World Cup

[T-Mill]

Re: World Cup

It's actually pretty simple... 8 groups of four, each team plays every team in its group, they get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss, the top two teams from each group advance, they seed the teams and play a tournament... Right now it's group play, which is basically like the regular season, and then next is the tournament...

I actually enjoy watching the game of soccer, but I'm with Bibber, all the flopping and phantom calls ruin it. What could have been the most exciting game and finsih of the World Cup so far, was ruined by the ref's phantom call in the U.S. game... It's these reasons more than anything else IMO that the U.S. will never be that big on soccer. Not to mention those horns are ****ing annoying

[1998silverbird]

Re: World Cup

I think I would rather watch track and admire those people for running!!

My ex girlfriend in HS use to run Cross Country track. I had to go to her meets and watch her run 6 miles!! Thats what I compare watching soccer to. I like playing soccer ( even though I suck at it) but I cant just sit there and watch it on tv.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: World Cup

Soccer ****ing blows, end of story. I don't care if some amateur Italian team or professional Americans, the sport sucks balls.

I think you have an honest belief that the US does NOTHING right at all. I can think of one thing that Italy can't do better than the US....ECO-F'ING-NOMICS!!!

atleast you got the bold part right :p...

and I disagree with Italy not being able to do economics better then the US...euro is worth much more then the american dollar is/ever will be. Plus I cant think of anything they have f'd up econmically....

[Mogobs30th]

Re: World Cup

atleast you got the bold part right :p...

and I disagree with Italy not being able to do economics better then the US...euro is worth much more then the american dollar is/ever will be. Plus I cant think of anything they have f'd up econmically....

You do know that the Euro is the currency of the EU, which has bankrupt countries like Greece in it, right? You are also aware that the Euro has lost about .20 cents value in comparison to the dollar in the last 6 months, making basically every 4 euro worth $5 (1.21 dollars = 1 euro, compared to 1.42 dollars = 1 euro in January). Once the Greek bankruptcy is finalized, Im pretty sure the Euro will be dead even with the dollar. I remember the same thing being said about the Canadian dollar, which has now fallen below the value of $1 US dollar.

Economically, the EU will not pull out of their own recession without the US doing it first. We have always been the economic decider.

[vanbibber]

Re: World Cup

how in the hell did this go political?

[Mogobs30th]

Re: World Cup

how in the hell did this go political?

Because Soccer sucks, and the US team got anal raped anyway by FIFA.

[stevethepirate]

Re: World Cup

I don't think that the US does nothing right. I was just saying that, up until recently, American soccer has been miserable.

Go put some rogaine on, watch some soccer, and chill out.

[Heywood]

Re: World Cup

Considering the NHL playoffs just ended, I think it's interesting to note that in soccer one player will run into another then fall on the ground grabbing <unrelated body part> and falsely claim he was fouled (source 1, source 2), and possibly draw the penalty on the opposing player... But in hockey, if the ref didn't get a good look at it then no one gives a **** unless blood is drawn.

Is it just me or does that kind of wussy BS happen all the time in soccer? Considering all it takes is some WWE-quality acting to change the tide of a game, count me out.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: World Cup

Considering the NHL playoffs just ended, I think it's interesting to note that in soccer one player will run into another then fall on the ground grabbing <unrelated body part> and falsely claim he was fouled (source 1, source 2), and possibly draw the penalty on the opposing player... But in hockey, if the ref didn't get a good look at it then no one gives a **** unless blood is drawn.

Is it just me or does that kind of wussy BS happen all the time in soccer? Considering all it takes is some WWE-quality acting to change the tide of a game, count me out.

I can't stand this...even Ive heard some players are out with bruised collerbones and crap, like that Nani guy on portugal...like honestly? hockey players have played with broken bones, I remember when Matts sundin finished a playoff game with a fractured foot, I know guys who have had teeth knocked out, go to the dressing room, have them cemented back in, and back on the ice they go, guys get cut wide open, get a couple stitches and get back out there...in soccer...someone gets kicked in the shin, or elbowed in the arm and they need a f'n stretcher out there :rant:

[pintobean11]

Re: World Cup

Because Soccer sucks, and the US team got anal raped anyway by FIFA.

