2010 World Cup discussion

[Jefe]

Going to sleep all day tomorrow since I have zero interest in those games. I just checked out the rest of the games for US and MX, it turns out the US plays this Sat whilst MX plays on Sun.

[Meian]

Late to the party but awesome job USA <3 Makes up for the bs goal they lost in the last game XD

Friend sent me this, dunno if this has been posted before but here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLaA1...ure=popt00us04

Click the soccer ball icon next the 360p button XD

[Plow]

because there are just SO MANY OF THEM BEING SHOW ON TV ALL THE TIME

which again, in one word: EXPOSURE

if the US has any kind of significant and consistent success in the world cup, then there are very good chance pro league will get more exposure, and that will 100% increase its popularity despite stupid rules and flopping

US could win the world cup right now, it wouldn't matter at all.

my comment was directly related to your idiotic comment about commercials. Again, exposure is not the number one reason, there is a solid amount of exposure but the US doesn't care about soccer so they don't go looking for it. Our top athletes play every other sport imaginable and it's hard to care about a sport where the best athletes are playing in Europe or S.America.

And you have tried to state exposure is the end all be all reason multiple times, otherwise you are just a troll arguing something nobody else is arguing.

Think about what you just said for a minute.

Why, exactly, do you think all our best athletes play football, basketball, and baseball?

Because, here, that's where the money is.

Sure, a few American kids make it into the European leagues and make a couple mil a year. A few dozen American kids make 5x that much every year in the other sports for every one that gets to that point in soccer.


The European game has so much history to dominate the popularity that people are willing to pay the kind of money that 30ish advertisers will pay all added up together during an NFL game simply to have their name on the sidelines during 1 game.

Let alone to have their names on the jerseys etc.


The European Champions League could move to the U.S. for a year, the only thing remotely keeping it afloat would be European advertisers, attendance would be terrible and nobody in the U.S. would bat an eye.


The fact of the matter is that football, basketball, and baseball are "just what we do" the same way soccer is in the rest of the world.

Except here, instead of it being driven by history and playability, it happens because that's what the people that matter, i.e. the people paying the big money, i.e. the advertisers, want.

[Rhyis.]

US could win the world cup right now, it wouldn't matter at all.

Let's not be silly. The states like to win. If the US won the world cup, soccer would become much more popular there.

[Plow]

Let's not be silly. The states like to win. If the US won the world cup, soccer would become much more popular there.

Did you know the U.S. won back the America's Cup this year after 15 years without it?


Yeah, neither did anyone else.


Nobody will give a shit because nobody will put up the money to televise it at any meaningful time whatsoever.

[Mugekuge]

US could win the world cup right now, it wouldn't matter at all.



Think about what you just said for a minute.

Why, exactly, do you think all our best athletes play football, basketball, and baseball?

Because, here, that's where the money is.

Sure, a few American kids make it into the European leagues and make a couple mil a year. A few dozen American kids make 5x that much every year in the other sports for every one that gets to that point in soccer.


The European game has so much history to dominate the popularity that people are willing to pay the kind of money that 30ish advertisers will pay all added up together during an NFL game simply to have their name on the sidelines during 1 game.

Let alone to have their names on the jerseys etc.


The European Champions League could move to the U.S. for a year, the only thing remotely keeping it afloat would be European advertisers, attendance would be terrible and nobody in the U.S. would bat an eye.


The fact of the matter is that football, basketball, and baseball are "just what we do" the same way soccer is in the rest of the world.

Except here, instead of it being driven by history and playability, it happens because that's what the people that matter, i.e. the people paying the big money, i.e. the advertisers, want.

Yup best analysis by far, i could add a similar case in my country Venezuela, most schools kids play soccer and baseball.

We actually are good on kid soccer tournaments, but Venezuela has never made it to the world cup and is because the kids switch to other sports (ie baseball, obviously they see how much $$$ venezuelan players win over there) when they grow up or just make a professional career in any college instead to keep playing soccer because professional soccer players here win shit and barely anyone here will get the chance to play in europe or any decent south american league.

So yea you have my country with a few good MLB players (Johan Santana, Kid Rodriguez, Armando Galarraga, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordoñez, Omar Vizquel, etc, hell even a coach Ozzie Guillén) and 0 star players in any worthwhile soccer league.

But i tell you people love soccer here as much as baseball.

[Jefe]

The salary of regular no-name MLS player is like 40k a year lol. Note that Beckham gets 6.5M and Donovan 2.1M.

[wagon]

edit, booya

[Iku]

Even if US has someone as legendary as Pele, Maradona; he probably gonna play for European League. That is where the money is.

I think the US women team won the World Cup once, but hey everyone loves tits.

[Plow]

Even if US has someone as legendary as Pele, Maradona; he probably gonna play for European League. That is where the money is.

I think the US women team won the World Cup once, but hey everyone loves tits.

Uh, US women's team dominates.

They've won 2 of 5 world cups, and won the 3rd place game in each of the other 3.

They've also won 3 of the 4 olympics, 2nd in the other.


It's just that nobody cares except when Brandi Chastain takes her shirt off.

