World Cup - Spoilers (Page 36)

Yeah, that was tough. it would have been one thing if we'd been blown out, but we had so many good opportunities to score more.

And yes, Tim was awesome.

It's nice to have a national team that we can be proud of.

Pretty even first half - then the change in formation killed the momentum of the US team - we conceded too much possession and space and it was only thanks to Howard it went to extra time. You cant put it on Wondo since it was a quick shot and was flagged offside anyway ( though that was the wrong call)

Zusi was poor and provided nothing today, thought Dempsey was pretty absent too and Jones didnt have one of his better games. Besler was at fault for both goals and showed that he lacks experience against top quality strikers week in week out

At the end we could have tied it but I think the result was fair if somewhat disappointing

The comments on where we go from here are interesting - Ballack thinks its a technical skill issue and he may be correct - while the quality is better there is still a reliance on foreign born eligible players - I'd like to see true home grown in the team like Yedlin come through to help with the veteran players

More possession is needed and that comes from confidence in your ability under pressure - Youth coaches take note, let the kids learn, explore and grow - forget the result and the drills!

This, this and more this.  You and I have talked, especially after that great ESPN series of articles a few years ago, about this.  

While Besler was at fault, I would say that it was a tired Besler against a fresh beast of a man in Lukaku.  He is tough when he has played the entire match.  He is unreal when he is a fresh sub at the end of a very tiring match that has gone into Extra Time.  AND Wondo missed a sitter that will likely haunt him for the rest of his life.  

In the end, I agree, the result was fair, if disappointing.  And if you haven't seen Kompany (I still hate him) had a classy tweet "Two Words - Tim Howard.....Respect".  Ugh.  Making it hard to dislike the guy.  

On a separate note (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-atkins/its-time-to-start-calling_b_5549810.html) 

and the counter argument....

http://time.com/2940442/kareem-abdul-jabbar-soccer-world-cup/

He makes some good points and some tenuous ones too but he represents the thought process of major TV execs i think

My entire problem with his premise and others in the major TV exec and talking head world is I'm still trying to find someone, anyone, who says that soccer is attempting to be the major sport in the US.  It isn't.  No one ever said it is except for those that don't like it.  And if there is an idiot that says it (not the average soccer junkie but someone with influence and recognition) they are delusional.

However, one cannot ignore the continued growth of the sport over the past 20 years.  Will it ever rival NFL or NBA or MLB?  Highly doubtful bordering on highly improbable.  But is it the 5th most popular sport in the US.  Maybe.  Might it one day replace hockey?  Possibly.  Many similarities between the two sports.  And THAT is what the HuffPo article is saying.  

I keep hearing people talk in black and white about the sport, "See it will never be as popular as NFL.  It is like bobsled at the Olympics."  No, it isn't.  It clearly is more popular than that.  And why does it HAVE to be as popular as one of the other sports.  Why can't it just be popular on its own.

THAT is the problem with the entire debate.  There is room for it to be popular on its own.  And frankly I think it is comfortable being #5 and possibly moving up to #4.  There is no inferiority complex with the sport.  It fills a growing niche that has no indication of slowing down.  It is only those that are part of the top 3 that seem to feel threatened with the growing popularity of the sport.

I still think (and it's not my original thought) is that one of the BIGGEST issues is television and commercializing it.

That's why they have so many TV time outs and cram as much advertising in they can in "American" sports - to sell commercial space.

Advertisers won't give the networks money to show Soccer because they can't advertise except at halftime.

Networks wont SHOW soccer because they can't sell advertising.

People won't see soccer because it's not shown to the general public as easily as MLB/NFL/PGA/NBA

People not seeing it makes it less popular - there is no mega TV deals and contracts pumping money back into the league.

No mega deals means you can't buy the mega stars to DRAW more attention.

You can't develop kids into pro players because kids with potential may go to the big money/fame sports.

Maybe the digital advertising that shows up on the side boards of games will help that.  Advertisers might see that they can get their name out there now.  I'm curious how they pull if off around the world.  Maybe because the game has ALWAYS been so popular, that advertisers don't need to sell during the 90 minutes but getting players to do endorsements or their names on team kits is more than enough.

ETA:  What I find very interesting is that I bet there are more youth soccer players than any other sport.  It's easy and cheap to run a soccer league for kids.  I bet there are tons of kids that never were on a little league baseball team or pop warner football team, but I bet just about every little kid got on a soccer league as a kid.  Where I grew up, they didn't even offer baseball or football to little kids, but I could play on a YMCA soccer camp/league.  Played through HS, but after that?  There is limited places you can take it.  Not nearly as many college opportunities as say basketball.

