NOTE: This post is by new guest blogger Hyun.
“Fast kicking, low scoring, and TIES?? You BET!!”
The World Cup is here, and team USA, having qualified easily through the CONCACAF preliminaries, is ready to make history! But what exactly is the expectation? How can the players honestly say that the 2006 World Cup was a success?
In 2002, team USA made it to the quarterfinals, as one of the shocking events that seemed to be “traditional” to the event. Coming into the 2006 World Cup, team USA was given the burden of matching that result, an idea that the rest of world viewed as haughty and “American.” Anything of American nature were targeted, from the cheesy marketing campaign “US SOCCER ATTACK” whether or not if it was “PC” to the conceived idea that team USA represented for everything politically that USA has done. Along with the fact that soccer has not fully blossomed into USA, team USA had to make results, no excuses.
Well the game with the Czechs proved us the fallibility of such idea. The players were bad, but who could blame them? They were up against a European powerhouse, with much more fans and experiences than that of team USA. Basically, it was back to square one, and team USA became yet again an underdog. It was the game with the Italians that could either make or break team USA, and the players knew it.
And you know what? Team USA TIED! Down to 9 men (as opposed to Italy’s 10), team USA ran as if their life depended on it, and fought to win. It was such striking contrast to the Italians, who simply could not capitalize in the superiority that almost everybody was sure of. Such courageous game, although not a full 3 point result, proved its immeasurable worth as the possibility of surviving through the group stages rose and the anti-Americans were silenced without a reason to doubt the great team that USA had.
USA will play Ghana tomorrow (22nd), and whether you like soccer or not, this is not a game you want to miss. If you’re an American, put aside the politcal imcompatibility and your distate for soccer and embrace team USA with a nationalism a Korean would be jealous of! If you’re not an American, have a chance to root for the underdogs and enjoy a good game! Cards have been quite frequent, and boring low-scoring games have been played; having become a trademark of this year’s tournament. However, team USA has to be one of the exceptions to this trend, and I’m pretty sure (and hoping) that the Ghana match will prove that.
As a bonus, HERE’s a link of what the Simpsons think about the Mexico-Portugal match today. Thanks for reading!
27 Comments
Thank you for that Simpsons’ clip.
If you’re an American, put aside the politcal imcompatibility and your distate for soccer and embrace team USA with a nationalism a Korean would be jealous of!
What’s this crap about soccer being unAmerican somehow? What bullshit!
Soccer is the most popular sport for kids, and it is, after basketball, the second most played team sport among all Americans, some 18 million in 2003 (compared to 14 million and 11 million for touch football and baseball, respectively).
I played little league soccer or high school soccer for almost ten years, and even became an AYSO referee. I can make bad calls as bad as the blindest of Uruguayans.
heh, I meant it as a jindam really. basically how the uptight “purists” of soccer view us as a soccer playing nation.
yes, we do play it quite regularly. it has become one of the main high school sports nationwide, and as you pointed out, I wouldn’t be surprised with the number you brought up. HOWEVER, just playing doesn’t make America a soccer nation yet. it is still not as publicized as it should be. potential soccer players are not as scouted as fiercely in comparison to other sports, mainly baseball. our league MLS is growing quite well, but needs more time to firmly establish itself.
and let’s face it, most of Americans aren’t ready to call in a sick day for the world cup yet.
“and let’s face it, most of Americans aren’t ready to call in a sick day for the world cup yet.”
You’re right. That’s why I am taking two weeks off from work so that I can watch the Round of 16, quarter finals, semi finals, 3-4-place game, and the finals. I would have taken the full four weeks off to watch the tournament if my office let me.
kushibo, its not about how many play the sport, its about how many are interested in spectating. i dont remember the last time an mls team’s season tickets were sold out. it doesnt even come close to the other major pro sports in the US, including hockey. no beef intended towards hockey fans but seriously, the sport has gone downhill for the past decade, and soccer still cant compare to hockey’s popularity.
