World Cup fever!

coureur · July 13, 2010, 11:09am

The big thing that drives a lot of the interest in soccer in the World Cup is nationalism more than love of the game for its own sake. How much of the interest generated this time would have still been there if the US team had not qualified for the tournament?

It’s a lot like track, swimming, the bobsled, and all those other minor sports that Americans get obsessed with every four years when the Olympics rolls around. That interest is largely fueld by nationalism rather than interest in the sport itself. Once the Olympic games (or World Cup) is over the nationalism subsides, and interest in the sport recedes to its true level,

I don’t disagree. The game is what it is for better for worse. It’s certainly under no obligation to change to suit the Americans or anybody else. But likewise Americans are under no obligation to change their tastes and preferences to embrace soccer in a big way. They’ve had ample opportunities over the decades to jump on the pro soccer bandwagon and have so mostly chosen not to.

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:12am

Alexandre…5 championships wins the rankings …Alexandre…I think college rankings have screwed up your mind… Brazil is number one Alexandre…

Did you watch the celebration after the game? The difference between coming in first and second…

This isn’t like college rankings Alexandre…we can actually see who has won…;)

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:14am

24 million people watched the final in the US…and the US wasn’t in the final.

Maybe the next World Cup…more Americans will watch those finals than watch the NBA championships.

It’s already very close.

Soccer is going to make it in the US.

Twenty more years…check out the demographics…

On a slightly different note…

It would be great if the Spanish Soccer League games were televised. Real Madrid… Barcelona…

Alexandre · July 13, 2010, 11:24am

I also found it strange that Brasil came in second. Ok, I will assign 7 points for runner up. It won’t change much, but Brasil will take the lead by 1 point. Actually, Spain jumps the Netherlands too…which is a good thing.

1 point for qualifying for the World Cup but not advancing past the second round
3 points for losing in the Quarterfinals
5 points for finishing in fourth place
6 points for finishing in third place
7 points for the runner-up
10 points for the Champions

<h1>1 Brasil (98 points)</h1>

19 World Cup appearances (100%!!!)
67 wins, 15 draws, 15 losses
5 early exits
4 Quarterfinals exits
1 Fourth place finish
2 Third place finishes
2 Runner-up finishes
5 Championhips

<h1>2 Germany (97 points)</h1>

17 World Cup appearances
42 wins, 9 draws, 14 losses
1 early exit
3 Quarterfinal exits
1 Fourth place finish
4 Third place finishes
4 Runner-up finishes
3 Championships

<h1>3 Italy (76 points)</h1>

17 World Cup appearances
44 wins, 21 draws, 15 losses
8 early exits
1 Quarterfinals exit
1 Fourth place finish
1 Third place finish
2 Runner-up finishes
4 Championhips

<h1>4 Argentina (53 points)</h1>

15 World Cup appearances
37 wins, 13 draws, 20 losses
7 early exits
4 Quarterfinals exits
0 Fourth place finishes
0 Third place finishes
2 Runner-up finishes
2 Championhips

<h1>5 France (44 points)</h1>

13 World Cup appearances
25 wins, 11 draws, 18 losses
7 early exits
1 Quarterfinals exit
1 Fourth place finish
2 Third place finishes
1 Runner-up finish
1 Championhip

<h1>6 Uruguay (43 points)</h1>

11 World Cup appearances
19 wins, 11 draws, 16 losses
5 early exits
1 Quarterfinals exit
3 Fourth place finish
0 Third place finishes
0 Runner-up finishes
2 Championhips

<h1>7 England (38 points)</h1>

13 World Cup appearances
26 wins, 19 draws, 14 losses
5 early exits
6 Quarterfinals exits
1 Fourth place finish
0 Third place finishes
0 Runner-up finishes
1 Championhips

<h1>8 Spain (34 points)</h1>

13 World Cup appearances
28 wins, 12 draws, 16 losses
7 early exits
4 Quarterfinals exits
1 Fourth place finish
0 Third place finishes
0 Runner-up finishes
1 Championhip

<h1>9 Netherlands (33 points)</h1>

9 World Cup appearances
22 wins, 10 draws, 11 losses
4 early exits
1 Quarterfinals exit
1 Fourth place finish
0 Third place finishes
3 Runner-up finishes
0 Championhips

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:30am

Alexandre …you are working too hard…

1…Brazil

2…Italy

3…Germany

4…Argentina

5…Uruguay (because their championships occured a longer time ago than Argentina’s and that’s the tie breaker).

