Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Soccer News!
From what I can gather, the US soccer team is barely surviving in the play-in tournament for the World Cup. They lost to Panama, and barely beat Guadalupe by a score of 1-0. They did however, beat Jamaica on Sunday in the quarterfinals.
Does anyone out there care about American soccer? (For example, the Northwestern University Mascot, pictured here, seems interested in other things). How is it that we have all 69 million children between 6-10 playing soccer in this country, and we aren't a powerhouse?
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Good question. I enjoy English Premiere League soccery. I enjoy the World Cup. I like to hear the announcer on Univision holler, "Gooooooooooal!" But only if baseball (MLB, minor leagues, college, it doesn't matter) isn't one somewhere. I guess it hasn't received the support because it isn't one of the sports we grew up with hereabouts.
Bob
Bob
# posted by 
: 3:57 PM
: 3:57 PM
I have friends in Tampa who are totally into soccer. Funny thing, more kids in the US play soccer than youth baseball, basketball, football or hockey. So it is confusing why it can't take a hold.
I watch soccer. Support the greatness of 19 time champions of England, Manchester United. I also support the USMNT. I will watch friendlies, world cup qualifiers, Gold Cup games, World Cup games, whatever. I quite enjoy it.
Why isn't it popular here? First, it is popular here, just not as popular as the major American sports. 40,000 people showed up to watch Greece and Ecuador play a meaningless friendly in New York. ESPN is now showing premier league and la liga games. There are three US channels dedicated to soccer full-time. The Champions League final is shown on Fox. ESPN paid a lot for the rights to the world cup in the US. And the ratings for these games are good. No, it isn't the NFL, but to say that it isn't too far behind the NHL in terms of overall popularity in the US probably isn't as far off as you think.
Why aren't we better at it? Well, we are getting better at it. We are consistenly ranked in the top 30 teams in the world. We've surpassed or equalled Mexico, which was unthinkable just 20 years ago. We've reached the knockout rounds in two of the last three world cups, reaching the semifinals in 2002. Our best athletes don't play soccer. They play football, basketball, baseball. Soccer is an afterthought. Trust me, with his physical gifts, Lebron James might've been the greatest midfielder in the world. And had he grown up in Nigeria or England instead of Ohio that is what he might be. More kids are playing soccer today than they did 20 years ago, more teenagers are playing, more college kids are playing, and the MLS is stable. We are only going to get better.
I encourage you all to watch the game on Wednesday. Clint Dempsey has to be one of the most compelling American athletes playing right now. Our goaltender is one of the best in the world. We generally don't dive (Jermaine Jones being a notable exception). We are young and play an exciting brand of soccer. And our best soccer is yet to come.
USA! USA! USA!
Why isn't it popular here? First, it is popular here, just not as popular as the major American sports. 40,000 people showed up to watch Greece and Ecuador play a meaningless friendly in New York. ESPN is now showing premier league and la liga games. There are three US channels dedicated to soccer full-time. The Champions League final is shown on Fox. ESPN paid a lot for the rights to the world cup in the US. And the ratings for these games are good. No, it isn't the NFL, but to say that it isn't too far behind the NHL in terms of overall popularity in the US probably isn't as far off as you think.
Why aren't we better at it? Well, we are getting better at it. We are consistenly ranked in the top 30 teams in the world. We've surpassed or equalled Mexico, which was unthinkable just 20 years ago. We've reached the knockout rounds in two of the last three world cups, reaching the semifinals in 2002. Our best athletes don't play soccer. They play football, basketball, baseball. Soccer is an afterthought. Trust me, with his physical gifts, Lebron James might've been the greatest midfielder in the world. And had he grown up in Nigeria or England instead of Ohio that is what he might be. More kids are playing soccer today than they did 20 years ago, more teenagers are playing, more college kids are playing, and the MLS is stable. We are only going to get better.
I encourage you all to watch the game on Wednesday. Clint Dempsey has to be one of the most compelling American athletes playing right now. Our goaltender is one of the best in the world. We generally don't dive (Jermaine Jones being a notable exception). We are young and play an exciting brand of soccer. And our best soccer is yet to come.
USA! USA! USA!
# posted by : 4:39 PM
: 4:39 PM
Not being a sporty sort(except for baseball,of course),yet,I find football/soccer extremely exciting,but I don't watch it much,except by accident.I guess they haven't done much to make me care about it. The personalities are colorful,games thrilling,but they don't get the press that everything else does.
Real scousers don't self-identify as scousers.
Build a bonfire, build a bonfire
Put the scousers on the top
Put City in the middle
And we'll burn the f'in lot!
Build a bonfire, build a bonfire
Put the scousers on the top
Put City in the middle
And we'll burn the f'in lot!
# posted by : 10:12 PM
: 10:12 PM
Spencer does!!! We have a new pro soccer team here in Portland called the Portland TImbers Spencer is obsessed with them!
The only American soccer I watch is the national soccer team. The lack of quality in the MLS makes it difficult to watch. But I fell in love with the national team after watching them play Mexico in D.C. when I was young.
Nothing in professional sports matches the grandeur of the UEFA Champions League.
Nothing in professional sports matches the grandeur of the UEFA Champions League.
Oh, RRL, next you'll be offering videos of Gerry and the Pacemakers (very moving material indeed!)
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# posted by : 1:08 PM
: 1:08 PM << Home
