Saturday, July 10, 2010

FIFA World Cup Post V

Soccer in USA

Note: Football is known as soccer in USA.

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but it hasn’t quite caught on in the United States. Traditionally, America’s Big 3 sports are baseball, basketball, American football, while ice hockey can be considered number 4. However, many girls play soccer as they are excluded from American football.

Wanting to know why Americans are not interested in soccer, I browsed through the Web to search for an answer. Based on the info I have, Americans dislike soccer because of the following reasons:

  • Low scoring, boring
  • Games often end in tie
  • Competition from other sports – for players, spectators and sponsorship
  • Soccer is difficult to understand (Well, I don’t understand American football either.)
  • Soccer is a game for sissies. (Huh!!?)
  • Players are not allowed to use their hands (What is wrong with that?)
  • Soccer is an English game, therefore un-American. (But American football evolved from rugby, another English game.)


It is true that goals are scarce in soccer. A match with one or no goal can really be boring. On the plus side, fans get excited every time the teams they support score. Too many goals can spoil the fun.

A point in a basketball match is like your weekly wages. A goal in a football match is like hitting the jackpot. We need wages, but we look forward to the jackpot…


P/S I think 2 to 8 goals per match is perfect.

US Soccer Player London Donovan

12 comments:

  1. finally it's the last match niao tonight!!!
    tomorrow onward people can have normal life haha

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  2. Read TIME some issues back. They have highlighted this... but on the growth of soccer's popularity in the US.

    America have more than enough stadias of very good facilities - if they were to get fans and support of comparable quantities for soccer - I'm sure US will be a crouching tiger, hidden dragon in the soccer world.

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  3. I just love football bro. Very beautiful. Their intricate passing.

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  4. Tonight will be a staying up night for football fans. Happy watching!

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  5. LOL! Did you say 2 to 8 goals per game? But we do know that at times even one goal is hard to achieve. That's soccer..

    And to think that golf is popular in the US too and that does not involve goals or a big number, besides the number for handicap. haha...

    Nice post!

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  6. kyh
    I have that issue of TIME too. Yes, there are more kids and girls playing soccer in US now. But still there are lots of soccer-haters.

    happysurfer
    Golf is individual sport, so maybe Americans have different expectations.

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  7. the last statement is funny. so american. LOL

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  8. scoring goal is always a climax in soccer. Finally, I witnessed the goal of the champion!

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  9. Klose was down with flu and din play in the match, how to score ah....>.<"

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  10. Americans are always cut off from the rest of the world. Every country in the world loves soccer except USA! Actually I don't like baseball and American football but I guess maybe because I'm not really exposed to these sports?

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  11. foongpc
    I can't comment on American football and baseball, but the timeouts in NBA are irritating.

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  12. I personally like hockey best, it's fast and I don't get bored. I think the weather isn't temperate enough in the U.S for Americans to enjoy soccer. It's a sport that doesn't play well when it's too hot/ cold.

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