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Football (Soccer) has so much potential in North America

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Soccer is a part of many nations' identities in Europe. When Germany won the world cup it was basically a national holiday here. So if you shit on the sport, many feel like you shit on their way of living, too. It's very similiar with Football/Baseball for many Americans.

The truth is this: If you would were raised in Germany it's much more likely you would love watching/playing soccer. If you were raised in the US it's the same with football. Neither sport is inherently better or worse, they are simply very, very different. I find the endless pauses and lack of actual field play during Football almost unbearable but I'm also not a big soccer buff these days. I love Formula 1 though, which EVERYONE hates, no matter the nation, so there's that ;)

Bullshit. My German brother in-law and I shit on Soccer, baseball, cricket all the time. Soccer fans love soccer, yes. Germans are not some homogenous minded group. Certain people just have thin skin.
 
I'm pretty much still in the same position I have always been on sports: Basketball is the best one and all these people losing their minds over football of either variety are nuts.
 

thebeeks

Banned
In theory I like MLS, but the reality is that I'm not going to go out and melt in the summer heat to see an FC Dallas game.
 

gioGAF

Member
IMO, the only thing that holds football back in the US is this: NO COMMERCIAL BREAKS

All sporting events in the US are basically commercials with sporting event breaks (also held together by glorified gambling fantasy leagues). While football could match US sports as far as gambling is concerned, how is a sporting event that doesn't allow commercial breaks supposed to break into this market?

I guess football could add a bunch of timeouts every 2 minutes like US sports...
 

Xion385

Member
Soccer gifs are so weak.

ann4y4C.jpg
 

moai

Member
classic handegg vs soccer thread.
i can only say that i liked american football even though im not from the us, not nearly as much as "soccer" of course, but that damn will smith movie ruined the sport for me. i can not see the game with the same eyes now.
 

SilentRob

Member
[Agent]ZeroNine;221312142 said:
Bullshit. My German brother in-law and I shit on Soccer, baseball, cricket all the time.

Bullshit what? Because your german brother in-law shits on soccer it's not accurate that you would be more likely to like soccer if you were raised in Germany? Uuuuh...wha? Do you know what a statistic is? :D Germans don't just inherintly love football the second they are born, its' not programmed into their genes. It's the social upbringing. And of course that doesn't mean EVERY GERMAN loves soccer, just as it doesn't mean that every american loves football.
 

No_Style

Member
[Agent]ZeroNine;221310459 said:
I try to watch the soccer grand thing that happens each four (or is it eight?) years and the excessive flopping done by the other teams turns me off to the sport, especially when fans of the sport choose to deflect the issue by making a barely related comment.

Another thing about the sport is, it's just not very interesting to watch. The pay off is very little, in comparison to football and basketball.

As someone who just got into watching after the 2014 World Cup, I understand this sentiment. It's unfortunate that it occurs at the sport's largest stage but World Cup soccer is probably soccer at its worst based on my experience. Club/League soccer or European soccer is reffed at higher level where refs know players, recognize and punishing flopping.

I was dazzled by the goals and build-up play by the World Cup but the 2014-15 English Premier League and UEFA Champions League knockout stage cemented it as my favorite sport to watch now -- toppling NFL. Club/League soccer featured high level play while minimizing the flopping. I'm not gonna say that's completely eliminated but it's nowhere as bad as the World Cup.
 
lol

The US hasn't won a major world tournament in, what, a decade+? Not even on the little league level?

The little league thing is hilarious when you realize they added a rule where the USA must to play the World Final and the 3rd place match, otherwise they wouldn't win a thing
 

jbug617

Banned
I think it just lacks the star power compared to the other leagues around the world. Usually when a international star comes to play in the MLS it seems that there playing days are close to being done.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
OP wanted to know what people felt about Major League Soccer, not the sport in general. Also, I'm pretty sure 'LOL Soccer's boring' adds nothing to the discussion.

I feel the same way about MLS as I do about soccer in general. And I am otherwise an enormous sports fan.

I already directed you to the circlejerk, why haven't you posted there yet?
 
IMO, the only thing that holds football back in the US is this: NO COMMERCIAL BREAKS

All sporting events in the US are basically commercials with sporting event breaks (also held together by glorified gambling fantasy leagues). While football could match US sports as far as gambling is concerned, how is a sporting event that doesn't allow commercial breaks supposed to break into this market?

I guess football could add a bunch of timeouts every 2 minutes like US sports...

And a ton of stats
 
It's gotten very popular in Kansas City, especially compared to the late 90's and early 00's. Sporting fever was very real until the Royals got hot a couple of years ago, and that has kind of slowed it, but you still see TONS of SKC stickers and merch everywhere, and generally speaking, you're much more likely these days to hear average people saying they like to get to a game or two every season. It's no NFL or MLB fandom, but it has come a LONG way.
 
