As a fan of other sports, you typically don't have to defend your sport. The soccer fans always try to justify how hard and how difficult it is. True athletes get tired of hearing it and it sparks the attacks on the game from those that understand just how sub par the game really is.

 

Or how intellectually gifted one has to be to even remotely grasp the fundamentals of the game; not to mention the subtle nuances.

 

I'm such a Neanderthal.

This has gone well.

This has gone well.

 

I ain't Kreskin, but...

This has gone well.

 

Somewhere Guru appreciates your attempt at stirring the pot. It saved him a little time to think up a thread.

This has gone well.

 

You did this to yourself, Dr. Frankenstein.

You did this to yourself, Dr. Frankenstein.

 

Offside in soccer is THE STUPIDEST RULE IN SPORTS. Can you imagine a football or basketball player outrunning a defensive player having the ball passed to him and being called back because he was able to get past the defensive player? In soccer if all a defender has to do to take away an offensive players speed advantage is move forward. The soccer enthusiasts will say it prevents offensive players from just camping out in front of the goal, I say learn to defend it if a player camps out in front of the goal. Stupid, stupid rule.

 

I used to think so too, but after watching a lot of my kid's matches I think it is a good rule. If you didn't have offsides, guess where the slow and unathletic kids would hang out hoping to finally score a goal. That would be boring.

 

Mex mentioned how physical soccer is. My son grew up with a pretty nice basketball player. NKAC defensive player of the year. Kid also happened to be a grass fairy. First team NKAC and maybe even higher accolades in soccer.

Mom HATED him playing basketball. It was too physical and he frequently got hurt while playing hoops. Never got hurt while on the pitch. Mom always said it was because the size and strength of the kids who played hoops versus the size of the kids who played soccer.

 

I don't care if someone doesn't like soccer, thinks it's boring, wouldn't want to play or watch the game. That his or her prerogative. You may have an opinion.

 

But the unnecessary disrespect shown to another because of the sport he enjoys playing is what gets under my craw. Can you imagine an adult calling a child a "grass fairy"?

 

If I'm allowed to guard him, why would I care where he stands. Should we have offsides in basketball too...a sport that IMO soccer is closer to. Continuous movement in soccer vs. multiple stoppages in play for football. Also, the ball changes hands frequently in soccer without stoppages.

 

For me, having a goalie and not allowing a player to break away is like having an extra defender in basketball that stay in the paint all the time. In soccer, you already have someone protecting the goal and if you don't want someone alone down by the goal, it's your job to protect it and guard that person! Just like every other sport. Maybe if you were allowed to spread the field more, there would be more scoring and interest.

 

It wouldn't spread the field it would bunch the field up on both ends. If we do this I also suggest adding one Sumo wrestler at each goal to clear the box of excess players.

 

The need to run up the score is unnecessary. A sport doesn't need to have a lot of scoring to be exciting. A 1-0 baseball game is very interesting to those who appreciate the battle that occurs between the pitcher and batter and the defense. A casual observer may not find it interesting.

I used to think so too, but after watching a lot of my kid's matches I think it is a good rule. If you didn't have offsides, guess where the slow and unathletic kids would hang out hoping to finally score a goal. That would be boring.

 

 

 

I don't care if someone doesn't like soccer, thinks it's boring, wouldn't want to play or watch the game. That his or her prerogative. You may have an opinion.

 

But the unnecessary disrespect shown to another because of the sport he enjoys playing is what gets under my craw. Can you imagine an adult calling a child a "grass fairy"?

 

 

 

It wouldn't spread the field it would bunch the field up on both ends. If we do this I also suggest adding one Sumo wrestler at each goal to clear the box of excess players.

 

The need to run up the score is unnecessary. A sport doesn't need to have a lot of scoring to be exciting. A 1-0 baseball game is very interesting to those who appreciate the battle that occurs between the pitcher and batter and the defense. A casual observer may not find it interesting.

 

So if I sent 3 players down to the goal and you had to guard them, that wouldn't open up the field more? Create more passing lanes to move the ball down the field easier? That's like playing a basketball game and pressing. You could keep all 5 players in a half court press without worrying about a breakaway. That would seem like "bunching up" more than spreading the field.

I think, for the most part, it is "all or nothing" on both sides. You either love it or you hate it and you can't stand that another person is mildly interested in it. I don't love all of soccer. I loathe the fake injuries/flopping for calls (my son constantly does this and I want to yank him off of the field each time). On the other hand, most refs won't call a foul unless you fall down, which is frustrating as well.

 

I also dislike both extremes. Soccer is boring and you can't use your hands. I don't ever want to watch it. Then you have, "You don't understand the game." like it is studying Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Then you translate over the words from England like "pitch," "pass the ball with pace," the overabundance of Mercedes, BMW's, and Lexus in the parking lot of a game and Dad's wearing croakies on the sideline and you have a pretentiousness that is tough to get over.

 

Let's just say this. Soccer is a fun game. It is a game of space, movement, passing that to play at a high level requires incredible speed, quickness, endurance, and technique. It can be extremely frustrating to watch at lower levels, but very enjoyable at higher levels (LIKE EVERY OTHER SPORT). Most of our best athletes DO NOT play the sport, but there are still a ton of very good athletes playing the game. It is what it is, but you can just "like" the sport. You don't have to either love it or hate it.

 

Well said Mex!

I don't try to defend the sport, because those who are against it will never be swayed. That's fine.

 

EPL is on in my house every Saturday and Sunday, often at the expense of football. The play is fantastic.

 

I LOVE college football, but I can't tell you who is playing Saturday night. But I can tell you US Men's National team is playing Mexico in a critical match to qualify for Confederation Cup, and I'll be tuning in.

 

I didn't know you could even watch soccer on TV? I'm actually a casual sports fan when it comes to watching on TV. I'd rather see a game live or watch the purest of all--high school sports. You have seen me at about every HS sporting event there is. Love watching a kid play ANY HS sport. They do it for the love of the game. They do it to be social. It is a great atmosphere.

Soccer is an incredible sport. I've coached youth soccer for almost 10 seasons now and it is far from boring.

 

Anyone who says it is boring doesn't fully understand the sport. There's a lot more to it than scoring goals.

 

Disagree. I understand it completely and have watched it extensively and I still find it boring.

Perhaps someone should go watch a high level soccer match- instead of making ignorant statements about soccer- truly idiotic that someone makes these comments and they no nothing about soccer (Tac).

Perhaps someone should go watch a high level soccer match- instead of making ignorant statements about soccer- truly idiotic that someone makes these comments and they no nothing about soccer (Tac).

 

Maybe someone should read all the posts in this thread. Played, coached and took lessons. I have watched soccer at the high school and college level.

I think I "NO" enough about the sport to comment.

I think Clyde started this thread just so he could sucker me in to tick a few people off.

.

 

@Clyde, could you please add aleft12 to my list?

I have daughters so I don't have first hand experience with football sons. But I see more and more kids at my kids schools with soccer gear on (USA Team, Club Teams, European Leagues). Louisville just got a AAA soccer team here and attendance got to be where it was more than the baseball team on most nights. I see those bumper stickers all the time. It won't pass football in my lifetime, but it's numbers will only continue to grow IMO.

It's interesting, my son plays college football and has never played soccer yet he has 2 soccer flags hanging in his dorm room. Chelsea and Manchester.