World Cup 2014

[LittleBoyBlue]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/06/19/clayton-kershaw-tosses-no-hitter/10831819/

YOU HAVE YET TO MAKE A POINT!!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...tle-seahawks-stomp-broncos-for-super-bowl-win

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/...ame-5-win-nba-championship-fifth-title-061514

I will bet you that in one months time, you will see more offense stories than defense. Understand.

 

[MC KAos]

Few points I wanted to make after catching up on this thread....

1)it was great watching England get beat, specially by Suarez, who they love to vilify. He was very emotional after the game, saying it was specially sweet to do it to them because of the way they criticize him.

2)some of you guys are severely overrating Portugal. I'm not sure if it's because they are high on the fifa ranking or because of Ronaldo, but the reality is that Portugal isn't much better than the us or Ghana, and the much more accurate SPI rankings show that. Like I said before this group so the afc east if the second place team got an auto wild card spot, Germany is head and shoulders above the other 3 teams, whom are very similar in quality.

3)soccer is undoubtedly growing in the US, anyone that fails to see it is just ignorant to the facts. It might never be as big as the big 3 here, but by any metric the sport becomes more popular every year, whether it's the word cup or the EPL/champions league you are measuring it by.

4)if you don't like soccer, I have an idea, DONT CLICK ON THE SOCCER THREAD! I wish there was a way to kick people out of threads, so they can't post on them anymore. Like, if they get 5 "kick out" votes from other posters on the thread, they can't post on the thread anymore, that would be great. I don't like nascar, I think its stupid, but you won't see me going into the nascar threads to troll them

 

[MC KAos]

Ps I said it before and I'll say it again, I just don't see a European team winning the World Cup, Uruguay might not be good enough to do it besides the big 2 South American teams, but Colombia and chile look like real contenders.

 

[Coy]

whoooopie doo. Means nothing. I have lost count of the times that some one has claimed we reached the tipping point; I heard that first back in the 70's with Pele. Every ten years someone claims this and every time they have been wrong.

15 million is NOTHING. There are 315 million in the US.

All those kids that play youth soccer- 90% of them lose interest once they get to high school. They barely even watch it after that if at all. Soccer will never become all that in the US. Just will not. Because there is TOO MUCH COMPETITION for what many see as a boring sport. Football, Basketball, Baseball will always be more. NOW I could see Soccer replacing Hockey one day- that sport has slipped badly. So it is possible that it could become a distant 4th - but that is all.

I really couldn´t care less if soccer becomes all that in the US or not, just stating the facts, but to go along with your point of view, 17 million people watched a game of the NBA finals (On a Sunday night with the biggest ticket in town in Lebron I might add ) and it means nothing as well, nobody watches the NBA finals.
A world cup game from the US has had more ratings that an NBA finals game, the world series and Stanley cup playoffs and still it means nothing. OK.

If you were comparing this to the NFL, then I could understand your argument.

 

[burmafrd]

I really couldn´t care less if soccer becomes all that in the US or not, just stating the facts, but to go along with your point of view, 17 million people watched a game of the NBA finals (On a Sunday night with the biggest ticket in town in Lebron I might add ) and it means nothing as well, nobody watches the NBA finals.
A world cup game from the US has had more ratings that an NBA finals game, the world series and Stanley cup playoffs and still it means nothing. OK.

If you were comparing this to the NFL, then I could understand your argument.

you don't want to understand REALITY. Which is that soccer will never be that popular in the US. Deal with it.

 

[Coy]

Comparing ratings of the World Cup to the Stanley Cup is silly, imo. For one, it was on ESPN, so people who are just flipping channels and go to ESPN will tune in. Plus, it plays into the whole Patriotism thing...its not like everyone who watched is a hockey fan.

It´s not that it´s just patriotic, you could argue that hockey in the Olympics is the world cup of hockey or am I wrong? Is there another international competition more important than the Olympics in Hockey? (I really don't know much about hockey).

I understand that the “miracle on ice” game in 1980 or the final against Canada in 2010 drew more ratings but that was for a gold medal game, If the US were playing for the world cup final, viewership could reach 50 million or more, the 2010 final between Spain and the Netherlands was seen by more than 27 million people in the US, just imagine how many more would watch if the US would play in a game of that magnitude.

Anyway, here´s an article on the ratings of US hockey in this years olympics.

SOCHI, Russia -- The numbers are in for the thrilling USA-Russia men's hockey game, and they're huge.
NBC Sports Network says 4.1 million people in the United States tuned into the Americans' dramatic 3-2 victory, a record number for a hockey game on the channel. When the game when to a shootout, 6.4 million people tuned in to watch T.J. Oshie score four times to lead Team USA to the win. The ratings are even more impressive considering the game aired on Saturday morning back home.


http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_25161801/olympics-record-tv-ratings-epic-u-s-russia

 

[Coy]

you don't want to understand REALITY. Which is that soccer will never be that popular in the US. Deal with it.

hahaha, I am from Mexico man, I couldn´t care less if it does or not, but you can´t argue facts.

 

[Craig]

There are world championships every year in hockey. Its a bigger deal in Canada and Europe than it is in the US. I don't really care about it. I do love the World Junior Championships though. Its really the only opportunity I get to watch anything other than highlights from Junior players.

 

[JBS]

Welp. Looks like all i got left is Colombia

 

[joseephuss]

don't flatter youself. The day you can make me angry is the day I leave this forum. You will never be enough to do that

Well, I am not trying to make you angry. It isn't my intention at all. You just come across as if someone kicked your dog.

 

[mmohican29]

Why does Soccer have to be "=" to NFL Football?

BTW: Nothing to me will ever rival NFL football in terms of entertainment, but:

Soccer IS a great sport. It's played world wide by MILLIONS of people. And it's a sport anyone can play. It's a physically draining and emotional game.

I invite anyone to tune into an EPL , Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga game and not wish of that kind of backdrop for an athletic contest, never mind the World Cup. It's exhilirating and I would think would be a tremendously addictive atmosphere to be a part of.

I always respected the sport because of it's conditioning and strategy. I was never a huge "pro" soccer fan until I discovered Fox's coverage of the EPL on Saturday AM's. Now I DVR the games each week or at least tune into the EPL recap shows.

The best thing about a pro soccer contest to me is this:

Despite a team being clearly superior in tactics and skill- an individual on the team MUST make a play to win. Meaning there's a puncher's chance and a chance for heroics in each contest- especially when all the teams are high-level as on the World Cup stage.

 

[LatinMind]

Why are you people in a world cup thread trying to compare sports? Clearly Soccer isnt nowhere near as popular in the US as NFL is. But you do know there is life outside of this country right? Look at it in a bigger picture setting then our mentality in the united states. In a world sense, NFL doesnt even come in second or 3 or probably 4th or even 5th in world wide popularity. Soccer, Basketball, Rugby, Baseball, Tennis probably rate higher then the NFL outside of the united states. That might not mean much to people in our country because we as a country seem to think nobody else matters but this country. Thats why we are the most hated country in the world

 

[CATCH17]

Why does Soccer have to be "=" to NFL Football?



I always respected the sport because of it's conditioning and strategy. I was never a huge "pro" soccer fan until I discovered Fox's coverage of the EPL on Saturday AM's. Now I DVR the games each week or at least tune into the EPL recap shows.

When the NFL is over having the BPL and Champions league really helps passing the time.

BPL is so entertaining from week to week.

I've gotten tired of College football to the point that I actually prefer to watch the BPL on Saturdays.

Also.. On Sunday I can watch the BPL while I wait for the Cowboys to come on. It's just awesome.

 

[CATCH17]

How good was Luis Suarez yesterday? He is an unbelievable player and he has to be the biggest world wide sports villain right now.

