Goodbye David Beckham

[NogbadTheBad]

Would it be so hard to add some officials?

This flopping thing is obviously the scourge of the sport - the fact that they don't deal with it is a disgrace.

I agree, that's FIFA for you. They are too wrapped up in tradition and having one lead official. They recently added two officials next to the goal line in Champions League games to check for when the ball crosses the line. They are also meant to help with in the box decisions but we haven't really seen it used.

Personally I'd like to see the two extra officials given the ability to advise the referee more, I'd like the use of goal-line technology and I'd like a fourth official watching the video feed to 'advise'. The trouble with that is you'd have to make sure it didn't slow the game down. Personally I'm in favor of post game video to heavily fine & suspend players.

[Scott Bails]

The trouble with that is you'd have to make sure it didn't slow the game down.

Any slower and everyone would be standing still.

[progeezer]

I prefer American football by the most wide margin imaginable to (World) football, but American football moves waaaaaaaaay more slowly than (World) football.

[Garion81]

You guys seems to spend an awful lot of time and energy telling us how much you hate soccer. I'm just sitting here enjoying a game, watch or don't, doesn't bother me.

Don't mistake indifference or not caring for hate. That would involve passion or emotion and towards Soccer I have none. ;-) I was merely pointing out that Soccer will never be anything more than a nitch sport in the USA at least through the next generation.

[Garion81]

I prefer American football by the most wide margin imaginable to (World) football, but American football moves waaaaaaaaay more slowly than (World) football.

Different kinds of games in my mind. Soccer is more like basketball and hockey both to my mind have far more payoff and action than soccer.

[Scott Bails]

I prefer American football by the most wide margin imaginable to (World) football, but American football moves waaaaaaaaay more slowly than (World) football.

I know what you're saying, with the constant stoppages, but if you stepped away from an American football game for 15 minutes, you could miss at least two scores. Watch a soccer game and you might not even get that for the whole game.

[NogbadTheBad]

Any slower and everyone would be standing still.

As oppose to the NFL where a game last three hours, the ball is in play for about 10 minutes, and only half the players are involved at any time. The NFL is pretty much the slowest game in town, all anyone does is stand around 95% of the time. And I love the NFL.

[Scott Bails]

Don't get me wrong, Ian - I'm not trying to convince you. I know that's pointless. If you love the game, that's great. Doesn't affect my enjoyment of the sports I like.

But I stand by my statement where this is one where Americans are right and the world is wrong.

[Scott Bails]

As oppose to the NFL where a game last three hours, the ball is in play for about 10 minutes, and only half the players are involved at any time. The NFL is pretty much the slowest game in town, all anyone does is stand around 95% of the time. And I love the NFL.

And yet there's more action in one game than the entire World Cup.

[NogbadTheBad]

I know what you're saying, with the constant stoppages, but if you stepped away from an American football game for 15 minutes, you could miss at least two scores. Watch a soccer game and you might not even get that for the whole game.

That's the beauty of the game

I once drove two hours to go see the USA National Team play Trinidad & Tobago in a World Cup Qualifier. The traffic was terrible and we only got into the ground 5 minutes after kick-off. The USA scored the only goal of the game in the third minute. We still had a great time.

[NogbadTheBad]

And yet there's more action in one game than the entire World Cup.

I'll pretty much watch ever minute of the World Cup and love it. We're never going to convince each other

[NogbadTheBad]

But I stand by my statement where this is one where Americans are right and the world is wrong.

Another example of American exceptionalism

[Scott Bails]

Nope!

[jake]

I know what you're saying, with the constant stoppages, but if you stepped away from an American football game for 15 minutes, you could miss at least two scores. Watch a soccer game and you might not even get that for the whole game.

I thought the whole point of American Football was you had to guess which player actually moved after each of the 125 commercial breaks.

[Vic2012]

I think you really have to grow up with soccer for it to get into your blood. I don't mean playing soccer as a kid, I mean soccer being part of the culture you grow up around. I have some friends (Colombians, Mexicans) who really love soccer, and they root for their teams. Now, the other sport they really love about as much as soccer is baseball. Baseball is like a religion to them (as well as soccer). For whatever reason baseball never got into my blood but I'll watch it if I'm at a sportsbar. Now, one sport that's kinda fun to watch is Aussie Rules Football. I think that's what I was watching the other day. It might've been some flavor of Rubgy, or who knows. Now, these guys were not wearing any padding or headgear, but they weren't slamming into each other head on either. I really don't understand the rules of Aussie Rules, the scoring, changing posessions, etc. But I'm sure that non-Americans are just as confused about American Football too.

[Jefferson James]

I typed out a big response to this thread using only my feet; my little toe inadvertently hit the "delete" key and all was lost. For this reason, I hate soccer.