Typical American.:rolleyes:

[stevethepirate]

Re: World Cup

I can't stand this...even Ive heard some players are out with bruised collerbones and crap, like that Nani guy on portugal...like honestly? hockey players have played with broken bones, I remember when Matts sundin finished a playoff game with a fractured foot, I know guys who have had teeth knocked out, go to the dressing room, have them cemented back in, and back on the ice they go, guys get cut wide open, get a couple stitches and get back out there...in soccer...someone gets kicked in the shin, or elbowed in the arm and they need a f'n stretcher out there :rant:

My man Laperriere got hit in the face by a slapshot, went off the ice to get 60+ stitches, then came right back on the ice.


Soccer is slightly different. While I agree that they embellish quite a bit, there is some of it that you have to play soccer to understand. When you are running as fast as some of them do, when someone barely clips your foot, you WILL go down. Players don't trust that the refs will see all of the little fouls that go on, so they will act a bit more hurt than they actually are.

And then strategically, there are times where it is necessary to run down the clock.


My high school in Italy, despite being mostly Italians/other foreigners, was in the DoDDS league. We played against the military base high schools for sports. They were all a bunch of big Americans (who tried to use brute strength to play soccer), and our team was a bunch of small Italians, Koreans, etc. In one away game, one of our players went down. All of the fans were screaming at him to get up, stop being a pus$y, etc. Guess what, turned out he had a broken collar bone and a broken leg.

[T-Mill]

Re: World Cup

there was a guy for the flyers this year who pulled a loose tooth out on the bench and stayed in the game...

I don't think anyone minds people who get clipped and go down, or the people who actually get hurt, but the people who get taken off on stretchers and then once play starts again, they get off and sprint back to the sideline...

It's the fact that faking an injury is part of the strategy of the game that I can't stand... and I don't have to play to understand that it's lame...

[1998silverbird]

Re: World Cup

Soccer is really terrible.

The guy took a dive and laid on the grass crying in false pain and the refs suspended the supposed guy who didnt do anything for 2 games?? How do you admire a sport like this??

I also heard the French team would not practice and almost quit there World Cub game because they didnt like there coach?? Once again how can you admire a sport like this?

[Mighty Thor]

Re: World Cup

USA won.

but you really need to be a soccer fanatic to enjoy the game. To me the game is boring. Just a bunch of guys running around the field. Only 1 score...1...not 2...or 3...just 1...and they couldn't stop celebrating that. LOL

[huggercamaro99]

Re: World Cup

I think you have to play soccer to really appreciate the game. You realize the true amount of finesse and accuracy players have. I can understand how some people think the game would be boring because you just want to see goals scored, which sometimes happen only once a game or sometimes never. But when I watch the game I enjoy seeing the perfect cross or a nice through ball or the one-on-one situations. Its a game of patients. You can't just kick the ball forward to get it to the goal to score, which seems to frustrate some people watching. Sometimes the only option you have is to kick the ball back to your defenders and switch the fields to open up space. If you don't play soccer you might not understand this and you'll think this is dumb, and turn off the tv. But if you do play, you can understand what is happening with the game from a different perspective which makes it fun to watch.

As far as the diving goes, yes it happens. It really does give the sport a bad name. But like stevethepirate said, sometimes what looks like a dive really isn't a dive at all. One little clip to the legs or feet can throw off the players balance and cause them to go down. Some players, however, feel they have to go down if tripped, even if the are capable of staying on their feet, just because it slowed them down. This is what they call their "strategy" and yes, this is bogus.

Well these are just my opinions. I personally love soccer, but I can understand why people hate it. One more thing to think about is a soccer players endurance. There's 45 min halves, with no timeouts, and only 3 substitutes allowed all game. I would say soccer players are pretty tough.