World Cup Stuff

[bart1997]

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[MadMax359]

Okay, so today- the Americans lost to the Germans 1-0. But because Portugal (?) beat Ghana 3-2, the Americans advance to the elimination round? We don't understand.

Portugal and the USA both finished pool play with a win, a loss and a tie
when you count up goals scored vs. goals against, the USA broke even while Portugal was minus 3, so we advance

and while Belgium will be the favorites, they haven't looked that impressive---there's room for hope

[kham]

And THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why we don't watch soccer....

[bart1997]

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[Fred588]

And THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why we don't watch soccer....

Lets rather say, why you don't watch soccer. As far as the media says, the number of fans has vastly increased for the last couple of years.

I have to strongly agree with bart1997 on this one. There is no question that Association Football, or soccer as we call it, has been growing in popularity. And that in spite of vigorous opposition at times. When I was in high school (late 60s) the first soccer team at my high school was started. I tried out and lasted one day. It grew rapidly in popularity for several years and then stalled some, mostly as the result of vociferous opposition from the American Football coaches. They didn't like soccer because, frankly, it drew large numbers of potential players away from their program. Eventually the football coaches lost out.

More recently, interest in soccer has spread to many areas of the USA. I suspect that two generations of people who played in high school have contributed to that. So also did the success of the women in Olympic Soccer.

I personally have not watched any of the World Cup. But that is because there is no TV here at Studio 588.

[Lomax]

PLEASE, people. It is quite wrong to discuss ANY sort of football during the Cricket season.

[Mynock]

I like Cricket but lack of equipment makes playing in the US hard. Some sporting goods stores carry the bats but they're always out of zombies to hit with them.

[fred2422]

I am reminded that many years ago ABC Sports developed a program that pitted all-stars from every sport against each other in a series of physical challenges. One of the first group was a soccer player named Kyle Rote, Jr. that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He absolutely ran away with the competition, and totally embarrassed the other all-stars and the sponsors. Guys, it wasn't even close! ABC's solution to their perceived "problem" (saving face for the advertisers) was to never again invite a soccer player to participate on the program.

[nachtjaeger]

Funny. We had a Norwegian exchange student at my high school my senior year. He was a mediocre soccer player at home, but in rural Western NY, he was a star. Broke all sorts of records for goals scored, etc. and was the team hero.

[MadMax359]

PLEASE, people. It is quite wrong to discuss ANY sort of football during the Cricket season.

not many crickets here yet, they show up later in the summer
but I do have a lot of bumblebees flitting around