PresIke wrote:to me the thing that will sell this to u.s. fans is that the team played with heart...dude's were bleeding and received hard tackles...but still had a never say die attitude...providing a hollywood storyline for the media in more ways than one...american sports fans eat that ish up...

If you get a chance to watch the highlights, there was one awesome moment. Near the end of the game, Slovenia were attacking and they had three shots in a row. First one was blocked, second one was blocked. As the third one comes in two England players dived in to block. Johnsons goes in feet first but Terry was on his knees so couldn't get there. Instead, he dives in front of the shot to put his face between the ball and the goal, while at the same time having the presence of mind to put his hands behind his back so it looks like he's been shot in the back of the head and flops down. Just utter team first commitment. That was a great moment for me, to see the lads wanting it so bad that nothing was going to stop them getting in the way. Face, nuts it didn't matter, that shot wasn't going in. Just tremendous stuff to me.

Germany England will be a real classic hopefully. Really excited for Sunday. Not gonna be fun for you guys with the whole country behind Ghana, but put in a display like today and you have a real chance.

bitty41 wrote:But don't you guys think the interest in the WC is kinda of like the interest in the Olympics for sports like track/field, swimming, or gymnastics? Americans can catch the WC fever but afterwards the interest will wanes significantly.

fair point, bitty.

the main difference that i see is that most of the olympic sports disappear after they're done...

sure, fair weather fans will go away, but anyone curious about seeing high levels of the sport can continue to watch in the english premier league, serie a, la liga (now on espn or fox soccer channel) or champions league...or in 2 years euro '12...

that's what kept my attention...and now increased it as i know the big players from their leagues...

seeing those same players in other leagues that i remembered from the wc was the starting point...

it has also been a work in progress in the u.s....

in 1994 the sport was barely on the radar...

to me there is no question that the sport and interest has grown significantly...

the u.s. team was a joke then...

we were like a 13-15 seed in the ncaa tourney...

now maybe a 5-6 seed...ranking wise...

that's a huge shift...for a sport that many people still don't even understand fully...

i love it, and when we show others our passion they become curious, and can start to see why...i didn't give much of a care before 1994...except that i worked in a camp with a lot of international folks..

to me being a u.s. fan in soccer is like being a knick fan today, or how i felt as a yankee fan in 1993...

it's fun to prove the doubters wrong...

but it's different because i enjoy rooting for other teams and how intense the game can be...

we'll see...but every world cup i've followed the same question was asked, and every time i see improved attention from fans...

PresIke wrote:

bitty41 wrote:But don't you guys think the interest in the WC is kinda of like the interest in the Olympics for sports like track/field, swimming, or gymnastics? Americans can catch the WC fever but afterwards the interest will wanes significantly.

fair point, bitty.

the main difference that i see is that most of the olympic sports disappear after they're done...

sure, fair weather fans will go away, but anyone curious about seeing high levels of the sport can continue to watch in the english premier league, serie a, la liga (now on espn or fox soccer channel) or champions league...or in 2 years euro '12...

that's what kept my attention...and now increased it as i know the big players from their leagues...

seeing those same players in other leagues that i remembered from the wc was the starting point...

it has also been a work in progress in the u.s....

in 1994 the sport was barely on the radar...

to me there is no question that the sport and interest has grown significantly...

the u.s. team was a joke then...

we were like a 13-15 seed in the ncaa tourney...

now maybe a 5-6 seed...ranking wise...

that's a huge shift...for a sport that many people still don't even understand fully...

i love it, and when we show others our passion they become curious, and can start to see why...i didn't give much of a care before 1994...except that i worked in a camp with a lot of international folks..

to me being a u.s. fan in soccer is like being a knick fan today, or how i felt as a yankee fan in 1993...

it's fun to prove the doubters wrong...

but it's different because i enjoy rooting for other teams and how intense the game can be...

we'll see...but every world cup i've followed the same question was asked, and every time i see improved attention from fans...

I love the game but until we're in WC finals or the MLS become a top flight league internationally I think it will be difficult to keep the interest level high in America imho.

