World Cup and European leagues

[sac]

Not a bad record for a team globally belittled.

This is why all real red-blooded Americans hate soccer: Blow lead in last 15 seconds and settle for tie. Lose next game by shutout. Advance to next round anyway. Storm field in celebration. Beep beep beep beep beep.

OxyBob

Check it out.  Soccer troll Ann Coulter has found our little board!  How exciting!

+k and again tommorrow

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Not a bad record for a team globally belittled.

This is why all real red-blooded Americans hate soccer: Blow lead in last 15 seconds and settle for tie. Lose next game by shutout. Advance to next round anyway. Storm field in celebration. Beep beep beep beep beep.

OxyBob

What's your definition of a "real red-blooded American"? Your opinion is not shared by any on this particular board nor the majority of other Americans at this time. Whatever sport you consider to be more American may lose more followers to soccer than you think. Take off the blinders and just support your country and it's talented team.

Why are Americans turning to the WC in record numbers?  It is because we want to be the best, and for the first time in history we can see an American team being the best.  We probably won't win this tournament, but we aren't all that far from the top teams.  The gap is closing.   

Americans who "hate" soccer are people who don't understand the game.  The European reaction to American football: boring.  Why?  They didn't understand the game and couldn't figure out why we stop for 30 seconds between each play.  We know the game, so we know better.  Football is a great sport.  So is soccer.

Those of us who don't drag our knuckles on the ground, know that soccer can be an extremely entertaining and exciting game....and America is pretty good at it!

One Nation...One Team....Go USA!!!!!!!!!!

I think there's a few reasons why everyone is watching.
One is that it's once every four years. If there was a World Cup every year no one would care. Look at the Olympics... for 3 years and 11 months no one cares about pistol shooting or biathlon but come the olympics everyone is interested.
Second is that it's "USA! USA! USA!". Doesn't matter how you feel about politics, current issues, etc... pit the US against other countries and everyone bleeds red white and blue.
Thirdly everyone loves to root for underdogs. This is a rare competition where the US isn't one of the favorites with a target on their back.

[madzillagd]

Four years ago we didn't get Premiere games on a major network every weekend or have as many games being shown on a variety of cable/satellite networks. Popularity has definitely grown and will continue to grow now that more people have access to watch soccer. Obviously the WC is a unique event that gets everybody watching their country, but I don't think when it's over everyone goes soccer-dormant for 4 years. The majority will but that minority of year-round soccer fans is growing. I just look at my kid's elementary school, on any given day you will not see a single hockey jersey, you'll see a couple football jerseys, and you'll see a dozen soccer jerseys.

[jknezek]

You can think of the growth of soccer in the U.S. this way.

1990, basically amateur (college players and some semi-pro indoor players plus a very few overseas pros) team went to the world cup, got blown out, and no games were shown on t.v.

1994, a professional team (mostly college grads and assorted players paid by U.S. soccer formed a 6 month long camp to prepare for the world cup, plus a few overseas pros). team eeked into the second round and games were shown on t.v. but we hosted.

1996, MLS started play, games rarely on t.v.

1998, a professional team (mostly MLS, and a few overseas pros plus a few naturalized citizens) got blown out in France, which was partially shown on t.v.

2002, a professional team (MLS and overseas pros sprinkled with young players that did well at the U-17 World cup) advanced in Japan/Korea. tournament partially shown on t.v., but due to time zones you had to get up at 2 a.m. EST to watch many games. MLS contracted, marking the high and low point of U.S. soccer at the same time.

2006, a fully professional team (MLS and overseas pros) crumbled under the pressure in Germany. All World Cup games shown on t.v. for the first time, limited ratings. MLS expansion had begun. T.V. contract for the first time paid a token amount to MLS instead of MLS paying to put games on T.V.

