Soccer/Futball!

[randychase]

Anyone excited about World Cup?

Soccer rules. I play and coach. Right now I coach two Over30 Women's Indoor Soccer teams.

Anyone else play? Indoor?

[ltrakal]

I used to play in my country everyweek with my folks!!!!
Excited about the WORLD CUP???? OF COURSE!!!!!! That's one of the Worl Biggest Parties!!!!
I almost go there, shoot I have to wait four more years now...
I prepared my country's team shirt already, the flag and:
" Vamos vamos Argentina, vamos vamos a ganar, que esta barra bullanguera no te deja no te deja de alentar!!!!!"
I will be sleeping during the day the whole month of June!!!!

Laszlo

[randychase]

The only fan more rabid than an Argentinian Footbal fan... is a Brazilian. :)

Soccer is catching on in the USA. Kind of like the Metric system. Now if we could standardize our football fields to match the soccer fields.

:)

[phillipr]

Here in England I play 3 times a week.

Monday - 5 a side indoor
Thursday - 7 aside at our national hockey stadium
Sunday - Corporate league ( Currently top and cup holders :)

[ltrakal]

Talking about Brazil with and Argentinian is like talking about Russia and USA during the cold war. It will always be the same.

hey phillip, how are you guys getting to the cup???
where are you? i know Cannigia is playing for the Glasgow Rangers and La Brujita (Veron) for the Manchester, I hink Crespo will go there too?

[Mark Larson]

what's with the Brazilians not having last names???? aren't they going to run out of names?

And do not say soccer is not popular in U.S. , it is the #1 participation team sport amongst children in US, also bear in mind who won the last womens world cup.

[randychase]

Originally posted by Mark Larson

And do not say soccer is not popular in U.S. , it is the #1 participation team sport amongst children in US, also bear in mind who won the last womens world cup.

I think (it's already happening) that when the newer generations that played soccer become adults, the sport will continue to get more popular.

I deal with this generation a lot and most of the parents do not know much about the game "explain how this offsides thing works again?" but the kids do.

[randychase]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/images/flags/countries/65/argentina_65.gif http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/images/flags/countries/65/brazil_65.gif

[ltrakal]

Originally posted by randychase


I think (it's already happening) that when the newer generations that played soccer become adults, the sport will continue to get more popular.

I deal with this generation a lot and most of the parents do not know much about the game "explain how this offsides thing works again?" but the kids do.

yea, I know what are you talking about, is difficult to learn that part of the game, but when you know how to use the offside law you can avoid goals, is very tricky....

4 DAYYYYYYYSSSS MANNNN!!!!

[randychase]

The "offsides trap" is a time honored technique. But it can kill you if the linesmen/ref miss the call...or if your defense is not in sync with each other and one person stayed back and kept them onside.

Then it's a footrace to the goal for the attacker. A coach's nightmare! :)

[randychase]

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!

[randychase]

What a great game to watch. Wow.

[terry clegg]

Well Done USA.
Yes it was a great match, I didn't think that the US team would get anywhere in this World Cup. They suprised me as well as Portugal, good luck for the rest.
I just hope England can produce some good form.

[randychase]

Go Japan! Excellent. Japan takes their group.

Now for the USA game against Poland.

[Mark Larson]

the US team backs in thanks to Korea beating Portugal, the question is their poor performance against Poland indicative of how they will fare against the next team or did it get their poor play behind them? they sucked

[randychase]

I think they sucked in some ways. In others they played very well.

One telling point was the pre-game handshakes. Check outt he size/height differential between Poland and USA. They were way taller on the average and also bigger. This affected the tactics I think, and USA was slow to respond to that.

USA likes to chip the ball into the opponents 6 yard box and then head it in. If you are shorter than your opponents, that does not work as well. Their other option was to take long shots and they kept skying the ball.

The height/size of Poland also helped Poland on their corner kicks and inside the USA goal area.

I do think that time of posession indicates how well USA played the middle of the field. Agoos hurt them a little in defense, perhaps it is time for him to sit down. Bringing in Beasley helped team speed, but I think he loses the ball way too easy and makes poor choices at times.

