World Cup 2022

eastisbest said:
Highlights are watchable. Some of attempts on goal are amazing. The rest? They complain about the inaction in football? How is running up and down a large grass field any more full of "action?"
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That goal by Brazil today was pretty cool, it's like a chess match.

Teams seem to play for 4 or 5 legitimate shots on goal, and hope to make a couple.
 
Soccer may not be the best sport in the world but it is the most followed sport in the world, because of that I love the country based comp.
 
eastisbest said:
Highlights are watchable. Some of attempts on goal are amazing. The rest? They complain about the inaction in football? How is running up and down a large grass field any more full of "action?"
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It's a very dull sport on the surface if you don't buy into the culture. Unfortunately, that's hard to do while just watching the World Cup every 4 years or the odd MLS game.

My recommendation is to print out a map of England and throw at a dart at it. Then, find the closest 1st, 2nd, or 3rd division club that plays near where your dart landed and become a die hard fan of that team on the spot.

Pay for a subscription service to watch all of that club's matches online. Join their message board. Memorize their Wikipedia page. Watch highlights on Youtube of their greatest triumphs. Learn to hate their rivals. Figure out what makes that particular club so unique and special. Go all in.

Once you're able to do that, everything that happens on the pitch just makes more sense for why it all matters.
 
As for today's match I fully except the USMNT out play Iran but it will probably end in a tie and the crazy Persians will advance.
 
Not a soccer fan. Will watch Olympics and World Cup but it is not the platform for political opinions. Sorry, Sports is not a platform for political opinions. Win the game, give the interviews and say whatever you like. That's fine. Providing such a controversial opinion in the face of a world of differences prior to a contest is inappropriate. The multi-colored USA emblem, creating a replica flag of Iran without its emblem and talking about a country's policies is so terribly out of place in this instance. Win then declare the fact the you are the world police.
 
Chop Stix said:
It's a very dull sport on the surface if you don't buy into the culture. Unfortunately, that's hard to do while just watching the World Cup every 4 years or the odd MLS game.

My recommendation is to print out a map of England and throw at a dart at it. Then, find the closest 1st, 2nd, or 3rd division club that plays near where your dart landed and become a die hard fan of that team on the spot.

Pay for a subscription service to watch all of that club's matches online. Join their message board. Memorize their Wikipedia page. Watch highlights on Youtube of their greatest triumphs. Learn to hate their rivals. Figure out what makes that particular club so unique and special. Go all in.

Once you're able to do that, everything that happens on the pitch just makes more sense for why it all matters.
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I've got it on and I know that I will never understand the allure of the sport. I don't get it - I've listened to defenses of the sport and I've tried to watch it as i am now, but no matter how elaborate the explanations are, the ball goes to one end and the other - and a few times per half there is some kind of opportunity to score, but it usually doesnt happen - and there seems to be a million more interesting things to do with my time.

The only thing that gives me pause is the several billion people who live and die with the sport - which means I'm missing something and am the problem.
 
I’ve stopped trying to defend soccer as a spectator sport at this point. It’s not for everyone, I understand. The interest is definitely increasing year by year in the US, but it’s never going to be more popular than football.
 
Not a dominant performance but any means but the US have accomplished their primary goal of this tournament by advancing to the knockout stages.

Netherlands will be a tough opponent but are definitely one of the most beatable teams we could've gotten for the next round compared to some of the other projected group winners.

Two matches today where US fans should have a heavy interest:

Poland vs Argentina... need a Poland win/draw

Australia vs Denmark... need an Australia win/draw

If both of those results go in our favor, it would create a very alluring Round of 16 match-up where the winner of US/Netherlands would be the favorite to win against both of these teams in the Round of 8.
 
If Pulisic is a no go for Saturday getting a positive result will be difficult as you need to score to win in the knock out round and he is the only guy that has been at the center of the 2 scoring chances that have finished. I also listened to some soccer talk radio during a business trip and it is hilarious to hear the fans still finding fault with the team and coach's personnel decisions after moving on. In particular a lot of folks are asking for Gio Reyna to see the pitch.
 
I'd be surprised if Pulisic doesn't at least give it a go and start on Saturday. A pelvic contusion sounds pretty nasty, but I think he basically got kneed in the privates (at a really high rate of speed), so hopefully, they have an unending supply of frozen peas ;)

I have been a little surprised by the absence of Reyna from the pool play games (aside from like 10 minutes at the end of the England game). Josh Sargeant also went down awkwardly in the 2nd half yesterday with what looked like a hyperextended knee, so maybe Reyna gets a chance in his place now.

I'll admit, I've questioned some of Berhalter's substitutions the past few games, but in the end, he got them through to the knockout round in a pretty tough group, so it's hard to completely fault him.
 
