Soccer used to be a brutal/violent sport too.

[2000grad]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

the game is just flat out boring

I can't argue with your opinion about it being boring, but I am curious as to why you believe it to be boring

[FloydTheBarber]

Originally Posted by 2000grad

Basketball is horrible with flopping at many levels. I've coached soccer for 12 years and I have only seen one person take a dive (HS down to U12)

I've also seen more popped ACLs, MCLs, etc. than just about any other sport

And women's soccer is the #2 sport for concussions, and a big concern for degenerative brain disorder (which most only equate to football)

[2000grad]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

And women's soccer is the #2 sport for concussions, and a big concern for degenerative brain disorder (which most only equate to football)

yeah, it's crazy. Had to get a girl off the field today with a head injury.

You are allowed to wear protective head gear in soccer

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by 2000grad

I think it's funny that probably over half those guys are foreign born players who probably grew up learning to flop while playing soccer.

The huge difference with soccer and pretty much any other sport, is that in other sports flopping is mocked and made fun of. In soccer they just make excuses and pretty much tend to have devistating injuries and are taken off on stretcher. In any other sport if you go off on a stretcher you don't jump back in the game 10 seconds later.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by Lalli25

I think it's funny that probably over half those guys are foreign born players who probably grew up learning to flop while playing soccer.

The huge difference with soccer and pretty much any other sport, is that in other sports flopping is mocked and made fun of. In soccer they just make excuses and pretty much tend to have devistating injuries and are taken off on stretcher. In any other sport if you go off on a stretcher you don't jump back in the game 10 seconds later.

I guess you don't each all he flops in nba or a wide receiver acting like her was interfered with in NFL? In fact I equate flopping with those football players who miss a play and come up with the "flag throwing" motion when it is obvious nothing happened...why do Americans accept one and criticize the other...I have only witnessed one death on a sports field due to direct action on field and it was soccer

[2000grad]

Originally Posted by Lalli25

I think it's funny that probably over half those guys are foreign born players who probably grew up learning to flop while playing soccer.

The huge difference with soccer and pretty much any other sport, is that in other sports flopping is mocked and made fun of. In soccer they just make excuses and pretty much tend to have devistating injuries and are taken off on stretcher. In any other sport if you go off on a stretcher you don't jump back in the game 10 seconds later.

I agree with your last statement...that needs to be cracked down on IMMEDIATELY.

But, if you search YT for the official NBA flopping video, you will see tons of flops by homegrown guys. It's just not reasonable to say that the foreign guys are floppers when the game is the same no matter what country you are in. I would be willing to bet that guys over dramatize to try and get a call...wouldn't you?

AND, the women's game and men's game are different beasts in soccer. Some guys do flop, but it isn't every single one of them like some of the uniformed posters are trying to make it seem. In the women's game, you don't see a lot of that. It can be brutal, Wambach broke her femur in a match

[FloydTheBarber]

Originally Posted by ShutTheSuccop

I guess you don't each all he flops in nba or a wide receiver acting like her was interfered with in NFL? In fact I equate flopping with those football players who miss a play and come up with the "flag throwing" motion when it is obvious nothing happened...why do Americans accept one and criticize the other...I have only witnessed one death on a sports field due to direct action on field and it was soccer

Faking injury and asking for a flag or foul are no where near the same thing.

[Sonofacock]

The reason soccer isn't big in the U.S is because we glorify the other 3 sports. So the natural athletes tend to play those 3 and we are left with the nonathletic kids playing soccer. Hence why soccer is boring.

[I Bleed Garnet]

Originally Posted by Sonofacock

The reason soccer isn't big in the U.S is because we glorify the other 3 sports. So the natural athletes tend to play those 3 and we are left with the nonathletic kids playing soccer. Hence why soccer is boring.

I believe it's because our professional league isn't at the top.

In hockey the United States is not the best, but the NHL is the highest point of professional hockey.

[FloydTheBarber]

Originally Posted by Sonofacock

The reason soccer isn't big in the U.S is because we glorify the other 3 sports. So the natural athletes tend to play those 3 and we are left with the nonathletic kids playing soccer. Hence why soccer is boring.

I agree with this for the most part

Sure, some athletic kids play soccer- but by and large, the MOST athletic kids choose one of the "big 3" early in life and stick with it.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

Faking injury and asking for a flag or foul are no where near the same thing.

