Americans just don't have the patience for The Beautiful Game. They're used to offensive type sports where things happen faster. Soccer is more about carefully setting up the perfect play since that's what it usually takes to score a goal.

*Cough* Portugal *Cough*.....
We're starting to get better every year it seams in this so called ''non-american sport'' how about this deal: America will stay away from soccer if the rest of the worl stays away from basketball AND baseball....they just plain suck at these sports.
deal?

<>plastikE<>

oh ya my predictions: USA wins cup in 2006, Germany

quote:

Originally posted by plastikE *Cough* Portugal *Cough*..... We're starting to get better every year it seams in this so called ''non-american sport'' how about this deal: America will stay away from soccer if the rest of the worl stays away from basketball AND baseball....they just plain suck at these sports. deal? <>plastikE<> oh ya my predictions: USA wins cup in 2006, Germany

well....you should be thanking korea right bout now...
but you get to play the easier team..BLEH
POLAND WHOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPED YER ASSSSS HAHA

quote:

Originally posted by plastikE *Cough* Portugal *Cough*..... We're starting to get better every year it seams in this so called ''non-american sport'' how about this deal: America will stay away from soccer if the rest of the worl stays away from basketball AND baseball....they just plain suck at these sports. deal?

i dunnoooo man .. there are so many good international players going into the NBA in the next couple of years and some that are already there. And let's not forget that the US almost LOST to Lithuania in the Olympics. And that the #1 pick this off season draft will be a Chinese guy. It's a sign of the times.. the world it catching up. I give the US maybe 8-10 more years before another country wins the gold medal in the Olympics. :]

And baseball?? Sure there are a lot of good American players but if you took all the best latin, Canadian and asian players in the MLB and put them on one team I'm quite sure they could give the US a run for their money. I mean half the all-stars in baseball are practically latino players and let's not forget Ichiro haha and all those other Asian players slowly trickling into the league. I give baseball maybe 4-6 years of "US dominance". :]

The way I see it the only sport you guys will own in the next decade will be American football which is just about the only sport that the rest of the world could care less about or plays for that matter.

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Palm Trees > Pine Trees , Sand > Snow

One of the reasons America doesnt generally have as good a soccer team as the rest of the world is because people dont make as big a deal as they do in other countries. Our pro league never sells out, and no one ever watches. So the kids dont ever get into it. But sports like basketball and football that everyone watches are the sports people want to play, and the sports they work to become a pro at. In some countries soccer is so important politicians get involved, and the people there want to play it much more, becuase they see so much more of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Nadi One of the reasons America doesnt generally have as good a soccer team as the rest of the world is because people dont make as big a deal as they do in other countries. Our pro league never sells out, and no one ever watches. So the kids dont ever get into it. But sports like basketball and football that everyone watches are the sports people want to play, and the sports they work to become a pro at. In some countries soccer is so important politicians get involved, and the people there want to play it much more, becuase they see so much more of it.

I agree with you there...we don't take it seriously and it's not very popular over here as in other countries around the world. It's like a religion to others. I admit, I hope no one from the US considers me a traitor, but we do suck in the soccer department, and I'll kill myself if the US team wins the World Cup...I'm cheering for any European country such as Ireland, England, and Germany. It's weird how baseball, American football, and basketball isn't popular all around the world except here...I guess we're dumb like that and try to be different. Kinda off topic, but does anyone know where the word soccer come from? They should just call soccer football and American football handball or something because it doesn't involve alot of kicking it all.

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"Don't let today's dissapointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams."

baseball is popular in central america/carribean, as well as in Japan and Korea.. at one point the soccer coach for Korea was so upset that Korean baseball was getting more coverage than soccer before the world cup kickoff.. that has likely changed.

Basketball is quite established in Europe too.. there are pro-leagues there and a lot of players that come out of the NCAA who are not drafted by the NBA go overseas to play and to eventually come back and play for the NBA. There are also basketball leagues in Asia and Australia as well but not as big as the ones in Europe.

Basically the rest of the world is starting to catch up with the US in terms of pro-sports. Foriegn countries are hiring US coaches and trainers to develop their players in their respective countries. Soccer is the perfect example. Look at all the developing soccer counties who employ foriegn coaches. Again just another example of how globalized sports is getting.

It's just a shame tho that the US doesn't care too much about soccer. My brother working in Boston told me that most of his co-workers didn't even know that the World Cup was happening this year. And I also remember a poll on CNN.com that showed 85% of respondants claim to not plan to watch any games at all. There is final a single sport that the entire World considers as the 'universal game' and the US does not hold much importance on it. I just hope that your (US) leagues improve over the next couple of years so that you guys become more active participants. Soccer is truly an amazing game that has an almost surreal feeling to it when you know that the whole world (but the US) is watching.

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Palm Trees > Pine Trees , Sand > Snow

well done US

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I think I have a theory about Why we(americans) dont pay that much attention to soccer. Its the same reason as hockey and baseball(by the way those 3 are the least watched of the *major* sports over here) its because of the infrequenty of goals being scorred. In all those games points not being on the board make it more exciting, but a lot of my freinds list that as one of there major dislikes with these sports. So as long as the games stay low in score most people will continue to pay them no attention.

i remember seeing a sports documentary about this theory one time. A soccer coach said something along the lines that American's need a 'score' in order to understand what's going on in a game. Without a score they feel lost and find it hard to get a understanding of which team is in control.

The principle with soccer is totally different.. the reason why it's exciting is the fact that goals aren't scored very often. It's almost like a chess game. The whole game is spent strategizing and positioning for some final outcome. That buildup is what makes the game exciting. I guess for most Americans that's something that will never be fully understood.

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Palm Trees > Pine Trees , Sand > Snow

Oh please. Soccer is just the next sport we're going to dominate in. Give it time.

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