Don't fight it Americans, it's a matter of time before Fútbol takes over as the number one most popular and most watched sports in USA. Those who deny this are Ann Coulter fans.
 

Syder

Member
I feel the same way about MLS as I do about soccer in general. And I am otherwise an enormous sports fan.

I already directed you to the circlejerk, why haven't you posted there yet?
What exactly are you adding to this conversation, dude?

You clearly hate Soccer and it's growth in the US but the fact is among 12 to 17-year-olds, MLS is now more popular than MLB. In fact, among that age group only basketball is more popular.


At this point there are MLS teams that draw larger crowds that second tier English clubs, which represents a massive step forwards.
 

Cipherr

Member
I hate soccer but I have to agree. Feels like if it could ever catch on here the way it is so popular elsewhere it would be insane.

That stadium is beautiful too.
 
notice how the only posters who have brought up the NFL have been europeans

I brought up the number of commercial breaks and I was a Panthers season ticket holder for seven years. I stopped going to NFL games because the atmosphere was a little too dull and that there are too many stoppages to warrant the high price of tickets.
 
Bullshit, what? Because your german brother in-law shits on soccer it's not accurate that you would be more likely to like soccer if you were raised in Germany? Uuuuh...wha? Do you know what a statistic is? :D Germans don't just inherintly love football the second they are born, its' not programmed into their genes. It's the social upbringing.

1. Show me statistics that show a population sample and not a sample of a population that also includes the standard deviation and variance then we'll talk.

2. If YOU want to say x group of people are like this, then that generalization is on you.

Shout out to my boy, Blablurn though.


As someone who just got into watching after the 2014 World Cup, I understand this sentiment. It's unfortunate that it occurs at the sport's largest stage but World Cup soccer is probably soccer at its worst based on my experience. Club/League soccer or European soccer is reffed at higher level where refs know players, recognize and punishing flopping.

I was dazzled by the goals and build-up play by the World Cup but the 2014-15 English Premier League and UEFA Champions League knockout stage cemented it as my favorite sport to watch now -- toppling NFL. Club/League soccer featured high level play while minimizing the flopping. I'm not gonna say that's completely eliminated but it's nowhere as bad as the World Cup.

Finally an intelligent reply. I agree, that build up was amazing. Watched it with my family. For me, that build up is just not frequent enough. I'll take your word on the flopping. Maybe when I'm in Germany this December I'll give it another shot.
 
If I was American, I'd hate soccer as well because Americans don't want to admit they like something they're bad at.

It's why they stick to a game primarily played by Americans because if you're the only country that really plays it, you can never be the worst country.

They'll say they love NHL and brag about Stanley Cups that were won by majority Canadian players.

It's hard being American.
 

SilentRob

Member
[Agent]ZeroNine;221312922 said:
1. Show me statistics that show a population sample and not a sample of a population that also includes the standard deviation and variance then we'll talk.

2. If YOU want to say x group of people are like this, then that generalization is on you.

Shout out to my boy, Blablurn though.

I honestly don't know what you are trying to say or why you feel the need to argue with me. Are you refuting my claim that soccer in general is more popular in Germany than it is in the US? Yes. More percents of Germans would call themselves soccer fans compared to Americans. Is that really such an outrageous claim to you? o0 I'm not even a soccer fan these days but for someone who constantly decries the "sensitivity" of others you seem very sensitive about someone trying to explain to you why soccer is more popular in some parts of the world :p

I won't bother to look for statistics for something that obvious, but this is what all of Berlin looked like when Germany won the World Cup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5N95izH62k
 
If I was American, I'd hate soccer as well because Americans don't want to admit they like something they're bad at.

It's why they stick to a game primarily played by Americans because if you're the only country that really plays it, you can never be the worst country.

They'll say they love NHL and brag about Stanley Cups that were won by majority Canadian players.

It's hard being American.

For someone who isn't American, you sure know how we think. My god, the level of intelligence that has been shown in this thread by sensitive soccer fans is amazing.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Something's wrong with you, bro. There's really no need to get so worked up about a sport you don't like.

Right back at you, bro. You seem awfully defensive just because you like a sport. Like you're taking softballing ribbing awfully hard.
 
I liked playing it growing up, but I hate watching it outside of a few World Cup matches every couple years.

Anecdotal, but lots of kids grew up playing youth soccer where I live in PA, but most stopped when they hit 12-14. After having 8-10 youth teams a year, we couldn't even field a high school team and we had to combine with another local school district to hit the bare minimum. In my experience, lots of kids play youth soccer and then stop when they hit high school and focus on other sports. Until that changes, I don't think it's going to replace any of the other major spots in America.
 