One other point about this match. USA must have felt they were in trouble when their first two goals were negated by the ref. The first one was questionable. The second one, I have no idea what game the ref was watching. That changed a lot of the game in my opinion, causing the offense to play a little more desperately than they should have.

Still, USA is in the second round, which was their goal. They beat a very good team and tied another.

I expect they will lose to Mexico, though anything can happen.

[randychase]

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!!

USA BEATS MEXICO 2-0!!!! Woooohoooo!

Interesting tactic and formation. They held off Mexico though.

Now on to Germany!

[Mark Larson]

Italy is out! I guess home field is an advantage.

Porta del Infierno

indeed!

[randychase]

Originally posted by Mark Larson
Italy is out! I guess home field is an advantage.

Not for Japan. Sayonara. I am sad to see them out of the Cup.

It's shaping up to be interesting. Just think what it will be like if USA beats Germany and goes on to face South Korea again.

GET READY TO RUMMMMMMMMBLE!

/70s music
"Everybody was kung-fu fighting.... those cats were fast as lightning"
/70s music

[phillipr]

I have to laugh watching our football “experts” on TV Predicting each time who they think will win.
Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong.
They seem to very reluctant to do it at the moment J

It has to be good for the game over there to get this far and maybe even further in the competition.


I can talk my way out of any fight, but just incase I always throw the first punch.

[randychase]

Very interesting article from :

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/170/sports/This_event_separates_the_fans_from_the_frauds+.shtml

This event separates the fans from the frauds

By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist, 6/19/2002


Either you're a sports fan, or you're not.

I didn't say baseball, basketball, football, hockey, or Tiger Woods fan. I said sports fan. If you think you are, this is the time for you to put up or shut up. Get behind our soccer guys, or don't ever bother to claim being a sports fan again, because you will have exposed yourself as a myopic fraud.

Do I love soccer? No. Do I think it's flawed? Yes (but which of our games isn't?). But do I love spectacle, pageantry, drama, and passion in sport? Yes. Do I love the idea that, even if this game does not happen to be our favorite sporting enterprise, a couple of billion people in the world are captivated by it, and therefore our participation in the World Cup makes us partners in a fascinating tale of global intrigue? Oh, absolutely.

A true sports fan is not limited to one or two games. A true sports fan loves competition and loves seeing things in context. A true sports fan wants as many varied experiences as he or she can find. Sometimes, once is enough. I fulfilled my curling obligation in Japan four years ago. I did the belt-notch thing. And if I ever found myself in Canada or Norway or even Wisconsin on some cold winter night, and I hear there is a big grudge match about to take place, I would have no trouble dropping in for one more evening of curling.

The Olympics are the best example of what being a true sports fan is all about. It's all about context. Who among us mainstream American writers knows from Greco-Roman wrestling or cross-country skiing? But six years ago I came under the spell of an extraordinary Russian wrestler named Alexandr Karelin and the summer before last I was there when our own Rulon Gardner became the first man to beat the Siberian marvel in 13 years. I will never know the ins and outs of Greco-Roman wrestling, but I rank that match as one of the great thrills of my 34-year career. And unless you've got an hour or two on your hands, don't ever make the mistake of asking me about the last three Norwegian-Italian 40K cross-country skiing relay epics. It's, like, one of my favorite topics right up there with Mickey vs. Willie or why Bill Walton is still the greatest player of all-time.

You simply do not know what true sports fandom is all about until you've gotten yourself involved in some international rivalries. You can enjoy them without knowing anything about the sport itself. All you need is a feel for sport and a little humanity in your soul.

As far as this World Cup business is concerned, I say that if you were a true sports fan, you'd have some kind of a handle on what's been going on, and just how long and tedious the road has been for an American soccer team to get to this Friday morning match with Germany. You'd know a little something about the structure and history of the soccer world, how it has long been dominated by haughty Europeans and passionate South Americans and how the United States of America has been forever regarded as a bit player in the scenario.

