I think that soccer is totally boring

[Sylvus]

But perhaps there's something I just don't get.

I watched what was arguably the first soccer games of my life on Friday, as my team went to BW's for beers and the EURO was on a few of the big screens there. I watched almost all of Italy vs. Romania and whoever the Dutch played that was right after that. I forget, I was starting to get a buzz and it was quickly losing any appeal.

Are there only like 5 shots on goal in any given game? While their scores often end up being similar, I think hockey is like 1000x more exciting, particularly when a goalie has like 30 saves in a game.

Can you pull a goalie on soccer? You should be able to if you can't.

Is offsides in soccer really a good rule? For those of you who like soccer, do you think the game would be better or worse without it? They need a blue line!

I don't know what else I don't get that could have improved my experience, it just seemed to me about as exciting as watching the 3000m at the Olympics with more people crying foul after they fell down.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Holland-France - that was a great game! Lots of chances, some good goals...

There are many arguments for and against the offside rule - I'm not necessarily in agreement with all of them:

Pro:
It restricts 'fishing' players basically staying just outside the penalty box the entire time, waiting for a long ball and forcing defenders to stay back.
It allows for defenders to play a larger part in the offensive buildup of a game - without it you'd almost never see backs in the opposition area during corners, for instance.
It can be broken by smarts and off-the-ball instincts - playing the offside trap requires skill and teamwork and isn't a defensive strategy that anyone can pull off.
It encourages uses of through balls and smart passing, something that's beautiful to watch
Summed up thus:

By preventing any “offside” player from participating in the game, the rule puts a premium on dribbling and passing, rather than long kicks. This promotes teamwork, which, in turn, encourages quick switching from one side of the field to the other, and compresses the action to a smaller area of the field — usually about 30 or 40 yards long. The end result is that all the players stay closer to the action, and everyone has a better chance of participating in the game.

Cons:
It's arguably one of the hardest calls for refs to make. Since ass. refs will almost never be perfectly on the line with the offending player, and since they, on top of that, need to know exactly WHEN the ball was played to make the call, it'll always be an estimation and they're wrong quite often. (Note: this has improved a great deal since they changed the guidelines from 'if in doubt, call offside' to 'if in doubt, continue play', but it's still iffy.)

It slows down the pace of play.

It's a pain in the ass to explain (seriously): A player is NOT offside if
He is in his own half of the pitch.
There are 2 or more opposing players between him and the goal-line
He is level with one or both of those two players
The ball was played away from the goal-line towards him.
The ball was played by an opposing player
The ball was played direct from a goal kick or throw-in.
He is not interfering with play.
He is not gaining an advantage for other players in his team (e.g. blocking a defender)

It forces teams to focus more on defense than on attacking and through that results in fewer goals scored.

The last one is the one you're getting at, I think. And I agree with that, but without it the entire game of football would change. Pace and acceleration would become more important than smarts for defenders since you wouldn't be able to pull strikers offside through teamwork and skill but would have to chase them down every single time. I dunno...it's trixy, and this post is already too long and I can't think straight, so fuck you all.

Yes, you can pull a goalie - people never do it though, it's just too risky since if the opposition wins the ball they'll try a long range shot and more than likely succeed.

[Truant]

My father said the same thing 2 years ago when he tried to watch a World Cup match with me. It bored him, and he didn't understand the rules or the pace of the game.

This year, he sat down with me during Euro Cup and asked questions here and there. He ended up watching all of the Netherlands - France match and enjoyed it. (and rightly so, that was a wicked match)

As far as offsides, just think of the blue line as where the deepest defender is. (that's not always true as Drol's exceptions prove, but it's close enough for now)

And while it slows the pace of the game sometimes, I think it takes the cheese out of the game. Otherwise, a player would just stand near the goal, and everyone would launch canonballs to him from their own side.

With the offsides rules, you really have to create opportunities, and that's when it really becomes interesting. When the attacker and the ballhandler have to be aware of each other, and the defenders, enough to strike through the line and time the pass through the line to make a scoring opportunity.

While there aren't as many shots in soccer/futbol as there are in hockey. Once it starts to make sense to you, you start to see the opportunities as they form and it becomes very exciting to watch. Things sort of start to fall in place and you see what is going to happen (or what they're trying to make happen) just before it happens. And the improvisation of it all is what makes it really beautiful to me.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

I agree with The Tru one.

[Boogahz]

Watching a good soccer match is like having sex and getting close to orgasm just as a shot on goal is made, but pulling back to continue as a defender blocks the shot and takes the attack in the opposite direction.

[Trek]

Watching a good soccer match is like having sex and getting close to orgasm just as a shot on goal is made, but pulling back to continue as a defender blocks the shot and takes the attack in the opposite direction.