I think its some of what Crowny said and some of your conclusions.

There is plenty of money in Soccer outside the US...just look at the Worlds highest paid athlete list soccer has the most in the top 20, even Tennis and Golf beat out the NFL.

Its a cultural divide that will never be conquered - the rest of the world has been playing and watching the game forever, the US is inundated with niche sports ( excluding BB) that are presented as the essence of American Sport.

Soccer will never be a top 3 here - but it will always be a contender for the 4th spot and probably the #1 Youth sport forever. Thats fine by me because in my 25 years here the coverage has grown enormously...and for that I am extremely happy

Kido - this statement is actually wrong "Not nearly as many college opportunities as say basketball."

http://www.scholarshipstats.com/varsityodds.html

More chance to play soccer in college than basketball

In fact I say this is an inhibitor to our elite players....thats another story!

Very useful information on that website, thanks.  One thing that I noticed glancing at the website is what appears the be the effect of Title IX.  Looking at the 19 Division I schools in Texas - all had scholarship teams for men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's soccer, however only 3 schools had men's scholarship soccer.

This is likely one of the factors stunting the growth of men's professional soccer and soccer players in the US.

I listened to an interesting Freakonomics Radio podcast a few weeks ago titled Why America Doesn't Love Soccer Yet.  Much of the discussion focused upon why Soccer is a second tier professional sport in the US.

Why US will conquer world football

I have been talking about a lot of the points in this article for the last few years, since moving here and starting to coach youth teams.

I think the US has such a promising future in football.  I really do think the US will be a force to be reckoned with in a relatively short time.

A good point in this article about the US having to qualify through CONCACAF and not through a more grueling WC qualification selection of teams, means the US are likely to participate in most of the WC tournaments and gain that extremely valuable experience.

I hope it DOES take off.  But just for reference, I'm 45, and they have been saying that soccer is going to really take off for all 45 years of it.  Usually around every WC time...  Maybe THIS time it's for real...  I would even say that it seemed more popular (at least in St. Louis where I grew up) in the late 80's than now.

Feel bad for Neymar.  Horrible circumstance.  Horribly officiated game.  Maybe if he had actually taken charge of the match this wouldn't have happened.  No way it can be determined if it was purposeful or not but wow it was an ugly match as it relates to fouls.

On a separate note, Keith Olberman had one of his rants.  It was "7 things to improve soccer" and it wasn't about the game but how we, as fans and as a country, should act towards it.  Most of it was his usual garbage but he made one EXCELLENT point.  We need a GOOD American announcer.  As good as Ian Darke is, we need someone with an American accent who can actually call a good match but with an American accent.  Frankly to me, that was the only thing we agreed on in his rant.

and to pile onto that- DONT think you can re-purpose an NBA announcer - Gus Johnson single handedly is causing people not to watch and listen to games he is calling...and i am one of those....

Taylor Twellman is a great color guy.....just need to find him a team mate

Couldn't agree more.  Gus is HORRIBLE.  Frankly, I can't think of one that I think can come close to living up to a reasonable level.  

I find it hard to take BB seriously when the coaches dress in uniform or the NFL seriously when the time spent actually playing is well under 15 mins or the NBA where you cannot play team defense or you get penalized....you see, each game has its own quirks that make it unique...ours just happens to have a format that could be the most captivating and anxiety ridden way to end a game in all of sports.....we'll live with that and glad you were watching

I can't take the NHL seriously because every 60 seconds the players get subbed out so that they can rest. The same can be said about all other major sports--none of them are anywhere close to as grueling. Those guys have been out there 2 hours non-stop (minus your 3 subs, of course), and they are at the limits of human endurance. PK's are the only sporting and humane solution. And it's pretty darn exciting!

Articles abound on the effect this WC will have on this WC but I like that this one has some historical statistical comparison to lean on

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/men-in-blazers/95/post/1935574/is-americas-passion-for-soccer-realor-a-fad

All tournaments come down to it.  FA Cup, Champions League, etc.  That's how they do it.  It is part of the game.  

Why should one league in MLB be allowed to have someone who's only job it to hit the ball (DH)?  Why allow Field Goals in football?  If they can't score a touchdown, why should they be allowed to have essentially 1/2 a touchdown?  

5-0 at 29:00?  This one was done 20 minutes in and it's getting worse.

Where are you watching it?