You'd know that between 1950 and 1990 we never even qualified for the World Cup. You'd know that we actually won a game in 1994 and that we were eventually ousted by Brazil - perhaps the ultimate Establishment team - by a 1-0 score. You'd know that we were humiliated four years later in France, not only failing to win a game, but also being declared the worst of the worst, officially designated as the No. 32 team in a 32-team tournament.

Now we're in the Final Eight. I mean, c'mon. How can you say you're a sports fan and not be excited?

You don't even have to know all the whys and hows leading to this moment. You don't have to know that for the first time our team is 100 percent professional, complete with its own prodigies in Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley, a pair of experienced internationals even though they are each just 20 years of age. You don't have to know that the prickly coach, Bruce Arena, actually was a lacrosse player of note before settling into a full-time soccer career, or that he has brought a true sense of professionalism to a team that was mismanaged by the overmatched Steve Sampson last time in France. You just have to take note.

If you were a true sports fan, you'd know that the American athlete not named Tiger Woods whose name should be on the lips of every American is Brad Friedel, whose acrobatic goalkeeping has been the single biggest reason the team has advanced to the round of eight.

If you were a true sports fan, you'd already know that defending champion France and always-dangerous Argentina were among those teams eliminated in the first round. If you were a true sports fan, you'd know that Senegal is still alive and that the entire continent of Africa is enthralled as a result. If you were a true sports fan, you'd know that Hanover Street is practically draped in black because Italy blew a 1-0 lead with two minutes left in regulation and lost to co-host South Korea yesterday.

You would know these things because if you were a true sports fan you'd be imbued with an innate sense of curiosity about an event that transcends all others, the Olympics included, in passion and intensity on the world stage. If you were a true sports fan, you'd have some sense of just how odd and, to many, infuriating our presence in the quarterfinals is to millions across the world, and how exhilarating it is for the team and the staff to have the opportunity awaiting them on Friday.

Warning: It's still going to be soccer. They will go past the allotted 90 minutes with their curious injury time. The game could be decided by those ridiculous penalty kicks. There will be long periods of inaction (sorry, futból buffs, but it is so). But in the context of global soccer geopolitics it will all have great meaning, and if we even won - not impossible, since Germany, a fading power, can be likened to the 1988 Celtics - it would replace the last victory over Mexico as The Biggest Win Ever In American Soccer History. I can already see a predictable headline in the German papers: '' Nationale Tragoedie. ''

That means what you think it means, and I'm not kidding. People around the globe take this whole business very seriously.

If you were a true sports fan, you'd be saying, `'I can't wait till Friday.'' If you were a true sports fan, you'd be hanging on every word John Powers and Frank Dell'Apa are writing. You'd envy them, because they are where the world action is.

You have an inalienable right not to care. But if you are ignoring the World Cup, you have clarified your status in the matter. Either you're a sports fan, or you're not.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist.

[terry clegg]

A very interesting article, thanks for that. I come from the other side being a Football (Soccer) Fan who doesn't know one end of a baseball bat from the other. But I'll never forget being totally enthralled watching New York Mets v Boston Red Sox World Series finals many years ago shown on Channel 4 UK. Unfortunately Channel 4 don't show it now, Channel 5 shows it and I (you guys in the USA won't believe this) can only get four channels.

Here's hopping for an England v USA final; so that England can have revenge for their 1950 World Cup 1-0 defeat.

[Colorado-PC-Dude]

Here's hopping for an England v USA final; so that England can have revenge for their 1950 World Cup 1-0 defeat.

You guys really do take your foootball seriously! Revenge for a 52-year-old defeat? Of course I can't talk to loudly. I still look for revenge against the Cowboys for their beating of the Broncos in Superbowl XII back in '76. <G>

Ben

[Mark Larson]

Looks like the US-England match is not gonna happen, England out, and US down 1-0 to Germany at half. I really wish somebody would beat Brazil, wouldn't it be sweet if Senegal or Korea beat them 8-0 in the final? Rivaldo, Ronaldo,Ronaldinho, Ricardinho, what's up with that? Don't their mothers know who the father was?

[Mark Larson]

Brazil scores at the 51 minute mark, was hoping they'd loose. Those Brazil chicks sure know how to party, now I understand why people watch soccer! Hopefully Brazil will score another half dozen times :)