Dont know if you guys will be able to see this outside the UK but... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8756805.stm

jimimou wrote:btw - coach otto resigns yesterday as greece's head coach.

wheres the passion from this guy? i guess some stereotypes just aren't true..

djsunyc wrote:mls should send it's champion to face a premier league team in a friendly every year.

that should expand global interest in US soccer and start to integrate the mls into the soccer landscape.

i been saying this for years.. it makes too much sense, yet hasn't been done yet. i'm not sure the people who run the MLS really know what they are doing to be honest.

bitty41 wrote:

I get what your saying Bitty, but the US won't be in that kind of position for decades, if ever. It's a simple calculation of talent pool. While the US has a huge population, the amount of kids playing serious football is minimal and therefor it is much harder to discover real quality. You may have to get used to not being world-beaters at something. Besides, football ebbs and flows. The greatest team in the world today is tomorrows garbage unless there is a constant influx of top-class players and no team outside of Brazil can boast that.

*readying for tomatoes to be thrown*

I think if the US put as much resources and development behind soccer the way they do for football, basketball, hockey, and baseball the US would become a international powerhouse. Excuse my fierce nationalism but I think there could come a time when International Football observers talk about the short list of teams who could make it to the WC finals the US could become apart of that conversation.

i been saying this for years.. it makes too much sense, yet hasn't been done yet. i'm not sure the people who run the MLS really know what they are doing to be honest.

Yea MLS management leaves a lot to be desired they spend 200 million on an aging and often-injured Beckham instead of putting more money into player development.

agree with your points bitty - i think the bekham signing (and now henry if the trade happens to NY) is part of trying to globalize the game in the states. the mls figures if it can get some household international names, that will open up awareness - while it's one approach, i dont think it's the best either. investing in developing the sport in the US is a start, but the major problem with americans and soccer has always been the lack of scoring. americans like to see alot of scoring (i.e.: football, bball and recently with baseball). it's too bad too, b/c soccer is a brilliant game and the action is not necessarily in the scoring but in the beauty in which some teams can spread the field and make plays.

jimimou wrote:

bitty41 wrote:

I get what your saying Bitty, but the US won't be in that kind of position for decades, if ever. It's a simple calculation of talent pool. While the US has a huge population, the amount of kids playing serious football is minimal and therefor it is much harder to discover real quality. You may have to get used to not being world-beaters at something. Besides, football ebbs and flows. The greatest team in the world today is tomorrows garbage unless there is a constant influx of top-class players and no team outside of Brazil can boast that.

*readying for tomatoes to be thrown*

I think if the US put as much resources and development behind soccer the way they do for football, basketball, hockey, and baseball the US would become a international powerhouse. Excuse my fierce nationalism but I think there could come a time when International Football observers talk about the short list of teams who could make it to the WC finals the US could become apart of that conversation.

i been saying this for years.. it makes too much sense, yet hasn't been done yet. i'm not sure the people who run the MLS really know what they are doing to be honest.

Yea MLS management leaves a lot to be desired they spend 200 million on an aging and often-injured Beckham instead of putting more money into player development.

agree with your points bitty - i think the bekham signing (and now henry if the trade happens to NY) is part of trying to globalize the game in the states. the mls figures if it can get some household international names, that will open up awareness - while it's one approach, i dont think it's the best either. investing in developing the sport in the US is a start, but the major problem with americans and soccer has always been the lack of scoring. americans like to see alot of scoring (i.e.: football, bball and recently with baseball). it's too bad too, b/c soccer is a brilliant game and the action is not necessarily in the scoring but in the beauty in which some teams can spread the field and make plays.

IMO the Beckham signing is value for money and more. Beckham is an absolute global superstar....and not just because of the football he plays. For whatever reason, he is loved and adored the world over. England are using him for their 2018 bid and the FIFA delegates were ALL desperate to meet him. Having Beckham around just gets more people looking at you, and thats exactly what the MLS is looking for. OT, interesting stat, in a very wide poll in the UK, 1 out of 10 men would allow Becks to sleep with their wife. Thats how loved the guy is.

Oh, and Henry is a brilliant, if slightly ageing player. You guys will be lucky to wath him every week if he signs.

Also, I think it would be great for the US to be an international powerhouse but it takes a LOT of money and organization for that to happen, to the extent that fully established nations like ENgland still havent finished teir grass-roots infrastructurre programmes for youth players. Its a HUUUGE project that will take many many years.