Someone please explain why soccer is fun

please excuse the double entry… I just came back from dancing and I’m still a little loopy. :slight_smile:

Ya, Bosswoman is probably right. The 5k race I’m in tomorrow shouldn’t count. And there’s a lot of standing around in the Ultimate league I play in. I’m just one of those typical, ignorant, out-of-shape Americans who loves sitting on the couch eating Cheetos and watching Cheech and Chong on Comedy Central.

I can’t play soccer either. Never really tried. But I’m sure it’s tougher to kick a ball than say… stop a 100 mph slapshot or hit a 95 mph fastball or even take a hit by a 300 lb lineman. Those guys are out-of-shape losers!

What pisses me off about soccer isn’t so much soccer itself, it’s the arrogant a-hole fans who insist we Americans just simply “don’t get it”. I’m sure I would enjoy soccer more if I had grown up with it and if I knew players and teams. But I didn’t and I don’t. It seems to me that the biggest detractor to soccer isn’t the game itself but many of the *dumb fans.

  • I’m qualifying dumb as anyone who has rioted, pillaged, maimed, come to blows, exchanged small arms/mortar fire or simply insulted the intelligence of another poster

Soccer is fun because people are not the same! If everybody liked one sport lets say tennis the there would not be a need for another sport. Why does one person like one kind of shoe and someone else another shoe.

Its about having variety in our lives. It’s okay you don’t like it. There is nothing wrong with you or the sport!

Quote from Torus:

This unintentionally highlights another reason soccer struggles in the US: lack of qualified organization of the sport (coaches, referees, administrators). By qualified, I mean those who truly understand, appreciate, even love the game.

In today’s rather comprehensive dismantling of the Saudi team by Germany, the sixth goal was scored by Thomas Linke, fullback. Jens Jeremies blasted the ball over the bar when offered a good chance at scoring his own goal. Carsten Ramelow started many a forward scoring chance and played much of the game in the Saudi end, often scooping up poor clearances and returning the ball wide to either Ziege or Schneider on the wings. And all of these players are fullbacks. Fullbacks in properly played football are integral to the attack, and rarely sit back in their own end watching the game.

But the experience of Torus is common in US youth soccer, where the fullbacks are often called “defenders” by their coaches and taught to stand somewhere around the top of the penalty area, lest the opposition manage a breakaway. Often, the “defenders” are the least athletically gifted of the kids, on the theory “defenders” don’t have to run as much. The result is static, boring play from the fullbacks, who, like Torus, end up bored out of their gourd. Similar tactical and strategic naivte exists regarding use of everyone from the goalkeeper to the striker. And don’t EVEN get me started on the quality of refereeing.

One of the things both USYSA and AYSO are trying very hard to correct is the lack of soccer knowledge among the youth game. Increased exposure of coaches and referees to world class soccer would help, of course, much as a baseball coach in, say, Italy would benefit from watching MLB. In addition, both organizations are trying to end the silly practice of having unskilled beginning youth play games 11 on 11, often on pitches with little room left for creativity, or on pitches too large for strategic efforts beyond “kick it and follow,” both of which situations add to the boredom effect.

Not everyone will like soccer. But trust me, if NASCAR can be viewed as exciting, if people like me can find watching golf or bowling on TV exciting, soccer can be fun and exciting, too. :slight_smile:

PS: exercise for the reader - play three on three soccer with a couple of shirts thrown down as a goal, and teams allowed to score by putting the ball through them either direction. Much like pick up half court basketball, you get a work out in a hurry!

Not being able to use hands is one of the things I actually hate about soccer. As I think Hawkeye Pierce said on MASH the use of opposable thumbs is one of the few things that separates us from the animals. Baseball is great because even with the best equipment and full use of the hands, hitting a moving baseball well, not to mention fielding a moving baseball and accurately throwing a baseball, are still very difficult to do. Soccer is only difficult because of a rule which makes controlling and moving the ball an almost unnatural act. Having the soccer players use their hands but play blindfolded would similarly handicap them would make just as little sense.

But that’s just me. If some people, such as DSYoungEsq and most of my nieces, like soccer and think its great fun that’s fine with me.

Football (why is American football be called football when a) you use hands to manhandle the “ball” and b) the “ball” is not remotely sperical?) is great because it is fast paced, and both sides have to be on guard at all times. The Germany - Saudi game is really something of an exception.

Well ummm, I’d say you hit it on the nose, it’s mostly just something you have to grow up with. And while you can acquire a taste that takes some effort.

