Confed Cup

Originally posted by Badwater
I think there's maybe 2 or 3 other Americans besides me that follow real football.

I've been catching many of the matches so far but none of the USA matches. 😛 Americans don't understand what kind of upset this really is. I really don't have an analogy for it - that's the kind of shocking upset it is.

There was that Mike guy that was a big Donovan fan.

Too bad he isn't around.

Originally posted by Crowley
Wow, the Us beat Spain 2-0.
This is almost as big an upset as South Africa exiting the T20 World Cup this year.

Spain paid dearly for some bad defensive blunders.

Good luck in the Consolation game.

The good news is that we showed you that Sapin is beatable.

Originally posted by Red Night
There was that Mike guy that was a big Donovan fan.

Too bad he isn't around.

nope I am still around, can't wait for the championship game. Lando has been huge for us as usual.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
The problem is that in the US, "real football" ranks below baseball, basketball, "tackleball", hockey, college basketball, college "tackleball", tiger woods worship, the tour de lance, and reality shows like "Survivor".

Nevertheless, it does appear that Americans' interest in "real football" is rising - although I doubt it will ever be one of our premi ...[text shortened]... alling that, but US beating Spain comes close.

now if the US can beat Brazil....😀

Yanks don't like soccer (from Association Football - as opposed to the other types of football) because "nothing happens" ie there aren't lots of goals. Some years ago, the US soccer guys proposed that the goal mouths be widened, so there would be more goals and thus more Americans would enjoy it. Then someone worked out the cost of converting goal posts around the world and it was in the many billions of dollars. That idea did not fly.

Me, I couldn't give two hoots about soccer. My game is Rugby Union Football aka rugby.

I heard the result on the news and yes, it was a bit of David vs Goliath. Spain were aiming for the longest unbeaten run in international soccer (36 games). Now they're level with Brazil for that honour. And Spain had just conceded three goals in those 35 games. To lose 2-0 adds to the misery.

Originally posted by cadwah
Can someone please explain why I haven't heard of the confed cup before? And why aren't ingerland playing?

The Confederations Cup is being played in South Africa as a kind of curtain raiser to the World Cup this time next year. I think it's an invitation thing, but I can be corrected. It comprises eight teams which include Italy (out), Spain (out), New Zealand, Egypt, some Nordic country (Norway?), Iran, USA, South Africa - and I guess that's about it. It's a good sprinkling of teams from around the globe, including the current world cup holders.

In the final are USA vs Brazil - who were surprisingly held very close by SA until scoring in the 80-somethingth minute. And indeed could well have lost.

You haven't heard of it because it doesn't include Ingerland, therefore it doesn't exist.

As for the World Cup next year, I'm wondering if it isn't the opportunity to take a cheap flight out of South Africa at the time, seeing as a whole bunch of planes will be flying back empty. And then travel to somewhere they don't care about the World Game. I might even be prepared to go through the rigour of a US visa for that.

Originally posted by Badwater
I think there's maybe 2 or 3 other Americans besides me that follow real football.

I've been catching many of the matches so far but none of the USA matches. 😛 Americans don't understand what kind of upset this really is. I really don't have an analogy for it - that's the kind of shocking upset it is.

We not be the biggest soccer/(football) fans in the world, but we're not idiots. Why people always have to get so offensive about that, I have no idea. We all have our sporting preferences. Many Americans were unfortunately at work during this game, as it was played around noon in the middle of the week for us. Many would have watched if they could have.

Originally posted by buffalobill
Yanks don't like soccer (from Association Football - as opposed to the other types of football) because "nothing happens" ie there aren't lots of goals. Some years ago, the US football guys proposed that the goal mouths be widened, so there would be more goals and thus more Americans would enjoy it. Then someone worked out the cost of converting goal pos nd Spain had just conceded three goals in those 35 games. Two lose 2-0 adds to the misery.

