The World Cup will go on...Without me. Yes I'm bitter that the US lost. But, I had no illusions of us winning the whole thing and I honestly didn't see us getting out of group play. Why am I pissed?
The problems and issues that have plagued international soccer for years have not been fixed. They told me they were fixed. They are not. I was lied to and that's all.
Referees still have way too much impact on the game. Not only in the US games, but throughout the tournament, cards are being thrown around like pennies in a fountain. Penalties (like the ridiculous PK against the US today) are being awarded for acting.
Players are still aloud to take dives with little or no contact, waste 3 minutes in exchange for 30 seconds being added in stoppage time. You can't blame the players for this, as they are allowed to do it. Its the fact that they are allowed to that is the problem. This is why casual fans hate soccer. There was a crackdown for a few years and guys were award cards for taking dives but those days are gone. Guys are back to acting, falling down, writing around in 'anguish', getting carried off on a stretcher, bouncing back up and being on the field a minute later. As a result, I'm done with this Cup. Let me know who wins.
Easy way to solve this problem. If you get carried off on a stretcher, you can't come back into the game for 10 minutes. Problem solved.
DC Improv tonight. Rouhier, White, Ferarra = mirth.
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3 comments:
Don't blame it on the rule, the referee, the diving, the game. The US just does not play well in all THREE games of the tournament. If you ever play real soccer you will know that it's very physical. Because of the large field, no instant replay, and only 3 officials, lot of real foulings went on un-noticed from the refs. If you notice the diving often occurs when the guy got the ball. In another word, it is just over-reacting in the point of view of the referees to let him know that there is a foul. Lot of fouls outside the ref's vision are un-called. If you think the shin protection help to reduce the pain from the kick of spine soccer shoes then you're dead wrong. The truth is lot of time, the pain, such as being kick in the shin, the croin, head collision,.... are hurt like hell. They can make you fumble and roll in the ground. However fortunately, they'll go away shortly. So not all diving is diving. Having to say that there is lot of acting in diving. But to use it as a reason not to watch the sport is ridiculous. If you think about fairness then please wake up. There is no such thing is fair in life. The beauty of soccer is not in the huge final scores, but in the beauty of the play, the team and individual's tatics and skill. It's all about tatical rhythm. The US is clearly does not have much rhythm in 3 games.
You know it took me a while to finally comprehense the beauty of Picasso's painting. However before that I never shout out loud that I hate Picasso's painting because it's so stupid: "he painted a woman that does not look like a woman or she has three legs...". You obviously watch soccer in the typical American sport point of view. I bet you love lot of overtime, let the players wear micro-phone to listen to coaches on sideline, use lot of instant replay for referee, obsessively control the clock, put more referee on the field and have them stop the game while making decision. If you say "yes" to any of those above, then you obviously don't understand the game, and you never be a soccer fan nor will watching soccer, regardless of diving or no diving.
For consolation, the US soccer team is not the only team that got eliminated this year. The US also got eliminated from the World baseball series (the one with Cuban, Japan...- not the "World Series"), lost the basketball gold medal (despite of NBA players in the team), and did not win the hocky game in the winter Olympic. In another word, we're suck, and choked in most of "real" international sport even. The Super Bowl winner can claim that the team is the "world" champion, but that because no one outside the States really care to compete.
Great points. Soccer was my best sport growing up and I played on state tourney teams. I love soccer. I didn't think the US was getting out of its group and we didn't deserve to. This cup has been undoubtedly tainted by the liberal dolling out of cards and players taking dives, getting carried off, and then hopping back in. This black eye has taken all the joy out of watching a beautiful game at the highest level. Getting kicked in the shin hurts really bad.
Whoever this anonymous guy is clearly mistaken and has misunderstood the general issues that Americans have with soccer/futbol. I like soccer, I enjoy watching as much as possible. The action is incredible and the "beauty of the play" does not go unrecognized.
What you must understand is that the two largest sports in the United States are Baseball and Football. In baseball, it proves that we enjoy well fought, intensely tight games. The ultimate game is 1-0 game, a pitchers duel so to speak. Those games will get the loudest ovations, and the crowds will stay until the end. As a result I believe the largest misnomer is that we don't like soccer because of the lack of scoring. But as Danny said we don't like soccer because they are all pansies. We watch the NFL where large and hard hits are encouraged and where people who get up whoozy are laughed at. I don't care how hard you get kicked in the shins, I guarantee it feels better than getting blind sided by Sean Taylor! Get up Get up Get up. They fall to ground screaming in agony. Its ridiculous. It needs to change, its pathetic to watch , its a show of unsportsmanship, and its bush league in every sense of the word.
The fact that the World sits there and watches it, and therefore encourages it astounds me. Whats wrong with everyone. Just get up and hustle. If your hurt, sit there in pain, don't act like your legs been chopped off by an axe. Get up and walk it off. It happens in every sport but soccer.
I mean imagine if the NBA was like this. It is already terrible, but imagine if there were ten Vlade Divac's on the court, flopping anytime someone touched them. I cringe just picturing it.
And if all of this hurts as much as you claim can you at least send me a box of that spray, cause that stuff must be incredible.
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