WTF is "Football/Soccer" the world's most popular sport??

The pinnacle of their competition, the most important, best game in the world… and it was sensationally boring!! I guess if it was my team in there (Australia) then it would've been gripping and tense and my heart would've been racing a million miles an hour, but as an impartial spectator, what a crock of shit that was as the supposed 'pinnacle' of the sport… bah, what a bunch of cocks…

And that's my opinion… what's yours?

There was a soccer game tonight? Oh. OK.

If you don't get it you don't get it. Can't explain how to enjoy it sorry.

More exciting when you have money on both teams. I would've made an extra £20 if Holland had won.. But still won some.

You have to understand that football is a very complex game. The "cheating" and such is actually part of the game. The team that can get away with the fouls and pretend that they've been fouled will have an advantage. The referee system is flawed, but its still part of the game, both teams are disadvantaged/advantaged equally.

Don't watch football if you're looking for excitement. Its not that type of sport. But then, neither is Formula 1, and that seems kinda popular.

every now and then, I start to get it, and I start to enjoy the tactical battles and I start to understand that it's not always about the ball player (though, that Robben, what a player eh?!), it's about what's happening in a much wider area… and then some cock takes a dive and some team that doesn't deserve it get's a penalty that wins them the game… yep, I'm still bitter at the Italians for what they did to Oz in the last World Cup 😆

The "cheating" and such is actually part of the game. The team that can get away with the fouls and pretend that they've been fouled will have an advantage.

And THAT'S the bullshit that should be rubbed out, crushed with absolute extreme prejudice out of the game… THEN it might be worthy of the title of The World Game…

because it's a universal sport, can be played by between 2 and 50 people with no more equipment or organisation than an inflated pigs bladder and 4 jumpers. No training required to prevent injury (unlike rugby), and no technical equipment required that could make the nature of the game different from one location to another.

It is still dull as shit sometimes and needs to look at hockey and rugby as to it's refereeing, but it is the world's favourite because it is universal, and rightly so despite me not being a fan.

The "cheating" and such is actually part of the game. The team that can get away with the fouls and pretend that they've been fouled will have an advantage.

Unbelievable… I can't understand how a supporter could be happy with that situation – the team that 'cheats' best gets an advantage?? 😯 🙄

Tonights game was mostly about a bunch of thugs v a bunch of fairies…. In a nutshell

worst WC I can remember in overall terms

There was a soccer game tonight? Oh. OK.

Standard dull reply.

psychle – Member
The "cheating" and such is actually part of the game. The team that can get away with the fouls and pretend that they've been fouled will have an advantage.
And THAT'S the bullshit that should be rubbed out, crushed with absolute extreme prejudice out of the game… THEN it might be worthy of the title of The World Game…

+1.
In fact, +many.

My thinking is as follows;
– ONLY the Captain is allowed to speak to the referee. Transgression = Yellow card
– Yellow cards should be as in rugby. Get one, get ten minutes sitting on the bench. Playing one many down would soon make a difference to the amount of pathetic rolling around pretending to be hurt.
– Penalties. Never, never, never again! I say this also for rugby (where penalties are far rarer as a means of deciding a game, I agree.) If a game is 0-0 at the end of extra time, don't go to penalties. The team with the least yellow cards in the game wins. Failing that, the team with the least in the tournament wins.

its a lot more enjoyable when England arn't playing 😆
(yes I am English)

seriously, I'm trying to understand it all… but every time I start to get into Soccer, I'm let down by 'cheating' or 'gamesmenship'… the Uruguay v Ghana game was a great example, excellent game of sport, tarnished forever by a cheating act that cost a team their deserved win…

I don't think even England Vs England could have been more boring than that farce

You're confusing your wee mind with football as the best game in the world, and the WC being the pinnacle of competition. The first statement is self evidently true and needs no further discussion, the second is not true and hasn't been for 15-20 years.

International football is a tedious bag of pish, really, and is now completely subservient to the domestic game. Maybe it was different back in the day when Pele was banging them in, but nowadays it's just an excuse for folk to jump up and down about football theatre, whilst conveniently ignoring the fact the games are garbage. Hence Blackburn v Wolves that we just saw tonight.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
There was a soccer game tonight? Oh. OK.

…and then you go and spoil it al, by saying something stupid like 'I love you' **** predictably boring like that

bore off.

The best team in the tournament without doubt won, what wrong with that.
Careful use of the word cheat, 'our' sport probably has the worst reputation in the world for that.

Blackburn v Wolves

What was that about then?

WTF is "Football/Soccer" the world's most popular sport??

Because it unites people from all over the world, who can enjoy it for what it is, without having to endure the company of whining, joyless little know-it-alls like you 😀

Unbelievable… I can't understand how a supporter could be happy with that situation – the team that 'cheats' best gets an advantage??

Never said I was a supporter.

And THAT'S the bullshit that should be rubbed out, crushed with absolute extreme prejudice out of the game… THEN it might be worthy of the title of The World Game…

Its impossible. Its how the game is played. Because its so open to fouling, and because of the referee system, players have to go down when fouled, regardless of if the foul is hard enough to force them down, in order for justice to be served and the referee to do something. But then it gets taken too far, and you step near someone and they just go down. Its as much a part of the game as being able to put the ball in the goal.

