Guest nl5xsk1 Report post Posted May 13, 2003 I'm in the UK for a month for work, and thus have had to endure weeks of 'football' news and highlights and what have you. My question: can you actually give me, as an American, a single reason why this should be interesting to me? I tried watching Manchester United play Real Madrid, and literally fell asleep. And then came into the office the next day to people talking about how good of a game it was. (and I know at least one response will be that baseball is boring as hell too. I agree, I haven't been able to sit through a baseball game in about a decade. At least baseball has occasional shots of hot girls in the stands to keep your attention) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest PencilJobber Report post Posted May 13, 2003 There is no 1 reason to love Football just as there is no 1 reason to love American Football,Basketball,Baseball etc. It's a game that lots of people love it is the most popular game in the world remember and just like lots of Americans find Football boring,lots of English people find American Football,Baseball and other American Sports stupid and very boring although i personally am a fan of most Us Sports. It would be the same if an English Person was over in the USA and hated Baseball they would have to put up with people discussing it.If you watched a game and didn't enjoy it at all don't pay any attention to it there is only the FA Cup left this season for English sides except Internationals so there will be hardly anymore discussions so you won't have to worry about liking it. But critizing it because you don't like it is a little Niave and asking for a single reason why you should watch is extremly ignorant there are many good reasons to watch football just as there are many reasons why people enjoy Baseball and other sports. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted May 13, 2003 Being someone who watches international sports regularly, I'd say it's just a matter of personal preference whether you like a sport or not. That said, if you decide to watch something, and carry a negative attitude toward what you're going to watch into the viewing, odds are you're not going to like it. Heck, when I was over in England a year and a half ago, not only did I watch and enjoy Premier League football, I caught a CRICKET MATCH and found myself really enjoying it. It's all about keeping an open mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest razazteca Report post Posted May 13, 2003 Maybe its because Football does not score points as much as American sports. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Spicy McHaggis Report post Posted May 13, 2003 I'm in the UK for a month for work, and thus have had to endure weeks of 'football' news and highlights and what have you. My question: can you actually give me, as an American, a single reason why this should be interesting to me? I tried watching Manchester United play Real Madrid, and literally fell asleep. And then came into the office the next day to people talking about how good of a game it was. (and I know at least one response will be that baseball is boring as hell too. I agree, I haven't been able to sit through a baseball game in about a decade. At least baseball has occasional shots of hot girls in the stands to keep your attention) I am North American, but I'll still answer. As for finding a way to enjoy soccer/football, you should continually expose yourself to it. Force yourself to watch a lot of it. It's kind of like learning a language, it works better if you immerse yourself in it. Learn about the strategy involved, there's a reason they pass away from the goal when they do. It's hard to understand that as all the fundamentals of American sports say it's best to always go towards the goal/basket. I am by no means a soccer fanatic. But when the World Cup comes around, or the U.S. is playing on TV, I almost always watch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted May 13, 2003 As with any sport, it helps if you're a fan of one of the teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest redbaron51 Report post Posted May 13, 2003 dude man... you gotta go see a real soccer game, the atmosphere is better than any other sport combined. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest nl5xsk1 Report post Posted May 14, 2003 I didn't mean to be viewed as being critical of the sport ... I was looking for people to provide reasons for me to care about a sport that I otherwise don't care about. In orhter words, give me something to pay attention to when I watch the game. (e.g. if someone wanted an reason to watch basketball you might point out the recent dynasty of the Lakers or a rivalry like the Kings and Lakers; for baseball you might point out the dominance of a pitcher like Pedro Martinez or the dominance of an entire team like the Yankees; for football you might point out a player like Michael Vick and all he excitement that he brings.) I didn't mean to seem negative, I just couldn't get into it on the value of the game alone and was hoping that people would point out reasons X, Y, and Z about why I should try to watch it more. And it's not all sports here, it's just "football" - I enjoy watching rugby and cricket (Hell, I sat through the entire Snooker championship tournament) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest PencilJobber Report post Posted May 14, 2003 Ok fair enough if you want some reasons here are a few. How about the most heated Rivalries in any sport anywhere you got Real Madrid/Barcelona,Milan/Inter, PSV/Ajax,Arsenal/Tottenham,Everton/Liverpool and the biggest of all Rangers/Celtic the fans of these teams would sell there soul to the devil for a victory over there rivals.Rangers and Celtic is more than a football rivalry it is about religon 1 Catholic and 1 Protastant there is so much passion and love for those 2 teams from there fans that you can't compare that rivalry