2010, a fully professional team (mostly overseas with some MLS pros mixed in) finish with highest group total points in modern cup era for a U.S. team. First World Cup group win in modern era. MLS expansion in full gear. Most MLS teams playing in soccer specific stadiums. MLS T.V. contract a net positive for the league. Highest rated World Cup in American T.V. history. Highest rated men's game in history when the U.S. qualifies for the knockout round. Also the first time all U.S. home qualifiers are shown on t.v.

2012, MLS expansion nets huge money for a second team in NY. MLS properties fully established as valuable even as the league continues to lose money.

2014, fully professional team (mostly MLS starters and overseas pros) generates the most excitement yet. MLS new TV contract more than quintuples previous contract. All home national team qualifiers are shown on t.v., with more than double the ratings of previous qualifiers.

Obviously I left out a lot of milestones, MLS attendance milestones, Gold Cups, significant victories, etc., because the goal wasn't to show how much better the national team has gotten, but rather the improvement in professional and national team soccer as evidenced by fan engagement. This is shown in how MLS has grown, how the MLS t.v. contract has grown, how the soccer specific stadiums have increased, and how the players have integrated into the national setup. For those who say the NASL failed, I agree. It failed on a bad financial model after 16 years. MLS's financial model is much more sustainable and has been going for 18 years. The current t.v. contract and expansion fees indicate that the league is solidly established, even if it has a lot of work to do.

The national team fan engagement has grown even better, from not being able to see the team at all to competitive games shown on t.v., to world cup games on t.v., to qualifiers on t.v. and even friendlies on t.v. All have seen dramatic ratings and attendance boosts over the last twenty years.

As a professional sport soccer has become part of the American landscape. How big it can get, not whether it is here to stay, is now the big question. There is a lot of work to do. MLS still doesn't turn a league wide profit. It is at best a second tier league. The salary cap, a function of revenue, is too low to really be competitive with big leagues. Bein Sports winning the rights to show away qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup show that ratings for those games are still too low to be attractive to a mainstream cable channel. MLS's t.v. contract is still pretty weak. While it is a huge step up from just a few years ago, it's still very low. National MLS games draw weak ratings at best, the U.S. Open Cup is something only really dedicated fans care about or can watch, and the national team seems to be about at its current ceiling.

While I believe this is the best U.S. team ever, I don't think it is significantly better than the 2010 team, somewhere between 20 and 30 in the world. We've proven to be consistently at or near the top of CONCACAF, but on the world scale we are still a bit player.

All that said, growth is pretty steady except for that '98-'02 period. At 24 years past qualifying for our first modern World Cup with amateur players and no ability to see the games on t.v., only the deluded deniers can say soccer is going nowhere in America. Anyone able to look at the facts and think logically can see it is a growing professional sport with a solid track record. I'm happy to be along for the ride.

[jknezek]

Just for fun I'll throw this fact out there from yesterday's game.

U.S. started 7 of 11 players, 7 of 10 field players, from MLS

Germany started 9 of 11 players, 8 of 10 field players, from Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

[sac]

You forgot David Beckham's arrival

[jknezek]

You forgot David Beckham's arrival

Didn't forget, chose not to mention it. And yes, I saw your emoticon but I guess it's somewhat worth talking about. The Designated Player option, a circumvent for the salary cap, doesn't really fit into the discussion. Or at least it didn't until recently (post Beckham) when I think all but one or two MLS teams started to take advantage of it rationally as opposed to it just being a publicity stunt. Beckham provided a short term boost to the league, but I don't think his stint in L.A. will have much of a long term effect on MLS. If he puts a team in Miami, and it actually succeeds, that would be a bigger impact then the tail of his playing career.

I'm more interested in the DP rule allowing U.S. players to get paid without going to Europe. While there are huge advantages to playing in Europe, you have to actually PLAY to realize them. I think there is a bias against American players in the top leagues so you don't have to be good enough to play, you have to be better than that. Having players like Zusi and Gonzalez and Besler getting paid fair money as DPs keeps them playing as opposed to fighting the bias. That is a bigger benefit to development of the national team than all the Beckham and Henry games combined, let alone the myriad of DP disasters.

