USA only country in the world where life does not come to a halt when it's soccer team plays in WC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I don't understand why this is sad. It's okay that Americans don't love the exact same sports as everyone else in the world.

I am far from a US apologist and there are lots of things about other countries I think we could stand to emulate (parliamentary politics, universal healthcare, better corporate oversight, more awareness of and efforts to do something about climate change), but I could care less whether Americans are into World Cup soccer. I personally prefer American football and baseball to soccer. I can admire the athleticism of soccer players but the game itself isn't that engaging to me. I also don't love hockey, which I think has a similar type of play, with lots of constantly shifting possessions and action but relatively few shots on goal and even fewer actual scores. It just doesn't hold my interest unless it's a very high stakes game.

Soccer is much better to watch in person. I was really into it until I went to a game. It's lots more fun at the game than on TV

PP here and I've been to DC United games and it just doesn't grab me.

It's okay, I don't need to like every sport. Like I said, I also can't get into hockey despite living in DC with a great hockey team and having been to several games in person. Though I will say that I enjoyed the Caps games I've been to more than the United games. It's possible that I have just been lucky and seen more exciting hockey games than soccer games, I don't know.

I don't judge anyone who loves soccer (obviously lots of people love it, I am not the final arbiter on these things) but I also think it's weird to get mad at people who don't get into it. Different strokes for different folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow Saudi Arabia beat Messi and Argentina!

They’re getting a national holiday tomorrow!

Will women be allowed outside to celebrate?

Of course. They'll probably join the Saudi Arbian women's teams who do very well in competition. Soccer is the number 1 sport for girls and women in SA.

You need be less antediluvian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

African men go through very painful maturation rituals that increase their capacity to endure pain That is why they are so good at marathons and also at soccer/football which requires long periods of running that inflict a good deal of pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worth noting that when the Tampa Bay Bucs played in Munich last week it was well-attended by German fans who loved the sport. Tom Brady said afterward that it was one of the best football games he ever played. Yes I don't like all the commercials either, but American football is a lot of fun to watch.

Sorry, no. The world prefers football, not American football. The only reason the US has the sports it has is that it's all a lot more money driven than other countries' sports: large corporations underwrite it all and nothing else can get eyeballs.

Football is a much more lucrative outside the US and footballers are often better compensated than US football players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

African men go through very painful maturation rituals that increase their capacity to endure pain That is why they are so good at marathons and also at soccer/football which requires long periods of running that inflict a good deal of pain.

I’m sorry, what? Do you know a lot of African men?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I don't understand why this is sad. It's okay that Americans don't love the exact same sports as everyone else in the world.

I am far from a US apologist and there are lots of things about other countries I think we could stand to emulate (parliamentary politics, universal healthcare, better corporate oversight, more awareness of and efforts to do something about climate change), but I could care less whether Americans are into World Cup soccer. I personally prefer American football and baseball to soccer. I can admire the athleticism of soccer players but the game itself isn't that engaging to me. I also don't love hockey, which I think has a similar type of play, with lots of constantly shifting possessions and action but relatively few shots on goal and even fewer actual scores. It just doesn't hold my interest unless it's a very high stakes game.

Soccer is much better to watch in person. I was really into it until I went to a game. It's lots more fun at the game than on TV

PP here and I've been to DC United games and it just doesn't grab me.

It's okay, I don't need to like every sport. Like I said, I also can't get into hockey despite living in DC with a great hockey team and having been to several games in person. Though I will say that I enjoyed the Caps games I've been to more than the United games. It's possible that I have just been lucky and seen more exciting hockey games than soccer games, I don't know.

I don't judge anyone who loves soccer (obviously lots of people love it, I am not the final arbiter on these things) but I also think it's weird to get mad at people who don't get into it. Different strokes for different folks.

US soccer games don't count. They are absolutely NOTHING like seeing them in a foreign country, not the atmosphere or the play on the field. I've been to professional American football games, hockey games, basketball games, but they were nothing like International soccer. It is an intense experience.

I've seen games at Camp Nou (Barcelona's stadium), Manchester United (Old Trafford), Wembley Stadium (saw Tottenham) and Man City's (eithad--Champion's league match).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

Which major players? Haaland, De Bruyne, Messi, Lewandoski, Son? Salah is African (Egyptian) but that's not what you mean. Benzema is of Algerian descent but are you also considering N African players or just sub-saharan?

There are a lot of great African players, to be sure, but I don't think any are currently considered the best in the sport. Mane? Mendy? Your comment is very strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do I feel the same people ignoring the fact that it’s in Qatar (and smugly criticizing Americans who don’t watch soccer) are the same people who said they wouldnt support MLB unless they moved the AS game out of Georgia?

I honestly DGAF about soccer. But holding it in Qatar is pretty hard to defend.

