That is such a simplistic view of things. You think millions, maybe billions of people are just 'ok' without commercials? The rules of the game and basic economics determines the level of advertisements. Why do you think soccer teams have sponsors on their shirts?
Why USA isn't a world power in soccer (yet)
- Thread starter Bewilderme
- Start date
That is such a simplistic view of things. You think millions, maybe billions of people are just 'ok' without commercials? The rules of the game and basic economics determines the level of advertisements. Why do you think soccer teams have sponsors on their shirts?
Are you completely committed to this idea? Cause if you took field goals away from football would there not be much more drama in a game? Field goals give coaches/teams a way out, look we scored points. wooohooo. If in football you had to score a touchdown to score, it would dramatically increase the drama.
I love football, but the argument that field goals make it better is not accurate.
Soccer is full of drama throughout most games, because one play can change how the rest of the game is played.
This is kind of where I'm at. Now, take this for what it's worth. When my daughter started playing organized soccer, she was 6 years old. When you sign up for soccer, it's for August, through June. Now granted, there is some time off in there for breaks and Holidays, but it goes from Fall Soccer, to Indoor, then in March starts outdoors again until June. At 6. She also wanted to try Basketball, softball and had considered cheerleading even.
Well, after that first year, because she was getting tired of always playing sports, she quit soccer for a few years, then picked it up again this year at age 10. She immediately went back to being one of the top 5 on her team because she is highly athletic, but again since the season just ended and she was still playing Basketball and softball, decided she'd had enough of it and was done with soccer.
Now I understand specialization in sports as you get older, but come on, it doesn't leave time to play anything else and give other sports a try as you are younger. Most teams were hesitant to take on my daughter because of her time off. So, not only are they asking my kid to decide at age 6 what sport she wants to play for the rest of her life, but if she decides at age 10 that she might want to play soccer, most of the coaches aren't willing to take her on the team.
I read this guys article, and I don't necessarily agree with him. I don't think it's that we steer our kids to other sports, it just seems that those in the soccer world feel so passionately about it, that they don't think you should do anything else. I'm sorry, I follow a mantra of "Well Rounded" In all parts of life, not just sports. Like school, even though I was in Graphic Design, I still had to take some math, English, History etc.
Eventually I believe our culture will change and we will accept soccer more and you will see more kids dedicate their life to it, but for now, it's just not there. Most of the parents I know, consider the game boring and would rather not be there. If it wasn't for their kids, they'd never watch any soccer. So, if you aren't making it easy for parents, like me, it's easy for me to say, "Great, I'm glad you aren't playing next year."
So, it's not so much that we are steering our kids to other stuff, it's that they have other options. In other parts of the world, that's the game people play, here we have more options and personally, I like that. I'd gladly trade being a world power in soccer knowing that I still have basketball, hockey and football on TV to watch. And that my kids have other options besides soccer to play.
I thought it was respectable discussion, the soccer fans see the similarities between the sports while you see the differences, but that's why they're fans and you're not.
Forwards aren't often back in the thick of things on defense. They're not going to be losing a man on defense, watch Argentina and Messi and Aguero basically have no defensive roles. You don't see Dempsey or Altidore making tackles in the defensive third.
How about we eliminate offsides from football as well. After all, why punish the defense for beating the offense to the spot?
By your definition of scoring = exciting, I would assume you also consider 95% of football games "boring" as well.
But the defense isn't involved in the offense either so why does it matter. If a guy sits back by the goal keep a defender there with him. It's all strategy.
Most of them bring all they need to their seat with them. It's having to pee that gets em.
He absolutely would. And the other team would have to keep a defender with him. Sure if the defender leaves him, they have a 10-9 advantage the other way (not counting the keeper). That is a very minimal advantage compared to the risk of having Dempsey 1 on 1 vs their keeper if we steal the ball and pass it up to him. The offsides rule allows for more end to end action.
yes - football has way too much time in huddles and in between possessions. The average football game only has 11 minutes of actual running or playtime. That's really sad and boring.
I shouldn't have made the analogy. Not because it doesn't work but I knew it would be nit picked to death and the point would be completely missed. And what you describe is exactly what would happen if offsides was gotten rid of. Teams would put a tall physical striker in the 18 yard box that would just sit there waiting for long passes. Their defense would be missed? Strikers defensive responsibilities are lazily jogging towards the central defender when he has the ball.
