# Why Americans don't like soccer? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 29, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111 "2011-04-29T02:39:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/101 "2011-04-29T22:41:46Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t buy that. I don’t know shit about, say, gymnastics, but I recognize an amazing feat of athletics when I see it. And if you can’t see the skill and athleticism in those videos, quality of which notwithstanding, then you’re not really watching them. Yeah, i think **Shagnasty** is projecting his own willful dismissal onto all Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/102 "2011-04-29T22:44:53Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t buy that. I don’t know shit about, say, gymnastics, but I recognize an amazing feat of athletics when I see it. And if you can’t see the skill and athleticism in those videos, quality of which notwithstanding, then you’re not really watching them. With gymnastics, they have a routine and you know when it is coming. With soccer, you have to know what to look for and it could be at any time. I had to watch that video 5 times before I figured what, if anything happened that was special. There is no way I would have noticed if someone forced me to watch the game live. The same thing is true in American Football but they help you out by running replays with commentary right after every notable play. American Football is made for TV in that way and many fans prefer watching it on TV rather than the stadium itself if they want to understand what is happening. Even the stadiums are becoming really, really big TV’s themselves in the case of the Dallas Cowboys stadium and others. If you are used to seeing sports presented that way, soccer is hard for someone like me to even mentally process live. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/103 "2011-04-29T22:45:30Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Honestly, all I see is a bunch of skinny guys moving around on a pawn shop quality TV screen wearing early 80’s clothes. Don’t think I am trolling. The images are just so foreign to me that they don’t mean anything and I am sure that it strikes most Americans the same way. Americans don’t like most foreign TV in general because the production values just seem way off and jarring. That is especially the case in soccer. So, you didn’t see the chilena? I see. Try to watch it picture by picture. In the first secuence a guy jumps in the air, around 2 meters high and hit the ball upside up! with an impresive force. It is so fast that it is difficult to see. Watch it in slow motion. Look at the amazing curve in this goal! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related) By the way, the “low quality” of some movies is because youtube! Not because bad television. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/104 "2011-04-29T22:46:03Z")
_nevermind. the moment was lost._ ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/105 "2011-04-29T22:51:44Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > So, you didn’t see the chilena? I see. Try to watch it picture by picture. In the first secuence a guy jumps in the air, around 2 meters high and hit the ball upside up! with an impresive force. It is so fast that it is difficult to see. > > Watch it in slow motion. Look at the amazing curve in this goal! > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related) > > By the way, the “low quality” of some movies is because youtube! Not because bad television. I remember that game (France vs Brazil Le Tournai de France), as great a free kick taker as Roberto Carlos was, there was a fair element of luck in that goal. Anyway here’s some more soccer skills: https://www.youtube.com/embed/FSsdfe4Z69g?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque (Le Tissier’s top ten goals) https://www.youtube.com/embed/0rk-bu4596M?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque (Dennis Bergkamp’s outrageous goal against Newcastle) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/106 "2011-04-29T22:56:34Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > _nevermind. the moment was lost._ Don’t worry. You got it in and destroyed the evidence. Touche. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/107 "2011-04-29T22:57:55Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > Anyway here’s some more soccer skills: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSsdfe4Z69g](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSsdfe4Z69g) > > (Le Tissier’s top ten goals)) That guy is AMAZING!! :eek::eek: Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/108 "2011-04-29T23:04:04Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSsdfe4Z69g](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSsdfe4Z69g) > > (Le Tissier’s top ten goals) I was living in England in the early 1990s when Le Tissier really started making his name, and i continued to follow his game after i moved back to Australia. He was an incredibly talented player, and i always found it hard to believe that he only ever played 8 games for England. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/109 "2011-04-29T23:11:25Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > That guy is AMAZING!! :eek::eek: > > Congrats! That compilation was actually made whilst he was still playing (it was on the DVD released to celebrate the 1st ten years of the Premiership), he scored a few more that are equally desrving to be there. You might notice that lob he scored was against Peter Schemeichal (for my money the best goalkeeper ever). Matt Le Tissier had no pace and was incredibly lazy, but his skill kept Southampton afloat in the Premiership (basically except for him, all the other players probably belonged in the league below), he got a few England caps, but never really did much for us (England). If had a little more drive he could’ve been a contender for one of the all time greats (he certainly had the skill and despite playing for a rubbish team was one of the top scoring players of his time). He also amazingly scored 48 out of the 49 penalty kicks he took in his career! ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/110 "2011-04-29T23:14:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I was living in England in the early 1990s when Le Tissier really started making his name, and i continued to follow his game after i moved back to Australia. He was an incredibly talented player, and i always found it hard to believe that he only ever played 8 games for England. I remember as a teenager in the mid-nineties staying up to watch match of the day and being blown away by his skill. People still talk a lot about Eric Cantona, but formy money Shearer and Le Tissier were by far the best strikers in the Premierhsip at that time. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/111 "2011-04-29T23:14:35Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > That’s weird. Rodeos are big in the U.S. too but not so much in Europe, Asia, or Africa. Why do you think the U.S. and Chile value the drama and beauty of a live rodeo while the others just don’t seem to understand it? Do they not get the subtext of man against nature? I think you you start a thread on that question as well. I’m not a big rodeo fan but I think it has to do with the fact that rodeo started in countries where they have (or had) large cattle ranches and long cattle drives like the U.S., Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. The sport was an outgrowth of the skills that were necessary for the men to drive thousands of head of cattle across hundreds of miles of wilderness and plains. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/112 "2011-04-29T23:33:38Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > That guy is AMAZING!! :eek::eek: > > Congrats! Is it that he’s accurate from range? That doesn’t look all that impressive to me. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/113 "2011-04-29T23:38:05Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Is it that he’s accurate from range? That doesn’t look all that impressive to me. Well a lot of those goals are impressive for different reasons, which makes the compilation all the more impressive as Matt Le Tissier was far from a one trick-pony. One of Matt Le Tissier’s greatest skills was hitting a ball with pinpoint precision from a difficult situation. What’s perhaps not apparent to unintiated is the sheer amount of control he gets on those shots in terms of dip and curve, you can see in one of those goals the keeper doesn’t even dive because he’s totally deceived by the dip and curve on the ball. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/114 "2011-04-29T23:38:45Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > That’s weird. Rodeos are big in the U.S. too but not so much in Europe, Asia, or Africa. Why do you think the U.S. and Chile value the drama and beauty of a live rodeo while the others just don’t seem to understand it? Do they not get the subtext of man against nature? I think you you start a thread on that question as well. Indeed. An interesting question. I believe in many countries of the Americas people love Rodeo, like in Mexico (Charros), Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Southern Brazil (Gauchos), Venezuela (Llaneros), Chile (Huasos), etc. And, of course, in Canada as well. And I believe they love Rodeo because the New World was made by riding and by growing cattle! It is some of the more authentic things of the New World. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/115 "2011-04-29T23:41:04Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Is it that he’s accurate from range? That doesn’t look all that impressive to me. The Amazing is that he made goals after the ball has bounced! Straight in the air. That’s not an easy task. By comparison, it is like to make a home run in baseball. Most goals of that kind are made with the ball flat at the floor, or even standing still. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/116 "2011-04-29T23:44:21Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I’m not a big rodeo fan but I think it has to do with the fact that rodeo started in countries where they have (or had) large cattle ranches and long cattle drives like the U.S., Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. The sport was an outgrowth of the skills that were necessary for the men to drive thousands of head of cattle across hundreds of miles of wilderness and plains. Exactly! Rodeo is the sport of our country peoples, from the cowboys. And cowboys existed all over the hemisphere. In a certain way, the cowboy traditions come from Spain, as you can see in certain form or raching they have there. Rules aren’t the same in all Rodeos but the origin is the same, and customs and passions are similar. After the expansion to the West, some of those customs passed to America, where cowboys created theirs own Rodeo. I remember when I lived in Canada I loved Rodeo as well. It is something people of the New World carries in the blood, sort of speak. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/117 "2011-04-30T00:02:52Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > So, you didn’t see the chilena? I see. Try to watch it picture by picture. In the first secuence a guy jumps in the air, around 2 meters high and hit the ball upside up! with an impresive force. It is so fast that it is difficult to see. > > Watch it in slow motion. Look at the amazing curve in this goal! > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bF2PImax4&feature=related) > > By the way, the “low quality” of some movies is because youtube! Not because bad television. That was absolutely amazing. I’m not much of a sports fan so I still won’t sit and watch a game unless I’m watching it with someone who can explain the bits I don’t get. Of course, I pretty-much stopped watching any sports-like entertainment after _Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling_ went off the air (ETA: The first time). ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/118 "2011-04-30T00:10:38Z")
Another amazing goal [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vAzG-7MUHc&NR=1&feature=fvwp](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vAzG-7MUHc&NR=1&feature=fvwp) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/119 "2011-04-30T00:15:10Z")
> [@purple\_cow](#): > > When people say soccer is boring, I always respond with the 1999 Women’s world cup final, US vs China. Even non soccer fans who watched thought it was an incredibly exciting, nail-biting, edge of the seat experience. Final score: 0-0 won by US in shootout. But the people watching CARED who won. That is 90% of the excitement of any game. Was that the one where what her name ripped off her shirt? A little more of that and you might stir up some interest… ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111/120 "2011-04-30T00:25:43Z")
This thread is depressing. I have no idea why a simple question(which we’ve already discussed in a zillion other threads) lead to such negativity and sweeping generalizations about other cultures and sports. For a site dedicated to fighting ignorance, this thread has had a lot of it. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-americans-dont-like-soccer/580111.md?page=7)