to any other the sport world has ever seen sorry to say this but the Kings/Lakers would not even be in the top 20 of rivalries if it was in Football. Then you have the Football ability of Players like Rivaldo,Ronaldo,Raul,Del Piero,Henry,Vieri,Pires,Totti and so many others.Seeing a 50 yard pass drop perfectly into the path of a guy running forward is a sight to see or a 30 yard screamer that goes straight into the Top Corner. Watch some old Videos of Pele,Maradona and Johan Cruyff to see just how skillfull some football players are and how magical watching it can be. Most of all if you want to even see a glimpse of why people see Football as a Religon start to support a team and go to see a game live you will see the Passion and love people have for there team and to see the skill some of these players have close up will show you what its all about.Football is not a game that normally you love instantly but after you watch it for a while you start to understand why people rate it so highly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anorak Report post Posted May 14, 2003 As with any sport, the more you watch the more you will learn. Put simply, football is about keeping possession and gradually building attacks which pick holes in the oppositions defence to create goalscoring chances. Try to look out for how players utilize their position on the field and how they contribute to both gaining and using possession for their team. The best teams and players are capable of totally dictating the pace of a match. Watch a player like Zidane and see how comfortable he is with the ball at his feet, observe his balance under pressure and speed of thought to pick out a teamate with a pass or split a defence with a through ball. In the Madrid/Man Utd matches the fluent passing and wonderful technique of the Madrid midfield players won them the tie. They had players who could dribble past the Utd defenders with wonderful ball control, beat them with pace, use a dummy/flick/stepover etc or cleverly create space for their teamates through smart timing of runs. The most important factor in the tie was probably the Madrid midfield having the quality to ratain possession for long enough periods not to leave their reletively weak defence exposed to Man Utd. When Madrid attack they always have a variety of options for how to create chances, they aren't predictable. A weaker team may endlessly punt long balls up in the air or spread passes about endlessly without being able to create a chance because they haven't got the same options or players with as much ability. If you ever want to experience a passionate atmosphere which has a buzz of tribal-like frenzy and exitement live football cannot be beat. Its a rewarding sport to play and watch and I personally enjoy doing both. I honestly don't think its that hard to get into either. Remember that different styles of football are played by in different parts of the world. A game played in England will have a different pace to most played in Italy, and they in turn to say Brazil or Argentina. The cosmopolitan make-up of most European club sides does provide notable exeptions however. Just about every Nationality you could think of is represented in the Premiership for example. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted May 14, 2003 Best advice: don't always watch the ball. Football is what basketball should be, a game where movement without the ball is what normally determines success or failure. One of the biggest problems with American sports TV is that you're trained to watch the ball at all times, so when you try to watch a sport with a lot more subtlety, like football, you lose most of the essence of the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted May 14, 2003 Man U and Barcelona are opening the new Eagles stadium sometime in August. I'm thinking of going, depending on ticket prices. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimmy Beard Report post Posted May 15, 2003 Its a simple answer to your question, SOCIAL SCIENCES, You come into this world either liking one thing or the other. Why do Australlians play all sports that the english play i:e football, rubgy union and league, cricket, its because of the way communities interact the english and aussies kinda almost have the same lifestyles so its gonna be that they enjoy doing the same things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HellSpawn Report post Posted May 17, 2003 My question: can you actually give me, as an American, a single reason why this should be interesting to me? I tried watching Manchester United play Real Madrid, and literally fell asleep. And then came into the office the next day to people talking about how good of a game it was. Can you please explain to me why you fell asleep? 'Cause, I think it was a great match. - 1st, Real Madrid takin advantage but Machester still trying to score and stay alive. - The crowd hot as usual in, TheTheater of Dreams (Im sorry if I screwed that, I know the nickname on spanish) - Every single time machester gets close... they made a mistake or Real Madrid makes a great play and... ronaldo Scores. You want Drama? - how about that, Im sorry, that @$$hole, the Manchester's coach refusing to let Beckham in, and then, when he finally get a clue, Beckham is in and... bam, 1st ball he touch, GOAL, a few minutes later BAM, GOAL. and Manchester is still alive, but there are not enough minutes. And how about this... RESPECT FOR THE GAME. - Ronaldo KILLED Manchester ans still, when Del Bosque took him out, the whole stadium cheers for him. Not turning against his own team but cheering the performance of a star. And well, if you got FOX Sports... check the games for Copa Toyota Libertadores and look at the best 8 teams on America. Cruz Azul (Thumbs Up, Cheap pop), Boca Juniors, River Plate, Santos, Cobreloa, America de Cali, Gremio and some other team that I forgot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
