Video is also examined after the game and players can front the tribunal for dangerous tackles, incidents off the ball etc.  It seems to work ok.

I've got some teams and calls where people think it meant the game in the World Cup, and when it's THE game, as every game in something like the NCAA March Madness, or the World Cup, when it's 'win or go home' a bad call is really a bad thing, particularly in the spirit of 'fairness' that all these games promote in every culture.  And, it seems only 'fair' in something that is supposed to be a simple matter - like who was 'first' - and being that in all sports the level of competition on the top has progressed to such an awesome physical level (while the referees have not) that you use some sort of technology to help.  Football, which started all of this because it is so freaking fast, the guys that play it so highly developed as athletes, had a structure to the game with constant pauses and time outs anyway that it was a perfect fit.  Same with baseball, though its used much less there.  But for soccer and hoops it does slow the game down (though nothing is slower than the last 5 minutes of a championship basketball game) and that sucks.  Like BB, soccer is about going the distance over time and any pause in the game gives people a chance to rest, and that's not what the game is about.  So that might be harder to solve, though no doubt about it, some of that reffing sucked big time.

Soccer has the problem of trying to fit a season into a 12 month calender that is already over-lapped by the big 3 and had a huge historical/cultural/mass media association with those seasons.  Fall, it's the Fall Classic, the World Series (who as Mister Clease said: It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America), and football season.  Spring and Summer are baseball, December, January, February, March - that's the football championship and bowl season, with the Super Bowl (a virtual American Holiday) in early Feb and the NCAA hoops deal eating up all of March pretty much.  Pro Basketball sort of starts in winter and finishes up in the early summer just as baseball is getting cracking.  Those three corporate entities NFL, MLB and NBA have pretty much succeeded in keeping any other sport from threatening them by virtue of eating up the entire broadcast year.

Second, the cultural deal is huge, the 3 American sports, are, well, American.  All of them are pretty unique to this country.  Baseball is outside of Japan which has a historical quirk in it, is pretty much confined to the US and Caribbean nations, though it's played and followed in Mexico a lot also.  But beyond that it really didn't spread.  Football is an old game - one side pushes another side to cross some sort of line - put into a very American context that readily accepted technological innovation and keeps on changing the rules and even the field to accommodate the new game and it's really only played in the US (largely because its technological base has made it really, really, expensive).  And basketball, which has spread to the rest of the world and is really the 'other' game the world plays besides soccer now.

The adapting to the growing physical prowess though has been hard on soccer as the result of the players getting better and better, the scores have not increased, but decreased and that kinda sucks.

But here's how soccer comes to the US.  By the girls.  It's 2.5 generations of American girls who've played soccer growing up and who - unlike the American men - really kick ass.  Where the best little boys are feed into the baseball/basketball/football leagues, the girls do soccer.  Soccer is it for female jocks in the US I think, and the US has a very strong culture for female jocks.  (Even though that love ought to go to the NCAA women's baseball teams, who are really awesome.)  It will be the women who eventually get a league going that people get really interested in.  It's still a problem finding a place to fit in the league championship.

But this World Cup got more interest in the US than previous ones, so yeah never know.  But for soccer to become a real 'world game' there has to be a different structure than every four years.

Quote from: tekla on June 30, 2010, 10:57:47 AM
  But for soccer to become a real 'world game' there has to be a different structure than every four years.

Think you'll find it already is a world game. The only nation that doesn't fully participate is the US.

However, can you describe what you mean about a different structure than ever four years?

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Post Merge: June 30, 2010, 05:20:37 AM

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I've just done a quick Wikipedia search on the popularity of soccer.

They give a map, but I'm pretty certain, whoever compiled it, doesn't know what they are on about.

It suggests barely any support in Africa, while the same level of support in the US as in England.

And it also suggests that Scotland has less of a following than either England or the US.

(And Scots reading this, please don't blame me for this blasphamy. I'm just reporting it  )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Football_world_popularity.png

Edit. Correction, just had another look and it seems the Soccer is, according to this map, more popular than anywhere else.

What if you don't want to vent?

What if your team went farther than the USA team and then lost to another you like? xD I'm quite happy with the World Cup currently.

How did I not see this thread?! At the beginning I supported New Zealand OF COURSE and they did so well despite not making it through.  The game against Italy was amazing, I was hollering at the TV while my flatmates slept.  So, now that NZ are out, I support GERMANY to the end!  Sorry to all the England fans on here heh heh, but I am 3/4 German.  Although I do think they should have gotten that goal, I was not above yelling shammmmmeeee! at the tv.

I'm looking forward to Germany vs Argentina next.

Quote from: elvistears on June 30, 2010, 11:17:37 PM
How did I not see this thread?! At the beginning I supported New Zealand OF COURSE and they did so well despite not making it through.  The game against Italy was amazing, I was hollering at the TV while my flatmates slept.  So, now that NZ are out, I support GERMANY to the end!  Sorry to all the England fans on here heh heh, but I am 3/4 German.  Although I do think they should have gotten that goal, I was not above yelling shammmmmeeee! at the tv.