I am sad to see Dempsey and Bradley back in MLS, but they needed the games going into a World Cup year and it was made pretty clear to them in Europe that they weren't trusted. Jozy will have problems getting on the field this season, and getting hurt and being unable to impress at the World Cup will only add to that...

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

It was a long day yesterday without any matches. Time to get back to action.

My predictions got 13 out of 16 in the correct spot including the entire left side of the bracket. Didn't see Mexico's offensive spurt coming. Ghana might have won had they not given up the own goal in the first half. And Ivory Coast was just a couple minutes from advancing.

Europe has 6 teams, South America 5, North America 3, Africa 2, Asia 0

A1: Brazil                                                    Netherlands :B1
B2: Chile              |                           |               Mexico :A2
                       |                           |
C1: Colombia           |         |        |        |           Costa Rica :D1
D2: Uruguay                      |        |                        Greece :C2
                                 |        |
E1: France                       |        |                     Argentina :F1
F2: Nigeria            |         |        |        |          Switzerland :E2
                       |         |        |        |
G1: Germany            |                           |              Belgium :H1
H2: Algeria                                                           USA :G2

Brazil vs Chile: I'm sure Chile will put up a valiant effort, but Brazil will feed off the home crowd and get through 2-1.

Colombia vs Uruguay: How will Uruguay do after all the talk about Suarez? Honestly I don't think it will matter. It would be a tight match without the incident but now all the distractions and no Suarez means Colombia should advance. 2-0 Colombia

[OxyBob]

Check it out.  Soccer troll Ann Coulter has found our little board!  How exciting!

I prefer to quote someone more erudite, like Jorge Luis Borges: "Soccer is popular because stupidity is popular."

This just in: Sherwin-Williams just signed on as a sponsor of the United States Soccer Federation. "Soccer, the closest thing to watching Navajo White dry!"

OxyBob

[jknezek]

Check it out.  Soccer troll Ann Coulter has found our little board!  How exciting!

I prefer to quote someone more erudite, like Jorge Luis Borges: "Soccer is popular because stupidity is popular."

This just in: Sherwin-Williams just signed on as a sponsor of the United States Soccer Federation. "Soccer, the closest thing to watching Navajo White dry!"

OxyBob

To be fair Borges wasn't so much against soccer as he was to the propaganda, nationalism and fanaticism that it provoked in his countrymen. A feeling shared by many of his intellectual countrymen following the exploitation of the 78 cup to hide atrocities committed by the military dictatorship. Borges recognized the Peron's use of soccer much earlier, but his objection was deeper than a simple dislike of the game. If you wish to pull his quotes away from context in an attempt to hide your ignorant trolling, there isn't much people can do to stop you.

[OxyBob]

Wow! What a game between Brazil and Chile! Tied game decided by penalty kicks! Whew!

Spurs defeat Heat to win NBA title

The San Antonio Spurs captured the NBA title with a thrilling 119 (5) - 119 (4) victory over the Miami Heat. The teams battled to a 95-95 tie after 48 minutes of regulation, and were still tied 119-119 after two 5-minute overtime periods. The game was then decided by a sudden death free throw shooting contest. Each team knocked down its first 4 FTs, but the Heat's LeBron James clanked his FT attempt. The Spurs' Tony Parker stepped up to the line and made his FT, giving the Spurs the sudden death win on FTs, setting off a wild celebration.

Dodgers beat Yankees to win World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2014 World Series over the New York Yankees with a 3 (3) - 3 (2) victory. The teams played to a 3-3 tie after 9 innings, and were still tied after 2 more extra innings. The game was finally decided by a sudden death home run derby. Mark Teixeria and Alfonso Soriano hit long home runs off of the batting tee, and Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp did likewise for the Dodgers. NY's Derek Jeter carefully placed the ball on the tee and took a mighty swing, but he got under it and the ball landed harmlessly on the warning track. That left it up to the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig, who left no doubt as he launched one off the batting tee into the stands, giving the Dodgers the sudden death World Series title. Delirium ensued at Dodger Stadium.

