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Old 06-15-2018, 03:21 AM   #16
snappit
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Interesting stuff and good to see a thread like this on an American forum. Agree, you can't really leave George Best of a list of the best ever. Overlooked really, as coming from Northern Ireland he never got the chance to play on the world stage. That and his alcohol problems, he died far too young. Probably one of the most naturally gifted players I've seen.

I think America as a whole will 'get' football eventually as it seems to be getting more popular there, especially with the young. Not qualifying this year hasn't helped the cause. I don't know if you heard but it was just announced that the US will host the 2026 tournament jointly with Canada and Mexico. That will be a big boost.

The one thing about football, as has been said, you can just start a game anywhere, I remember as a kid we'd play in the street or just pop down to the park and put a couple of jumpers down for the goal.

I don't know much about American football although do try and watch the superbowl even though I haven't got a clue what is happening. It's certainly a good show.

I do like baseball and went to see some games when I visited the US and Canada. You never know we might even be able to get you to like cricket, my favourite game. Although I'm not that convinced I will be able to attract you to a game that lasts 5 days and end in a draw. You might quite like the shorter one day game though.
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Old 06-15-2018, 06:04 AM   #17
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I think the reason the game is so difficult for many Americans of my generation is because most of us never played the game as kids. Being from the south, I never connected with hockey, either, but I learned to love the sport anyway. (Still don't really understand it as I do the games I player, though.)

It's hard to really appreciate the game if one hasn't grown up with it from a young age. The sports-related cultural difference between the U.S. and Europe is striking. In Europe, when a little kid finds a ball on the street...he kicks it. Here...the little kid picks up the ball and throws it. This inherent instinct places soccer at a big disadvantage as the kids are growing up in this country.
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Old 06-15-2018, 09:54 AM   #18
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It's hard to really appreciate the game if one hasn't grown up with it from a young age. The sports-related cultural difference between the U.S. and Europe is striking. In Europe, when a little kid finds a ball on the street...he kicks it. Here...the little kid picks up the ball and throws it. This inherent instinct places soccer at a big disadvantage as the kids are growing up in this country.
Completely agree.

It is also the reason that Europeans who entered the NFL typically did so as kickers instead of players: their base was in a completely different paradigm.

Of course, now we have a melding of everything and in this and future generations more North Americans will play futbol from a young age.
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:45 PM   #19
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And today's Portugal vs Spain game one again proves that Ronaldo is the greatest player on the planet.
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:53 PM   #20
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And today's Portugal vs Spain game one again proves that Ronaldo is the greatest player on the planet.
Ronaldo is very unlucky to be playing at the same time as Messi is. Otherwise...he would be universally accepted as the world's greatest player. Now...such an assessment seems debatable, IMO.
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Old 06-15-2018, 07:05 PM   #21
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I'm not sure if Pele was the best ever player, because I am a bigger fan of the European style of futball...but I think Lev Yashin was clearly the best ever goalkeeper.
"

Just found this thread and started reading. Nice to see you here Thask.

I love soccer (calcho?) and played some as a boy while spending time in Italy, many years ago. Was one of the only Americans interested at that time.

Saw Pele play in person while he was with the Cosmos at Hofstra on Long Island (before they went to Jersey). 1970's.

Can still visualize him scoring on a bicycle kick! What a thrill!

Probably root for France, with Italy not there. Or Argentina.
Have a cousin in Brasil though.
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Old 06-15-2018, 07:25 PM   #22
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And today's Portugal vs Spain game one again proves that Ronaldo is the greatest player on the planet.

If you like soccer too, I'm not arguing with you any more.



Or Dave either.



Time for Mohawk.

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Old 06-15-2018, 08:48 PM   #23
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Messi has yet to do it at the International level, despite the fact that Argentina are better than Portugal and play in a weaker area of the world.
Cristiano led Portugal to the Euro16 title...Messi has yet to win anything for his country.
They're both accomplished at the club level, but the international level success gives Cristiano the edge in my book
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Old 06-15-2018, 09:23 PM   #24
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The recuperative power of soccer players are 2nd to none. I saw at least 5 players who appeared to have career threatening injuries in the Portugal-Spain match , but by the Grace of God made miraculous recoveries.
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Old 06-15-2018, 11:41 PM   #25
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Soccer is people running in circles in their underwear for 2 hours. No wonder the fans are always getting drunk and rioting.

On a serious note,I've tried to give the game a tumble but what I find frustrating is the lack of momentum in a play.Unlike hockey (the closest sport it resembles),where there is genuine excitement on a breakaway or a 3 on 2 play because the puck is easier to control and the legitimate possibility of a scoring opportunity, in soccer inevitably someone over runs or misses a pass (or whatever they call it) from their teammate and everyone has to regroup.Again and again.I find it aggravating, not enough of a payoff for all the movement.What if every football game (a real game played by real men ),the score was 7-3 or 10-0.It wouldn't have the popularity it now enjoys.
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:45 AM   #26
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The recuperative power of soccer players are 2nd to none. I saw at least 5 players who appeared to have career threatening injuries in the Portugal-Spain match , but by the Grace of God made miraculous recoveries.
It's how the game is played.
You are helping your team if you can sell that bit extra to a ref
after you have been fouled. It can be frustrating to watch at times,
but as your opponents accumulate cautions (yellow cards), they
run the risk of losing a player for the rest of the game (red cards).

The only US sport I could compare selling a foul to a ref
is in basketball. Even there, though, it's different.

Soccer players at the top level can earn a reputation for
exaggerating fouls. Regular offenders should be penalized.
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:51 AM   #27
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Soccer is people running in circles in their underwear for 2 hours. No wonder the fans are always getting drunk and rioting.

On a serious note,I've tried to give the game a tumble but what I find frustrating is the lack of momentum in a play.Unlike hockey (the closest sport it resembles),where there is genuine excitement on a breakaway or a 3 on 2 play because the puck is easier to control and the legitimate possibility of a scoring opportunity, in soccer inevitably someone over runs or misses a pass (or whatever they call it) from their teammate and everyone has to regroup.Again and again.I find it aggravating, not enough of a payoff for all the movement.What if every football game (a real game played by real men ),the score was 7-3 or 10-0.It wouldn't have the popularity it now enjoys.
It's an acquired taste.
There is an art to good defending in soccer,
even though most people watch to see goals.

By and large, most goal-less games are boring.
Every now and then, though, a game with few
or even no goals, is better to watch than a
higher scoring one.
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Old 06-16-2018, 09:28 AM   #28
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It's how the game is played.
You are helping your team if you can sell that bit extra to a ref
after you have been fouled. It can be frustrating to watch at times,
but as your opponents accumulate cautions (yellow cards), they
run the risk of losing a player for the rest of the game (red cards).

The only US sport I could compare selling a foul to a ref
is in basketball. Even there, though, it's different.

Soccer players at the top level can earn a reputation for
exaggerating fouls. Regular offenders should be penalized.
I was making a joke.
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:45 PM   #29
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I was making a joke.
Gee...
Thanks for your injection of humor. We haven't heard that one before
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Old 06-16-2018, 04:39 PM   #30
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Gee...
Thanks for your injection of humor. We haven't heard that one before
True, but it never gets old. It's a beautiful combination of sport and WWE.
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