Auggie said:
If Pulisic is a no go for Saturday getting a positive result will be difficult as you need to score to win in the knock out round and he is the only guy that has been at the center of the 2 scoring chances that have finished. I also listened to some soccer talk radio during a business trip and it is hilarious to hear the fans still finding fault with the team and coach's personnel decisions after moving on. In particular a lot of folks are asking for Gio Reyna to see the pitch.
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Did Brian call in and say they should fire the coach?
 
eastisbest said:
shall we compare that "explosion" to the one that happens when Alabama goes up 28 on a team? Soccer has a LONG haul in this country.
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Soccer fans tend to gravitate to the hipsterdufus bars in certain areas so seeing that video......not surprised.
It is what it is....many like it but many, it is extremely boring.

Let em live, let em live. There are so many subsets in America enjoying a myriad of entertainment, doesnt mean it will ever reach true popularity
 
eastisbest said:
shall we compare that "explosion" to the one that happens when Alabama goes up 28 on a team? Soccer has a LONG haul in this country.
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I would have agreed with the implications of this comment, without pushback, 10 years ago. No longer. I can’t say with confidence where soccer will end up, but…

Premier League matches on US TV draw good numbers.
Number of teams and growth of multiple divisions in MLS
Significant attendance increase in MLS (22,000 per match…about 13,000 in the early 2000’s)
Very big interest in the US in the World Cup
Powerful women‘s national team

For so many under 50, soccer was their sport. It wasn’t baseball or football for many and the demographic ($) is at the top. Is there any doubt that the trajectory is significantly upward?

And I never played it. I do enjoy watching it with the exception of the injury faking which is a major problem (and seems fixable to me).
 
For all those who cite the fake injuries as a reason why they hate soccer, has anyone watched football lately? Of the 4 or 5 games I watched this weekend (college and pro), I think every single one of them had suspicious, phantom injuries, especially on the defense when the opposing team was going hurry up offense. One, in particular, where a lineman just went and took a knee as the teams were lining up for the next play. And then was back on the field one or two plays later.

If there's a strategic advantage in sports (any sport), players will use them.
 
soccerdad72 said:
For all those who cite the fake injuries as a reason why they hate soccer, has anyone watched football lately? Of the 4 or 5 games I watched this weekend (college and pro), I think every single one of them had suspicious, phantom injuries, especially on the defense when the opposing team was going hurry up offense. One, in particular, where a lineman just went and took a knee as the teams were lining up for the next play. And then was back on the field one or two plays later.

If there's a strategic advantage in sports (any sport), players will use them.
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This is a common response from soccer defenders/supporters. It’s true. However, the injury faking in big time soccer is very widespread; it “works” and it’s far more central to how the game is contested than the football example you gave…or the acting related to taking a charge in basketball, e.g.
 
CatAlum said:
This is a common response from soccer defenders/supporters. It’s true. However, the injury faking in big time soccer is very widespread; it “works” and it’s far more central to how the game is contested than the football example you gave…or the acting related to taking a charge in basketball, e.g.
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All the injury faking usually does in soccer is stall these days, which is remedied by stoppage time. Occasionally, a faked injury might earn the opponent a yellow card, but in this day of VAR, that's often not the case anymore.

A lineman suddenly going down when an offense is driving down field with a hurry up offense completely changes the game.
 
soccerdad72 said:
All the injury faking usually does in soccer is stall these days, which is remedied by stoppage time. Occasionally, a faked injury might earn the opponent a yellow card, but in this day of VAR, that's often not the case anymore.

A lineman suddenly going down when an offense is driving down field with a hurry up offense completely changes the game.
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I disagree.

I’m no expert on the sport, but injury faking sells foul calls, which don’t get reviewed. It has a significant impact on momentum, as in your football example.

I think your suggestion that “it’s all the same”…I don’t have expertise, but I have eyes.
 
Ummm the skills required to receive and control a round ball coming in from 40-70without using hands or arms, yards away are incredible, compared to the skills involved with catching it with your hands, or having it handed to you and running with it

FIFA World Cup is real football, the game where the ball is played with the feet, and is so much more interesting than american football which is nothing but a game played by thugs...

there is no comparison . one is football, the other should be called idiot ball because those playing it end up as drooling idiots their brains destroyed by CTE.

there is just as much if not more body contact in FIFA football than american idiot ball,

the difference is that in FIFA football it's illegal to play the man and not the ball. American idiot ball is mostly playing the man who will never touch the ball.

in FIFA football EVERY player gets to be the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defender, or scorer.

in american idiot ball, many players play full careers never coming close to touching the ball, running with it, etc.

and every once in a while, real magic happens, incredible skills resulting in a score.
 
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Man does Mexico play dirty, not only do they get a bad yellow card 14 minutes into the match against Saudi but the douche pushes the ref in the back as he walk away.
 
Can't stand the way the Mexican team plays or conducts themselves on the field. Their fans are the worst, obviously, as well.
 
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