What Does the Rest of the World Know about Soccer that Americans Don’t?

PAjamas MEdia ^ | June 11 | Rick Moran

[Eagle of Liberty]

Precisely. The whole team is submerged in collective action. Baseball gives individuals the chance to stand out, while participating as members of a team.

Baseball gives individuals the chance to stand out as much as any other sport! That is the beauty of TEAM sports. Every individual MUST perform at a high level despite injuries, distractions or the pressure of that game. If individuals screw up, they could cost their team DEARLY. And this is true in baseball just as in soccer.

And another point, you don't think that there are different TEAM strategies in baseball. Almost every pitch creates a different scenario. Squeeze play, sacrifice fly, hitting the ball to the opposite side of the field, intentional walk, etc....

[Eagle of Liberty]

Soccer is for slaves with the intellectual capacity measured on the left side of the bell shaped curve.

You have obviously never played the game at any high level of competition.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Soccer doesn’t have substitutions? Does one typically play all 90 minutes? NBA players run a lot faster and it would be interesting to add up how many miles they run in a given game.

What's so tempting? At the World Cup level, you are allowed 3 substitutions for the game, so yes, many of the players play the entire game. And as for speed? My son plays soccer, will be going to college to play soccer and i bet that he would be even or beat MANY basketball players with his speed. And that is just at the college level. I would love to see basketball players keep up with some of the top soccer forwards.

[Lee'sGhost]

The supposedly biggest sporting event in the world. Everyone is breathless as the first two teams, South Africa and Mexico, take to the field and play for 90 minutes ending in a.....tie? WTH?!

Later, the USA plays Great Britain in an awesome grudge match 60 years in the making and play to a.....1-1 tie. WTH?!

It’s not what the rest of the world knows, it’s that the rest of the world is stupid.

OOooooooooo...... Look! Grass is growing! Yawn!

[Lee'sGhost]

“Actually, it’s growing rapidly in the U.S.....”

Yes, it’s been growing rapidly for the past 20 years. Faster than speeding molasses in winter.

[PA Engineer]

You have obviously never played the game at any high level of competition.

Neither have you.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Neither have you.

I have played and coached at a high enough level to know that the game is not a game for the intellectually stupid.

Your soccer involvement?

[PA Engineer]

I have played and coached at a high enough level to know that the game is not a game for the intellectually stupid.

Sure you did. Post your name and team. On the internet you could very well be a sixteen year old girl playing high school soccer. Oh wait... Like I said before, most people grow up from playing kickball. Real intellectual stuff there.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Sure you did. Post your name and team. On the internet you could very well be a sixteen year old girl playing high school soccer.

LOL! So High School soccer would still be considered kickball to you? If that's the case, no real sense in debating you.

[Travis T. OJustice]

Soccer is a great game.

If you are a 7 year old girl.

[PA Engineer]

LOL! So High School soccer would still be considered kickball to you? If that's the case, no real sense in debating you.

Debating? You were being presumptuous and pretentious. Debate?

[Eagle of Liberty]

Soccer is for slaves with the intellectual capacity measured on the left side of the bell shaped curve.

I was being presumptuous? Soccer is for slaves? Left side of the bell curve? I have been a club soccer coach for over 10 years, teaching 10 yr olds to 18 yr olds. None of my players are slaves and MANY would be on the left side of the bell curve. This year, at our HS graduation, 6 out of the 7 seniors on the HS team graduated with either a 4.0 or above a 3.5 GPA.

If you don't like the game, cool. There are many sports that I enjoy and some that I don't, but I don't go off on the fans of the sports that I don't like and consider them slaves or stupid.

[PA Engineer]

I was being presumptuous? Soccer is for slaves? Left side of the bell curve? I have been a club soccer coach for over 10 years, teaching 10 yr olds to 18 yr olds. None of my players are slaves and MANY would be on the left side of the bell curve. This year, at our HS graduation, 6 out of the 7 seniors on the HS team graduated with either a 4.0 or above a 3.5 GPA

I will repeat it slowly for you.

Y o u -c a n -p o s t -a n y t h i n g -o n -t h e- i n t e r n e t -a n d -c l a i m -i t- i s -t h e -t r u t h. I -c a l l -B S -u n l e s s -y o u -p r o v i d e -v e r i f i c a t i o n.

At a minimum provide the name and location of the High School. You said you played high level soccer. Now you say you coach a high school team. Which is it?

Funny. I actually did participate in the highest levels of my sport including the PanAm and World games. I do not take it personal nor do I define myself by it.

I will repeat what I said before. Unfounded claims are not a debate. You have been pretentious, presumptuous and now I might add pompous. If this is how you need to support your self esteem (vicariously), so be it.

One more thing. Nine billion flies eat dung. I guess the rest of the world should lower themselves to do the same. How is your fallacious logic any different? Frankly you make sheep look like independent thinkers.

[Eagle of Liberty]

I will repeat it slowly for you.

When you post your replies, are you talking about yourself? First you call be presumptuous, then you call me pretentious, now you call me pompous AND a liar.

As for my participation in the sport of soccer, I played in the Dayton Amateur Soccer League. The league has three divisions. The best of the best are in Division I. My team was never able to make it past about the middle of Division II.

As for coaching, I coached CLUB, which is what I posted previously as well. If you want, I c-a-n p-o-s-t i-t s-l-o-w-e-r so that you can get it all straight and are no longer confused. My team was NUSA Fire.

And as for all of your name calling to me for me being a presumptuous, pretentious, pompous liar, I have not called you one name other than to cite that you have probably not played the sport at a high level.

And for your criticizing me of making fallacious arguments and providing verification, please now tell me at what level you have played soccer and please provide a few links to prove your arguments of soccer being for the left side of the bell curve slaves of the world.

[the invisib1e hand]

Having played soccer competitively from age 6 to 22, I will openly admit that while it's one of the most intense, demanding games to play, it's also one of the very dullest to watch.

You have identified yourself as a true gentleman.