And baseball too, which I know from hearing the older generation talk about it, was played in the streets with a home made glove, a stick and some rocks. And the bases were whatever you had handy. Somebody’s book, a backpack, a piece of tin.
But another reason I’d say soccer is not popular in America is that there are more then the big 4. There’s both college basketball and college football. Along with NASCAR, the major tennis and golf tournaments. We have a very saturated market.

I’m watching a World Cup match right now, and the commentator just talked about how the goalie was able to “take it comfortably in the end.” Uh huh huh huh huh … that rules, Beavis!

I might point out to the person who questions calling American football football since you carry it in your hands and the ball is oblong that Rugby football is also football, yet all the same things are true, as is Aussie rules footie, Gaelic football, etc. It’s called ‘football’ cause it derives from a sport that involved mostly kicking.

This debate always gets me going…

A couple of precursers-- I am a big time sports nut. Tennis, Baseball, Football (American and “World”), Hockey, NASCAR… heck I’ve even watched Rugby and enjoyed it. I probably would have watched the Spelling Bee had I been home for it. ESPN is truely a great station. The only sport I really dislike is basketball. Even then, I enjoy the NBA Playoffs and the NCAA tourny. In general I find competition compelling I guess… even if I don’t know who’s playing I’ll generally pick a team based on who looks like they are the “good guys” and root for them.

Soccer takes time… and I admit, if my g/f were not a soccer player (Goalkeeper-- and she kicks ass) I don’t know that I could have made the full transition. Watching her games have really helped me to understand the sport a lot.

To me there are a couple of things to understand. I don’t think Americans are necessarily fully into “constant action sports” or fast sports. Otherwise, Rugby would be much more popular, and golf would be nowhere. Yet everybody loves Tiger, and hardly a soul can tell a scrum from a hole in the wall.

I think it has everything to do with the overall lack of familiarity of the game and how it is played in general. Most people don’t know what to watch when they are watching the game-- and so they just see a bunch of guys kicking the ball. Since most americans don’t understand it, I don’t think they get what the strategies are, what the different styles are. They don’t know the history. (Ask any football fan about Maradona’s “Hand of God” and ask a soccer fan about the Harris’ “Emmaculate Reception.” you’ll likely get similar responses.)

Some previous responses hit it right on the head. The way youth soccer is taught to our kids. It’s boring. I too was a fullback and feel your pain. Do me a favor and sign up for an indoor soccer league. Its faster, you’re always in on the action… but it will also give you an appreciation for soccer and soccer skills. It will make the game easier to watch in general. Score once and you’ll be hooked.

If you’re going to appreciate the sport, theres not much to do other than play it or watch it, listen to the announcers (the guys on espn2 are pretty good… I never miss european league soccer matches now if I can help it) and have friends over that are patient that can explain what they are watching. Think of what you had to do to convince your g/f that football was worthy of wasting every Sunday. Or the trip to Seattle is SO worth the money to see the M’s play the Yankees. Now think thats what should be done for you.

US soccer has suffered from the idea that it is an immigrants’ game. Most Americans think that only people who have recently come to the US enjoy the game. And that has been true ever since soccer was first played in the U.S.

But the US has a long soccer playing tradition and the world’s second oldest recognized soccer federation (only behind England’s).

I think that if the US were successful in this sport at the international level, Americans would like the sport a whole lot more. But since the US isn’t and likely won’t be a serious World Cup contender in my lifetime (and I’m 36), soccer will always just be a sport just below the popularity of the less popular, but still well-covered sports, like hockey and tennis.

Now if they could only do something about playing the World Cup at a time when I’m awake. Doesn’t anyone have the ability to stop time so I can watch the games when they are convenient to ME!

I really wish people would stop saying, “Americans don’t understand soccer.”

I’m American. I understand it just fine. I love the sport. It has nothing to do with my misfortune of not being born in Europe.

That said, I think soccer probably would have been huge in the states if it weren’t for American football, baseball and basketball. It’s had a relative following even back in the NASL days, but competition is brutal. When you’ve got TV and the Marketing Boys[sup]TM[/sup] selling us these sports as virtually a way of life, getting one more in there is practically impossible. I imagine the demographic wouldn’t make the capital outlay an efficient return, or something evil like that.

The thing I never understand is when people say things like, “Soccer is stupid. Now baseball – there’s a sport.”

How anybody can proclaim the single most popular sport in the world “stupid”, is beyond me (unless they’re proclaiming sports as a whole stupid, then I’ll give them a pass (as I look at them funny)). And anybody who has ever watched five minutes of any baseball game and can then turn around and call soccer “boring”, has a friggin’ screw loose, if you ask me.

And I like baseball!

But if everyone else in the world jumped off a bridge, would you? :slight_smile:

Yes.