Where were you 10 years ago when all this began. Qatar literally built a new city to accommodate the World Cup and used cheap Asian labor to do so. The Qataris are notoriously lazy, even by Middle Eastern standards. When I worked at a law firm in Doha, we were lucky if the staff worked more than a few hours. Until the oil prices started to decline, the King gave generous allowances to all Qatari citizens, and many of them didn't even bother to work. They hung around Americans to get them to buy booze for them but otherwise had little interest in us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worth noting that when the Tampa Bay Bucs played in Munich last week it was well-attended by German fans who loved the sport. Tom Brady said afterward that it was one of the best football games he ever played. Yes I don't like all the commercials either, but American football is a lot of fun to watch.

Sorry, no. The world prefers football, not American football. The only reason the US has the sports it has is that it's all a lot more money driven than other countries' sports: large corporations underwrite it all and nothing else can get eyeballs.

Football is a much more lucrative outside the US and footballers are often better compensated than US football players.

World's highest paid athletes:

1 Lionel Messi Association football Argentina Argentina $130 million
2 LeBron James Basketball United States United States $121.2 million
3 Cristiano Ronaldo Association football Portugal Portugal $115 million
4 Neymar Association football Brazil Brazil $95 million

3 of the top 4 athletes in the entire world are soccer players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

African men go through very painful maturation rituals that increase their capacity to endure pain That is why they are so good at marathons and also at soccer/football which requires long periods of running that inflict a good deal of pain.

I’m sorry, what? Do you know a lot of African men?

Yes, and I am an anthropologist who has studied male adulthood rituals. How about you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Wales wins because they deserve it more

Wonder if William and Kate are watching? Prince of Wales and all that.

What?

This might be referring to the big dust up when William, Prince of Wales, presented the English football team with their shirts before they headed for Qatar. He did not do the same for the Welsh team, although he now has the title Prince of Wals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is sad at all. I don't know anyone who watches soccer as an adult.

America does come to a halt on Superbowl Sunday. And have you heard of March Madness?

America population = 330 million

World population = BILLIONS

It's no use, PP. I am French, so of course ***football*** is important in my country. But the average American barely acknowledges the existence of terrain and peoples outside of their national border, except as convenient targets during political campaigns against immigrants. Obviously they will all fail to grasp that hardly anyone outside the US cares at all about their little American version of football, their baseball, their basketball (we do have a French basketball prodigy, but not a lot of people have heard about him). Typical chauvinism.

LOL, I occasionally forget how tedious and smug the French can be. Thanks for the reminder! And with utterly no basis whatsoever—you’ve never won a real war, your contributions to Western culture (pre- and post-Renaissance) are de minimis—way underwhelming on a pro rata basis. Your GDP is less than
Connecticut’s. Your food is mostly garbage other than adding butter and cream to stuff everyone has. You stink. Like in terms of odor, you smell bad. You smoke and your teeth are gross.

Saying this as an American who just took the afternoon off to watch a super mediocre performance by USMNT. The pub was pretty full for a Monday afternoon. So while I agree the U.S. doesn’t shut down I think OP is exaggerating. But also yeah, who cares whether we as a nation are taking the WC seriously enough? Like, why do you care about this as an issue?

Oh sweet one, a country that produces "The People of Walmart" should not try to insult other countries. It just shows how de minimis (sic) you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the African national teams always play the most entertaining soccer. Portugal/Ghana in the group round is probably going to be a good game.

US-England will play to a tedious 0-0 tie, book it.

Just an impression, but it seems that all the major players, regardless of country, are African. Sort of like the contestants in the New York marathon.

African men go through very painful maturation rituals that increase their capacity to endure pain That is why they are so good at marathons and also at soccer/football which requires long periods of running that inflict a good deal of pain.

I’m sorry, what? Do you know a lot of African men?

Yes, and I am an anthropologist who has studied male adulthood rituals. How about you?

This comment is ridiculous and racist. Please tell us which African players you deem to have reached the top of the sport via these "painful maturation rituals".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly why? We as a country can prefer other sports, nothing wrong with that. Also, pretty tone deaf post given all the controversy about the host country.

This. I can’t believe the atrocities are not all over the news. An estimated 6500 migrant workers died in Qatar getting ready for this World Cup. Horrifying.

I’m so freaking tired of being virtuous. Can’t eat this, can’t buy that, can’t watch that because of something horrible. I just wanna watch some soccer. Argentina/Saudi match this morning was great soccer even if I didn’t like the outcome. Anytime MBS is happy, I am unhappy.

Most of the International Peoplehood of the Woke just found about the working conditions in Qatar that have been going on for years, unto years. Let the IPW wallow in their bleating nonsense while they celebrate their national day or mourning on Thanksgiving because the English settlers in what became the United States killed far more people -- whether indigenous, enslaved, or indentured -- in building the United States.