No offense but people flop trying to get a call..it is the same thing

Soccer players may milk it further but the intent is the same

[Luke Skycocker]

Originally Posted by 2000grad

I can't argue with your opinion about it being boring, but I am curious as to why you believe it to be boring

Because you can go to a game and see a total of 3 shots on goal the whole time. If one team gets a 1 goal lead they spend the entire half wasting time. Probably 20 minutes of each game is spent waiting for "injuries" and for the players to set the ball up for free kicks. The refereeing is an absolute joke. I could go on.

If I could change the sport of soccer I would make the field smaller, put in some kind of shot clock (if you dont get a SOG in say 5 minutes, the other team gets a corner kick or something), when someone gets hurt or there is a foul STOP THE CLOCK. There is no reason for a continuous clock and then adding some obscure amount of time to the end of the game that the referee just gets to make up. More referees.

[Luke Skycocker]

Originally Posted by ShutTheSuccop

No offense but people flop trying to get a call..it is the same thing

Soccer players may milk it further but the intent is the same

Not really. Flopping is when you try to make the foul happen, not just tell the referee that there was a foul. It would be the same as a QB throwing himself backwards in the air and rolling around after he threw the ball and a DE ran past him.

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

Because you can go to a game and see a total of 3 shots on goal the whole time. If one team gets a 1 goal lead they spend the entire half wasting time. Probably 20 minutes of each game is spent waiting for "injuries" and for the players to set the ball up for free kicks. The refereeing is an absolute joke. I could go on.

If I could change the sport of soccer I would make the field smaller, put in some kind of shot clock (if you dont get a SOG in say 5 minutes, the other team gets a corner kick or something), when someone gets hurt or there is a foul STOP THE CLOCK. There is no reason for a continuous clock and then adding some obscure amount of time to the end of the game that the referee just gets to make up. More referees.

The offsides needs to be changed. The current rule is there is no offsides when on your half of the field, hence why forwards stand right at the line waiting for the ball to be kicked. I think they need to put in a line about 35 yards from the goal that acts like the mid field line. This would stretch the d more. Also if the ball is inside the line than offsides shouldn't exist. Basically go more hockey style there.

THe other change I'd make is subbing. They should be able to sub like lacrosse does, on the fly. It would create a faster tempo and more strategy by coaches. Currently the coaches do very little during games.

As was pointed out already, soccer doesn't have the elite athletes and therefore it limits the games appeal.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

Not really. Flopping is when you try to make the foul happen, not just tell the referee that there was a foul. It would be the same as a QB throwing himself backwards in the air and rolling around after he threw the ball and a DE ran past him.

Yeah, I can see that, good point...different means to an end.... Equally annoying to me

[uscsig]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

And women's soccer is the #2 sport for concussions, and a big concern for degenerative brain disorder (which most only equate to football)

Brain development occurrs in the frontal lobe(where contact for most headers are made) for women. Headers do not have this effect on the brains of men.

[Kaka]

Since we are going deep into some details on the physicality of modern soccer, I gone add some stuff.

Women soccer is more equivalent to Northern European soccer, less skill more physicality, Southern Europeans and South/Central Americans are more skilled and less physical.

I played with English players before, they play soccer very similar to playing rugby, they are not very technical players therefore they have to be more physical, the same goes for women.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by Lalli25

The offsides needs to be changed. The current rule is there is no offsides when on your half of the field, hence why forwards stand right at the line waiting for the ball to be kicked. I think they need to put in a line about 35 yards from the goal that acts like the mid field line. This would stretch the d more. Also if the ball is inside the line than offsides shouldn't exist. Basically go more hockey style there.

THe other change I'd make is subbing. They should be able to sub like lacrosse does, on the fly. It would create a faster tempo and more strategy by coaches. Currently the coaches do very little during games.

As was pointed out already, soccer doesn't have the elite athletes and therefore it limits the games appeal.

A lot of running

Hard to score

I have spoken to a lot of Americans, and lots of them say this very often.

"Too much running for me"

"Too hard to score"

It is true, scoring is very hard.

[Lalli25]

Originally Posted by Kaka

A lot of running

Hard to score

I have spoken to a lot of Americans, and lots of them say this very often.

"Too much running for me"

"Too hard to score"

It is true, scoring is very hard.

It isn't the low scoring its the lack of shots actually on goal. There are may be 5 shots for each team in a game that's boring. Hockey doesn't have to have a lot of goals to be exciting, with the shots on goal and goalie making saves it is intense, edge of your seat type of action. Rarely does that happen in soccer.

[HeadCockFan]

I love soccer. But when play becomes too competitive, it's ugly. Games among friends are where it's at.

It's the opposite with American football.