<p>I don’t think the draw is that bad. It could be a lot worse. I hope with Klinsmann in charge, we can figure out Ghana this go around, and hopefully our guys will be up for it. We’ve had a good year under him. Hopefully he will bring some insight on Germany. Insider information is good. Portugal is beatable.</p>
<p>There is no way we can make it through unscathed, but I think we can make it through if our guys play.</p>
<p>I think England/Italy/Uruguay is a tougher group. Who did Argentina smile at to get their draw?</p>
<p>The feet used to be very important tools back in the old timey days of American football. It’s interesting how three sports evolved back then into the modern day football, soccer, and rugby. </p>
<p>I’d love to watch a demonstration showing what the rules were for all three back in the 1880 to 1899 time period. Are there any vintage soccer teams or leagues?</p>
<p>I have a very good college soccer team in my community and I have gone to a number of games to see if I can learn to appreciate the game. Maybe its because of my age or due to my lifelong interest in more popular sports in the US like basketball, football and baseball, I just can’t seem to enjoy a game where the final score is likely to be 1-0.</p>
<p>The issue in the US is not, IMHO, the low scoring - because a great baseball game is 2-1 or the like - but that US audiences are committed to discrete rather than continuous play. The other sports all revolve around individual plays that start and stop. The closest we come to continuous play is basketball when there are turnovers but then there is a basket and the next play starts.</p>
<p>Basketball without baskets. That is an interesting use of terms. There is a somewhat obscure sport that actually uses targets that are true baskets. Korf means basket in Dutch. </p>
<p>I adore watching baseball, and I really appreciate pitching duels, too. Too each his or her own.</p>
<p>I haven’t been able get invested in watching soccer/football, but I can appreciate the game and the players’ skills. (My S is a huge Liverpool fan.)</p>
<p>Every sport can be loved and appreciated for its differences and subtleties. It helps to have a personal involvement, even from tradition or family ties. Americans have the luxury of hyper televised sports around the clock. Other countries do not have college sports at the US level, let alone high school sports or little league. </p>
<p>For many countries, the sports have to be extremely cheap to participate. And that is why football or soccer is such a great denominator. There are few countries in the world where football is not king. </p>
<p>Simply stated, winning the WC is the most recognized athletic achievement in the world. For instance, Pele and Maradona are directly associated to their WC prowesses. Few athletes are that well-known in all corners of the world. The same cannot be said about the most known US athletes. Name Babe Ruth, Namath, Unitas, Montana, or Peyton in Madrid, Paris or Buenos Aires, and you will get a blank stare.</p>
<p>This might change with ubiquitous access to most sport events on the web, but few sports come close to soccer for worldwide appeal.</p>
<p>When I traveled around the world in 1975, everyone knew Muhammad Ali. Little kids in Africa would ask me if knew him. I remember seeing people in Southeast Asia wearing t-shirts with Ali’s likeness. I think Michael Jordan was pretty well-known around the world in the 1990’s. The members of the so-called basketball dream team in the 1992 Olympics were treated like rock stars. I don’t disagree, however, that soccer is the most popular sport in most of the world.</p>
<p>I don’t know about his popularity, but the most amazing athlete has got to be Usain Bolt.</p>
<p>FIFA wised up – Did I really just type that they finally switched start times for 7 World Cup matches, including U.S.-Portugal in the jungle of Manaus on June 22.
The games will now start at 6 p.m. local time (and EDT) instead of the heat at 3 p.m.</p>
<p>I just watched some video of fans fighting at a soccer game in Brazil. Obviously their fans are preparing all ready while American’s sit at home doing nothing. This means not only will our soccer team get beaten, our fans will be pushed around in the stadiums like stuffed dolls. I am betting that the English fans will beat up all of the Brazilian fans and everyone else, but the Americans will be wearing a lot of black eyes.</p>
<p>Oh how I hate low rankings for Americans. :)</p>
they finally switched start times for 7 World Cup matches, including U.S.-Portugal in the jungle of Manaus on June 22.