My plan to make soccer watchable

[rodeo]

it's hard to tell how long it is because of the idiotic time keeping method.

[Bobby]

Games never, ever last more than 2.5 hours. Even with extra time and penalties.

6 subs = +0:30 x 6 = 3:00, Glen Johnson's blood needing to be stimmed added 1:00 which wound up at 4:00. I don't see how that's complicated, or where you found two hours.

[Darth Biscuit]

Maybe it's just that it seems like 4 hours...

[Hawk]

meat, you could argue that scoring in any sport is caused by someone else making a mistake too! If athletes never made mistakes, wouldn't it always be scoreless?

so in essence, you are saying soccer players are the best athletes because they make the least amount of mistakes!!!

[Davidson Deac II]

For those of you that point out how many people watch soccer, just remember that more people watched Elvis's aloha from Hawaii concert than watched the one of the most historic events in world history, the moon landing. Not sure most watched is necessarily an indication of quality.

[Hawk]

true...but they did say yesterday that over 90 million Americans are directly involved with soccer. Plus, out of all the nations, other than the host South Americans, no country bought more tickets to the world cup that Americans! The growth over the last few years is huge! Plus there is a bid in to host in 2018

[Darth Biscuit]

Soccer is certainly gaining popularity here... but I would think it's more the appeal of having a country team... kind of like the olympics. People will get into that more so than regular sports. I don't think professional soccer will ever be anywhere near NFL/NBA/MLB here.

In America we have the ability (mainly financially) to play sports like football, golf, basketball that require more and specialized equipment. You can play soccer with any kind of ball and four trees/sticks.

[Bobby]

Soccer is growing at club level here, too. MLS teams are moving into purpose built stadiums now (this is a big deal as paying $100,000 to rent a stadium you don't control concessions at bleeds you dry) but it isn't like other sports when you measure it at club level, it's the levels under the top where the growth really counts. New York, LA, Chicago and Houston were always going to be able to support soccer teams, but 20 years ago you'd be laughed at for suggesting a team in Charleston or Chattanooga could make money, but they do.

the "minor leagues" aren't actually "minor leagues" in the traditional American sense, they're lower divisions consisting largely of independently owned and operated teams which sometimes operate their own development systems.

[Matt Foley]

My nephew plays soccer. His team was the best in the League when I went to watch them a couple of years ago, and the scores would be like 8-6, and all of the goals were earned. For some reason, the higher up you go, the more the goals are flukes, just like in hockey.

I'm sure there IS strategy to the game, just as there is in all games. It's just a shame that your typical score is 2-1, with at least one of those goals coming off a fluke play.

[Delhommey]

For those who don't care about soccer, nobody cares that you don't care.

[Matt Foley]

For those who don't care about soccer, nobody cares that you don't care.

I wouldn't care if you swallowed a shotgun blast.

[Miaoww]

My nephew plays soccer. His team was the best in the League when I went to watch them a couple of years ago, and the scores would be like 8-6, and all of the goals were earned. For some reason, the higher up you go, the more the goals are flukes, just like in hockey.

I'm sure there IS strategy to the game, just as there is in all games. It's just a shame that your typical score is 2-1, with at least one of those goals coming off a fluke play.

The higher the quality of the league, the more they can defend and the more organised they are.

And the goals are not flukes. It's a shame you see them as such.

[Matt Foley]

The higher the quality of the league, the more they can defend and the more organised they are.

And the goals are not flukes. It's a shame you see them as such.

England 1, US 1....America's goal trickles off the goalie, who misplayed it

Slovenia 1, Whoever they played 0....Again, goalie error

These are not friendlies. These are the games that determine who moves on.

[Jbro]

England 1, US 1....America's goal trickles off the goalie, who misplayed it

So when a defender in the NFL miss reads a play or get's beat by his man is that a fluke? If both sides of the ball played perfect/without a fluke nobody would score in any sport.