The US and soccer

[Voodoochild]

and it's not necessarily the lack of high scoring games, but the limited number of scoring chances in many soccer games - it makes it a boring watch on TV.

Well, the main thing is that the game is not just about the goals. And if its hard to make a score, once the team make a goal is a hell of a party.

also, the lack of full understanding of the game of soccer by many americans is another issue, albeit a very small one.

Football (or soccer, if you live in US) is way more simple than baseball.

[sandman]

and it's not necessarily the lack of high scoring games, but the limited number of scoring chances in many soccer games - it makes it a boring watch on TV.

Well, the main thing is that the game is not just about the goals. And if its hard to make a score, once the team make a goal is a hell of a party.

also, the lack of full understanding of the game of soccer by many americans is another issue, albeit a very small one.

Football (or soccer, if you live in US) is way more simple than baseball.

you're right. but i believe a sport is more interesting when you understand the philosphy behind what each team is trying to do. cause if you don't understand that, than soccer simply is just a bunch of guys kicking a ball around - and there's nothing all that exciting about it. i.e. it really just becomes all about the goals, which sadly there are very few.

sometimes low scoring games are great in all sports. but it's too much the norm in soccer. a regular season game that does not mean too much would be much more exciting at 4-3 than 0-0.

[Graciela]

I think what happens is that football in Europe (and in South America, I won?t forget South America) is not just about a game: It?s about pride, about feeling identified with the club from your city, clubs with more than a hundred years history most of them. For some people it really becomes a way of life. It was for me at one point when I was still living in Spain: going to all the games at home, and travel when the team was playing away. Those trips are actually some of my best memories: getting on a coach fully loaded with alcohol with a bunch of people at 5:00 am in the morning, travel 500 kms just to see a game. It was a lot of fun and, believe me, it wasn?t just about football; hell, most of the times we were so drunk on the way back home that we didn?t even know the score!

There?s an article on this thread about my team?s struggle to survive a chaotic financial situation and how it finally did thanks to the support of the whole city. It explains a bit how people feel about football or, more accurate, about their football club:

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=23989.0

[Mr. Dick Purple]

Graciela is right, thats what I was saying that there are some teams that means more than just a sunday afternoon game, is your life you laugh, you cry by them, here in Ecuador my fave team is Barcelona and 4 years ago it almost descend to B division we (fans) were really worried but at the end we didnt descend, my team is one of the best team of my country even though none team had won anything Internationaly, sad but true  , but the thing is that we have achieve 2 times to the finals of Copa Libertadores de America and at the end of the year the winner had to play with the Champions league winner, I remember that in 1998 when we got defeated, the people though we can win, and play against Real Madrid, people started to say that will be the Planet classic  That was just hilarious.
USA needs that passion to understand and make this sport enter in their culture.

[Surfrider]

I think there are a couple reasons:

1) For some reason it is always compared to American Football.  Any sport is boring compared to American Football.

2) It is too slow and low scoring.  Americans have to have their attention caught.  Most are extremely busy.  If they aren't entertained they won't watch.

3) The best players in the world are not American.  I think in any sport you want stars to relate to.  Just as inner city blacks probably relate to Michael Jordan more than Larry Bird, most Americans relate to athletes that grew up similar to them rather then in Brazil, Italy, or the UK.

I like soccer and grew up playing it.  However, it just flat out isn't as entertaining as Football and Basketball.  Baseball is not too popular anymore.  And to the extent is, is more of a product of its history in the US and being a cheap sport to attend.  Nascar is purely a regional sport.  You can't compare it to the major sports.

[jarmo]

1) For some reason it is always compared to American Football.? Any sport is boring compared to American Football.

I think American football is boring when compared to the sports I watch.

2) It is too slow and low scoring.? Americans have to have their attention caught.? Most are extremely busy.? If they aren't entertained they won't watch.

A game that ends 0-0 can be more exciting than one that ends 10-0.

3) The best players in the world are not American.?

Neither are the best hockey players but Americans still seem to enjoy watching it.



/jarmo

[jameslofton29]

Neither are the best hockey players but Americans still seem to enjoy watching it.


/jarmo

Hockey is one of the lowest rated sports here in the U.S.  A couple years ago I heard that the NHL was actually losing money here. If thats still the case, they'll probably be shipping that shit to canada in the near future. Hockey sucks so bad, I'd rather watch a soccer game than hockey.

[jarmo]

They've been moving teams from Canada to USA, not the other way around. I guess there's some kind of crowd for hockey there.

Anyway, on topic, I think it has a lot to do with history and traditions too. Many European countries have had leagues and local teams for ages. There's been a rivalry between some teams for generations so that kinda makes certain games even more popular than a regular game.

I think that with the right marketing, real football could be somewhat popular in USA too.


