by author 2009-06-25 18:24:05.
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06/25/2009 06:45:04 PM · #39 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
That was all part of our devious plan to lull them into a false sense of security. We've been working on it mainly for fifty years and it's all going to pay off on Sunday. MUAHAHAHA! |
Sadly, even if it could happen on an even field, the refs have been hammering team USA with cards, about half of which might be called on any other team, because they know that the US plays a "Bruising" style and ought not to be challenging with their betters.
This video shows Michael Bradley a talented young mid fielder who plays in Germany, getting the softest red card I've ever seen.It is a disputed ball, cleats pretty much down, both knees bent, no contact with the planted foot, and contact with the ball. So he will be out, ensuring Brazil will own the mid field and the title.
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06/25/2009 07:26:48 PM · #40 |
| I didn't get to see the goal today, but I did wonder if an 87th minute free kick was the ref deciding that enough was enough... |
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