TEAM USA LEADS 2-0 @ 75 minute mark (the world is eating crow right now!!)

espn/ustream ^ | June 24, 2009 | espn

[max americana]

The IMPOSSIBLE is happening.

SPAIN..the leading # 1 team in the world, 35 game winning streak, they have shut out opponents in the series...and the soccer world already conceded that SPAIN is SUPPOSED TO WIN..YET HERRE THEY ARE SHOCKING THE FN SOCCER WORLD.

Kiss my ass you America hating soccer fans...

[Nuc1]

I am glad our guys won.

[copaliscrossing]

But no ceegar. First, my brother played soccer, so I respect the ability it takes to play it. But, without doubt, it is a second tier sport in America...not by numbers...but by quality of athlete. That is a reality. The best athletes in America play football, basketball, and baseball. As a rule, soccer gets the kids who aren’t physical or determined enough to play football and practice to hit a small baseball coming in at a high rate of speed.

Well, that might be a little too broad of a brush these days. My son plays both baseball and soccer at the highest level in our area and his passion is soccer and he is the leading scorer on his team but he also is one of the top players on his baseball team. He wants to pursue soccer because it is his passion and he feels much more "creative" while playing the fast pace that soccer offers.

Don't get me wrong, he also likes the challenge that baseball offers and will play as long as he can. My older son chose baseball over soccer and would have been good at whichever one he chose.

[kabar]

I became a soccer fan when I was living in Italy. I watched the famous semifinal world cup game between West Germany and Italy in 1970 in a crowded hotel lobby in Naples. Naturally, the crowd was overwhelming for Italy. The game had tremendous ebb and flow with one side than another going ahead. My wife, a German, cheered everytime Germany scored and the crowd booed her good-naturedly. It was a fantastic game.

Those old enough to remember the 1970 FIFA World Cup TM semi-final will not have forgotten one of the most dramatic matches of all time - the epic clash of styles between the opportunism of 'Gigi' Riva's Squadra and the will to win of Kaiser Beckenbauer's Mannschaft.

Italy won, but I was hooked. I lived a total of almost 25 years of my adult life overseas and grew to love the game. I have been to many games, including several Euyropean championship games and matches in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran, Germany, Greece, Finland, and others. If you want to feel the pulse of a country, go to a soccer game. When I lived in Poland, there was a match between the Soviet Union and Poland. The reception the Polish fans gave the Soviets was heart warming--if you were an American. I knew then that the Soviets were finished in Eastern Europe as these were the days of Solidarnosc'.

Why do you allow the analysts to affect your view of the game? There are different styles, but it is subjective as to which one is better than the other. I guess the purists think that the Brazilians combine athleticism with finess the best along with a pure enjoyment for the game exemplified by their fans. Personally, I like the rough and tumble style of the Brits and Germans. It is attacking football with long passes and brute strength.

I am a sports junkie who will watch or participate in almost anything. Soccer is one of the best sports ever devised. Some of the best athletes on the planet play it.

[telebob]

"Opinions are like a**holes, evryone has one. I could care less whether you like soccer or not."

Obviously not. Why would you spend so much time lecturing about the world-wide popularity, etc., except to justify your own interest? Everyone knows that it's the 'World's Game'.

It's not very popular in the US and never has been. Every effort to broaden its appeal to the uncouth American masses has ended in failure.

Why? Because it's BORING! If you enjoy boredom, knock yourself out. But why lecture others about it? I don't care if anyone doesn't like American football, baseball, synchronized swimming or curling - whatever

BTW - what's my strawman? And you never answered my question about this fear of soccer bidness. Now what's that about?

[Betis70]

Ice Hockey, College basketball, MotoGP, F1, then WC soccer in my hierarchy.

Even though I played high school football, I just never got into the NFL and my college did not really have much of a football team.

[dfwgator]

BTW: I hate to see the new emnity between the two liverpool clubs. Scousers should stick together (and hate the mancunians and the southerners :-P)

The Heysel disaster changed all that. Evertonians never forgave Liverpool for the ban on English clubs, just when Everton was on the verge of making it big in Europe.

[kabar]

You are the one who said soccer was boring. I responded by saying that you were in a distinct minority. Most of the people in the world don't find it boring.

And you are wrong about soccer's popularity in the US. The game is becoming more popular than ever with more people participating and watching.

