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<p>10char</p>
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<p>There’s a difference between fans going to a game and getting into it versus going there with expectations for a low scoring game. If the average result was 1 - 0 or 2 - 1 (or a draw) in baseball, MLB would be out of business.</p>
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<p>So true. And I was there for the Dutch against NY Cosmos in front of 70K people at Giant Stadium back when with how that was the start of something big just as I was in Chicago to watch Chivas (Mexico) against Real Madrid in front of a big crowd a few years back and the talk about how the Chicago Fire would benefit from it. Nope.</p>
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<p>Coureur, is there more excitement in watching a 10,000 meters than a 100 meters? After all, isn’t the same … watching people run? Every sport is different and appeals to different people. There are people who enjoy all of them, and people who enjoy … none!</p>
<p>While there are millions of people who share your views on soccer, there are millions who contribute to the great success of the sport. It is also understandable that Americans tend to measure the success of a sport on its presence on the television sets. However, for many, the success (and attraction) of the sport is measured and appreciated by the millions of games taking place every weekend from the largest urban areas to the most remore villages in the third world. </p>
<p>Soccer also represents one of the greatest conversation starters among foreigners. No other sport in the world can rival its reach and worldwide scope. Again, the fact that this might be different in the United States is mostly based on the lack of understanding of the game and the wealth of opportunities to watch … something else. Soccer is also a game that is measured on a different scale than what Americans usually expect. It is a game of emotions that allows for very subjective and individual appreciation. Americans tend to love sports that can be dissected in the most minute statistics, and in fact are often abdicating their perception of success to the stat sheet. Is a QB great because of his poise or presence? Or is he great because he threw 45 TD in 3000 attempts? And hundreds of similar examples could follow! On the other hand, soccer is a sport to be watched and … felt! </p>
<p>This does not mean that the US is wrong; it only means that most casual observers do NOT understand the game because they did not grow up with it or did not have family ties to help them learn the game.</p>
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All sports consist of failure. When the batter hits a home run, the pitcher has failed. When a touchdown is scored, the defense has failed. When the goalie blocks a puck, the offense has failed. I totally don’t get your point of view. </p>
<p>As for the low scoring, why don’t hockey fans object to the score of 2-1? Many baseball games end with less than a few runs scored. And if football counted a touchdown as only 1 point, those scores would be much less too. Maybe soccer should award 8 points per goal and surpass football. I will admit that soccer isn’t my absolute favorite sport, but the lack of logic exhibited by those here who don’t like it just amazes me.</p>
<p>Personally, I think the majority of americans don’t like it for one of two reasons: they either don’t understand it well enough to enjoy it, or they get frustrated by not being the best in the world in it. A country who claims to win the World Series of Baseball almost every year when only two countires participate, cannot possibly enjoy knowing they are so much worse than the rest of the world at something.</p>
<p>Topic at hand-WC</p>
<p>No surpise from me at this morning’s outcome. I hope for an exciting game this afternoon, high or low-scoring! I also hope for good reffing. Secretly I’m pulling for Chile.</p>
<p>“who is a defender because he wasn’t good enough to be a striker”</p>
<p>What??! Good enough at what? I leave to confess that soccer is the only sport I watch, ma tin sure it’s because of my 12 year involvement at the youth level, seeing increasing levels of ability. I ABHOR football with all the “teams”, stops and starts, But who cares? Why do we have to convince each other? I know soccer is “here” to stay.</p>
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<p>Let’s take basketball for example. If Michael Jordan decides to step back and take a long three-point shot, nothing is going to stop him. It’s not a matter of the defense failing, it’s simply that nothing is going to stop that shot. Point being is that he can succeed without the failure of the defense. Not so in futbol, other than a ‘goal of the century’ type of shots they like to show in futbol - taking a long blast at the goal can’t succeed unless the defender fails to adequately defend and the keeper messes up on the ball.</p>
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<p>He wasn’t good enough athletically to be a striker. Talent go for the glory positions - always have, always will.</p>
<p>^ So is that good or bad? To me it means it’s a team sport, and you have to watch the whole thing, not just the shots on goals.</p>
<p>Watching my kids play volleyball for several years, I concluded it was a sport where points largely come from individual “mistakes.” It didn’t take away from my enjoyment whatsoever. I don’t get why that would make watching a sport less enjoyable, but as stated previously, enjoyment is by definition completely subjective.</p>
<p>"He wasn’t good enough athletically to be a striker. Talent go for the glory positions - always have, always will. "</p>
<p>I don’t see that. Of course, I’m talking about youth soccer here, but my son has played at a pretty high level. He plays forward, but would much prefer midfield. He has played midfield with less competitive teams, and scored as much from midfield as some forwards. He had to run farther and “see” the game more. He has also played defense at sweeper and stopper, though considered one of the three best on that team (and not just by me… smile… )</p>
<p>Midfield seems clearly the most demanding to me. I agree, he doesn’t like playing defender, but because he feels “tripped” and can’t run. I think it’s also because playing defense is a lot of pressure. After all, it’s why the scores are low.</p>
<p>Landon often plays midfield. </p>
<p>Lots of folks think the goalie, the “ultimate” defender is a glory position.</p>
<p>Midfield is not a defender, a defender by definition is: "a player who works mainly in the defensive third of the field. They are primarily focused on stopping the opposition’s attackers from scoring. </p>
<p>"Lots of folks think the goalie, the “ultimate” defender is a glory position. "</p>
