How to make Americans appreciate soccer

[DrewKaree]

The World Cup has come again, and I feel obligated to try to fix the sport. Fix it, so that it has at least a fighting chance of making it here in America.

Why

[grantspain]

One thing that makes everyone else in the WORLD laugh is when the americans have things like the world series baseball and such like but no one else in the world plays it(apart from cuba that is)
Actually this world cup the u.s team was excellent and very unlucky to go out.
But Drew you've hit the nail on the head with this one post,the u.s is always on the outside,maybe if you all put a bit more effort into soccer(football to the rest of the world)then maybe we would get just a little closer.
I live in Spain and this last week has been great in the spanish bars,no trouble just good fun drinking and singing-its bought me just a little closer to the spanish.
Its about time the u.s joined us as well

[Luxury]

Weird.  i like soccer for all the reasons ON this list.  It's the only sport other than baseball that I enjoy watching - and I only mildly enjoy that.

offsides?  this is called STRATEGY!  the offense tries to time it perfectly, while the defence sets traps for them.  how is that a bad thing?

ties?  I dont like games that end in ties - but it doesnt always happen that way.  in the world cup - it only happens in the first round.   From here on out games MUST be decided and can't end in a tie.

cards?  I like the cards.  unfortunately it is a total referee call, but the same thing happens in every other sport.  players get kicked out of baseball games, basketball games, football games, etc.  its all about sportsmanship.

faking?  ok, i agree with this one.  but the point he pointed out is almost completely wrong.  if a player really IS injured, then play continues on without him.  even if it means being a man down.  faking is a bit too much, but i can see why it happens because it gives the teams a chance for a rest and a breather.

penalty kick?  this one also could be fixed a bit more.  like having the ball placed where the foul took place, just as if it was outside the box.  if a foul happens 20 yards from the goal, then the kick should be 20 yards from the goal - not 10 or whatever it is.

bonus time?  one of my favorite things about soccer.  the clock NEVER STOPS.  this means no commercials, no timeouts, no fouling to stop the clock (basketball), and everything else. 

racism, violence and corruption?  oh puh-lease!  look at almost every other american sport for this one as well!  yes this should be kept in check, but it should in all other sports as well.

[rugby1]

One thing that makes everyone else in the WORLD laugh is when the americans have things like the world series baseball and such like but no one else in the world plays it(apart from cuba that is)

What??  Baseball is huge outside of the US and Cuba.  Look at Japan.  Germany has baseball leagues.  Heck, the Pittsburgh Pirates just held a walk on try out in K-town here in Germany.   

The biggest drawback for soccer in the US is the low scoring games.   Americans just don't like 0-0 or 1-0 games.    The NHL has been trying for years to increase scoring (smaller crease, smaller goalie pads, enforcing holding and hooking penalties, shootouts to decide games if still tied after overtime etc etc).

[grantspain]

baseball is not big outside of the u.s,you just think it is-sorry

[rugby1]

I wouldn't say baseball is not big outside of the US.  Its not as big as Soccer but what sport is?  I would say baseball is bigger than American Football (NFL).

http://ww2.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/index.jsp   
16 international teams is not small....  baseball is definately not just an American sport anymore.   

[clanggedin]

I would appreciate it more if it were played by naked super models.

If they can't so that than at least allow the refs to review a call by checking the replay. FIFA are freaking retards for not having replay review available for the refs.

[Dartful Dodger]

I wonder if Steve Czaban has an idea of how to make the metric system less gay?

[JeepMonkey]

  One thing that makes everyone else in the WORLD laugh is when the americans have things like the world series baseball and such like but no one else in the world plays it(apart from cuba that is).

My Aussie buddy loves to give me crap about this.  I simply reply "Well, there isn't anything outside of U.S. anyway".  That usually gets him all worked up.   

He has got me turned on to cricket.  I get out for some of the local games.

[cdbrown]

I've been following the world cup and some of the games I watched were very exciting - lots of attacking on goal, fast paced.  Then there were the boring tactical ones - kicking back to the goaly to set up a play, slow movement across the midfield which unfortunately is supposed to be the way its meant to be played.  I hate the diving and it ruins the game - they need to have a match review panel that bans players for a match or two if they are found to have take a dive or unnecessarily stopped the game whilst rolling around on the ground in supposed agony when really they just want a short rest.  Start banning players and this will stop, but it's not the referree's job on the day to worry about that.

[SithMaster]

Baseball is the the world as soccer (or football) is to the US.

Not saying theres anything wrong with soccer (i wouldnt know i dont watch it) but when i did play in gym class it was so fun to just stand there and let the one person playing run around.

and isnt hockey the american equivalant of soccer.  cant use your hands and stuff.

ep of the simpsons when they to watch soccer lol.

[markb]

Americans don't like Football because it doesn't have enough statistics, the game doesn't stop enough times to nip out for a hotdog and pretzels, no-one is physical freak as in 7 foot tall or 350lbs and most importantly because someone else invented it.

Now then anyone for Tennis?

[saint]

Am I the only one who sees the obvious or did I miss it somewhere in this discussion?  If you want Americans to get into soccer, you need...

