World Cup

[Keith Sinclair]

Have been watching the games in world cup this year. Never really followed much before.
My niece is big fan she was athlete at college level women's high hurdles & good soccer player.

Also watching specials like Pele on Netflix.
Taping analysis too with American players explaining the game. I am getting a feel for how huge this is every 4 years. Looking forward to Sunday Final.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Well congratulations to Argentina for winning World Cup. France certainly made it interesting getting to 2-2 late in the game.

Lionel Messi scored twice in his last and only World Cup win.

Kylian Mbappe young speedster scored both for France.

 

[chefwp]

Well congratulations to Argentina for winning World Cup. France certainly made it interesting getting to 2-2 late in the game.

Lionel Messi scored twice in his last and only World Cup win.

Kylian Mbappe young speedster scored both for France.

It was an exciting game, I'm glad Messi finally took the title home for Argentina, nice to see an old player of his caliber succeed. Mmmbop will get plenty other chances I have a feeling, he is fun to watch!

 

[Borealhiker]

Well congratulations to Argentina for winning World Cup. France certainly made it interesting getting to 2-2 late in the game.

Lionel Messi scored twice in his last and only World Cup win.

Kylian Mbappe young speedster scored both for France.

This was a truly amazing WC as far as the fixtures all the way through todays final. Personally, however, I have a lot of ….I guess regret that it was held in Qatar b/c of all the human rights bs in that country. And, lol, this could/should go in unpopular opinions thread……especially for most Americans I’d guess….but I just don’t know how people say soccer isn’t exciting ️……well ok maybe American MLS

 

[Borealhiker]

View attachment 214850

It was an exciting game, I'm glad Messi finally took the title home for Argentina, nice to see an old player of his caliber succeed. Mmmbop will get plenty other chances I have a feeling, he is fun to watch!

Omg 35 is old…I must be downright ancient, well…..Abraham Lincoln *was*my college roommate ….lol I know what you mean tho.

 

[chefwp]

Omg 35 is old…I must be downright ancient, well…..Abraham Lincoln *was*my college roommate ….lol I know what you mean tho.

Believe me, I understand where you are coming from. Soccer players are a theatrical bunch, but honestly if I hit the ground like they sometimes do, I wouldn't be able to get up very fast if at all!

 

[chefwp]

Abraham Lincoln *was*my college roommate

OMG, were you there when he delivered this famous quote?

"Don't believe everything you see on the Internet" -Abraham Lincoln

 

[Borealhiker]

OMG, were you there when he delivered this famous quote?

"Don't believe everything you see on the Internet" -Abraham Lincoln

Helped him write it

 

[Borealhiker]

Believe me, I understand where you are coming from. Soccer players are a theatrical bunch, but honestly if I hit the ground like they sometimes do, I wouldn't be able to get up very fast if at all!

For sure. Soccer is a beautiful game. But yeah it is also a very physical contact sport. And yeah they can get theatrical but imo not a lot worse than American football wide receivers going all ham for an interference flag.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

New to watching kind of got the feeling some of the laying on the ground in pain is just for show. I know they do get serious injury. Another thing noticed great difference size of players of coarse gold keepers are tall other players are well over Six feet.

Saw specials on Pele & Modric both 5'8" .
Lionel Messi 5'7". Diego Maradona was 5'5".
So smaller players have been at the highest level in the sport. Low center of gravity & quickness in ball handling.

I notice this because I am 5'8" was bullied in school had to fight back against bigger guys even if take lickin to get any respect. To small for basketball & football. 15 think was 5'7" didn't weigh much first year High School lettered in Cross Country & Track. Finally found something was good at. Because was winning races get more points for team would run 3:races quarter mile 440 yards one lap, half mile 880 yards two laps, & the mile Four laps. Racing 440 & 880 made me a better miler. Was top High School miler in eastern Virginia. Also knew could hold my breath under water much longer than other kids. Later surfing in Hawaii don't have to be big to surf felt at home in the ocean.