US SOCCER ATTACK! BOMB GHANA! SLAUGHTER CZECH REPUBLIC!! erm… Occupy Italy??
Obviously, I was wrong last time about Team USA’s chances against Italy, so I won’t bother making speculations over their chances against Ghana, much less the chance of the Czech Republic taking a dive against Italy. Of course, if the USA does manage to go through, they’ll likely be up against Brazil in their group of 16 match… Ugh.
The USA will not be a major player in men’s soccer until Title IX is amended to exclude football (which almost no woman can play) from gender-based scholarship tabulations.
Right now, most men’s scholarships go to football and basketball (which draw in revenue to pay for facilities). Because many of the remaining scholarships must go to women, there are just not enough left for minor men’s sports. In fact, some men’s sports (like wrestling) have be cut out at many universities.
On the other hand Title IX has made the USA very competitive in women’s soccer, so I guess it is a toss-up. I am hoping that my daughter gets a Title IX scholarship in volleyball so we can blow her college fund on a round-the-world trip.
Kushibo, I don’t know how it was in your neck of the woods but in the South the 100 or so high school football players play to packed bleachers while the 40-odd soccer players play in front of their parents and girlfriends.
I guess “USA is a Ghana” is ready for print.
I noticed there was a lot of soccer on TV these days….
passball games used to have ties, too. A while ago, some games in the National Passball League ended in 3-0. I think the New York Jets were victim to one of those games. Taglibue was in a panic. Instead of leaving it alone, they made some rule changes and added the 2 pt conversion, which was not legal in the pros. Americans like high scoring games. A touchdown is really a one-score. And a field goal is a consolation prize for not scoring, really.
divide everything by 7 in a passball score board. Your mind is really over exciting you with the number. World Cup was made because the Americans took away Football from the Los Angeles Olympic Games in the early 1900’s. Much like how the World Baseball Classic came about because the Europeans took baseball and softball out of the Olympics. For the sake world peace and logic, call the American one Passball.
I like Ghana. They move so smooth with a rythm. Good passing and nice finish.
However, I hope the US to win. The US should do what Korea has done. Play good defense for 70 minutes. Just let Ghana get tired. Then, run like wind for 20 minutes. Passing and running like a pack of wolves.
The US can win. And, the US can even defeat Brazil. After all, it is only 90 minutes. The US can use the same tactic I have describe above.
The average attendance at MLS games in the States is 15,000.
I’d bet money that’s at least double what Korean soccer games draw. Equating the level of cheering for the world cup as evidence of love and/or disinterest in the sport is silly.
The World Cup is all about nationalism, European coutries wanting to kick each other’s asses, Latin American and African countries wanting to out do their ex-colonial motherland, East Asian countries wanting to prove themselves on the world stage.
America’s disinterest is I believe A. overexagerated and B. a sign that America/ns feels no need to prove anything to anyone in this melodramatic extravagance of national pride.
oh, and one more thing,
the millions (and yes there are possibly tens of millions) of Americans who do follow the World Cup are either true lovers of the sport, or those who for some reason get caught up in the maelstorm through expat living, falling in love with a Brazilian foreign exchange student, or who hate basketball and want to annoy their fellow Americans by talking about the World Cup in the midst of the NBA Finals.
“The World Cup is all about nationalism”-bobshop
The world cup is all about soccer. People love soccer. They want to see a good game.
People want to see a superior soccer, pin-point passing, good strategy, beautiful goals and love among players.
They hate cheaters and brutal fouls. Even if Italy wins the cup this time, it will be like Mike Tyson becoming the champion. People will not like it.
If you have never played soccer, stop watching the games. People like you become a bad fan. Someone who uses soccer to spread something else - nationalism, racism, general hate.
Soccer is a beautiful sport. The best!
kushibo, its not about how many play the sport, its about how many are interested in spectating.
