Just wondering if anybody is watching any of the World Cup action. You might want to check it out, especially since the first round of eliminations. It's amazing what these guys can do with their feet. These teams left are the best of the best in the whole world and not just a country or two.

I tried....I can't watch that crap.

Not putting down soccer, just my opinion. It's not for me

Between the vuvuzelas, the flopping, and the horrid officiating, it borders on unwatchable.

MikeO Wrote:
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> I tried....I can't watch that crap.
>
> Not putting down soccer, just my opinion. It's not
> for me


LOL...you just called it crap, but you're not putting it down! So that's a compliment in your book?



I played soccer for about 12 years, and I have not taken the time (yet) to watch a full match. I had stuff to do around the house yesterday, plus errands to run, so I did not watch the USA game. But I have watched LOTS of highlights. They post replays of the goals and other remarkable plays, only minutes after they happen, on the ESPN site. That makes checking in throughout the day very easy, especially during the week.

If I hadn't played soccer in my youth, I too would be completely bored by watching it on TV, I'm sure of it. So I completely understand why most Americans don't want anything to do with the game. However, just today I read a blurb that said TV ratings in the US are up almost 50% from the previous world cup.

Its crap in my eyes, but if you love it I'm not one of these guys who will trash it and try to ruin your enjoyment of it. That's what I meant.

I did see the part yesterday where they carried the guy off the stretcher yesterday, as soon as they got to the sideline he hops off, and starts walking around like nothing happened. Really? You really just faked the injury and took the free ride off the field than acted like nothing happened.

Agree that its better if you have actually played the game. But that is true for most sports.

Watched USA game yesterday on Univision. Way more watchable than ESPN, plus free streaming if you are on the road. The announcers are far better, but you gotta know some spanish. Heck even if the only word you know is Goooooooooooooooal, its probably still better than ESPN.

The game itself was a bummer. The US had a few chances, but just didn't execute. I thought Ghana benefited from some no calls, but really we has plenty of chances to take that game and didn't. Still, nice to see the US starting to show up in the big event.

socalphin Wrote:
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> Between the vuvuzelas, the flopping, and the
> horrid officiating, it borders on unwatchable.


The refs missed a goal today. How the hell do you miss a goal? You get about 1 scoring opportunity every 2 hours, and the one you get you can't see the ball went into the goal??

You gotta be kidding me. Who's the ref, Tim Donaghy?!?!

MikeO Wrote:
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> I did see the part yesterday where they carried
> the guy off the stretcher yesterday, as soon as
> they got to the sideline he hops off, and starts
> walking around like nothing happened. Really? You
> really just faked the injury and took the free
> ride off the field than acted like nothing
> happened.

That was a joke. And the thing is, nobody touched him on the field - he just wanted a "timeout". I my opinion, its that kind of crap that makes the game so unpopular in the US. Funny thing is, the Americans never pull that garbage, though it could be why we aren't winning any cups.

Oh well. I'd prefer not to win cups than look like a cheating pansy.

MikeO Wrote:
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>
>
> The refs missed a goal today. How the hell do you
> miss a goal? You get about 1 scoring opportunity
> every 2 hours, and the one you get you can't see
> the ball went into the goal??
>
> You gotta be kidding me. Who's the ref, Tim
> Donaghy?!?!

It really is the officiating that brings that game down. If they did a better job calling the game and cracked down on the fake injuries, it would be watchable.

FWIW, I don't think the NBA is much better.

sorry, soccer sucks. I tried to watch it, and even saw the second 1/2 of the game vs ghana. but really really boring.

Some of those "fake injuries" are really cramps. It's the world's most physically demanding sport. You just don't see these players sipping Gatorade on the sidelines but, just going all out for 45 minutes straight. Only three player substitutions in the entire game. Cramps are very real but, might look fake to the casual observer. I think the main reason that the sport hasn't "caught on" in American markets is because there are NO breaks in the action for commercials unlike OUR brand of football which is stretched out to almost 3 hours with more commercials than actual football play.
Little wonder that American football has never really caught on anywhere other than N. America. Americans love their commercials.
The largest stadiums in the world unsurprisingly are venues for soccer with the very largest being Copa Americana in Brasil seating almost 200,000 fans.
Still, the very best players in the world are playing now. If you get a chance to watch a Brasilian or Argentinian match you will be witnessing a freewheeling style of play that contrasts the more disciplined tactics of the European teams like Germany.

My wife's cousin has always played on the Portuguese National team, but retired last year, so I have always followed Portugal. Not a giant soccer fan but do follow that team... In case your wondering who her cousin is it is Pauleta, he is and was a great player...

SouthFlPhinFan Wrote:
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> My wife's cousin has always played on the
> Portuguese National team, but retired last year,
> so I have always followed Portugal. Not a giant
> soccer fan but do follow that team... In case your
> wondering who her cousin is it is Pauleta, he is
> and was a great player...


