If you are a not living in America please include a post stating the country your in, and your vote. I really want to know how people living in America feel about Soccer.
I come in as a big fan of soccer. I've learned to enjoy the game watching my kids play. I never had the chance to play it until I went to college and met some of the international students who were desperate to find young out-of-work "athletes" to get a run on.
The thing that most soccer haters don't understand is that soccer is not a game of scoring, but about CHANCES to score. If a team is playing well, and doing a lot of give and goes, 1,2's etc...it can be exhilirating to see. I worked in Machester UK for a couple of years, and have been rooting for Manchester United since the 70's. Now, however, I even follow Manchester City, but not as closely. I am really excited about this years World Cup, as I think the USA has the best chance at advancing ever. USA...USA...USA.... Soccer is a great spectator sport, it is a lot like Hockey, crappy to watch on TV, and a BLAST to see in person. You should see a Man U game in person...holy Cow. DaDakota
Giddy, As many Pints of Boddingtons I inhaled, and GLORIOUS curries I devoured, you bet your ARSE, I am a bloke. Cheadle was a great place to live & work. The weirdest thing was watching people order Budweiser as an import...YUCK !! DD
I go to National Team games several times a year (in Los Angeles) and have watched the crowd evolve from being a small minority being thrown half-eaten food at, to a loud, respectable group of fans. There is NOTHING like rooting for the US national team in a game in person, especially one that matters (WC qualifier, etc). I've seen Mexican League Games, MLS, and Japanese (J-League) as well, and other internationals and enjoyed those but it's not quite as exciting. Watching a top-notch team like Brazil or Argentina or a team with a really big star like Trinidad is pretty cool, though. Thing is for me, 6 years ago, I would have never imagined being a soccer fan. I played it as a kid and all, but it was my roomate that got me into it, and I became a fanatic. Now I follow Champion's League, Uefa...pretty much everything there is to see. --Deji
I started playing Soccer at 6 years old in an upstate NY town. i played for something like 12 years. this included 2 summer camps, 6 indoor seasons. JV, Varsity as a sophmore, adneven town leagues. when i moved from upstate back to Long Island, it lost its fun. i wasnt playing in a soccer town or with my friends. it was a 5th class sport on eastern long island, and my shool didnt have a team. well after 2 years of traveling to another school to practice and play with their team i eventually got fed up and quit, so i could do cross country instead. (as i was quite a good track athelete) by my sophomore year in collage i started playing in the intramural teams at StonyBrooke had a great time loved it, remembered why i used to play. but now at 27 i have really gotten back into watching games again, and will definately go to a few more games this year. I have to thank the womans national team for having some hot chicks on their roster(this makes even the slow games exciting) b and some of the girls from the universities womans team that were well worth rooting for. and awsome studdy partners for POLI SCI. anyhoo. i am a full blown MLS fan, I am also a full blown mens and womans National team supporter. hell i even follow the Rochester ragig Rhinos of A-league, and both URI(where i went to shool for a while) and SUNY Stonybrook(where i went to school for a while more ) Soccer is great, and with Dallas suburb getting a STadium, i will likely visit McKinny sometimes next year to soak in a game. I voted with the Majority as a Big Fan, but i might be upgrading sometime this year. peace
I played as a young kid in the early 70's. We watched the Pele' movies and kept hearing how it was going to be the next big thing. Soccer fans continue to say that in the year 2002. I think it has it's place but I can't see it ever competing with the Big 3 1/2, football, basketball, baseball and hockey. I give hockey 1/2 status because while it is loved in the northern US I still don't think it's caught on everywhere. TV ratings prove that. os
Before this year I had never watched soccer really, never really interested me. Then I started dating a girl on the varsity soccer team at my school and got new friends--most of which play soccer. So I attend most of the games and have really grown to like it. Watching the games in person and seeing that they are in fact physical (alot more so for the guys) and that they can be exciting to watch. My school has been known for great soccer teams--and I really enjoy watching my school compete against other top schools in the city. You can't really watch it on TV and have it grow in interest on you (at least it didn't with me). But now that I have watched a bunch of games and see the skill it takes along with the excitement the games actually do bring--I like it. Ok now if I haven't put you to sleep have a good day.