 

[M1k3]

For sure. Soccer is a beautiful game. But yeah it is also a very physical contact sport. And yeah they can get theatrical but imo not a lot worse than American football wide receivers going all ham for an interference flag.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I try very hard to watch and enjoy soccer/football. The level of conditioning and skill of the players is quite impressive. I just never can get past the egregious flopping, though. It reminds me of professional wrestling.

 

[blokey]

While personally I don't watch much of football (yeah football not soccer) it is kind surprising how little attention World Cup received in US, so far I only see just couple hooligans with Argentina flags on their car. It is huge where I'm from and we are not even in the game.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Yeah it's the real football. Ours is only the kicking game. Some kickers are from other countries.

When I was a kid didn't even know soccer existed. Football, Basketball, Baseball. It was rural not many tennis or golf courses either.
We had chicken fighting as a gambling sport. My sister the Tomboy was into horses. Jumping them in horse shows.

In Hawaii football is big at High School level. Our little league teams baseball are three times world champions. There are a lot of good baseball teams across the Islands.

A Lot has changed. Now women's sports are popular. As said my niece was good soccer player at high school & collage level. Girls didn't even play sports in my youth.

Hawaii has no professional team sports. Surfing of coarse has produced world champions. Football is popular esp. those with Hawaii players like Tua QB for Miami dolphins. Saturday game Buffalo - Miami in the snow was exciting game to the end.

 

[WildBoar]

Plenty of people in the US were into it. Half of my office watched the games. I went to a restaurant a couple weeks ago while one of the games was on, and the front and back of house staffs both continually came out to the bar area to watch for a few minutes here and there.

Most of my friends watched, but all played soccer in our youth/ early adulthood so of course we are fans. And the US has loads of immigrant communities, which are the places where interest in the games was most visible.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

The USA will share as host nation in next world cup 2026 with Canada and Mexico.

One of the reasons world football will survive is all you need is level field, a net, & a ball. It's why third world countries can produce football stars. Kids kicking a ball around in empty lots.

In the USA as you mentioned has lots of kids playing soccer immigrants & private & public schools that are small & can't afford American football programs. It's kind of grass roots level.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I also think one of the reasons soccer/football doesn't do well in the US is that it doesn't fit the US commercial television model very well. 45+ minutes of uninterrupted action without timeouts that allow for commercial breaks does not fit the US TV mold very well.

 

[sumis]

there is football, and there is american football.
there are pancakes, and there are american pancakes.
etc …

fwiw: argentina also won the unofficial gold medal for unimpressive sportsmanship.

.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

It's true attention span. Like to watch the tours in cycling. love bicycles & racing since Greg Lemond days when I was doing Cycle to the Sun's. Cyclist in the US may watch the tours, but not the masses too boring watching bunch of guys on bikes of you don't know the culture & have little interest.

Same with Surfing the World tour does have some good waves down under, Hawaii around the Planet. But watching surfers waiting in line up for best waves is like watching paint dry. I am glad that they do show theses sports on certain streaming or mainly Fox channels. But viewership is limited in USA.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I'm not sure it's entirely attention span... look at NASCAR. It's the most boring sport you could imagine, yet wildly popular in the US. Just a bunch of cars driving in a circle.

I think you're probably right about not knowing the culture and the participants, though.

 

[blokey]

there is football, and there is american football.
there are pancakes, and there are american pancakes.
etc …

fwiw: argentina also won the unofficial gold medal for unimpressive sportsmanship.

.

TBH neither is Dutch team impressive.

Edit: This is not defending Argentina behavior tho, both side displayed pretty questionable sportsmanship, which is sadly all too common in World Cup.

 

[fvaz]

Ive dropped watching soccer when i was around 13yo, now with 23 i decided to start watching it back and despite my hope of brazil doin good on the cup, didnt happened. Felt so bad, really wanted to see brazil shining in the cup, this might had rebirth my love for the sport.

I have a argentine friend that mocks me every. single. day. since brazil lost to croatia. People on brazil takes soccer really serious, its like a religion here

 

[WildBoar]

People on brazil takes soccer really serious, its like a religion here

Soccer means way, way more to me than any religion.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Well Brazil must be stoked about surfing to have such dominance in the men's.