Also.. I'm glad England lost most because of their fans. For the most part they are pretty level headed but the delusional England fans are what causes me to hope they lose.

England has some good young talent. I think their lineups that they started cost them at the end of the day.

 

[jterrell]

various:

Agreed on Premier League.
8 AM saturday games are pretty sweet if only because there is nothing to compete with.
Important thing is level of play is so high.
Watching athletes of that caliber is simply going to entertain most people.

Suarez is a ridiculous talent. He flatly carried Liverpool this year. He is probably playing the best 9 role in soccer this year.

There are plenty of sports I do not like and don't get into.
You don't see me venture into any of those threads because I have a brain.

What is clear is the growth of the sport in this country.
The US women are the very best in the world and have been for about a decade.
It is the most popular youth sport BY FAR.
And for the 40 year old dudes it is growing simply because we now have access to the best the sport has to offer on television weekly.
EPL/UCL/EURO Cup are all now must see for me and I was watching 0 games of soccer per year 6-7 years ago.
At my kids schools there are far more messi and neymar jerseys than romo or dirk ones.
These little dudes lover soccer and it is a game played by physically average people in great shape so appeals to the masses.

 

[jterrell]

Also... wow CONCACAF

Spain and England both out but all CONCACAF teams alive and well.

 

[Phoenix]

So I was wondering why Donovan hadn't been asked to hop a plane to Brazil to sub for the injured Altidore but I read that the team had until 24 hours before the first game to add / sub players to the team. After that, no chance. At least, that is what I read somewheres...not sure if this has been discussed or not...if so, sorry...

Anyway, looking forward to Sunday. The way things are going in this WC, anything can happen! I am predicting a soccer-in-the-US-TV-market ratings record...

 

[joseephuss]

Also... wow CONCACAF

Spain and England both out but all CONCACAF teams alive and well.

I wouldn't say Honduras is well. They are alive because they've only played one game. They got spanked 3-0 in against France. We'll have to wait to see how they look against Ecuador in their second game.

 

[joseephuss]

So I was wondering why Donovan hadn't been asked to hop a plane to Brazil to sub for the injured Altidore but I read that the team had until 24 hours before the first game to add / sub players to the team. After that, no chance. At least, that is what I read somewheres...not sure if this has been discussed or not...if so, sorry...

Anyway, looking forward to Sunday. The way things are going in this WC, anything can happen! I am predicting a soccer-in-the-US-TV-market ratings record...

http://resources.fifa.com/mm/docume...regulationsfwcbrazil2014_update_e_neutral.pdf

3. Each association shall then be required to provide FIFA with a final list of 23 players (hereinafter: the final list), three of whom shall be goalkeepers. This final list is limited to the players on the release list. The association must send this final list to FIFA by no later than 2 June 2014.

4. The final list (showing the full last name(s), all first names, popular name,number on the shirt, position, place and date of birth, passport number, nameand country of the club, height, weight, number of caps won, number of international goals scored) shall be submitted to the FIFA general secretariat, using the of ficial form for this purpose. Only the numbers 1 to 23 may beallocated to these players, with number 1 being reserved exclusively for one of the goalkeepers. The numbers on the back of the shirts shall correspond with the numbers indicated on the final list. Only these 23 players (except in cases of force majeure recognised by the FIFA Organising Committee) shall be permitted to compete in the final competition.

5. The final lists shall be published by the FIFA general secretariat.

6. A player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury up until 24 hours before the kick-off of his team’s first match. The replacement players do not need to be limited to the release list. Such replacements must be approved in writing by the FIFA Medical Committee upon receipt and acceptance of a detailed medical assessment in one of the four official FIFA languages. The FIFA Medical Committee shall approve the request if the injury is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the competition. The participating member association shall inform FIFA accordingly of the player’s full details (cf. par. 4 herein) at the same time as when submitting the request to replace the injured player.

 

[Phoenix]

England hearts all aflutter about now...