I'm neutral. I played it a little as a lil un. I was decent at dribbling, passing, and defending, but I could never get it past the goalie because I was too predictable. I can watch it without feeling bored(unlike other sports besides football, bball, and tennis), but I usually change it because I don't really want to get into another sport. If for some reason I couldn't play basketball anymore, soccer would be the game I would want to play, even though I'd be a complete rook.
0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-0 ... shows two of the reasons why soccer sucks A$$. First, very, very low scoring games. Second, TIES. A third reason is Eurotrash fans who say things like match not game of pitch not field. The only true sport worse than soccer is Cricket. But at least soccer is better than psuedo-sports like Golf.
Why would I watch sub par soccer in the US when I can watch the best players in the world at basketball, baseball, football, and hockey. Not to mention the millions of alumni that follow the sports programs of their former colleges. Most american fans easily identify with their former schools as they can watch on national TV. I had a hard time getting into the NFL this year, but had no trouble reading about the Gators everyday. As long as the athletes of the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB are the best in the world, why would I watch substandard soccer players? These 4 sports are also part of the heritage of our country. Who didn't grow up going to friday night games or putting on the skates in the winter. Or how about sitting on a lazy day listening to the baseball game or drinking tons of beer on saturday and sunday as their favorite teams try to beat the spread. What about March madness? If you never filled out a bracket, I wouldn't call you an American.
I voted for Bored. I just can't watch a soccer game all the way through for no reason. Like DaDakota said, it's about scoring chances and, well, scoring chances bore me. Now if I got to watch a 12-11 game with like 3 back flip kick it over your head goals that would be fun. Having said all that, I do become a semi-fan during the World Cup. Obviously I'll watch large portions of any games with the US, and then maybe watch the more important matches in the end. I would say probably the most I have ever been into a women's sporting event was US v China in the World Cup Finals (and that's saying something considering the Comets have won 4 titles). I think I started watching that game about 10 minutes in and I didn't leave my chair after that. My heart skipped a beat when China almost scored that goal in overtime (or was it the end of regulation) but America had an extra defender on the goal and she kicked it away. The amount of intensity and emotional investment in that game wasn't anywhere close to say a Rockets playoff game but I would put it up there with a nail-biter during the regular season. And when you consider it was 0-0 that says something about how into it I was. Anyway, soccer is ok, it just bores me.
I am an Aussie and LOVE football - you Yanks call it soccer...and that game where you use your hands to hold the ball and run 'football'? ? Football is the beautiful game. Just magic. You guys get excited when Philly play NY in NFL...or Houston plays San Antonio in the NBA...but in reality, apart from B-Ball fans like myself around the globe, no one cares. Now...France play Brazil in football and you go to a shopping mall in Malaysia...a pub in England...a disco in mexico...get a taxi in China...etc etc...and people know the games on and they talk it with passion. Nothing compares. Like it or love it, football is 1000 times bigger than anything you guys have in the USA (or we have here in Australia). It's the global game...and the cultures, passions, everything are part of what makes it so special. The tactics of two NATIONS...the French flamboyance v the Germans grit...just magic. Love it!
I do not prefer soccer due to the fact that the game is too slow. Having been raised on football and basketball, I like sports that have more action and scoring. I also don't like the 'antics' that a large number of soccer players perform...you know...the writhing in pain and agony for five minutes only to be taken off the field with a neck brace on, an IV in their arm, and lying half-dead on a stretcher...only to be magically revived from some Mr. Miyagi secret spit formula on their leg. What kind of crap is that? Play the game like NBA or NFL players do. If you don't get your call, elbow the guy in the chest the next time down the field. I also don't like the de-centralization of talent. With basketball, American football, hockey and baseball, the best players in the entire world come to play in the American/Canadian leagues. There is a central place to watch these players. With soccer, it is difficult for the best players in the world to actually play in a centralized league. I guess the European leagues would be close to this, but there are still top ranking players that do not participate. Give me touchdowns, slam dunks, hat tricks and grand slams...just don't give me 0 - 0!!!
