jamm wrote:
as the world cup starts next thursday in brazil i was wondering if there is any interest of it in america as soccer is slowly getting bigger in america, in the uk we get alot of live baseball on the espn tv channel that i enjoy very much and slowly learning how the scoring go,es also try,ed watching american football but can,t get interested in it ,,,jimmy
American are basically to attuned to judging a sport solely by the score -- the higher the better, because it's easier to understand. Soccer (world football) is more like chess -- takes some thinking to play, coach, officiate, and follow with some real understanding,whereas 'Merican football (played much with the hands) can be considered more comparable to checkers -- doesn't require a lot of thought. Crux -- 'Merican feetsball is
loved in America because it doesn't interfere with the beer drinking and is judged by the final score, while soccer is enjoyed in the rest of the world (some 230 National Soccer teams participate in the World Cup every 4 years) relishes the
beautiful game's programmed individual brilliance in playmaking
and scoring. In 'Mericam football, the players are not allowed to think. Each must run his preprogrammed route or other task.
On the other hand, soccer rewards the unexpected -- the runs that surprise and overload defenses.
Another great difference is that there is a 2 to 4 minute pause between 'Merican plays -- plus timeouts at the pleasure of the teams. Soccer play is CONSTANT ! No sissies play soccer -- they do it in the grass for 90 minutes, with no padding except for the required shin pads. More people in this world PLAY soccer than WATCH either 'Merican football or bizball or b-ball.
The 'Merican football "world champion" is from one of two countries. The Soccer World Cup champs come from one of over 230 NATIONS. Now, THAT is a "WORLD Champion".
Soccer is securing ever increasing interest here in both viewers and players. But it has been a slow process because of Bizball
(the world's slowest sport, characterized primarily by snuff chewing, spitting, scratching and loafing, and endless quoting of statistics to keep the "fans" from going to sleep before the 7th inning stretch), b-ball, feetsball, and even hockey all four having been established long ago -- when the U.S. was isolated. The 1994 World Cup tournament in Chicago and elsewhere in the US
broke the ice, and contributed from FIFA the mega millions with which US Soccer started our first Pro soccer league. Now youth and college play is strong, so youth are filling the pro ranks, here and in Europe. And we finally have a tremendous coach to direct our efforts, including finally the same philosophy at all levels ! Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (a Deutche who lives in California with his American wife and their children) has played on World Cup contending teams up to the finals, coached and played in 4 national leagues in Europe, and was a feared striker.
The man WILL lead us to a ranking in the world's top 10 within 10 years. I played in Germany for over 3 years and know the system, methodology, philosophy, and enduring drive inherent in German teams. With the athletes we now have participating in the "beautiful game", our National team improvement is ensured with Herr Klinsmann's outstanding savvy and leadership. And USSoccer just recently extended his contract thru 2018 -- good things are in our future !
A caveat: yes, I'm prejudiced; I played my first game in 1947 and my last in 1998, I've coached from U-5 thru Oldtimers and college, I have owned a pro team, I have reffed 4775 matches from youth to men and women, and pro, was Illinois State Director of Instruction for referees for 6 years, and am a State Instructor and State Assessor, and a National Assessor for College refs (NISOA). I am a soccerholic with long and varied experience. It IS the beautiful game -- for those who care enough to attempt to understand it. And the U.S. is on its way to ultimate greatness in the soccer world. Herr Klinsmann will do a simply great job of leading us. Jump aboard for a classic ride to greatness in true world competition.
No, I haven't lost my mind. I have an EE degree from Bradley University (with a major in math and professional management) and a reasonable degree of intelligence and experience. I've had extensive technical business experience in this hemisphere, lived in or traveled in 32 countries in 4 continents -- have learned much from and about the world's people -- and soccer.
I've played most sports, but soccer is the one that captures both the heart and mind.