Yes I would.

OK, then.

Maybe you should give it a try, yeahh.

I lettered in football, basketball and baseball in high school, won honors in the last two sports and played baseball in Mexico (AA level) and IMHO when it comes to athletic ability and skill, playing soccer requires as much if not more than any of those three.

I’m American and understand it as well. I apologize, I didn’t mean to imply that Americans don’t understand it simply because they are americans. I’m implying that our culture doesn’t emphasize the sport like thye do others… so by and large (and I base this on the vast majority people that I talk to about this sport.) most people don’t understand it that much. It takes time and understanding to appreciate-- some people will probably mock this comparison-- but its like NASCAR. It’s a lot more then whoever goes fastest wins. But unless you taket he time to understand it, you’ll never be a fan.

Plus… somebody else said something that I meant to mention and did not. If Americans were more successful at it, we would probably show more general interest and learn more about it. Look at how popular the womens team is/was. It makes the whole thing somewhat circular. We won’t show much interest until we’re better… but we won’t be better until we show more interest.

Not all us Merkins hate soccer! I loooooved playing it, but unfortunately can’t anymore, due to the metal plate and screws that are currently holding my left tibia together. If they ever figure out how to make ankle replacements that are durable enough, though, I’m soooo there! (However, watching other people play soccer, or any other team sport whatsoever, bores me to tears. I’d much rather watch more “artistic” athletic events, like figure skating, gymnastics, or diving.)

However, I agree with those who said it’s at least partly a matter of exposure; I grew up the suburbs north of Chicago, where we played soccer at least as much as football and other sports, probably more. At my high school, the men’s teams were pretty damn good, and usually made it to the state tournament. The women’s teams were even better. Those chicks could level brick walls!

None of this means, though, that I was any good at it; quite frankly, I sucked. I still found it to be much more fun than football or baseball; I’m a small person, and I got creamed at football, even touch football. I’m a lefty, and nobody at the high school level in normal gym classes knows how to pitch to a lefty. Soccer is the great equalizer among sports; no special equipment needed (although if anyone is wearing cleats, you’d darn well all better wear shin guards!). It’s better exercise, because if you’re even halfway trying, you’re running pretty much the whole time.

Soccer is much better for guy-watching than football; no padding or helmets to obscure the view…OK, the real reason I have such a soft spot for soccer is that my first boyfriend in high school was first string on the soccer team, and soccer players are the cutest! (Although he was also on the tennis team, but they were just dorky.) Plus, soccer players have more brains than football players; my ex graduated #2 in our class of nearly 800. Soccer is brains over brawn, every time. More kids n the U.S. play organized soccer than any other sport, so maybe things will change down the road.

You said it. Soccer is difficult!!

I’m born/raised in the States and have been playing soccer since I was 8. I’m now 28 and still play indoor and outdoor. I HATE watching soccer on TV, but LOVE playing it. Note that I also played (and play) the other “big 4” and enjoy watching them (except baseball) on TV.

What irks me when people deride soccer due to ignorance. Soccer takes just as much, if not more, skill than any of the other sports mentioned above.

In American football, wide receivers and running backs need speed and agility. The linemen must be tough (not necessarily fit!). The QB must have presence of mind and lots of athletic ability. The kickers must be strong and precise when kicking.

In basketball, players must be able to sprint during fast-breaks. They must have skills that allow them to sink both a free-throw, jump shot or lay-up. All players should be able to stop/start quickly all while dribbling a ball and keep open players in sight/mind.

Baseball players should be quick when running/stealing bases. They must have quick reflexes to swing at 90+ mph fastballs. They must have a good eye when judging and catching fly-balls and grounders.

Soccer combines all of those.

In soccer, you must be quick and agile…for 90 minutes! Full-field (or massive pitches :slight_smile: ) runs are continually combined with sprints. When sprinting, you must have the ability to stop/start on a dime and change directions, all while dribbling a ball…with your feet! Soccer players must be tough when fighting for a ball during a corner kick, or leaping to get atop a rival player for a header. They must always know where their teammates are and then deliver precise passes to them. Their shots must be selected and timed just right. Goalie reflexes must be fast enough to stop a curving shot on goal.

Bosswoman said she’d never said a player with a gut. I agree. These are atheletes in tip-top shape that have skills which require years of practice to perfect.

And that’s why I like (playing) soccer.

Maybe that’s how we can get more Americans to take up soccer – just start a big ad campaign around “Americans don’t like Soccerr because it’s too hard for them!”

Then watch all the macho jocks and patriotic fans) stampede to the sport. :slight_smile: