• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

World Cup - Mexico vs South Africa (Fri 10 ET, ESPN)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Jaxbuck;1715250; said:
Does such a thing exist?

I tried to watch the first half (or whatever they call it). I honestly am trying to watch and see what the appeal is, I mean if its the most popular sport in the world outside the US it has to have something going for it right?

I guess I'm just an ugly American because I don't see it. They spend 90% of the time kicking a ball around a field so goddamned big you can't even see the goals in the edge of the picture let alone expect to see someone actually score.

Then when they get a penalty kick they miss the worlds largest set of open nets so badly the goalie doesn't even move. I think I saw two saves from a goalie where if he didn't stop it the ball was going in.

Is it just these two teams? Do 6-5 soccer matches happen or is this pretty much the highlight of the whole deal?
Click to expand...

6-5...no. 3-2 games are actually quite entertaining and somewhat common though.
 
Upvote 0
BB73;1715262; said:
Great through-ball results in a goal for RSA!

High quality shot into the far upper corner of the net.
Click to expand...

The pass and the shot were about as good as it gets. Sweet goal.
 
Upvote 0
Jaxbuck;1715250; said:
Does such a thing exist?

I tried to watch the first half (or whatever they call it). I honestly am trying to watch and see what the appeal is, I mean if its the most popular sport in the world outside the US it has to have something going for it right?

I guess I'm just an ugly American because I don't see it. They spend 90% of the time kicking a ball around a field so goddamned big you can't even see the goals in the edge of the picture let alone expect to see someone actually score.

Then when they get a penalty kick they miss the worlds largest set of open nets so badly the goalie doesn't even move. I think I saw two saves from a goalie where if he didn't stop it the ball was going in.

Is it just these two teams? Do 6-5 soccer matches happen or is this pretty much the highlight of the whole deal?
Click to expand...

Maybe the appeal for me is that I grew up playing and reffing soccer games.

For me, goals in soccer rival the excitement and beauty of a touchdown in football. I also appreciate that the best plays in soccer are usually a result of the creativity of individual players, where in football the best plays are the result of the creativity of a fat guy in a sweatshirt on the sideline.

I also think people would have a much different opinon of the level of excitement in pro football if a touchdown was only worth one point and they didn't give you a chance at a consolation score when you fail to get a TD. NFL scores would start looking very similar to soccer scores.
 
Upvote 0
Maybe the appeal for me is that I grew up playing and reffing soccer games.

For me, goals in soccer rival the excitement and beauty of a touchdown in football.
Click to expand...
It's very hard to appreciate the difficulty and beauty of a soccer goal if you haven't played the sport. When you view it from a distance (even your own film and replay), it seems like a laundry list of unnecessary misses.

I love attending soccer games (even high school level), but I don't enjoy watching it on television that much with all of the diving (which is not that prevalent before college level soccer, or you'd find yourself getting a subtle cheapshot in return on the next corner kick). The energy and atmosphere at a major soccer game is captivating, and there's no good way to capture that on TV.
 
Upvote 0
Not to take away from this game or anything but I think jwinslow is correct. Watching a game on TV is boring as hell and I love all sports and I mean all sports. However, the excitement of a soccer game cannot be felt unless you are playing the game or you are at the game watching it. It is just to damn boring to watch on TV and maybe it's because I don't completely understand the offenses and defenses strategies. I mean kicking a ball backward I still don't understand that one... well maybe I do a little.
 
Upvote 0
NFL Game- ~12 minutes of action
Soccer- Way more...

Not going to say it's 90 minutes of action, but there is definitely a lot more than 12 minutes worth of passes, build ups, runs, set pieces, chances, shots, goals.

I'm obviously biased and these type of topics usually go in circles so no biggie.
 
Upvote 0
LitlBuck said:
Not to take away from this game or anything but I think jwinslow is correct. Watching a game on TV is boring as hell and I love all sports and I mean all sports. However, the excitement of a soccer game cannot be felt unless you are playing the game or you are at the game watching it. It is just to damn boring to watch on TV and maybe it's because I don't completely understand the offenses and defenses strategies. I mean kicking a ball backward I still don't understand that one... well maybe I do a little.
Click to expand...
Same as passing the ball back in basketball. Spacing, seeing the field/court, re-setting something better up, etc. :)
 
Upvote 0
Yep, we were all rocking when South Africa scored. I watched with a lot of people on a big screen and my ears are still ringing. It wasn't The Game, but there was a real spirit.

South Africa is rocking tonight. They are announcing that people should stay away from downtown in the big cities. Too many people. It's a party everywhere.

Everyone actually expected a loss and it looked very much like South Africa would get blown out for most of the first half. The final score was a fair reflection of the match, in my opinion, but that last close shot I thought might be for the win.

South Africa will take a lot away from the game and I think can make it to the second round now.

I don't know if you saw the opening ceremony? It put that soulless display in Beijing to shame. Desmond Tutu dancing to rap music. :)

Back to the party!
 
Upvote 0
Final comment: I agree about watching on TV. You have to be somewhere with lots of people, if you can't get in to a game. It's fun with lots of people.


And the constant murmur of the vuvuzelas!
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top