Has America accepted soccer?

[Dondilion]

The winner is going to come from the trio of Belgium, Holland, Germany.
I wish our boys luck!

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

Hey Bob the German team destroyed the self-confidence of the Portuguese team - now the US boys just have to pick up this thread and they will achieve the last sixteen!

In 1974 Germany was World Cup winner. They had to play seven times (last one was the final vs. Oranje) and they won six times. But they lost the game vs. weak GDR (communist Eastern Germany) - perhaps 40 years later in this tournament the US team is going to beat the forthcoming World Cup winner? How knows?

I remember Franz and the boys. I am a good friend of a couple of his teammates from his Cosmos days. He still keeps in touch with them.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

"Has America accepted soccer"? is a bit confusing. What does that exactly mean? If America has accepted football (like billions and billions call this game) - does this mean it is from now on more than just a ridiculous ball game for Highschool girls?

American Football and baseball are an essential part of the idendity of the United States and this will never change and this is totally okay.

The West and the South West and South will probably never be really interested in football, but parts of the North East are. By the way - 2 million tweets in America during the US vs. Ghana match commenting this game is really something.

California is the biggest hot bed of soccer in the country. Next is TX. Then you have North Carolina through Massachusetts. In the midwest, OH produces some of the top talent in the country. Oregon is the home of Nike and and its soccer shadow is obvious up there, Minnesota has some of the best facilities in the country and Colorado is as strong as any area mentioned for the population.

So in other words, soccer is pretty much strong all across the country.

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

Belgium! Har Har Har! That's a good one...

Isn't that the ultimate curse word according to THHGTTG?
RIP Douglas Adams, goodby and thnx for all the larfs and wheezes.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Ike Bana]

Can I ask you guys about something I've noticed about el futbol?

Back in the day, I remember Blackhawks defenseman Keith Magnuson suffered a compound fracture of the jaw in a game against the Canadiens. He refused to call it a night, got into a fistfight with trainer Skip Thayer (who was desperately trying not to hit Magnuson in the face) and finally had to be physically restrained by a half-dozen Hawk's staff from going back out on to the ice with his jawbone sticking out of his cheek.

And then I watch some soccer, where two skinny guys bump into each other and both end up screaming and writhing around on the lawn like somebody poked them both in the eye with a pencil. What's that all about? Anybody?

[JJIII]

Fishing for a penalty?

[HarmanKardon]

Originally Posted by JJIII

Fishing for a penalty?

Indeed - that's pretty often the case!

[Ike Bana]

Pretty often? It's almost always the case. I understand that. It's also one of the things I dislike about basketball. Everybody's trolling for a penalty call in soccer and basketball. Certainly there are some theatrics employed by athletes in most team sports where there are "penalties" that effect the course of the game. The 7 foot tall 320 pound monsters who go flying into the first row of seats at the United Center when some little 180 pound off-guard bumps into them is just as nauseating as a grown man grimacing and thrashing around on the ground clutching at his shins in a soccer game. And I'm like...OK where TF is the blood and the protruding fibula that goes with all this behavior? And it's never there.

I guess what I was fishing for is if anybody else thinks it's as unfortunately annoying behavior as I do. My friend Felipe from Guadalajara just shakes his head and recites the "it's just part of the game" pat answer. Not after Andrew Shaw gets a puck in the face in the first period of last year's NHL final game, and is winning face-offs looking like the elephant man.

Nope...I don't think pathetic theatrics oughta be part of any game. It's a major reason why I have trouble with soccer (and basketball)...that and that after watching 20 minutes of a soccer game, for a little excitement I go out in the yard and sit on the north side of a tree and watch the moss grow.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

Pretty often? It's almost always the case. I understand that. It's also one of the things I dislike about basketball. Everybody's trolling for a penalty call in soccer and basketball. Certainly there are some theatrics employed by athletes in most team sports where there are "penalties" that effect the course of the game. The 7 foot tall 320 pound monsters who go flying into the first row of seats at the United Center when some little 180 pound off-guard bumps into them is just as nauseating as a grown man grimacing and thrashing around on the ground clutching at his shins in a soccer game. And I'm like...OK where TF is the blood and the protruding fibula that goes with all this behavior? And it's never there.

I guess what I was fishing for is if anybody else thinks it's as unfortunately annoying behavior as I do. My friend Felipe from Guadalajara just shakes his head and recites the "it's just part of the game" pat answer. Not after Andrew Shaw gets a puck in the face in the first period of last year's NHL final game, and is winning face-offs looking like the elephant man.

Nope...I don't think pathetic theatrics oughta be part of any game. It's a major reason why I have trouble with soccer (and basketball)...that and that after watching 20 minutes of a soccer game, for a little excitement I go out in the yard and sit on the north side of a tree and watch the moss grow.

Most people who really enjoy watching soccer are people who have
played it.

The future for soccer looks good here in the US because it is the game
which is very inclusive.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Most people who really enjoy watching soccer are people who have
played it.

The future for soccer looks good here in the US because it is the game
which is very inclusive.

Last time I checked...inclusiveness and familiarity were not prerequisites for entertainment in a sports venue. But that's just me.