Your sex life must suck



I dont like soccer either, I played it for a few years but really cant stand to watch it at all.

[Tyek]

I played soccer through my early 30's. I played club, high school and college, then played semi-pro. My team even played a friendly with the Galaxy. (Although I was out of the game with one of my many knee surgeries). I would still be playing if the wife let me. (After knee surgery number 9 in November).

Despite all that, I understand if someone who never played does not like the game. In fact I could see where is might seem really boring, but there are so many things going on that never are seen. The game can get extremely rough, like basketball, even if you are not seeing it. I played sweeper and stopper most of my career and I would stand behind the forward and kick his leg repeatedly. It is extremely easy to break an ankle and the reason I have my knee issues was a payback play by a team that purposely stepped into my leg in mid-stride.

Where you may see a person kick the ball and chase it, I see the players surrounding him moving into positions to build an offensive threat. When I coach my main focus is not on the man with the ball, but the movement without the ball, again like hockey and basketball.

I think if you have kids and they start playing, then you might get a better appreciation of the stratgies involved. The stamina, intelligence and physical requirements to play the game. It was not uncommon to lose 7-9 pounds a game and I read somewhere that a high level player sprints the equivilent of 5 iles a game.

As for offsides, it actually is an important strategy that undermanned teams can use. I was a smart player. I was quick, but not as fast as some forwards, and as the sweeper (essentially the quarterback of the defensive team) it was my job to call for offside traps. If a trap failed it was my job to pursue the player and ball while directing my defenseman to cover the area I left. If implemented properly, an offside trap can frustrate and destroy a strong offensive team.

I taught my young team ball movement and traps. I actually took the team over for the coach. He had 2 other teams, knew no players and was losing all his games 10-0, 12-1 etc. Just learning those basic things I took a team expected to lose all their games to a 5-5 regular season record and we finished 4 points from the finals in the tournament.

The game is actually known as the beautiful game and when played well, it really is. The difficulty involved in what these guys can do is amazing. I was one of the top players in a city of 40K people and I would be schooled by the worst player on Poland.

I do understand your points though, I think some people would say the same things about Hockey, or Cricket, or any other sports and I would never expect anyone to convert based on my thoughts. Give the game a shot if you want. Watch more then just the ball, watch the thoughts that go into the play and realize that intelligence is just as important as speed, strength or any other aspect.

I also HATE the players who dive, but of course those are forwards and everyone knows forwards are cowards and wussies.

[Fash]

I can understand that it's fun and challenging to play, but watching it is a chore. I feel the same way about Hockey, Baseball, and Basketball.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

There is no sport on the planet worse to watch than soccer. I would rather be strapped down and forced to watch Formula 1 racing for 100 straight hours with Shriners driving clown cars than to watch even half of a soccer match.

[Boogahz]

Sports I cannot watch without falling asleep: auto-racing, golf, baseball.

[Bubba Grizz]

I lump Soccer in with Baseball in that it is more fun to actually play it than it is to watch it. However, I also think that the appeal is more for those who play'd the game or currently still do. For example, I grew up bowling and love to bowl and I can even watch it on TV when it is on and I happend upon it while channel surfing. Many folks can't stand to watch bowling and I don't blame them if they aren't bowlers to begin with. I never really got into Golf either but recently I find myself watching it more and more. I'm not sure if it is because my inlaws are avid golfers but I find that I'll actually turn it on to see how it ends.

[Canelek]

Go All Black!

oops

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

I can watch pretty much any sports and enjoy it, hell I remember watching women's curling during the Nagano Olympics, but football is my favorite. It just works for me. American Football bothers me because of the endless stoppages of play, though. To each their own.

[Chidoro]

Yes, you can pull a goalie - people never do it though, it's just too risky since if the opposition wins the ball they'll try a long range shot and more than likely succeed.

Goalies don't really need to be pulled in soccer largely because they are like all of the other players on the field when out of the box (not to mention substitution rules are completely different). It is not uncommon to see the goalie be in on a losing team's corner kick in or approaching stoppage time.

I used to not be interested in watching soccer. I played it (and hockey) until I went three season track but after watching it at a high level, I love it. As was said, watching a good play form is amazing to see. Maybe it's because I enjoy watching almost any sport now (my sport's tier w/ college games have been showing wave pool and ultimate matches, and I even watch them), but I pretty much go 1. hockey, 2. soccer, a distant 3. baseball, 4. everything else except, maybe, cricket. I've tried to watch cricket as there is a huge indian population where I used to live, but damn if that isn't a sport that constitutes everything boring about baseball.

Also as was said, the only thing that really pisses me off about soccer is the diving. You can beat the shit out of each other on a cross but god forbid the defender catches a guy trying to make a break.