OxyBob

[jknezek]

Let me see if I get this right. If a soccer game ends in a tie we put the offense on a short field, and give them a chance to score, and then we put the other offense on a short field and give them an equal chance to score. When a college football game ends in a tie we put the offense on a short field and see if they can score and then we put the other offense on a short field and see if they can score. If the offenses both keep pace, we keep going.

What does that sound like? PKs pretty much, except in soccer it's a little more individual. Beats the crud out of pro football when a coin toss determines who has a massive advantage. All in all, I'm not a fan of PKs, but if you're a red blooded college football loving American it's not really all that different of a concept. And in soccer they do play 1/3rd of the game again before resorting to that kind of overtime. College football at the end of regulation immediately shifts to a different format.

Again, you can swing up from under the bridge any time you want, but each and every argument has been made before. There are reasons soccer is played the way it is. If you don't like it, don't watch. But don't expect any of the regulars on this board to sympathize with your nonsensical grunting.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Not a bad record for a team globally belittled.

This is why all real red-blooded Americans hate soccer: Blow lead in last 15 seconds and settle for tie. Lose next game by shutout. Advance to next round anyway. Storm field in celebration. Beep beep beep beep beep.

OxyBob

Check it out.  Soccer troll Ann Coulter has found our little board!  How exciting!

OB, if it will help your digestion, think of group play as the 'regular season' of the WC, to qualify for the 'postseason'.  Dozens of MLB, NFL, and NBA teams have made the postseason despite losing their last game of the regular season. 

And do fully understand that you ARE a soccer troll.  Those of us who post on this thread understand soccer (unlike you) and love it.  You are not going to sway any of us with your ignorant views; your purpose is simply to offend.  Therefore, you are the very definition of a troll.

(I'm responding so belatedly because I just got back from out of town.)

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I was pretty accurate with the first day of the knockout rounds. Chile was even more valiant than I thought. I'd hate to be a goal in Santiago tonight... the rocket off the crossbar at the end of extra time and the last PK off the inside of the post makes them public enemy #1.

Netherlands vs Mexico: The highest scoring offense in the tournament against Ochoa and his fantastic goalkeeping. With Mexico's offense showing some life in their last game this has the potential to be a goalfest. However I think the defenses step up with a number of fantastic saves and Netherlands finds a way through 1-0.

Costa Rica vs Greece: So who had this matchup before the tournament? The second UEFA-CONCACAF game of the day will be a defensive struggle. It could very well be a goalless game through 120 minutes. But I'll go with my heart rather than head and say Costa Rica wins 1-0.

France vs Nigeria: The only matchup this round between two of the 20 most populous countries in the world (Nigeria 7th. France 20th). Much like the Brazil-Chile matchup, I think the underdogs of Nigeria will put up a tough fight. However France has been too strong so far to fall here. Over 175 million people will be disappointed as France wins 2-1.

Germany vs Algeria: Third day in a row with a theme... today it's UEFA vs CAF. Algeria has played surprisingly well so far. Germany is a clear favorite here but could they get caught looking ahead to a matchup with France? This one will head to extra time tied at 1. Germany will find a winner without heading to PKs though with a 2-1 win in extra time.

Argentina vs Switzerland: This should be entertaining as these two teams have combined to score 13 goals and have given up 9. Messi has been the savior for Argentina so far, and they will need that magic again. I very nearly went with the Swiss upset, but I have finally settled on Argentina 3-2.

Belgium vs USA: The game we all care about around here. Belgium has yet to score before the 70th minute in this tournament but they also haven't given up a goal in the last 245 minutes. I can't see either trend changing. US makes one mistake and Belgium strikes late in the game for the 1-0 win.

[jknezek]

Mexico had me worried for a while. But in the end they were as brittle as ever. So much talent so little fortitude. For the life of me I cannot understand it.