usa and the world cup

do you care?

  • hell yeah
  • world cup??
0 voters

i know this is really, really late, but it only just occurred to me for some reason. i know there are a few americans on this site, and i wanted to know if you cared at all about the world cup? seeing as america did just as well as the uk, and it appeared to be the most important event in england this year.

actually, making it more general, what are everyones opinions on the world cup?

i think brazil are going to win.

I’ll consider myself a central american :laughing:

I care because Roberto Carlos from Brasil is so darn hot…and rich…and bald…and it kinda helps that he’s worshipped there too so If we were to get together, which will probably happen soon because i look so hot now (w/ my new killer hairstyle) I’d be probably worshipped too.

I also care because I like to see men in shorts. I want a footballer boyfriend also…why??.. because they go on and on and on… for 90 minutes. such stamina.

On a more serious note, I only care when my country is in it.

Jamaica in the World Cup = England reserves in the world cup. But that takes nothing away from what they achieved in france.

The world cup has been totally undermined by the refereeing in the spain-korea game. the world cup is, for me, the biggest event that exists. i look forward to it like its my wedding. and today germany played korea in the semi-final, and i chose to watch the tennis instead. i know that ultimately they’re there on merit, but as someone who waits for such moments because of their importance and their beauty, it was shite seeing two teams that england argentina france spain (with fair refereeing) holland … (the list goes on) could have beaten, usually with relative ease.
i love the sometimes random nature of the game, but when it leads to the football being played as some sort of nationwide div.1 match, it all ends up a bit flat. i’m by no means a football purist, but i did feel a twinge of shame at the fact that todays world cup semi-final had just 1 world class player. it doesn’t feel like the giants of world football are up against each other in the late stages of the competition.

i like the fact that this world cup has shown that top-class football has truly spread to all corners of the globe (i think when australia qualify, they’'ll do equally well as usa, senegal etc), but this stage of the tournament should have me engrossed and intrigued to see who really is the best.
if brazil don’t win, i’ll eat my face.

and natsilicious, on top of all the things about roberto carlos that you described, he is also the most superb left-back that i have ever know since i started watching football closely in 1990. a brilliant stopper, perfect defensive positioning, endless stamina, fast, secure passer, accurate crosser, attacking, hardworking, a team player, and the scorer of one of the finest free-kicks i will ever have the priveledge of seeing, during le tournoi in 1997…

why does football have this embarrassing effect on me?
:blush: :blush: :astonished: :blush: :blush:

Roberto Carlos the best left-back, you are joking? granted he pushes up well but like the rest of the Brazilian team once they being to suffer sustained pressure they fall apart, hence they scraped qualification in 4th place. the le tournoi was good but it was a one off, when has ever used ball spin to score after that?

darn it Pangloss , youre just ruining my fantasy… I didn’t want Roberto Carlos to be as perfect as Alex now… :unamused: ( re: Science Board)
this means he’s “the unattainable”. :evil:

England reserves hmm…yeh, I agree … but that’s pretty good for a third world country tho, don’t you agree?? The amount of money spent on football for trainers, gear, expensive accomodation…etc… could be spent on the betterment of our industries here so we’d rather use coconuts as footballs and banana leaves as the national uniform (hehe…kidding for all those who were starting to believe)

I think we’d have a wonderful team if we did spend as much time as other countries but I think it’s in our country’s best interest to see football as just a sport. (otherwise, we’d be broke…er) :wink:

I love sports, always have and always will. All through highschool and college I was always doing some kind of sport or physical activity (weights, swimming), even in my spair time I work out in my basement where I have somewhat of a gym going on. But one thing I don’t like doing is watching sports on TV, I mean once in a while is okay, but when I see some people sitting for hours at a time at the colorful tube (TV) for days and days, especially those guys who have huge bellies beer and nachos and watching TV, that it makes me wonder. What is all good for? I mean watching sports on TV. To me if there is a world cup or whoever wins the world cup, it really didn’t make a difference in the world and usually it turns out that many people use it as a negative thing to show some other guy or gal up that their country sucked or that his/her country still beat theirs.

What’s your take?

I think this article from Satirewire sums it up pretty nicely:

New York, N.Y. (SatireWire.com) — As World Cup fever grips the globe, nowhere is the mania for Earth’s greatest sporting event stronger than in the United States, where 280 million soccer-mad Americans are on the emotional edge, unable to think or talk about anything else. As one zealous U.S. supporter explained: “World Cup… World Cup, that’s… racing?”

Yes, the insanity is almost palpable.

As happens every four years, the United States will all but close down during the tournament in a ritual obsession as indigenous to America as the camels that graze on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and one little understood in other nations.

“On Wednesday at 5 o’clock in the morning, I’ll probably be sleeping, why?” exclaimed New Yorker Paul Sanders of his plans for the June 5 U.S. opener against Portugal, which will be televised live from Seoul, South Korea.

Compare that to the more laid-back approach to the sport elsewhere. “If I miss even the first minute, I will cut off my head in despair,” said one Argentinean.

With national pride riding on the outcome, U.S. players are under incredible pressure to win the Cup. Certainly defender Jeff Agoos doesn’t want to repeat the assaults he endured after the Americans’ poor showing in France '98.

“We got off the plane from Paris and this guy comes up and asks for directions to the men’s room. I guess he thought I worked there or something,” recalled Agoos. “Then I think I went to baggage claim.”

Though veterans like Agoos remain, many new faces have joined this year’s team, and arguments over which of them should see playing time dominate kitchen table conversations. For most of the last few months, the all-consuming question on Americans’ minds: will coach Bruce Arena choose to start Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel at keeper?

As Josh Carpenter, a Chicago electrician, said when asked if the Friedel-Keller decision would be second-guessed for years to come: “Keeper? Like Sutherland?”

But perhaps no development has so consumed the nation as the torn knee ligament suffered by defensive midfielder Chris Armas in a recent game against Uruguay. The day after it happened, newspapers splattered the story across their front pages, with angst-driven headlines such as “Rain Expected Across Midwest,” and “Lost Girl, 15, Found in Truck Stop.”

For all the concern over the starting 11, however, most Americans will soon focus on the competition in Group D. And there, one country, and one player, stand out: Portugal and its star Luis Figo, the reigning football World Player of the Year.

“No way. They play football in Portugal?” said Milwaukee resident Kevin Williams, displaying grudging respect for Figo. “Well, they wouldn’t stand a chance against the Green Bay Packers, I’ll tell you that right now.”

Win, lose, or draw, there’s no question the United States is engrossed in the World Cup. But the level of preoccupation has surprised even long-time observers. The most telling signs: the country’s largest corporations, resigned to millions of “no-shows,” have already decided to give employees the month off…

“No we haven’t,” said General Motors spokesman Dean Pagette.

… and even the U.S. Congress will shut down for the Final on June 30.

“Thank you for calling the United States Senate legislative schedule hotline. Please note the Senate will be closed June 30 in order to have the floors cleaned.”

I really do care about the world cup, especially now for Ronaldo as he can afford some braces for his teeth and a good barber. :confused:

Just a thought.

Who thinks will win 2006 in Germany, Germany?

i predict a Saudi Arabi vs. China final with China to snatch it 25-24 (a.e.t.). seriously, it’s waaaaaaaaaaaay too early to tell.