Cheerleaders!

--- saint

[shardian]

Baseball is the the world as soccer (or football) is to the US.

Not saying theres anything wrong with soccer (i wouldnt know i dont watch it) but when i did play in gym class it was so fun to just stand there and let the one person playing run around.

and isnt hockey the american equivalant of soccer.  cant use your hands and stuff.

ep of the simpsons when they to watch soccer lol.

...Yeah Americans love hockey. That is why only 1 million people watched the game 7 final.
Anyways, yes you can use your hands, but only for a second. You can catch the puck and throw it down in front of you real quick. Another thing, we are not really an international power in hockey. Americans are a minority in the NHL.

[CheffoJeffo]

I, for one, would be amazed if the (North) American Sports Fan was even AWARE of the racism that plagues the game. How this can be the holy triumvirate (Does the original author understand what a triumvirate is ? Perhaps he meant trinity.) that repulses the (N)ASF (tm) is beyond me. It is a big and disgusting problem, but let's not pretend that it is an actual issue for the average (North) American when considering football.

While the diving is somewhat annoying, it is at least comical (entertainment in itself) and nowhere near as disconcerting as stopping play every few minutes for commercial timeouts.

The rest of the game I like the way it is.

Go Brasil!!!

Cheers.

[grantspain]

the rascism thing was very bad in england maybe 10 years ago,but now it is nearly eradicated-considering that most teams best players are foreign it would bloody stupid anyway c'mon engerland(thats how we say it btw in football) lets kick some latino butt

[hypernova]

...Yeah Americans love hockey. That is why only 1 million people watched the game 7 final.

Hockey's got some work to do.  Just got back from a strike.  If I remember correctly, baseball needed a couple years to get back to normal attendance/viewership after their strike.

Those were some GREAT games too.  May have been some underappreciated teams, but they were great games.  Shame so many people missed them.

they need to have a match review panel that bans players for a match or two if they are found to have take a dive or unnecessarily stopped the game whilst rolling around on the ground in supposed agony when really they just want a short rest.

You took the words from my mouth.  Watching someone take a light hit to the chest, then fling their head back like they've been shot in the face is just detrimental to the sport, and it'll never be taken seriously, especially when it happens SO often in these games.  Italy was pissing me off for awhile.  They could've been in Hollywood, some were so convincing and it happened so many times.

offsides?  this is called STRATEGY!  the offense tries to time it perfectly, while the defence sets traps for them.  how is that a bad thing?

No, it's called annoyingly retarded.  They need it set up like hockey with a certain line.  The fact that you can STILL be offsides with only 10 feet between you and the goal is just freaking RIDICULOUS.  Total crap that instead of a defender having to actually try to defend you, all he has to do is move forward 18 inches.  Talk about the ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?--- way out.

All in all, soccer is okay.  I started watching a few matches over the air on weekends, but I've since started getting fed up with it, mainly because of the diving "epidemic."  This needs to be addressed, and dealt with quick and with major consequences-fines AND suspensions.

Don't try to tout soccer as a constantly running, non-stop play game as if it's an aerobic sport, when all this crap is going on.

[CheffoJeffo]

Don't try to tout soccer as a constantly running, non-stop play game as if it's an aerobic sport, when all this crap is going on.

This statement puzzles me .. what is your benchmark aerobic sport ?

Cheers.

[cdbrown]

Ribbon twirling in the olympics?

[jbox]

The only sport I can think of that actually does tend to go non-stop for over twenty minutes is marathon or triathalon style events. In these cases if the athlete stops for any real amount of time they tend to lose their groove. I can't think of a single team sport that really does push the players non-stop for an hour.

[hypernova]

This statement puzzles me .. what is your benchmark aerobic sport ?

What jbox said.  Right now there's just too much crap that goes on in a soccer game to qualify as an aerobic sport in my opinion.

My previous statement wasn't targeted at anyone in particular, it's just an association I've heard in the past.

[NIVO]

seeing as im a huuuge hockey nut, to me its like a much much slower powerplay on carpet......and the puck looks strange  now whether thats good or bad; who knows? it is kinda boring to me though. Football to me is just good ole american football.

[rugby1]

soccer is still boring



http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060701/us_nm/soccer_world_yawn_dc

[RTSDaddy2]

The biggest drawback for soccer in the US is the low scoring games.   Americans just don't like 0-0 or 1-0 games.    The NHL has been trying for years to increase scoring (smaller crease, smaller goalie pads, enforcing holding and hooking penalties, shootouts to decide games if still tied after overtime etc etc).

Could not have said it better.  How in the world can you run up and down the field for an hour and a half and nobody score?  I've seen the world cup games a few times, and it's not that I don't like soccer...but the scoring (or lack thereof) just baffles me.

[ahofle]

I agree with whoever said it was like hockey, but slower and more boring.  Not to mention less physical, less scoring, etc.  And in hockey, if you are fouled and act like a big vagina about it, you get a penalty for diving.    Of course hockey isn't very popular in the US for some reason either, but I personally think it's right up there with rugby in terms of manliness.