I can't think of a worse idea than to get rid of offsides. The constant cat and mouse game between attackers and defenders, timing runs, the cohesiveness of a good defensive unit that can trap players offside. It would really be awful.
I have the same feeling towards youth, I played basketball, football, soccer and hockey until I quit one by one in middle school through high school. Then I turned to all year soccer around age 10 and knew that's what I wanted to do. With school, I believe the same to be true in high school, but having to take all that stuff in college is bs. There's an age where you know what you want to do and can specialize in it. I also don't know where you live that your daughter couldn't play rec league any season she wanted and not the others, that's odd.
Soccer is more for the younger generation, I didn't have a coach that had played soccer before until I was in high school. That's not the case anymore.
This entire discussion is why soccer hasn't caught on yet. Half this thread thinks offside is dumb and the other half thinks it's great. What annoys me is that no league will ever just TRY it without that rule. The Ames rec league could try it and see how it changes things. No one knows what anyone will do until they try it.
Personally I have never had a problem with soccer. I actually like it- the strategy behind it is awesome. I don't mind the 1-0 games.
I think things that bother Americans also are arbitrary things like calling the field a "pitch", calling their shoes "boots", their uniforms "kits", if you don't score a goal its "nill". Another thing that Americans don't like is all of the gamesmanship that happens. A lot of unneeded fake injuries or flopping just to get a foul or yellow/red card.
As others have said- IMO- until American football dies, association football will never have the support it needs for the US to be world dominators in this sport. It will only have the support of the country when the FIFA World Cup or Confederations Cup is being played.
I think things that bother Americans also are arbitrary things like calling the field a "pitch", calling their shoes "boots", their uniforms "kits", if you don't score a goal its "nill". Another thing that Americans don't like is all of the gamesmanship that happens. A lot of unneeded fake injuries or flopping just to get a foul or yellow/red card.
As others have said- IMO- until American football dies, association football will never have the support it needs for the US to be world dominators in this sport. It will only have the support of the country when the FIFA World Cup or Confederations Cup is being played.
I understand what you are saying but usually, the offense is attempting to score, or at least keep the drive moving on every play, other than punts, even thought the team fielding the punt is immediately going into score mode.
I saw the stats for Mexico vs. Brazil. I think the shots on goal was 3-8. Now I understand there is a lot more that goes into scoring a goal than just kicking at the goal, but the majority of that time not spent kicking at the goal is just time spent moving the ball back and forth.
The big difference in soccer and other American loved sports, imo, is the, at least perceived, notion of offensive control. In most sports we love in the US, turnovers are bad things and when they happen, it can be a game changer, especially in football. In soccer, turnovers are pretty much the norm.
Now, I'm not saying this is bad on soccers part, just that Americans are used to a team being on offense and a team being on defense. The Big 3, football, baseball and basketball (basketball to a slightly lesser degree) Seem to have an offensive and defensive set. Mainly there is this defined section of time when you are on offense, attempting to score. And also you are set defensively, trying to keep them from scoring.
Soccer and to some extent hockey don't really fall into this as much. Obviously there are plays and strategies being used, but the turnover ratio is such that the games don't flow like Basketball and football. And even Baseball, where it can be boring, every pitch could be another run added to the total. It's what we are used to and a lot different from the soccer flow, where most of the game is spent around midfield, exchanging turnovers.
I'm honestly not trying to say one is better than another, just trying to point out that Americans favorite games really have a completely different flow to them than soccer does. It's really a matter of being able to get used to how to watch it.
I don't think the offsides rule is great - I just understand its purpose and its need.
The problem is the US doesn't have the pull to change the international game. So while it may be more fun on a local level you are hampering the development of the kids playing. If the NBA wanted to change the way FIBA plays the game by adding a four point shot they could likely influence that change. US soccer could not change the way FIFA plays its game, that would have to come from the Euro leagues.
because it's that bad of an idea. If it makes you feel better I've played a lot of games without offisides and no matter how you start it always ends with everyone trying to feed the one or two cherry pickers on your team. It completely bastardizes most strategy.