<p>Goalie (as in hockey and lacrosse) may be the most important position, but it’s the rare kid growing up that went into futbol wanting to be a keeper and when Adidas and Nike WC ads start featuring the goalies, let me know. ;)</p>
<p>I know a mid fielder is not a defender. I am saying people aren’t defenders because they “can’t be forwards”, and that the most athletic player is not always the forward.</p>
<p>“it’s the rare kid growing up that went into futbol wanting to be a keeper”</p>
<p>It takes a special kid to be a goalie, and I think every kid who plays knows that. I think you either are, or you aren’t a goalie, and it has little to do with what you want.</p>
<p>PS tripped was supposed to be trapped.</p>
<p>I said it on another thread, but again, i don’t get the “I don’t get this sport, so there’s something wrong with it mentality.” totally agree with Xiggi on this one. I love baseball, I mean, it’s one of my favorite things in life, but I know some people find it boring. Oh well, their loss. I can’t imagine watching track and field for more than a few moments, but it would be so insular and close-minded of me to question someone else’s interest.</p>
<p>As far as the MJ jumpshot example–if you mean there is no failure inthat instance because one player has transcended the sport and is now indefensible, that is isolated and not representative of the sport itself (and I could argue that basketball is the sport for low attention spans, since there’s so much scoring, and the final score is almost always an incremental percentage difference, thus uninteresting. but I won’t :)).</p>
<p>A surprising amount of provincialism here, overall.</p>
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<p>My point is not that one player transcends a sport but that most sports scoring happens not at the failure of the defense but the success of the offense. To be more blunt, it’s far more likely that a defensive player will put a shot into his own goal than some fantastic offensive goal scored by a terrific strike of the ball from a player. </p>
<p>As a side issue, I don’t watch pro basketball because of the watered down defense and the overlooked rules. There is a limit and they truly crossed it. I love the college game though.</p>
<p>Well, no surprises in the 2nd game, either. All the goals scored were deserved, and good, to boot (pun intended). Chile was outplayed, but never quit. I like that in a team.</p>
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<p>Far more likely?! Not in my observations. Own goals don’t happen more often than brilliant strikes do. Fantastic offensive goals happen more often in soccer than you are giving credit for. I also think your statement that in “most sports,” scoring occurs not because of defensive mistakes but of brilliant offense is very debatable.</p>
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<p>Nope, you miss the point. It need not be brilliant. A homer need not be brilliant to score. But it also doesn’t require some breakdown by the defense to score. A pitcher could throw it hard, low and away and it still could go for a homer. Meanwhile, look at this top goals of the last World Cup. The first goal occurs because the defender falls down. Certainly there would be no top touchdown video recap in American Football when a defender falls down making for a touchdown. C’est la difference. </p>
<p>Also watch the Bakary Kone goal. Goes to the point of top scorers against over-matched defenders. He dribbles the ball and beats TWO guys that can’t even match his speed and all they had to do was run. What a joke.</p>
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<p>I don’t think this is true. Most European teams have a captain who is a defender. There are plenty of famous legendary players who are/were defenders. For example Maldini, Canavaro (defenders)… Peter Schmeicheal, Kahn (goalies) and the likes. I have heard / seen kids telling each other they wanna grow up to be like Maldini. This world cup was lack of great legendary goal keepers that’s why we don’t see them mentioning many outstanding goal keepers. However, there’s a golden ball awarded for the greatest goal keeper of the tournament, just like the golden boot for the highest goal scorer. There are, however defenders (Canavaro) and goalies featuring in Nike and Adidas commercials this year. In world cup 2002 and 2006, Germany built a giant arc across highways featuring a statue and photo of their goalkeeper leaping over to catch the ball. In the old days, Lev Yashin of Russia was considered the greatest goalie of all time, his ridiculous saves made the strikers/forward look bad.</p>
<p>I can go on and on but the point is the best players aren’t always forwards. Each position is unique. The defenders have to learn a lot of different techniques that the forwards can not do (and vice versa). For example the offside trap, different techniques to clear the balls… and so on. Nowadays a lot of defenders are also designated to take corner kicks / free kicks and penalty kicks. They play very important roles on the team and are not the second strings after the forwards.</p>
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<p>Please don’t misquote me by introducing statements I never made. Offense need not be brilliant to score. A homer need not be brilliant to score. But it also doesn’t require some breakdown by the defense to occur. A pitcher could throw it hard, low and away and it still could go for a homer. Meanwhile, look at this top goals of the last World Cup in the attached video. The first goal occurs because the defender falls down. Certainly there would be no top touchdown video recap in American Football when a defender falls down making for a touchdown. C’est la difference. </p>
<p>Also watch the Bakary Kone goal. Goes to the point of top scorers against over-matched defenders. He dribbles the ball and beats TWO guys that can’t even match his speed and all they had to do was run. What a joke.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Best Goals of the World Cup 2006 in Germany](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta_la6vIaFc]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta_la6vIaFc)</p>
<p>That Maxi Rodriquez goal was pretty sweet.</p>
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<p>I agree. During the game, I could not help but think of the Germany-England clash. My opinion is that those English players are not as good as they or their fans seem to think. Their success come from playing in their own league against their own kind with their weaknesses concealed by their foreign teammates.</p>
<p>Once they get onto the world stage, their indecisiveness and lack of pace and skill are there for all to see.</p>
<p>Chile in defeat looked much better than that. “Golden Generation” my foot.</p>