I'm looking forward to Germany vs Argentina next.

So am I!

I was going for England originally (I'm such a bad American [jk]) and now I'm all for Germany.   Both places rock.

Quote from: Shang on June 30, 2010, 11:27:51 AM
What if you don't want to vent?

What if your team went farther than the USA team and then lost to another you like? xD I'm quite happy with the World Cup currently.

Everything's to vent at in WC. Reffing, certain players, conditions, plays, etc. It's not USA-centric anymore, this thread.



Alright lads! And ladies.

Stayed in a sports bar all day watching both the Holland-Brazil game and the Ghana-Uruguay.

Final: Holland - 2, Brazil - 1. I was definitely rooting for Holland, and god help them, they did it with two headers that couldn't have been better aimed, and completely took Brazil by surprise. I couldn't help but laugh at the times when they got their long Nederlands legs mixed up in the dramatic defencive dances with Brazil.


Final: Uruguay - 1(4), Ghana - 1(2). Let me just start off by informing the reader that I was rooting for Ghana, despite some qualms I have with their contact issues. This was a rough, raw, and long game, lasting well into late night Johannesburg. I was sharing the bar with about twenty Somalians and one Mexican, with whom I had a fleeting but utterly meaningful  relationship. Fists were bumped, chants were created, shoulders patted, and, finally, the cool marble-top of the bar shared equally between our foreheads to bear a communal moment of defeat.

Amazing play from both teams, but I sensed inexperience in the Ghanaian attacks, and hesitance in the Uruguayan. Towards the end, each shot became an agonizing miss, with the final penalty from Gyan (in the final, absolute last second of overtime, mind you) hitting over the crossbar. Uruguayan Abreu, a late substitute but definitely a ->-bleeped-<-ing machine on the pitch, had the tendency to overstep into offside or attack too early.

Inkoom, Ghana's right-back, has only gained more momentum since the Ghana game with the US. He was everywhere on the pitch, with his hands everywhere on the Uruguayans. This kid already has a stellar under-20s career, and he's going to do well into his 20s, but I think perhaps he should play a few matches with his arms duct-taped to his sides just to get a feel for what that's like.

Fouls, as always, were rampant. The worse was nearly the very end, the reason for Gyan's penalty kick. Luis Saurez's save... For his own goal... With his own hands. If he hadn't done, from what I remember, Adiyiah's header would've made it over him but into the net, thereby saving Ghana and the rest of Africa a lot of tears tonight.

It came down to the shootout, which I knew Ghana just couldn't win against the stronger players and better goal keep of Uruguay.

Uruguay is /not/ going to be a very popular team in South Africa into the semi-finals against Holland.

Quote from: no_id on June 29, 2010, 08:58:04 AM
More countries suffered from the fact that FIFA has not allowed any technological elements to aid referees in making the best decisions possible.

I heard that soccer is the only sport that does not allow technology improvements to help with referee decisions.  I'm not really into sports, but I do watch soccer once in a while, especially with the world cup.

A case of needed technology was in the México - Argentina game where Argentina's first goal was clearly offside.  It probably would not have made a difference in the final outcome, yet, I think that first goal gave Argentina more momentum and probably was a big downer for México - so who knows how much it affected the teams.

I just have to say, pobre México - I was sad to see them go home.  Alas, may the best team win. 

The USA's penchant for giving up early goals caught up with them. The first ten minutes of a game is crucial. Personally, I felt that the US and Ghana were evenly matched. Ghana has speed and quickness in which I don't believe could match.

The US got far on hard work and determination. Now they need to continue to build on and learn from the experience.

Gennee

What I mean by a structure is more of a single structure that (outside of the World Cup/Olympics deal has regularly structured teams, in divisions and leagues.  That have a more constant player-ship and annual championships.  Will not most of these good players now go play English Premier League, or some other European League, while others go back and play for their Olympic/national teams in an entirely different round of competitions?  It's all too confusing.

And its not just the technological elements in the reffing, I think that they should have, oh like 20 years ago now, expanded the goal one foot on either side, and perhaps even one foot higher.  The skill of the players - particularly the goalie grew - but the game did not.  Defense tends to have the advantage in most games, but in soccer it's almost overwhelming.

And oh yeah, the penalty kick deal, it's iccky, there has to be a better way to end tie games.

Quote from: tekla on July 03, 2010, 10:41:52 AM
And oh yeah, the penalty kick deal, it's iccky, there has to be a better way to end tie games.

i agree , though it adds more drama , but it's unfair IMO , there has to be another way , better way

Quote from: DaddySplicer on July 02, 2010, 06:19:46 PM

Uruguay is /not/ going to be a very popular team in South Africa into the semi-finals against Holland.

totally , i was so bummed about ghana ,it was going to be the first african nation in history to get in the semi finals or so i've been told , but meh

but WOW , Germany kicked Argentina's ass , i was surprised 4:0 :O , saw the highlights of the game , and from what i've seen , it seems that Germany is the one who's going home with the world cup this time

But Uruguay is going to be the only 'third' world team there in the battle of the Euro Superpowers, they are the huge underdog, they'll have more fans then you think.

