Friday, June 13, 2014

Why Soccer is Different in the US

1) Its soccer, not futbol or the beautiful game

2) Although we are one of only 6 countries to appear in the last 7 world cups, we have won only 4 games out of 24 played

3) Our own coach says its "not realistic" that the US team can win the tournament in Brazil (true but unusually forthright and not cliche for a US coach of anything)

4) The US was the team people in the other countries in the tournament are most rooting to lose (Iran was second) and

5) and to try to sell World Cup people in the US claim its "hockey on grass" (BTW how is that going to help?)

8 comments:

  1. Currently considering where to watch UK v. Italy. Choices include: (1) home; (2) nondescript bar around the corner; (3) nondescript italian restaurant around the corner; (4) the Chip Shop on Atlantic Ave (likely to be overrun by authentic British people); (5) giant screen under the Manhattan Bridge (http://dumbo.is/blog_posts/world-cup-under-the-archway-full-schedule).

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  2. Watched 2d half of Italy-England in bar in international terminal at O'Hare before boarding flight to Heathrow and then Rome. Very fitting and can't wait to watch more World Cup in Italian cafés.

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  3. Watched at home. Have fun in Rome!!

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  4. I must be scarred from always being put in the full-back position as a child playing Boy's Club. (Full-back was the least important position on the kiddy team field -- if the other team made it that far, thankfully the better athletes would be there to stop them rather than relying on me.) The result is I find this sport much less interesting than, say, curling. Hockey on grass would work for me but that I think field hockey already takes the title. Summary: maybe soccer is different in the US because we are a nation of child full-backs.

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  5. But we beat Ghana and still alive in the group of death. Not going to make lots of new fans with US scoring in minute 1 and 86.

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  6. Yes, I played fullback a lot too. I understood it to mean, "stay out of the way." However, if I determined the sports that I watched based on my own athletic prowess, I I wouldn't ever be able to set foot in a sports bar. I am glad that I took the time to watch what I anticipate will be the only real bright spot in the US's trip to Rio. They need to do a much better job of ball control, if they are going to hang with the big boys. That said, I'd love to be proven wrong.

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