Realeza

Banned
Every week I check the best goals of the week posted by the MLS channel on Youtube, and I always see quality stuff there. Makes me pumped.
 
I honestly don't know what you are trying to say or why you feel the need to argue with me. Are you refuting my claim that soccer in general is more popular in Germany than it is in the US? Yes. More percents of Germans would call themselves soccer fans compared to Americans. Is that really such an outrageous claim to you? o0

I won't bother to look for statistics for something that obvious, but this is what all of Berlin looked like when Germany won the World Cup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5N95izH62k

How can you not understand the theory that saying Germans love soccer and I I'll prove it with Stats (paraphrasing) is just as much an incredible over generalization as saying Americans love basketball/baseball/football?
 

Syder

Member
Right back at you, bro. You seem awfully defensive just because you like a sport. Like you're taking softballing ribbing awfully hard.
I've really enjoyed your contribution to this thread. I really don't get your hate boner for football, man.
 

jett

D-Member
So why is that Sounders team so popular?

As far as I understand it the current iteration of MLS is getting a lot of traction in the US and matches usually have a decent amount of spectators, so it seems like it's on the right path.

I feel the same way about MLS as I do about soccer in general. And I am otherwise an enormous sports fan.

I already directed you to the circlejerk, why haven't you posted there yet?

lol at you getting defensive over people not taking to your worthless shitposting.
 
I've really enjoyed your contribution to this thread. I really don't get your hate boner for football, man.

Are you seriously arguing taste with a Sonic the Hedgehog fan? ;)

So why is that Sounders team so popular?
.

A good team, with a great stadium in a region that loves soccer. Portland sells out every home match and has a very long waiting list for season tickets. They keep expanding the existing stadium, but don't want to leave it as it has history and charm.
 

Retrofluxed

Member
My father and I have both become fans of soccer. We both follow the Premier League and I've become a fan of Orlando City in MLS. While the play of MLS leaves a lot to be desired, it is still fun to watch. Both of us have been watching less and less of the NFL due to the insane amount of commercials these days, which is only magnified after watching soccer matches.
 

No_Style

Member
[Agent]ZeroNine;221312922 said:
Finally an intelligent reply. I agree, that build up was amazing. Watched it with my family. For me, that build up is just not frequent enough. I'll take your word on the flopping. Maybe when I'm in Germany this December I'll give it another shot.

There are stinkers but like in all sports, there are highs and lows. High profile matchups like the recent Liverpool vs Manchester United can end up looking just as incompetent like last night's Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals game.

I enjoy great build up play as well and really got into watching soccer by watching the big teams play. Even lopsided stomps featuring Real Madrid or Barcelona were supremely fascinating to me just because I was witnessing incredible feats made by players; watching the ball ping pong between players at a rapid pace is incredible.

Like in all sports, keep in mind that there are different types of teams out there. You have defensive minded teams who relish on counter attacking play where they will happily sit in their half and absorb pressure.

If I were going to Germany, I'd try to get into a Borussia Dortmund game. They're known for high pressing and energetic positive play. Also, the fan atmosphere looks incredible on TV, I imagine it would be even better in person.
 

Syder

Member
My father and I have both become fans of soccer. We both follow the Premier League and I've become a fan of Orlando City in MLS. While the play of MLS leaves a lot to be desired, it is still fun to watch. Both of us have been watching less and less of the NFL due to the insane amount of commercials these days, which is only magnified after watching soccer matches.
I find there are a lot of Americans that choose to follow an MLS team and a PL team, probably due to the quality of the PL and it being an English speaking league. The influx of Europeans to NA has definitely piqued interest over here too. Liverpool fans wanting to see how Gerrard does, for example.
 

SilentRob

Member
[Agent]ZeroNine;221314008 said:
How can you not understand the theory that saying Germans love soccer and I I'll prove it with Stats (paraphrasing) is just as much an incredible over generalization as saying Americans love basketball/baseball/football?

Dude. This is the stupidest argument I've had in a long time. Soccer is more popular in Germany than it is in the US. More Germans like Soccer than Americans do. The fact that you need a statistic to be able to believe that is silly. Here you go. 76% of the german population is interested in soccer. If you can't get your head around that then sorry, I can't really help you out :p
 
So why is that Sounders team so popular?

As far as I understand it the current iteration of MLS is getting a lot of traction in the US and matches usually have a decent amount of spectators, so it seems like it's on the right path.



lol at you getting defensive over people not taking to your worthless shitposting.

Seattle's full of hipsters who can't afford to go to a Seahawks game. And, of course, not many people like soccer, so it's still cool. Or not cool yet, I always forget which way it goes.
 
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