[Wintermute]

it definitely extends beyond the player and to the team, like the NFL. Shit like Barcelona - Real Madrid or Man United - Liverpool is insane, even moreso than Bears - Packers or Giants - Eagles.

In regards to the vuvuzelas, they aren't Mexican lol. Mexicans like to cheer and do the wave (hence why ESPN keeps say the MEXICAN wave). Can't do the wave and act like a retard blowing into your vuvuzela at the same time...

You mentioned the old ingrained rivalries after decades of Football and the inheritance of fandom through families to explain the draw of the matches but you didn't mention the Local or City derbies?

For those who don't know, some cities will have more than one Team (Man U/Man City, Real Madrid/Atletico Madrid for example) and when they face off you're guaranteed lunacy. On the pitch and off it.

Not so sure about everywhere else but they've calmed down a lot in the EU over the last few years. Not that long ago Spanish fans were launching fireworks at each other from one side of the stands to the other.

[Velgadess]

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wor...ria062310.html

PRETORIA, South Africa – Algeria soccer player Rafik Saifi slapped a female journalist across the face as the aftermath of the United States’ dramatic World Cup victory turned ugly at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.

More From Martin Rogers
U.S.-Algeria: Winners and losers jun 23, 2010 Dramatic goal completes Donovan's redemption jun 23, 2010 While walking through the interview zone, Saifi spotted writer Asma Halimi, who works for Algerian newspaper Competition, and struck her with his open hand in front of dozens of witnesses. Halimi responded by striking the player in the mouth.

Saifi then threw a sports drink bottle at a wall in the interview area, as Halimi was ushered away by security staff.

Saifi came on as substitute for the last five minutes of the USA’s 1-0 victory.

“I said nothing to him and he reached over and hit me,” Halimi said to Yahoo! Sports. “So I hit him back. I said nothing to him first.”

It is understood that Saifi and Halimi had previously had a difference of opinion over an article she wrote for her newspaper.

“She was standing there and the guy came here and he hit her,” said Francisco Aguilar Chang, a reporter from Guatemala who witnessed the incident. “Then she hit him back and her nail caught his lip.”

Saifi and Algerian football association officials refused to comment when quizzed by Yahoo! Sports.

The Algerian team has come under heavy criticism in its homeland after a disappointing World Cup in which it finished at the bottom of Group C and was knocked out of the tournament.

When asked if she would launch an official complaint with governing body FIFA and the Algerian F.A., Halimi replied: “Of course.”


Sore loser? lol. apparently there's a youtube video of it. @ work and youtube's blocked.

[sruon]

That's the arab way, doin' it right.

[Baleoce]

I would have to admit, as unlikely as it is, it would feel quite sour if USA won the World Cup. And thats definitely not because I have anything against them. I don't doubt for one minute that the players want it more than anything. But the nation and fans will probably be like "woooot!! for a short while" and then get on with whatever they were doing lol! Perhaps that is an exaggeration, but I'm confident it wouldn't mean as much to them as the other 31 countries. Whereas I can genuinely say in any other country that is being represented in the competition, there would be parties going on for weeks afterwards on the streets, it would be as it should be, a feeling like they just conquered the world. I have no doubt that there are devoted soccer fans in the USA. But the country would not be united in it's celebrations like most others.

[Not not Mattaru]

it would be as it should be, a feeling like they just conquered the world

Yeah dude, we are so desensitized to that.

[Olo401]

Matches today:

10AM - Paraguay v. New Zealand, Slovakia v. Italy
2:30PM - Cameroon v. Netherlands, Denmark v. Japan

[sruon]

Jumping ship, back to my real love.

Going to watch Slovakia v. Italy for this round!

– If Paraguay win or draw against New Zealand, they will qualify for the Round of 16.

– If Paraguay win, they will top the section. They will also be guaranteed first place in the event of a draw, as long as Italy fail to win their game against Slovakia.

– If Paraguay draw and Italy prevail, top spot will come down to goal difference.

– If Italy beat Slovakia they will qualify. If they draw, they will still qualify as long as New Zealand fail to defeat Paraguay. Their fate will come down to goals scored if New Zealand draw against Paraguay.

– If New Zealand beat Paraguay, they will advance. If they draw, they can only qualify as long as Italy draw against Slovakia and they finish with more goals scored than La Nazionale.

– If Slovakia beat Italy, they will be guaranteed progress providing New Zealand do not overcome Paraguay. If Slovakia and New Zealand both win, the European side will be tied with Paraguay on four points and goal difference will decide who goes through.

[Baleoce]

Ewww Italian anthem. I can smell all the grease and bribery from here.

[Cephius]

Ewww Italian anthem. I can smell all the grease and bribery from here.

Speaking of, what's your favorite anthem (other than home country) to hear at a match? For me it has to be France, but that may just be because of Casablanca...

[Baleoce]

Speaking of, what's your favorite anthem (other than home country) to hear at a match? For me it has to be France, but that may just be because of Casablanca...

For me it's Brazil xD It's so upbeat, and has a really cool intro to which everyone sings after. Always gets me psyched up to watch Brazil play XD