Americans don't like ties
They want clear, clean-cut winners. A tie? Boring. Such a mentality is ignorant to the fact that some of the most exciting matches of all time ended in a draw. Example? Watch this video of David Beckham's free kick against Greece.
Why is the crowd so electric? England would have failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup had Beckham not scored in that, the last play of the game which tied the game 2-2. The idea of an entertaining draw is very foreign to many Americans, obsessed with a sporting culture that centers around the concept of overtime. Take into consideration that soccer has penalty kicks which certainly feed into the sort of drama that Americans crave. In that sense, soccer offers the best of worlds.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Offside Soccer Blog - Why Americans Hate Soccer Part II
Americans don't like the fact that the games are low-scoring
Americans want points, points, points. They want field goals, home runs, three-pointers aplenty. In the scoring sense, soccer is the antithesis of basketball where scoring is constant and games often exceed the 100-point mark regularly. Somehow we forget that the world stood still thanks to Landon Donovan when he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Who could forget? Look at these reactions to Landon Donovan's goal:
True, things get intense when it gets down to the wire at any sport. But Landon's goal is a perfect example of the drama that can come from a soccer game that no other sport could possibly hope to achieve.
Americans want points, points, points. They want field goals, home runs, three-pointers aplenty. In the scoring sense, soccer is the antithesis of basketball where scoring is constant and games often exceed the 100-point mark regularly. Somehow we forget that the world stood still thanks to Landon Donovan when he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Who could forget? Look at these reactions to Landon Donovan's goal:
True, things get intense when it gets down to the wire at any sport. But Landon's goal is a perfect example of the drama that can come from a soccer game that no other sport could possibly hope to achieve.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Offside Soccer Blog - Why Americans Hate Soccer
Why Do Americans Hate Soccer?
Despite being the most popular sport in the world, Americans just can't seem to truly behind soccer. It can difficult trying to be a soccer fan in the United States, especially when you're forced to endure one of Jim Rome's soccer rants or a fishing show on ESPN while you know there's world-class football happening all over the world.
That's another thing. Americans call the game soccer. The world calls it football. But we already have our own "football," which is playfully referred to as "handegg" or "throwball" in other countries. I suppose it's the "football" fans that are having the last laugh, though, with their sport being the most popular in the United States in terms of ticket sales, attendance, merchandise, and ratings. NFL has 1.8 followers on Twitter. How many people follow the MLS twitter? A measly 10,000.
Over the coming weeks we look to explore why Americans hate soccer. Stay tuned.
Despite being the most popular sport in the world, Americans just can't seem to truly behind soccer. It can difficult trying to be a soccer fan in the United States, especially when you're forced to endure one of Jim Rome's soccer rants or a fishing show on ESPN while you know there's world-class football happening all over the world.
That's another thing. Americans call the game soccer. The world calls it football. But we already have our own "football," which is playfully referred to as "handegg" or "throwball" in other countries. I suppose it's the "football" fans that are having the last laugh, though, with their sport being the most popular in the United States in terms of ticket sales, attendance, merchandise, and ratings. NFL has 1.8 followers on Twitter. How many people follow the MLS twitter? A measly 10,000.
Over the coming weeks we look to explore why Americans hate soccer. Stay tuned.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Offside Soccer Video - Steve Zakuani's Disallowed Goal
Was Steve Zakuani offside?
The Seattle Sounders were knocked out of the 2010 MLS Playoffs last night by the LA Galaxy thanks to a 3-1 scoreline at the Home Depot Center. With a 4-1 aggregate overall, it seems that the Galaxy ran the show but the scoreline doesn't tell the entire story. Check out fan footage of Zakuani's disallowed goal. Should it have been? Was Zakuani a victim of a bad offside call? Check it out:
It's a close call for sure. It's curtains for Seattle, but they'll look to improve their season next year. With only four teams remaining be sure to watch the MLS Playoffs as the action and drama continues.
The Seattle Sounders were knocked out of the 2010 MLS Playoffs last night by the LA Galaxy thanks to a 3-1 scoreline at the Home Depot Center. With a 4-1 aggregate overall, it seems that the Galaxy ran the show but the scoreline doesn't tell the entire story. Check out fan footage of Zakuani's disallowed goal. Should it have been? Was Zakuani a victim of a bad offside call? Check it out:
It's a close call for sure. It's curtains for Seattle, but they'll look to improve their season next year. With only four teams remaining be sure to watch the MLS Playoffs as the action and drama continues.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Offside Soccer Video - Landon Donovan LA Galaxy vs. Chivas USA (2007)
Was Landon Donovan offside?
During the LA Galaxy's thrashing of Chivas USA in 2007, Landon Donovan was the recipient of a rather controversial offside call. Was Landon Donovan offside? You be the judge:
The ever-misunderstood offside rule in soccer strikes again!
The LA Galaxy are well on their way in the MLS Playoffs as they take the Seattle Sounders tonight at 9PM EST on ESPN. With Real Salt Lake out of the picture, it seems that LA are poised to take the title that was seemingly theirs last season. But that doesn't mean that Dallas, San Jose, and Colorado aren't looking to shut them down. Watch the 2010 MLS Playoffs tonight and find out if Seattle can come back.
During the LA Galaxy's thrashing of Chivas USA in 2007, Landon Donovan was the recipient of a rather controversial offside call. Was Landon Donovan offside? You be the judge:
The ever-misunderstood offside rule in soccer strikes again!
The LA Galaxy are well on their way in the MLS Playoffs as they take the Seattle Sounders tonight at 9PM EST on ESPN. With Real Salt Lake out of the picture, it seems that LA are poised to take the title that was seemingly theirs last season. But that doesn't mean that Dallas, San Jose, and Colorado aren't looking to shut them down. Watch the 2010 MLS Playoffs tonight and find out if Seattle can come back.
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