World Cup

[DrJuice1980]

Never took much of a liking to Soccer but I dont hate it. Its a sport and its on TV, I'll tune in and check it out here and there. Germany looks like men against boys out there, I dont see a team matching their play, but I dont know too much about the sport. I've been hearing the comparison to hockey but besides the lower scoring I see no similarity. The sport I see it resembling the most is basketball and the reason is attitude of players. Now I get that not all are like this but when did the wind made by a passing elbow ever make a guy wince in pain and fall over? I swear these guys would rather get a free kick than a decent looking scoring chance. Much like basketball and the flops or the pump-fake step into defender with circus shot rather than side-stepping and having an open look. Is this what these sports have become? Is this what we should be teaching the kids, to not try to score but try to draw a foul? Last I checked the team with more points won not the team that drew yellow or red cards. Thats the world we live in I guess.

Go USA!

(they still in it?)

[DrJuice1980]

The FIFA Fair Play commercials are pathetic. These games are either rigged or just flat out no sportsmanship, probably both. I've never seen so many grown man wince in extreme agony from a light fall/foul only to get up and be sprinting 5 seconds later. I've seen a couple guys play hard and play through minimum contact but for the most part just a bunch of wimps out there. No wonder the term "field fairy" exists. The sport wouldn't be that bad if that carp got cleaned out. You see it WAY more from the well-established countries than the Ivory Coasts.

[harvey lee]

Tough loss yesterday so late in the game. The USA will now have a hard time advancing and they had it before that last shot.

I was really bummed out but you have to give the other team some credit.

I agree with alot of what you stated, never seen so many go down, thought they were about too die and then a few minutes later, right back in the game.

[Uncle Bill]

Never played the game.

Never watched a game until mexico vs. croatia last monday.

I don't get the rules, nor go I get the clock. (How do ya get +4 minutes?)

But anyway, I was kinda diggin it ..

I will watch some of team USA game today.

Go USA.

[collegepaul]

I've been hearing the comparison to hockey but besides the lower scoring I see no similarity.

I generally compare soccer to hockey when I explain the strategy of the game to friends and family. While watching hockey, you'll hear the announcers talk about 'fore checking' and 'maintaining the offensive zone'. In soccer, you'll hear the cliché's of trying to keep the ball on the offensive side of the field. "Centering the puck for a shot on net" is just like centering the soccer ball for a shot on goal. Think of "dumping the puck in the offensive zone" like the ball being kicked behind the defense and the players running after it. I see these concepts/strategies/plays being similar.

In hockey, you'll hear something like "maintaining the bluezone" or "maintaining center ice." In soccer, you'll hear "maintaining/winning center field." They're the same concept of trying to keep the puck or ball on the offensive side of the ice or field.

That's my general analogy between the two sports.

[DrJuice1980]

More men than cry babies in Hockey, more cry babies than men in soccer. Thats what I was talking about but I appreciate the breakdown, now I get it.

[pushbutton]

Any see the biting incident? Can't link it now...maybe someone else can Absolutely hilarious. ....

[harvey lee]

Thought Mike Tyson switched to soccer with that bite, but he bit low and missed the ear.

[Duffman]

I watch soccer every four years just to watch the USA beat the world at their game.

when they can

[mrklean]

I predict a 1-0 lose and a fast exit they shouldn't have gotten this far....I cant believe I am talking about soccer

[harvey lee]

So close as we had a very good chance to score in the last of reg time. Feel sorry for Howard as he had an awesome game in the goal. Too bad the rest of the team didn't, t do as well. Belgium deserves to win as they r the better team.

[harvey lee]

Wow, down 2 in or, now down 1, maybe they can pull of a miracle yet.

[mrklean]

Nope they lost just like they should have

[DrJuice1980]

Whew, its finally over. Now back to the real football. Does anyone else feel as if this world cup USA team was "pushed" on them? Like you were suppose to care? I didnt and quiet honestly the more I watched the more I hated soccer. The slang term for a male soccer player definitely fits for what I saw. It seemed like the whole point was not to win but to get the other team to lose. What a crock.

[DrJuice1980]

I'd like to add that I am, however, a fan of Foosball.

[Dragonsm]

Whew..back from the small minded thinking....there dr. Juice

I for one, was excited to see the US performance onto the world level. Unlike someone, USA isn't good at everything.....but this performance puts us in the right direction of being competitive at the world level....awesome!

Surprisingly, juice.......the largest growing sport in the US is soccer and there are currently more youth soccer players in the US than any other sport. 20 million youth. Embrace it or just drink your coffee and wait patiently or your dethrone. Some of you with soccer remind me of crabby old men that only fish with spinners (gold blade) and leeches.....can't rock the boat. Change sucks....but that is the shift....my dad NEVER new a thing about soccer growing up but followed the sport when both myself and my two brothers played it. Really what it is about, is instant gratification and lack of intelligence. Those that are.......well, stupid,,,of the sport that is about the 1-0 wins and all the details of you get to that point.

Well to imagine to the sports that detise soccer...your sports mentality about the sport is fishing crappies or panfish...when maybe more it is a trophy walleye or musky. It isn't the quantity that accounts but the quality!

[CaptainMusky]

I am far from a soccer fan but took In a few games and it sure seems there is a lot of flopping. Even worse than NBA basketball.

[DrJuice1980]

Dragonsm,

Open your eyes please and watch a game. I came in with an un-biased opinion of the sport and left with a taste of poo in my mouth. Sports are about competing to win, not competing "not" to lose. Your colorado blade vs willow blade comment is as much of a joke as what I saw this sport to be. You mean to tell me you enjoy watching grown men wince in pain from a stubbed toe? You enjoy watching extremely inconsistent calls from the refs? You enjoy watching men roll around in presumed agony only to get up 10 secs later and sprint to the ball? You're telling me that you cant see that stuff as FAKE?

You must be the most gullible person alive, do you watch that with your kids and coach them up on how to get somebody kicked out by "acting" as if something happened? Great lessons that sport teaches, doesn't it?

I can handle the 1-0 games all day long (nice convenient cop-out excuse for people not to like it btw), its the cry baby mentality that is shown by about 80% of the players and the acting jobs I got a problem with. The lack of intelligence is on you bud for not seeing what is real and what is fake. There a reason a slang was made for these guys, it sure seems to fit with all the whining and crying going on out there.