WORLD CUP 2010

[Om]

Doesn't matter - their goal differential is currently -3 (-2 if this result stands). Mexico is at +1 (if they lose 0-1 as the score is now). Looks like Mexico is going to move on. SA needed to win by a lot of goals.

I knew SA wasn't going to advance---wasn't about that for me. I just wanted them to get a win for the home folks ... and in the process rub France's nose in the solar-sytemic embarrassment it has become.

Karma 1 - France 0

 

[Om]

Yeah. No red-blooded American would put up with that fake foul bull****.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SYUYWAvfWw[/media]

 

[Neophyte]

Throughout the world, soccer is played everywhere from the middle classes to the poorest of the poor. Much like football and basketball here in the States (mostly basketball) kids in the inner cities look to these sports as a way out. Soccer pays handsomely everywhere else in the world but not here in the States like Football and Basketball.

And why is it that Soccer pays handsomely everywhere else but no so much here?

I have a theory. TV.

With a game where the clock runs continuously there is no space for commercials and with no commercials there is no way for stations to pay for airtime. Until Soccer gets big enough here to charge directly for airing the game so that stations make money without commercials, there won't be any of the big money TV deals with the MLS (or any other league for that matter), the likes of which currently pay for the Iverson's, Portis's and Bailey's to play pro versions of their sport here.

I believe it something of a catch 22. Without the big names making big money that kids to want to emulate, the most talented kids don't pick Soccer and without those kids picking Soccer there won't be any big names or not enough of them to push a league anyway.

 

[Elephant]

there isnt enough action in soccer in my opinion. lots of passing, lots of movement but there just isnt enough scoring. plus the fact that so many players get "hurt" it seems kind of lame.

basketball is an international sport and I could try to argue that it produces jsut as many if not more well known athletes than soccer.

You can't support that argument worldwide Mike. In this country you are absolutely correct. But if you go to Portugal and ask someone about Gilbert Arenas, they will likely say, "Who?" But if you go to Argentina and ask them who Christiano Ronaldo is, they will assuredly know.

 

[Neophyte]

You can't support that argument worldwide Mike. In this country you are absolutely correct. But if you go to Portugal and ask someone about Gilbert Arenas, they will likely say, "Who?" But if you go to Argentina and ask them who Christiano Ronaldo is, they will assuredly know.

And they would know who Landon Donovan is and Wayne Rooney and Kaka and nearly any other guy you can think off from this World Cup. It makes little difference what country the players are from, they would know them.

 

[Elephant]

if you go any where in Europe and say Dirk, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, etc they know who that is. and thats worldwide brother.

I won't dispute that Mike, but your claim was that basketball players were either as well known or more well known than soccer players are. I would contend that there are popular basketball players and they do have notoriety throughout the world, but their popularity, worldwide, does not match soccer players.

 

[McD5]

Go USA! It's almost time to rock.

 

[Elephant]

Go USA! It's almost time to rock.

I have a feeling the Americans are going to come out strong in this game riding the momentum of the second half against Serbia.

USA 3 Algeria 1

Go USA!!!

 

[Om]

Well, 20 minutes in and no disaster yet ... given the way we usually start that's a good thing.

C'mon fellas. Gotta have it.


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4kKZ2-bv0&feature=related[/media]

 

[Neophyte]

Dempsey has one taken away for Off Sides. Looks like another bad call too. At the least the replay has the announcers convinced it was bad.

 

[Elephant]

Dempsey has one taken away for Off Sides. Looks like another bad call too. At the least the replay has the announcers convinced it was bad.

Man, I will give the refs the benefit of the doubt in offsides calls to a degree. It is without a doubt one of the most difficult calls to make. You have to acknowledge 2 different scenarios simultaneously. Which means, with all those vuvzelas going off you have pay attention to where the player is standing at the same moment the ball is touched. The only real way to do it is to listen for contact on the ball while you are looking at the last line of defense to see if the offensive player is at least even with the final defender.

We have the benefit of frame by frame imagery with graphics to show the precise moment the ball is touched, but there have been some bad offsides calls in this WC.

 

[Neophyte]

All even at that half.

And what you say is true Brian but man it hurts after the blatantly bad call against Slovenia to take the third one off the board. An early goal in this one would have put a lot of pressure on Algeria who has to win outright to advance and possibily opened up even more changes for the US in the second half.

FYI - England leads Slovenia 1-0 at the moment, making this a must win for the US if that result stands.

 

[Neophyte]

Boom! US 1-0 in the 91st minute. 3 minutes to go. Donovan with the potential game winner.

 

[servumtuum]

Damn. Wow.


My nerves are shot.

 

[Neophyte]

Not only does the US advance, they win group C.

 

[Henry]

Boom! US 1-0 in the 91st minute. 3 minutes to go. Donovan with the potential game winner.

Well I'm not soccer fan but that was a pretty cool moment.

Congrats to all of you who follow this stuff.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Holy crap...took an early lunch to watch the 2nd half, and WOW. So glad I did. That was amazing soccer in the final 45 minutes.

Also, benefit of the doubt or not, that offsides was another horse**** call against the US.

 

[Henry]

Non-soccer-fan question here:

Do national soccer teams have mascots? Are we like the 'US Battling Patriots' or something or are we just the US team? I've always assumed it was the latter, but you never know.

 

[Om]

This is why we watch sports.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_2m4EH7-0g[/media]

 

[chrisavery72]

Goosebumps