Replies

Americans don't like it simply because it isn't your tradition. You grew up with baseball, American football, basketball, ice hockey, etc.

You lot didn't grow up, as I did, watching films of Pele at his prime. You don't have legends like Bobby Charlton, nor the glory of winning a World Cup against an old World War enemy like Germany, as we did in 1966.

You have a rare opportunity right now. Watch Brazil work its magic on the field. If England plays up the scratch, take a look. Football (soccer) is a game of invention, tricks and magic to get the ball in the goal.

Oh and one other thing, football is for the less affulent. You see, to play baseball and football you need a lot more than just a ball to play it. With basketball, you need a hoop installed. With football, all you need is just the ball. And two rubbish bins to mark the goal. ;)

Regards, Ivan

I disagree that it's because we didn't grow up with it. I know people from other cultures who came to this country to go to school and loved soccer. After exposure to American football, they tell me they now find soccer boring. This is slightly embarrassing when they go back home and find their friends and family all excited about the local soccer team while they could care less.

I enjoy most sports and occasionally watch all of them. However, I usually only watch soccer when I am overseas. The reasons? For me, watching sports is, at least in part, social. No one watches it here so there is nobody to argue with. A second point might be, you cannot get much out of something you basically do not understand. Most Americans do not understand to rules or strategy in soccer.

Ivan, don't listen to these guys. I LOVE the NFL and college football, but I also LOVE soccer. I spent five years at Menwith Hill Station in the early 70s. We had the only all-American supporters club for any English club - in our case, Leeds United. Their players regularly came up to our mess. I met and bonded with Jack Charlton; Norman Hunter was our favorite.

We traveled all over the UK, visiting the shrines - Anfield, Wembley, Stamford Bridge, Maine Road, The Baseball Ground, and of course our own beloved Elland Road. In 1972, we were treated to one of the best games ever played: the best Manchester United had to offer against Leeds. We saw George Best, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law, Marty Buchan, inter alia. I can't remember all of them, but it was one of the classics.

Further duty took me to Italy and Argentina where I saw the best those countries had to offer as well. We lived 20 minutes from the Olympic Stadium in Rome. My sons and I went there regularly to see AS Roma and Lazio take on the cream of Italy. We also saw that 1977 European Cup Final where Liverpool dismantled Borussia Monchengladbach. I went a couple of times to different parks in Buenos Aires, but it did get a bit dangerous there.

I wish that they were playing the current championship in the early morning hours there instead of us having to watch it taped or get up with the chickens ourselves.

I agree, but one thing that's interesting.

Soccer is actually very common, but it is strictly a kids game mostly until about age 12. After that, most players, in paticular our best athletes, switch fulltime to American Football. Especially since football dominates the fall, basketball and hockey in winter, and baseball in spring.

Largely because of that, I doubt you'll see the US compete for the World Cup championship, and why there are few Americans in pro-soccer leagues(even a lot of American soccer leagues have a large number of Mexicans). Our best athletes are playing in the NFL, NBA, or NHL.

I think Soccer in Europe culturalwise is similar to football in the US. We even are starting to have our own fan hooligans here.

Oh and one other thing, football is for the less affulent.

Good point. When I was a kid in the late '70's "Pele Mania" was in full swing.

My parents suggested I play soccer, because we were too broke to afford the football gear.

I enjoyed the sport immensely - but by the time I got to High School, I was playing football, where the equipment is provided.

I cannot understand why hockey is big here while soccer is not. I cannot stand either sport, but hockey fans should be naturals.

The 1966 World Cup Final was a great match. My dad was stationed at RAF Mildenhall at the time and the performance of Geoff Hurst (three goals) must rank as one of the best individual performances ever in a World Cup Final. That was also the year the Eusebio of Portugal(or was it Spain) was considered to be the best player in the world and some of his acrobatic feats during that World Cup would match anything Michael Jordan did on the Basketball Court.

Another England hero, Nobby Stiles, probably accomplished more with less talant than any other player during that World Cup. He was an outstanding defensive half and kept many world class scorers in check throughout the 1966 World Cup. And is there any better forum for football than Wembly Stadium?