Equally, the penalty system appears stupid. Its not really football. It would be like, in the event of a draw in the TdF, you have a wheelie contest to determine the winner. But its part of the game, its the rules. Either learn to live with it, maybe even one day, to like it – or just watch something else 😀

seriously, I'm trying to understand it all… but every time I start to get into Soccer, I'm let down by 'cheating' or 'gamesmenship'… the Uruguay v Ghana game was a great example, excellent game of sport, tarnished forever by a cheating act that cost a team their deserved win.

The cheating in that case is punished twice over, the player is sent off and a penalty awarded, Ghana failed to capitalize from that.
It's all like Landis forever tarnishing the Tour because of his blatant cheating 🙄

It's because it's the most accessible game out there.

but every time I start to get into Soccer, I'm let down by 'cheating' or 'gamesmenship'… t

Could say the same about most sports.. you're a cricket fan.. remember Greg Chappell in 1981? Hansie Cronje? Sledging, failing to walk, ball tampering, gambling scandals.

Rugby, just the same.

Depends on what you want from sport. I think it's dull and often dictated by a ref's poor decision.
Footballers as sportman are some of the worst. Compare overpaid footballers rolling along the ground looking for a free kick to tour riders who have to ride on with broken collar bones and ribs.

The cheating in that case is punished twice over, the player is sent off and a penalty awarded

In Rugby, the player would've been sent off, and the score would've counted (penalty try…) should be the same in Soccer I reckon… a goal line red card that stops a certain score, the score should stand and the player should go…

remember Greg Chappell

a loooonng time ago, and something no Australian is proud of…

Also, football will never work if you compare it to other sports.

Its like saying "I don't like road riding cause its not as exciting as mountain biking". Its not meant to be. Its a completely different sports, and the enjoyment comes from different factors.

Could say the same about most sports.. you're a cricket fan.. remember Greg Chappell in 1981? Hansie Cronje? Sledging, failing to walk, ball tampering, gambling scandals.

Yeah, but you get a huge amount of gamesmanship every single football game.

That's Rugby though, this is football.

If its a draw after full time they should play extra time but every two minutes take a player of each side off til someone scores

I don't like green beans, I don't eat them. If I did eat them, I would only have myself to blame, and wouldn't bother to complain about it.

Can't stand football either, so I dont watch it, If I do watch it, then oh **** it I can't be bothered.

sparkingchains, I've solo'd a 24 with broken ribs and ridden home with a broken collarbone. There's no way I'd risk either on a pitch.

If its a draw after full time they should play extra time but every two minutes take a player of each side off til someone scores

Heard that lots of times before. But that's the sort of logical, thoughtful, fair game, best team wins kinda of thinking that would turn the TdF into a massive session on turbo trainers to find who really is the strongest cyclist.

What can I say? I like sport, in fact I'd go so far as to say I LOVE sport in any form, any game/competition/challenge that involves one person/team/animal testing themselves against another and even themselves (I include intellectual challenges in this as well!), I genuinely love it … I love the theatre, the uncertainty, the occasional heroism and the sheer joy of watching people try their best at something… but too often in Soccer, I see too many people cynically playing the referee, trying to win a foul that benefits their team (some may argue this is part of the game, but I hate it, sorry!)… it's what let's the game down, and the main reason why I generally only watch highlights packages of Soccer…

RealMan – Id prefer to use the "Golden Goal" approach.

The TdF analogy is to get the riders to keep riding, when a rider is more than 30s off the back the Lantern Rouge mops them up until only one rider is left on the road. Probably requires a large circuitous 10 mile loop at the end of each race to accommodate it though 😉

Stoner has it.

And all sport at the top level is rife with gamesmanship/cheating/whinging. Players will do anything to win and bend the rules as far as they can. Tennis players – if a footballer went on at the ref like they do at the umpire it'd be front page news. Rugby – dissent from players seems more common these days. Cycling….well we all know of the pharmaceutical advantages that are rumored to be quite common.

Some good suggestions from Flash regarding the rules, despite the fact he doesn't care 😉 I'd prefer penalties to a yellow card or corner countback though. Take off a player from each side every five minutes till it's 2 v 2, be just like the school plaground!

how about scrapping extra time but going to corners instead of penalties ?

All players stay on and each team takes turns to have a corner (or free kick from maybe 40yds). Timer starts on taking the kick and play continues for maybe 1 minute from then. If no goal scored (including breakaways at the other end), move to the other end & go again. 3 each, then sudden death.

More bollocks rule changes (while I'm off on one):

Video review: Either manager can appeal for video review (like tennis), maybe 2 times per half (and you "keep" your appeal if you're correct). Cameras essential for this of course.

Diving: If seen to be a dive (refs opinion – managers can appeal if they wish, as above), give free kick the other way, in the corresponding part of the pitch (so if you're diving for a penalty, opponents get one instead).

Simulated injury: Any player not back on their feet at 20 seconds, mandatory removal from pitch for 5-10 mins (can have a sub on for this period though)

Shielding the ball as it rolls out: player doing this is deemed to be in possesion and will concede throw/kick if it goes out regardless of who touched it prior to this

anyone else got any crap thoughts ?

Did someone say something about hockey?

Meh…girl's game 🙄

anybody who refers to it as soccer – doesn't understand the game.

Lots at stake, pressure, ok game, not as good as Germany vs. Uruguay!