world cup.. from an american with no horse in race

We have the world cup starting tomorrow…
and as we American’s don’t have a team in it…
I am looking at teams with a chance…

I am guessing that the usual suspects will be in it…
Germany, Brazil, Spain, France, Portugal, Argentina…
one of these teams will most likely win it…

we have some longer shots like Peru, Uruguay, Morocco,
Mexico, Belgium, England…

and then we have the true long shots like Russia
and Panama and colombia, Korea…

usually, one of the longer shots make the semi’s…

and everyone gets really excited about that…
but realistically, it will be the favorites in
the final four with one of 6 teams I mentioned winning it…

so, after some research, I am predicting Germany to win it…

what are your thoughts?

Kropotkin

watched the Portugal vs Spain game and
I seriously hope every single game is as exciting and
as much fun as this one was… the tie seemed to be
a victory for Portugal as it was a underdog in the match…

Ronaldo played a great game… running all over the place during the
first half, he visible tired in the second half…but that didn’t stop him
from one of the more impressive performances of the world cup
and it was just the first game for Portugal…

as for Spain, I can see why they are one of the favorites…
they were cool, calm and collective during the whole game…
Spain plays a excellent team game…… I would now rate them
a co-favorite with Germany after this game…….

it was a great game to watch…

Kropotkin

I agree, Spain vs Portugal was a fantastic game. Very sharp and unusually violent Spanish offence, but Ronaldo apparently is a magician, he knew exactly that he was going to make the third one even a he fell. I also watch Russia as 5 0 against Saudi Arabia. The second goal was unbelievably skillful, it looked like he was inspired by magic, which was probably the case, thats one you normally expect only Zlatan or Ronaldinho to pull off.

In the US, soccer is a kid’s game. Watch real football.

well so far, all the favorites are having issues…
the long shots are doing far better then anyone could have guessed…

as of right now, it is anyone tournament…

it could wind up being the best world cup ever…

Kropotkin

PS, I am ignoring the grump Mr. Reasonable…
american football may not even exists in 15 years
and football/soccer will outlast all of us…

Kropotkin

Tried to watch it a few times, tedious crap. Sorry man, but it is like watching a bunch of slaves training to ram some emperors gate, not a lot to see in terms of tactics or skills.

You’re just not watching it correctly.

Please explain the point of the game to me then, maybe with some video examples.

It has puzzled me for a long time.

Yesterday’s matches were a must-see… the skills, or lack thereof, exposed for all to see.

Oh Panama. #-o

The point of the game is to get the ball into the opposing team’s end zone, or to prevent the opposing team from getting the ball into your team’s end zone. You can throw it to someone and have them try and catch it there, or catch it and run it there. Or, you can hand it off and have someone just run it there without a pass being involved at all. If you feel as though you’re not going to make it there, then you can attempt to kick it there for less points.

There are linemen, offensive ones who protect the quarterback, (the guy who throws the ball), from being tackled before he has a chance to throw it, and who make blocks and create lanes for a running back, (the guy who takes the hand-off and attempts to just run the ball). And there are defensive linemen who attempt to sack the quarterback and attempt to tackle the running back to prevent him from getting downfield with the ball. There are also defensive players in the backfield who can lay down massive hits to stop a running back who has made it past the linemen, and who can do the same to a receiver who has caught a pass and is now trying to get to the end zone and score.

So you don’t know whether the other team is going to try and run or pass, and so you have to account for both. And if you’re the offensive team, you don’t know whether they are going to all rush the quarterback at once or if they’re going to spread out and try and cover the receivers thus creating more time for the quarterback to decide what to do with the ball.

It’s a substantially more physical sport than soccer, and requires as much, or more strategy to formulate an effective game plan. Not to mention that you get significantly more explosive plays where shit is actually happening on the field that’s interesting to watch.

I mean, in soccer almost no one scores ever. In basketball everyone scores all the time. If football, you get some scores that you expect, and some you don’t expect, and sometimes a team has to suddenly be on their toes and take risks to catch up. It’s just an overall more interesting game.

Here’s what happens when the offensive line fails to protect the quarterback.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVw50e_udg8[/youtube]

Here’s what happens when the defense tries to blitz the QB and fails, and the guys who should have been downfield fail to cover the receiver.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0azywbCNoA[/youtube]

Here’s what happens when you have an 18 year old kid who’s 6 foot 4, weights 240lbs and can run 100 yards in 4.6 seconds. No one can stop him.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY6bKadSW0o[/youtube]

Here’s what happens when you’re in open space and fail to identify the defensive player who’s about to knock the teeth out of your head if you keep moving the ball toward his end zone.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ki6Fz-W_fY[/youtube]

This is 40 minutes from where I live and grew up.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant%E2 … ny_Stadium

It’s been sold out for every home game in history. More people care about football than soccer…and this is just a college level team. Soccer is a game for kids.

Appreciated. I know most of that but still, good post.

Addressing popularity, the US has no football tradition and has never produced a player that is good enough for the mediocre clubs in Europe. Well I think, once, a player called Ernie Steward, he played for a team that sometimes finishes 10th in the Netherlands, Willem II. But other than that the nation has had no contact with football. Forgive me if I use the actual term, Im not going to call America “the great Satan” just because some Arabs cal it that either.

Football is a team sport defined by individual skills, like basketball but a lot more rich and interesting.
This has little to do with the atmosphere we feel around games - that your American football can definitely produce. I see American football as a congregation of communities, as real football is in South America. In terms of the variety in athletic feats, I find it limited. Running fast holding a ball in your hand is not that impressive to me - taking American sports I find hockey a lot more impressive. Of all American sports thats the form that I admire, it allows for fast combinations like football, it requires quick witted reorganizations initiated by the payers themselves, much more tactics come up in the moment.

Its pointless to try to deny that American football is a cool game to be involved in - I can see ho it mobilizes communities and how it gets very tense with nice violent resolutions. But I still find it a lot less interesting than football, which Ill admit is boring often enough.
Yet the difficulty of scoring a goal is what makes the game so rich - scoring a goal is almost like inventing the wheel, it demands a lot of creativity.

Probably this is just a matter of background.

More people care about football in the USA only, the rest of the world is silly for soccer.

…although American football has taken off big-time here (nfluk.com/tickets/index.html) it is not our national sport, but it does draw the crowds and has an ever-growing fan base.

Does it make you feel at home, MR?

PK: "so, after some research, I am predicting Germany to win it…

what are your thoughts?"

Der: I think you are wrong. (Wink/smiley face)

Magsj, I always feel at home no matter where I am.

That was fantastic. I think it’s the first time ever the Germans went out in the group phase.

Certainly didn’t expect that one. Excellent tournament. Did you see the Messi goal? Poetry in motion!

You simply just dislike Football, as opposed to American Football? your strong dislike of Football was saying to me otherwise.

Immersive experiences of the un-experienced are not your thing? and I don’t mean bedding a different ethnicity female to you…

I will have to watch that in the hi-lights… I’ve missed the last few days of matches due to an excess need to sleep #-o

K: well, that certainly didn’t go the way I thought it would…

UMMMMMMMMMM

I will wait until after those fine Brits face Belgium this afternoon
to decide… but I really have only Brazil to fall back upon…
as far as favorities go…

it really is anyone’s tournment at this point…

Kropotkin