GO PORTUGAL! That's awesome.

Now that the USA is out, I'm definitely rooting for Portugal. There is a sizable Portuguese community in New England and there will be some serious partying around here if they pull it off.

Brazil has an even bigger presence in Boston, but they're the Yankees of the world cup (they win too often). And the rivalry between Brazil and Portugal locally has been interesting to witness.

I agree with Mike and Berkley.......un-watchable.

dolphaholic Wrote:
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> I agree with Mike and Berkley.......un-watchable.


Yeah I hear ya. It's just not for me. I would rather watch a Royals-A's game on a Tuesday night in mid August than even the biggest World Cup game.

MIkeO: the more you post on this thread about soccer, the more you're interested in it

lol lol

don't think you can get me to jump sides on this issue JC.

MikeO Wrote:
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> dolphaholic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I agree with Mike and
> Berkley.......un-watchable.
>
>
> Yeah I hear ya. It's just not for me. I would
> rather watch a Royals-A's game on a Tuesday night
> in mid August than even the biggest World Cup
> game.

If you think it's un-watchable, you should try listening to it on the radio. Wife and I were driving and she wanted to listen. That lasted about 10 minutes. Boarrrrring!

MikeO Wrote:
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> lol lol
>
> don't think you can get me to jump sides on this
> issue JC.


I'm starting to think you're not jumping sides, you just wont' admit which side you're really on!

After watching the US lose to well Thanks for the 3 decent games, but no reason for me to watch any more, to many bad ref calls, and BS players faking injuries, basicaly to many cry babies to make me watch it.

Golf or tennis is funner to watch, than a bunch of guys being yellow carded, and goals being offsides dissallowed, and guys holding there legs screaming my pancreas lol....

Leon In Denver Wrote:
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> MikeO Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > dolphaholic Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I agree with Mike and
> > Berkley.......un-watchable.
> >
> >
> > Yeah I hear ya. It's just not for me. I would
> > rather watch a Royals-A's game on a Tuesday
> night
> > in mid August than even the biggest World Cup
> > game.
>
> If you think it's un-watchable, you should try
> listening to it on the radio. Wife and I were
> driving and she wanted to listen. That lasted
> about 10 minutes. Boarrrrring!


Soccer on the radio sounds about as exciting as Tennis on the radio. lol

I always wondered how our brand of football got to be named "Football"?
Only a couple of guys are even allowd to kick the the damned thing, and that would only be a few times during the game. In fact, the majority of the players would be flagged for "unsportsmanlike conduct" or "delay of game" if they kicked the ball. If you go strictly by ball to body contact, the game should have been called "handball".

Hooligan2 Wrote:
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> I always wondered how our brand of football got to
> be named "Football"?
> Only a couple of guys are even allowd to kick the
> the damned thing, and that would only be a few
> times during the game. In fact, the majority of
> the players would be flagged for "unsportsmanlike
> conduct" or "delay of game" if they kicked the
> ball. If you go strictly by ball to body contact,
> the game should have been called "handball".


lol...sounds like a Jerry Seinfield stand up routine.

Interesting points

Hooligan2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always wondered how our brand of football got to
> be named "Football"?
> Only a couple of guys are even allowd to kick the
> the damned thing, and that would only be a few
> times during the game. In fact, the majority of
> the players would be flagged for "unsportsmanlike
> conduct" or "delay of game" if they kicked the
> ball. If you go strictly by ball to body contact,
> the game should have been called "handball".

Or "weird pointy throw-catch-run ball"...but that would have been too long.

The NWPTCRBL would have been difficult to market.

or better yet, why couldn't we refer to (what the rest of the world calls) football as.....football. that would free up the word "soccer" to be used on this game that the Dolphins play.

Hooligan2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always wondered how our brand of football got to
> be named "Football"?
> Only a couple of guys are even allowd to kick the
> the damned thing, and that would only be a few
> times during the game. In fact, the majority of
> the players would be flagged for "unsportsmanlike
> conduct" or "delay of game" if they kicked the
> ball. If you go strictly by ball to body contact,
> the game should have been called "handball".


I wonder how their Soccer got the name Football.

Exactly why I can't watch... my other favorite sport is hockey. In hockey if you flop YOU get called for the penalty. That is the way it should be. Plus, you can practically severe a limb from those guys and they will play to the whistle. Soccer has to be the lamest sport in the world... and for anyone that says "it is the most popular game in the world" that means nothing to me.


MikeO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its crap in my eyes, but if you love it I'm not
> one of these guys who will trash it and try to
> ruin your enjoyment of it. That's what I meant.
>
> I did see the part yesterday where they carried
> the guy off the stretcher yesterday, as soon as
> they got to the sideline he hops off, and starts
> walking around like nothing happened. Really? You
> really just faked the injury and took the free
> ride off the field than acted like nothing
> happened.

One thing that really gets me is how you get penalized for complaining to the ref. Even in the NBA the refs let a lot of things slide.