Soccer.

What is a soccer?

oshbaul posted:

Could we all just improve that trophy?

This is what the original1930 trophy, originally called "Victory" (it's supposed to represent Nike) and renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1946, looked like:

Brazil won it for the third time and got to keep it, in 1970. In 1983 it was stolen and never recovered. The 1974 edition is the same as today:

I guess you get the idea of Nike holding up the world, but it's not the most beautiful trophy. (While I love collecting Lombardis, the best-looking trophy in sports is the Stanley Cup.) I read somewhere that the World Cup looks like it is filled with chocolate and waiting to be unwrapped -- true! 

An oldie but goodie:

PackLandVA posted:

What is a soccer?

Well, its kickball....at least thats what I call it. Pisses off all the Soccer experts at work...which makes me happy....

Mexico sure looked like they were in a daze all match.....yikes......Brazil looks like the team to beat.  

Dave in GA posted:

PackLandVA posted:

What is a soccer?

Well, its kickball....at least thats what I call it. Pisses off all the Soccer experts at work...which makes me happy....

Can the rest of the world be wrong?  Yup.

Dave in GA posted:

PackLandVA posted:

What is a soccer?

Well, its kickball....at least thats what I call it. Pisses off all the Soccer experts at work...which makes me happy....

LOL 

My soccer knowledge is so deep, when asked what position I played I said "kicker". 

I tried to like soccer but its tough to like a sport the FRENCH are good at.

Such a manly sport. 

That's your best example of wimpiness????? 

Go ahead, stand up straight and let me drill a ball right into your nuts. Your pee will be pure red for a week, tough guy.

Isn't this Soc-cer and not Soc him? 

Goalline posted:

 

Packdog showing his manliness. 

 

Whatever gets me more touches !!! 

Can I be next?

Some get red pee after eating beets.

Mine smells of coffee after a cup o'joe.

dang asparagus......

Look out when it becomes legal to use yer elbows but not yer brain.

Packdog posted:

Such a manly sport. 

The one guy standing his ground and protecting his junk with both hands must have long ago realized that he already had a face for soccer kickball.

Soccer is the sport of the future---and it always will be. 

I'm always amused by those professing their dislike for it....nobody is making you watch. Is it possible because you don't understand and appreciate it, you feel a bit left out and therefore the need to denigrate it?

Maybe we need a thread on how much I hate cricket.

Watching a guy move a ball around defenders with his feet the way Allen Iverson worked the ball with his hands never gets old. It’s fun to watch genius. Never gets old. 

Never paid much attention to soccer until we had a foreign exchange son from Spain who was a good player and now a coach. Started to understand it more, and can appreciate the players ability to see 2-3 moves ahead, along with their skill level. He is into analytics regarding spacing between players, effect of alignments on scoring opportunities, etc. As in any sport that you don't play / coach, there is a lot going on out there that I don't realize. 

Blair Kiel posted:

Soccer is the sport of the future---and it always will be. 

I'm always amused by those professing their dislike for it....nobody is making you watch. Is it possible because you don't understand and appreciate it, you feel a bit left out and therefore the need to denigrate it?

Maybe we need a thread on how much I hate cricket.

Soooo, you're saying Henry doesn't fully appreciate SPDF?

I'm always amused by those professing their dislike for it....nobody is making you watch. Is it possible because you don't understand and appreciate it, you feel a bit left out and therefore the need to denigrate it?

What's always bugged me is that people take things that happen in sports popular in America and claim those things are deal-breakers regarding soccer.  Players flop all the time in basketball and dive in hockey, but somehow it's only soccer diving that's terrible.  Baseball is boring, and games can take twice as long as soccer.  But say that to a soccer hater and they'll respond with horror.  We've also seen players fake injury in the NFL to stop no-huddle offenses, but it's only soccer players faking injury that's terrible.

I don’t mind the flopping in soccer.  It’s the theatrics that go along with it.  Every time a soccer player falls to the turf, you’d think their kidney was wripped out by hand and a testicle was cut it two.  It get that a kick can be painful.  But c’mon.  Every Time???

I don’t like soccer and could give two ****s if you do.

you are all ****ing adults, watch and do what you like, you don’t need my approval to cheer for your stupid sport

Blair Kiel posted:

Soccer is the sport of the future---and it always will be. 

I'm always amused by those professing their dislike for it....nobody is making you watch. Is it possible because you don't understand and appreciate it, you feel a bit left out and therefore the need to denigrate it?

Maybe we need a thread on how much I hate cricket.

I dunno. I hate baseball. Totally get not liking soccer.

I like high-level play well enough to watch some, so no love or hate really, but mostly indifference dotted with periods of ambivalence. 

So soccer is the Detroit Lions of sports?

I will watch the final game and the Olympic finals, both women's and men's but not much else.  I think the reason that most folks my age, 70, can take it or leave it is this.....we took our kids to youth soccer games way back in the early days here in the US, guess what, nothing happened.  The coaches did not know the game, the kids just ran around for a while till they got bored and the fans gave a communal sigh.  I know that happens in kids baseball too but we Americans have a shared background in BB, heck my wife, not a sports fan will watch the World Series with me. Why?  She has fond memories of listening to and watching games with her dad and that translates to her.

Will soccer forge that bond with our population? Who knows but they have tried for years and in my opinion it is not over the hump yet.

The main problem is the field is too big.  Shrink it, bring the players closer together, and the game will finally take off.

You are describing indoor soccer. Smaller field but fewer players = a whole lot more goals and a whole lot more action. The problem? Soccer fans don't want to watch that ****. I certainly don't. Indoor soccer is more like hockey. It takes less skill to accomplish the same things. Smash that ball upfield, and ten guys converge on the ball. May the luckiest man win.

That soccer goals are so hard to come by is why we love the goals so much. Every soccer goal requires essentially perfect execution(unless Harry Kane is involved ). Every goal is a great goal. Accidental goals very rarely happen. Not like in football where very often miscommunication leads to a wide open receiver. Apparently, there is no Dom Capers equivalent in soccer.

Hey Goalline, if you're talking indoor soccer as the game played with walls, etc., you're correct. But if you're talking futsal, well, that's a whole different ballgame. Futsal is played with only four players and a goalie per side; changes are on the fly like hockey; there's no offsides; the footwork is incredible; the ball is heavier and doesn't bounce as high; many of the big soccer names today played futsal (Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Ronaldinho, etc.) and they credit the game with helping them learn how to move in traffic. 

Take a couple minutes out of your day to watch some cool highlights: click here or go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBB8PDenGJM 

Or click here to watch Ronaldinho, Zindane and FC Barcalona play futsal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853FJBM5MuQ

Futsal is amazing to watch as it's super fast and far more creative than soccer!

As a goalie...I hated indoor.

I had to pay attention.

Dr._Bob posted:

The main problem is the field is too big.  Shrink it, bring the players closer together, and the game will finally take off.

And widen the goals by about a foot.  Games shouldn't end nil-nil.

Widen it by 10 feet and the goals will pour in like mad. Really boring goals.

Futsal is cool if you need more action, Fandame.

I'm pretty sure the reason Americans like football and baseball so much is those games have a place for the big, strong fat guy. Basketball, hockey, soccer? Not so much.

Dang.....missed the two French goals.....watching tennis....both Williams sisters playing on separate courts.  Will be watching Brazil this afternoon though.