Quote from: eNTROPY on July 03, 2010, 03:05:17 PM
but WOW , Germany kicked Argentina's ass , i was surprised 4:0 :O , saw the highlights of the game , and from what i've seen , it seems that Germany is the one who's going home with the world cup this time

I woke myself up in time to watch the full thing. PITY Mueller won't be in the semis, but of course the team is so tight that I think they'll do fine even without him.

Really, I can't stress enough how aware this team is. The match today was just watching Germany alone on a pitch. Where the hell was Argentina? Who's Messi? Anyway, what a fantastic team. The best I've ever seen with my eyes in my lifetime, I'm going to say it. They're going to get the cup because they're the best, simple as that.

The Spain - Paraguay game was a snore, eh? I only needed to have watched the last twenty minutes to get the idea, jesus.

Germany has scored 4 points in like 3 different games now, and I think England was the only team to even get a point over on them.  So whoever is going to play them has to figure that even if they play a perfect defense, it's still very possible that Germany still might score two goals, they just seem that good.  So how in the hell do you get 3 points on the board to beat the German 2?  Might prove to be impossible.   

After the game of Ghana-Uruguay, I think no country is eligible for venting about the WC, except Ghana.

Barbie~~

Quote from: barbie on July 03, 2010, 10:20:32 PM
After the game of Ghana-Uruguay, I think no country is eligible for venting about the WC, except Ghana.

Barbie~~

Agree, cheating is cheating. The penalty was inappropriate in both meanings. It was a goal. The ball crossed the line (in my view).

I hate boy sports they are just full of themselves,


Cindy

Quote from: tekla on July 03, 2010, 10:41:52 AM
What I mean by a structure is more of a single structure that (outside of the World Cup/Olympics deal has regularly structured teams, in divisions and leagues.  That have a more constant player-ship and annual championships.  Will not most of these good players now go play English Premier League, or some other European League, while others go back and play for their Olympic/national teams in an entirely different round of competitions?  It's all too confusing.

And its not just the technological elements in the reffing, I think that they should have, oh like 20 years ago now, expanded the goal one foot on either side, and perhaps even one foot higher.  The skill of the players - particularly the goalie grew - but the game did not.  Defense tends to have the advantage in most games, but in soccer it's almost overwhelming.

And oh yeah, the penalty kick deal, it's iccky, there has to be a better way to end tie games.

I can't comment on the technical ideas. I once suggested that they could decemalise it by having 10 players and matches lasting a total of 80 minutes. I have to say that, from what little I know of the game, there seems little point in expanding the goal size. I understand that the penalty shoot-outs are a European innovation and not part of the English game, but I may be wrong.

As for the good players, I tend to think that the best players will go where they get the best pay and conditions. English clubs tend to pay their players more than anyone else, apart from the Spanish.

As to the confusion. It seems perfectly straight forward to me. Individual kicks a ball around. Gets spotted by a talent scout from an amateur club. The amateur club trains them, then they get offered a place of a profession team. The profession team trains them more then they are offered a place on a premier team. They get paid loads of dosh. Get picked for the national team when they go to the world cup competition where they drink loads of alcohol, party with loads of women, play badly, lose then return home where their agent will release a load of nonsense to the press about mental strain, attending clinics and their difficult child hood. Later they will return to their club and the process starts all over.

But the real question remains about this and any other sport.

How can so many, otherwise intelegent people be suckered into paying loads of their cash, spending a considerable amount of their time and form so many apparently knowlegable opinions when all they actually do is watch someone else having fun?

It just all seems like pornography to me. Pointless and a waste of time.

But then, I'm not the sporting type. 

I wonder if the Spanish commentators are enjoying the game? 

hahaha! Impartiality FAIL.

On an unrelated note, I do hope that Germany destroy Spain today.

This is the moment where I do need to go 'wow'.
After 32 years my little country has made it into the WC finals once again. The inventors of 'total football' (totaal voetbal) set foot in the WC finals only in '74 and '78 but never took the cup home... Now it's 2010 and a defensive Orange (Oranje) that hasn't shown the most beautiful soccer this competition can finally get rid of the semi-finals elimination nightmare. This might even become a replica of the '74 finals; Netherlands - Germany... Would be nice if we took the cup home this time though.

  against all odds spain is the one meeting NL in the final . kinda felt all along that holland is getting to the final but to be honest not spain , someone told me though before the germany game that spain have a very strong defence , i root for holland which is the only one i rooted for in this WC and didn't lose (ghana , germany , usa ,argentina ) but  i'm optimistic this time