US does not qualify for World Cup

[sundance435]

Soccer's lack of popularity here vs. elsewhere, I think, has more to do with culture and economics. In poor countries, and wealthier countries with urban poor, kids can literally make their own soccer ball out of whatever they can find and play on a patch of ground. You can't really do that with football and baseball - though kids in Latin countries manage to still play baseball. Look at the most popular sport in poorer urban areas in the U.S. - basketball - same concept as soccer - you just need a ball and a court, nothing else. Culturally, kids here that might otherwise take up soccer already have basketball and you can fit 3-4 basketball courts in the area it would take to have a proper soccer match.

I liked soccer as a kid and I'll tune in for some World Cup matches, but football and baseball are my sports pastimes. As I get older, I have more and more appreciation for baseball. Still though, one would think that a country of 330 million could field a respectable national team in any sport...

[Det-Sog]

I don’t care what the rest of the world does. This is the United States, soccer is not a big deal here.

I’m going to call it soccer, because that’s what it is. I’m not going to dump on how I personally feel about it.

The only way I see soccer taking off here, is of the NFL continues to screw the pooch and goes down over it. If the NFL fails there will be an opening, and either soccer or rugby will move in.

Simply put, this is the United States. We’re different. We like our big gas guzzling vehicles, our guns, and our freedom to not be like the rest of the world. We are what we are because we don’t want to be like everybody else. When you start seeing “herd ball” start to become mainstream in this country, we truly lost our identity.

[ABNAK]

I don’t care what the rest of the world does. This is the United States, soccer is not a big deal here.

I’m going to call it soccer, because that’s what it is. I’m not going to dump on how I personally feel about it.

The only way I see soccer taking off here, is of the NFL continues to screw the pooch and goes down over it. If the NFL fails there will be an opening, and either soccer or rugby will move in.

Simply put, this is the United States. We’re different. We like our big gas guzzling vehicles, our guns, and our freedom to not be like the rest of the world. We are what we are because we don’t want to be like everybody else. When you start seeing “herd ball” start to become mainstream in this country, we truly lost our identity.

Very succinctly put. Pretty much how I feel about it.

[titsonritz]

Who cares? It's 3rd world kick the can.

[sgtrock82]

Soccer is effen dumb! Everyone around here, including me played during grade school years and walked away later. They ve been telling us for decades how superior the fooseball is and how it will be the future.... along with the metric system and year round school. I thought they sounded dumb telling us that back then and it almost puts me in cramps laughing about it now.

Importing david beckham and posh spice couldnt drum up enough interest, im not even syre theyre still here. Even better (IMO) is the local team, philadelphia union (which im sure is in no way derived from manchester united lol) has its major sponsor "Bimbo" across its jerseys. Often accompanied by someone having to correct ones pronuciation back to "Beeeembo" I'm sure that doesnt get tiring at all.

Soccer...the official sport of socialism!

[Honu]

I used to race MX big time
one of the most physical demanding sports in the world often #2 or #3 on ranking soccer rugby was usually one notch above it
American football was like #50 something
baseball was even worse



when I lived in the Caribbean you would get college kids coming through many from Europe where its popular and many on college teams
they would play with the local kids in the dirt field and often get there butts handed to them by young teens

what they did not realize is I would see those kids every day kicking a ball around

I do think some of the reason is those kids in that area that grow up on this truly do it all the time every day for fun

here dad takes the kid to a $500 a month practice for 1 hour a day maybe a bit more some do it for a hour in school and a few other practices
very few practice way more than that and truly live breathe the sport no matter what sport that is
maybe some kids in some part of US do play all day in the fields and those are the ones getting the scholar ships and rocking in HS etc...


bottom line on soccer its not popular and also its way to tough and brutal for many here
but funny as most soccer players act like freaking girls with fake falls and fake hits etc..

not a fan of any group sport I prefer small individual and some team like bicycle

another bottom line who cares its a freaking sport and if our world is focused on who plays better sports rather than educate invent etc.. we are even more hosed

our Country is sil the best in the world despite so many folks even here supporting racist people who disrespect our flag and our country and its fallen and serving which is why many alone should ban football big time send the message but again football is like #50 on the list of being physical which kinda shows in the fans to I feel

[platoonDaddy]

What an embarrassment. Coaching staff and head of USA soccer should be fired.

[pinzgauer]

Because any sport that can end in a 0-0 tie sucks and soccer is no exception. Not to mention the way the players cry and moan in agony if someone breathes on them too hard and the ref might be looking. Talk about a bitch sport.

Hey we agree on something!

Soccer is gaining steam, though. Too many parents not letting their kids play football now. Combined with a growing immigrant population who loves it, will see it get stronger here.

I wanted to play soccer as a kid, and there really wasn't an option anywhere close to us. Just wasn't available. My kids generation was the first one that it was easier to get on a soccer team than football. And really was the norm, probably more than any of the other sports

[pinzgauer]

One other thing, I'm kind of glad they're not there because they'd just be kneeling and create another controversy.

I'm done with prima donna sports, music, and Hollywood stars.

If they're going to posture, I'm going to turn off. And won't even take the chance that they will if I have to pay for it, just stopped buying.

Get off my lawn!

[flenna]

[QUOTE=sgtrock82

Soccer...the official sport of socialism![/QUOTE]

Funny, my high school football coach always said that soccer is a communist sport.