Obviously not. Why would you spend so much time lecturing about the world-wide popularity, etc., except to justify your own interest? Everyone knows that it's the 'World's Game'.

LOL. This is a soccer thread on a landmark US victory against the number 1 ranked team in the world and you pick this thread to express your opinion on how boring the game is. Why even post to this thread unless you are trying to get a reaction by being a contrarian? LOL.

[wolf78]

They call it football...which is an insult to football.

Well, originally there was association football and rugby football, one usually called football or sometimes soccer and the other one rugby.

I love real football but this soccer stuff is pretty dang exciting too.

Historically speaking, American football stems from rugby, so being a derivation, it can hardly be called "real". In truth, all three are "real" football, one is association football, the other one rugby football and the third American football. A world class footballer will kick *ss no matter which of the three he plays.

[wolf78]

If USA does beat Spain it would be the biggest shocker in the world of soccer since Liverpool FC came back from down 3-nil to beat AC Milan in penalty kicks at the 2005 UEFA Champions League final.

It will be a big shocker, but one should also remember that the US team fought later world champion Italy to a draw during the 2006 FIFA world cup in front of a "home audience" in Kaiserslautern (many US soldiers stationed in the region). That was one game for the ages - and a pretty bloody one as well.

[telebob]

If I may...

"I think the dislike comes from some people feeling threatened by the popularity and universality of the sport."

I simply asked you to explain your statement which was in reaction to other posters comments. I then offered my opinion that the dislike was not from fear of soccer but from the ennui of soccer.

Still waiting for that response...

And we were off and running. It's been fun pulling your tail feathers.

"Why even post to this thread unless you are trying to get a reaction by being a contrarian? LOL."

You're catching on...

[Eurotwit]

That’s why we call them the bitters.

Though Heysel was awful.. One of my first memories as a football fan :-(

[dfwgator]

And why Evertonians call Liverpool, “The Shite.”

[kabar]

Still waiting for that response...

LOL. Yeah, sure you are. Go play with yourself.

[dfwgator]

And we've also got "Rocky"

[telebob]

"LOL. Yeah, sure you are. Go play with yourself."

Hah. You lose...

[wolf78]

But some of these comments about soccer’s popularity blah blah blah...the best athletes in the world play American football, not soccer or if we must call it by it’s proper name....kommunist kickball.

The best athletes in the world... ROFL. It's a completely different game that requires a different kind of athleticism. If American football players are buffalos, then Association footballers are gazelles. One isn't "better" than the other, they're just different.

Honestly, in America, not the second tier, but third tier athletes play soccer as opposed to football, basketball and baseball. So, that’s why we lag the world in soccer as a rule.

That's also the reason why many of the best US soccer players play for English or German clubs, just like Dirk Nowitzki plays for the Dallas Mavericks.

[truthandlife]

Very excited about this result and for those of you that don’t know how miraculous this is. It was an incredible feat by a team that played horrible early on in this tournament.

Even for those who hate soccer, you would be proud how this team played because they played like Americans go to war or do other things...with their hearts. They played with heart and determination. This is what the good ole USA is about.

[dfwgator]

Very excited about this result and for those of you that don’t know how miraculous this is. It was an incredible feat by a team that played horrible early on in this tournament.

And remember the 1980 US Hockey team was drubbed by the Soviets 10-3 a month before the Olympics. Gives you hope that they can get revenge on Brazil in the finals. (Assuming they beat South Africa)

[rbmillerjr]

“Here in the DC metro area, soccer is a big time high school sport for both boys and girls. I certainly wouldn’t call the athletes second tier.”

Having coached football athletes in the DC Metro area, PG, I can tell you that I totally disagree with you.

I’ve seen 6 6 310 lbs athletes lineup at Def End and Tight end and dominate...you can’t compare the size and speed of football athletes in the DC Metro area against soccer athletes...football athletes are freaks like the above I described...he could have played bball at Clemson or Football at a host of D1 football schools. He now plays professionally.

...and then there are the pure speed athletes...wow...plenty of 4.4s in the DC Metro area and some sub 4.4’s.

Again, I’m taking nothing away from soccer athletes...they are well conditioned and extremely skilled...but objectively they can’t compare to football, bball and baseball athletes...I’m talking about pure speed, agility, strength and power/explosiveness combination...it’s no comparison my friend.

[dragonblustar]

Don't forget Helen...