6…Who cares…But if you have to rank some country… Spain…the most recent winner…

JHS · July 13, 2010, 11:32am

<ol>
<li>Any system that ranks Germany over Brazil, even by one percentage point, is a system that needs adjusting. I am happy to concede second place to Germany, narrowly, over Italy, but Brazil is the gold standard.</li>
<li>I have watched almost every World Cup final since I was a teen and fell in love with Cruyff and the Barca. But I rarely watch soccer in between World Cups. International soccer is very, very dull. It just is. </li>
<li>And the outcomes seem almost random, even without the execrable penalty kicks. In the end, this was a satisfying win for the team that deserved it most, but a couple of inches difference on one of the Robben breakaways and it could/would have gone to Holland. Not that I mind seeing an underdog win, but I want the underdog to earn its victory. When each team only gets 2-3 serious scoring opportunities in the course of a two-hour match, the results lack statistical significance.</li>
</ol>

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:36am

I love the fact that it is so hard to score…

I loved watching Cruff play…even it was mostly taped…

Alexandre · July 13, 2010, 11:40am

dstark, yours is a ranking according to the number of World Cup championships, not overall World Cup performance. I was going more for general World Cup performance.

ctyankee · July 13, 2010, 11:43am

Agreed. Not to mention that the one goal that was scored was the result of a botched clear.

Spain was the better team, but 8 goals in 7 games by the champions is a snooze-fest if it weren’t that this event only takes place every four years. Go curling!

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:44am

Yeah…because championships are what count. ;)

I like curling too…not as much as soccer though…

Nrdsb4 · July 13, 2010, 11:48am

I thought one of the most spectacular goals of the tournament was the Forlan goal in the second half of the Uruguay v. Germany game. Anyone who has ever played soccer knows how hard it would be to make that shot.

Very impressive.

dstark · July 13, 2010, 11:55am

Great goal. I agree. Great tournament too for Forlan. I guess that is obvious…:)

ctyankee · July 13, 2010, 11:56am

Forlan was terrific and a no-brainer Golden Shoe award winner.

chaoses · July 13, 2010, 11:58am

so Muller won the golden boot award for scoring + assisting the most? I thought they only count the number of goals, if there’s a tie, it’s splitted. I didn’t know they count assist also

gloworm · July 13, 2010, 12:37pm

Alexandre,

Is this what WC withdrawal does to you?

We long-suffering Spanish soccer fans only know that Spain is the CHAMPION!! Prior to this WC Spain had the distinction of being the nation that had won more WC matches w/o having won the title. We now leave that distinction to the dirty Dutch.

I really don’t care if soccer gets more popular here. I will begin the new season watching La Liga, EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga, and soccer from all the leagues in the so-called New World on satellite. I won’t watch MLS, though.

Jersey13 · July 13, 2010, 12:40pm

^ Yeah I don’t really care if this piqued interest in Soccer will ever exist without a World Cup, I know enough people that watch EPL/La Liga/Bundesliga to have discussions with.

Youdon_tsay · July 13, 2010, 2:53pm

Since people still want to talk about it, let me ask this question, which I heard asked postgame on the radio: Who is the early favorite for 2014?

Guy on the radio said Spain; I’ll go with Germany.

Alexandre · July 13, 2010, 3:15pm

Spain is a young team. Guys like Albiol, Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos, Busquets, Iniesta, Silva and Torres will all be on the 2014 squad. There are no superstars, but this is a talented, experienced and tight group. History is not on Spain’s side though, since repeating as champions is rare (it has not happened since Brasil did it back in 1958-1962), but Spain certainly has the horses to make it happen.

Argentina and Germany are also very young and should also be excellent.

France, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal could all make a run.

Brasil has to be the favorite though. They will be playing on their turf and the homefield advantage should be considerable.

chaoses · July 13, 2010, 4:44pm

When the world cup is in Europe (and Africa), a Euro country will take it, when world cup is in America (and Asia), a S. America country will take it. So that narrows down your pick to Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay.

gloworm · July 13, 2010, 4:50pm

chaoses,

A few tourneys back, FIFA decided not to give multiples of the award, so tie-breakers are now in play.

Before looking ahead to 2014, 2012 Europe should be exciting. It is supposed to be shared by Poland and the Ukrane, but might all have to be in Poland.

World Cup fever!

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