Point taken, but last I checked, World Cup teams were made up of players, not spectators. I guess I’m taking issue with all these supposed reasons why America lacks an appropriately good team and/or lacks a strong fan base.
bobshop,
Get a soccer ball($10) and shoes($30) and go to a park and start kicking the ball. Soon, other people will join you. Kick back and forth. Learn how to dribble. Learn to kick toward an imaginary goal.
Soccer is wonderful. Once you learn to play a little, you will truly appreciate the event like World Cup.
Soccer goes beyond the boundaries. Soccer players appreciate a good goal even made by opposing nation. On Thursday, if I see a wonderful play made by Swiss, I will celebrate. And, if a Korean player do a dirty play, I will stop watching. Many Koreans will do the same.
Koreans want to win. But, not through dirty plays. Korean fans will not stand for it. Korean team, by the way, was chosen the “most fairplay team(do the least amount of dirty fouls)” by all participating teams in 2002 World Cup.
Actually, the fairplay award in the 2002 World Cup went to Belgium. South Korea won the award for ‘most entertaining team’.
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/...../2002.html
(scroll to the bottom)
boshop
K-league games dont even draw 500 people most times
there are probably millions more real soccer fans in the US compared to korea
Japan to! ever catch a j-league game on tv
packed!!!!
i posted somewhere similar responses on namads site about this
Highschool and college soccer is pretty big in the US after that there was never an outlet for US players except overseas
most were not that good to play overseas
since the inception of the MLS and a school called IMG in florida which is a high school for athletes to play their respective sport and attend school
(donvan, beasley, onweyu, and convery) all went thru IMG
you can now see the US at times plays very competitive on the world stage
at other times they play like crap!
my prediction
US 3 ghana 1
Italy 2 Chech Rep 1
lets pray!!!
Most Entertaining lol. Oh and I saw that Portugal/Mexico clip before the game. I was thinking it was funny that it worked out that the two teams play.
Pass. Pass, Pass,
and the other commentator:
Pass, PASS, PASS!
The real match was better than the simpsons.
“these two nations battleing it out ~ which one is the best country in the world” Or something to that effect.
The clip caught the sentiment in the states. and um hey why isn’t Canada in the cup? Why doesn’t Korea have a hockey team?
“The players were bad, but who could blame them? ”
Damn right you can blame them, they showed a lack of spirit and skill.
Something they proved they do have when they played Italy.
mcnut, the K-league games get between 3,000 and 20,000 on a regular basis, dependant of course on the form of a paritcular team as with any league around the world.
Increasing support for the K-league teams is a problem though, especially when you consider how many fans will happily go and stand outside City Hall at 4am to watch the national team.
koreans cant play hockey when they’re busy pressing hotkeys (some fun wordplay with starcraft ^^)
oh lord.
the nerd factor has hit 8.9 in this thread.
Zonath,
Thank you for the correction. I was mistaken.
Go Team USA!
I for one couldn’t give a hoot about soccer. Count me in as one who watches it for purely nationalistic reasons.
USA! USA!
Check out the New York Times to see how much interest the World Cup has to the US.
Today’s main sports stories: HEAT 95, MAVERICKS 92; YANKEES 9, PHILLIES 7; METS 9, REDS 2. There is one story somewhere in there about the Argentine team.
Having said that, there is saturation reporting here about the World Cup - why do we have to read about in your, otherwise interesting, blog?
baduk,
I like soccer, I enjoy watching a good game, be it Brazil vs. France or 9 year-olds playing for their YMCA teams.
My point was the World Cup, which I think leveages nationalist energy to mint millions. Don’t tell me that the millions of Koreans who gather to watch the national team actually love soccer…
to say that the billion or so people who watch the world cup are doing so just out of love of the game is just goofy.
Same thing goes for this year’s innaugural baseball tournament. The intense interest in places from Mexico to Korea to Cuba and Puerto Rico was not an endorsement for the sport. Americans, who truly love baseball, barely noticed the tournament.
The World Cup is great spectacle, but it’s engine is fired by the pride of nations.