[Boogahz]

Yes, you can pull a goalie - people never do it though, it's just too risky since if the opposition wins the ball they'll try a long range shot and more than likely succeed.

Goalies don't really need to be pulled in soccer largely because they are like all of the other players on the field when out of the box (not to mention substitution rules are completely different). It is not uncommon to see the goalie be in on a losing team's corner kick in or approaching stoppage time.

Here is Oliver Kahn (goalie) scoring a goal like that! Well, kind of....watch the replay

And yeah, sub rules are very different from other games (from what I know of them)...generally you get to make 3 subs total. There are situations where this is not the case, normally in Friendly matches between teams that are more of an exhibition-type game. Example of a bad goalie/sub situation, Turkey's goalie was red carded (booted from the game) against Czech Republic for basically punching an attacker when the ball was out of play. Turkey was out of subs, so a player already on the field had to don the keeper's jersey. It was obvious that the guy was praying that nobody would take a shot on goal in the remaining time which made it more fun to watch.

[Chidoro]

Hell, I was watching the Chelsea-Reading (it really bugs me that they are now relegated) match where Chelsea lost both Cech and their backup Cudicini. They had to put a jersey on John Terry to finish the game.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Yes, you can pull a goalie - people never do it though, it's just too risky since if the opposition wins the ball they'll try a long range shot and more than likely succeed.

Goalies don't really need to be pulled in soccer largely because they are like all of the other players on the field when out of the box (not to mention substitution rules are completely different). It is not uncommon to see the goalie be in on a losing team's corner kick in or approaching stoppage time.

Here is Oliver Kahn (goalie) scoring a goal like that! Well, kind of....watch the replay

And yeah, sub rules are very different from other games (from what I know of them)...generally you get to make 3 subs total. There are situations where this is not the case, normally in Friendly matches between teams that are more of an exhibition-type game. Example of a bad goalie/sub situation, Turkey's goalie was red carded (booted from the game) against Czech Republic for basically punching an attacker when the ball was out of play. Turkey was out of subs, so a player already on the field had to don the keeper's jersey. It was obvious that the guy was praying that nobody would take a shot on goal in the remaining time which made it more fun to watch.

I'll see your Nazi Robotman Goalkeeper and raise you The Great Dane - and again (disallowed >< )

[Xouqoa]

If you want to see some fantastic solo play, look up some clips of Ronaldinho. He has some incredible moves.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Boog and I both posted a bunch of links in this thread: http://veeshanvault.org/forums/viewtopi ... 22&t=22644

[masteen]

Soccer is totally boring unless the Brazilians are playing. Fast attack soccer fucking rocks. "Defensive" soccer, which always seems to mean dribble the ball around listlessly until an opponent comes within 10 feet, then dive to the turf clutching an ankle, sucks worse than the WNBA.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Soccer is totally boring unless the Brazilians are playing. Fast attack soccer fucking rocks. "Defensive" soccer, which always seems to mean dribble the ball around listlessly until an opponent comes within 10 feet, then dive to the turf clutching an ankle, sucks worse than the WNBA.

You'd enjoy watching the russians at this years euro championship, then.

[Wulfran]

I like soccer but its kinda like someone mentioned before: the defensive shit is boooooorrrrrrring, but that holds true for a lot of sports, and especially for my favorite of hockey. I like speed and physical contact, where its man vs man striving to see who is the better. I love the collisions in North American football and hockey and soccer is the next on the list (yeah some of you will argue basketball is getting there too but the whole shit with fouls confuses the fuck out of me: soccer is more cut and dry to my mind).

Baseball bores me: Drolgin mentioned stoppages in football but baseball seems to be 90% stare and spit with 10% throw/catch/hit/run... good night. Basketball I don't get the fouls or what is called defensive strategy in a game that is almost non-stop scoring. Golf, having done it a little I can respect the ability to make the shots but doesn't light my fire. Curling was mentioned, and its a lot of fun to do (hey I still maintain a sport where you can take alcoholic beverages to the playing surface can't be bad) but my viewing is more nationalistic (go team Alberta/team Canada) and done with company. Racing in all its forms, I can respect the effort in engineering, training and prep but I prefer shorter ones when I watch, horses, cycle/speed skating sprints, running to about 800m, not the marathons that most autoracing or cycling is.

And I saw that goal you were talking about in the Netherlands vs France and I agree Drolgin, it was awesome from inception to completion.

[Nick]

Football can be boring. It can also be an incredibly exciting game.

If you don't "get" it, don't watch it. I think American football is tedious and boring too so I don't watch it.

I think Moto GP is infinitely cooler and more exciting than both. I also like watching tennis.