A lot of Americans do enjoy soccer - but there are just a lot of sports that they enjoy more. The complaints about the low-scoring are probably mostly from people wouldn't watch soccer anyway.

Many complain that baseball moves too slowly, doesn't have much action, and the games can last 4 hours. And yet its one of the most popular sports in North America & Japan - but not in Europe.

Another problem is that most of the top soccer players don't play in America -- if almost all of the world's best soccer players played in a North American league (as is the case for baseball, basketball, hockey, & american football), there'd probably be a lot more interest in the US (and probably less interest in Europe)

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
nope I am still around, can't wait for the championship game. Lando has been huge for us as usual.

Lando is great.

i have to give you credit. you said two years ago that donovan was one of the best in the world and you were right my friend

Originally posted by Melanerpes
A lot of Americans do enjoy soccer - but there are just a lot of sports that they enjoy more. The complaints about the low-scoring are probably mostly from people wouldn't watch soccer anyway.

Many complain that baseball moves too slowly, doesn't have much action, and the games can last 4 hours. And yet its one of the most popular sports in North Ameri ...[text shortened]... ), there'd probably be a lot more interest in the US (and probably less interest in Europe)

How long does an American Football game last? I think about three hours.

The top players in soccer don't play in the USA because there's not enough money. I read that Ronaldo's just been bought by Real Madrid from Manchester United for $130-m. Most big name players only play in the US when they're at the end of their careers - like Beckham.

Originally posted by buffalobill
How long does an American Football game last? I think about three hours.

The top players in soccer don't play in the USA because there's not enough money. I read that Ronaldo's just been bought by Real Madrid from Manchester United for $130-m. Most big name players only play in the US when they're at the end of their careers - like Beckham.

Many good americans go to europe to play because that is where the money is.

Everton has a pretty good foreign born keeper...led them to a record number of shutots this season.

Money good south americans and africans do the same

Beckham was dissapointed to find he wasn't the best mid-fielder on the LA Galaxy.

Originally posted by buffalobill
The Confederations Cup is being played in South Africa as a kind of curtain raiser to the World Cup this time next year. I think it's an invitation thing, but I can be corrected. It comprises eight teams which include Italy (out), Spain (out), New Zealand, Egypt, some Nordic country (Norway?), Iran, USA, South Africa - and I guess that's about it. It's a good sprinkling of teams from around the globe, including the current world cup holders.

but I can be corrected

and that's why i'm here.

it's not an invitational thing and there's no 'some nordic team'

it's the winners of each continent (hence confederations cup) plus the world champions and the host nation.

plus it's iraq not iran.

Tough break for south africa.

maybe the most exciting last two minutes of a game in some time.

hats off to RSA they played tough and probably deserved a better result.

congrats to Spain.

Some years ago I tried watching soccer again. What really turned me off was how players would often go down writhing in "pain" in a effort to draw a stiffer penalty. It was pathetic. I finally had to stop watching. This seems to have been cleared up now. When did this happen and how did they do it? I've checked in on a few matches and I don't think I've seen it even once.

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
Some years ago I tried watching soccer again. What really turned me off was how players would often go down writhing in "pain" in a effort to draw a stiffer penalty. It was pathetic. I finally had to stop watching. This seems to have been cleared up now. When did this happen and how did they do it? I've checked in on a few matches and I don't think I've seen it even once.

Not sure which planet your TV tunes in to, but unfortunately players falling over blades of grass and writhing in pain is still very much part of professional football (soccer)... it breaks my heart.

Originally posted by blade68
Not sure which planet your TV tunes in to, but unfortunately players falling over blades of grass and writhing in pain is still very much part of professional football (soccer)... it breaks my heart.

Well, sorry to hear that. Evidently I just got lucky. I only spot checked a few matches watching for perhaps 10 minutes or so at a time. I was hoping they might have done something sensible like have the penalty be commensurate with the severity of the foul while ignoring whether or not an injury was sustained much less the severity of the injury.

Do you continue to watch anyway?