Quote:
Originally Posted by lookout123
Avoid MLS unless you are already a fan. It is definitely a kick and chase long ball league, but they are improving slowly.
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I think this might be the big issue for why I never managed to get into it -- I really don't think the good games people refer to are actually aired, here. I've yet to see a game where players do anything more exciting than casually walk the ball down the field, pause to check for open players to pass to, walk the ball some more...
It is almost as if the field is too big to permit any frequent, exciting interaction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lookout123
As far as the 1-0 thing goes, yeah it happens. 2-1 is more typical though. But have you ever watched an amazing NFL game that ended at 14-7? the only difference is the increment in which points are awarded.
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Lots of boring NFL games -- I can't get excited about them, either. College [American/grid iron] football players are inexperienced enough to make enough mistakes that something interesting is usually going on during any given play.
To me, this still all comes down to frequency of scoring. I can't get excited about any goal in basketball -- how can you when there often more than one hundred points per team? On the opposite end, a single goal in the first minute of a soccer match might be the only one in the entire game -- enduring the rest of the game is merely painful because it isn't possible to be excited about field position, since a single kick frequently arcs the ball into a dead zone on the opposite end of the field. I find [American] football to be the closest you can get to a fairly happy balance, as even when the score is tight and teams are evenly matched, there is a tremendous amount of importance to field position and you can be excited/nervous at even a few yards of loss or advance. Getting a first down is, in essence, a goal in itself. The game is progressive and all players, not just the guy in possession of the ball, are forced to interact during every play, meaning no one is standing around with their hands in their pockets.
I think, for those reasons, are why [American] football appeals to Americans in a way that soccer has had a tough time gaining acceptance. Football matches our attention spans -- we appreciate the sudden "on/off" nature of football, with enough breaks to permit for beer/food runs without any need to miss a moment of the game. You couldn't walk away from a soccer match for fear that you'll not see the one and only game breaking goal.
...but I'm still trying to give soccer a chance, given that so many people tell me I'm missing out on something incredible. This is all, I'm sure, a cultural thing, anyways.