/jarmo

[Mr. Dick Purple]

Yeah but I also think that teaching that the tshirt you wearing means more than a sunday game will help

[Surfrider]

1) For some reason it is always compared to American Football.? Any sport is boring compared to American Football.

I think American football is boring when compared to the sports I watch.

Certainly, the sports one like is subjective.  How much American football do you watch?  Additionally, the kids in Europe don't grow up watching American football or playing it.  Although subjective, I think it is definately difficult to find soccer more action packed than American football.  Don't get me wrong, when players score in soccer it is entertaining.  But that happens at most, what four times a game?  There are usually as many "faked injury flops" as there are goals. 

2) It is too slow and low scoring.? Americans have to have their attention caught.? Most are extremely busy.? If they aren't entertained they won't watch.

A game that ends 0-0 can be more exciting than one that ends 10-0.

I'll agree in soccer.  There are some low scoring games that are good games in soccer, just as in football. 

3) The best players in the world are not American.?

Neither are the best hockey players but Americans still seem to enjoy watching it.

Yeah, but the best players play in the NHL, which is located in America and Canada.  In soccer the best players play in Europe.  Additionally, I think hockey is a pretty regional sport.  It definately doesn't have the widespread support that Football does.  Additionally, the physical play in Hockey, as compared to the fake injuries in soccer, also draws fans that don't grow up playing hockey.  About 15% of the country grows up playing hockey, where probably 80% play soccer at some time, yet hockey is more popular of a television sport that soccer in the US.

[Surfrider]

I think that with the right marketing, real football could be somewhat popular in USA too.

If you bring the best players in the world here then it will become "somewhat popular" (still less than football).  But since that will never happen, Americans will tune out because they don't want to watch second best.

[jarmo]

I don't understand the whole "bring the best players here" argument.

We have several leagues in Europe and just because the leagues in Germany, The Netherlands or France aren't in the top three European leagues, football is still very popular in those countries.


I think they could show something like the Champions League (with the best European teams) on US tv and it could be somewhat popular with the right marketing.




/jarmo

[Cocaine__tongue]

I think no matter what they do, it still won't be as popular a league as the other ones. World class players have played there (stoichkov, matthaus, etc), past their primes of course, but have played there anyway. So it's not just  a matter of bringing the very best. Like Jarmo says, the best players are not playing the respective leagues in Holland, france or belgium, but the attendance and passion for those football (soccer) leagues is intact.

[Surfrider]

I think its one factor among many.  I won't watch the MLS for that reason.  But I will watch some European soccer.

[jarmo]

I think you need to make the sport more popular before you can have a successfull league.





/jarmo

[Surfrider]

I think you need to make the sport more popular before you can have a successfull league.


/jarmo

Almost every kid in the United States plays soccer for at least a few years growing up.  It is not that the sport is not popular, nor is it that Americans don't understand or know soccer.  They simply do not like watching it on TV.

[jarmo]

It's popular in USA but nobody likes to watch it on tv?

If that's the definition of a popular sport, how would you rate the same sport in Europe where people both play and watch it! 



/jarmo

[Surfrider]

It's popular in USA but nobody likes to watch it on tv?

If that's the definition of a popular sport, how would you rate the same sport in Europe where people both play and watch it!?

/jarmo

Well, that is basically the point.  You seem to suggest that soccer is not popular here because it hasn't been marketed or the American public is not familiar with the sport.  Quite the contrary.  That is why I think my points are pretty strong.  The American soccer leagues do not have the best players in the world.  While most Americans have played soccer sometime in their life, they find it somewhat boring to watch.  Whether that is unfamiliarity with the players, lack of connection with the players, or Americans just plain thinking that soccer is a boring sport, I am not sure.  I think it is all of the above. 

Here, the best athletes choose other sports- football, basketball, or baseball.  That is one big reason that we are not towards the top in soccer.

I just think your argument falls out the window when you consider the number of youth that grow up playing the sport.   

Canadians are quite similar in fact.  Soccer is not too popular there either.  Yet American Football is pretty popular over in Canada.

[Cocaine__tongue]

It's popular in USA but nobody likes to watch it on tv?

If that's the definition of a popular sport, how would you rate the same sport in Europe where people both play and watch it!?



/jarmo

I spent 6 summers when I was young in the US and trust me, I can say it is a popular sport. A lot of kids played it, great "soccer" fields, etc. It's just that the league is not popular. Why? Who knows.

[jarmo]

Well, that is basically the point.? You seem to suggest that soccer is not popular here because it hasn't been marketed or the American public is not familiar with the sport.?

I'm thinking baseball, basketball, (American) football, racing etc are popular. I don't call "soccer" popular because it's not in the same league in popularity as far as I know.

Here in Europe a sports geek who watches sports probably watches football. It's not like that in the USA right? I think that could be changed with some marketing though.... For example, make people see that Champion's League isn't the same as watching any other league. That's what I'm talking about. Making it more popular among the people who "matter". The TV audiences.




/jarmo