I am really happy with the world cup many interesting and surprising result so far. i think that germany could win the cup show a solid team. But my heart is with Chile so crossing fingers for today's match again spain hoping win today and pass to next round.

VIVA CHILE!

High scoring affair, this cup. Chile currently giving Spain a run for their money, Australia put up a very respectable effort against Holland, and Dempsey! Playing the whole game with a broken nose barely able to breathe! Incredible.

Soccer definitely isn't as understood or appreciated in the US as it is elsewhere but I've noticed so many people commenting from abroad, the X-wing community is quite diverse, hence my inquiry.

For Americans, I will say that if you like hockey you can transition to soccer quite well if you drop the trendy dismissal of soccer many Americans seem to embrace. It's very similar but plays develop on a larger area. If you don't understand the dynamics, it appears boring... In much the same way American football seems to those who are only familiar with soccer. I'm an American anomaly, been a die hard soccer fan since I was 4. And, yes, there is something very special about soccer in that the whole world plays it -- unlike baseball's "World Series" that only has American teams. Like the Olympics, the WC has this grand narrative about it that no other sport can claim. Recall that the WC is actually called the World Cup Finals. The tournament itself is actually almost 3 years long (hence the 4 year reoccurrence). The WC we see on TV now is the just final 32 teams of some 200+ countries that have been whittled down after years of play. Even if you don't like the sport, the magnitude of such a pan-human event is spectacular. If you take the time to learn your country's style of play, history, and team, it can be a living, life-long event as each WC sets the stage for the next. As for the critique of diving, flops, etc., true fans will agree with you that that is ridiculous and welcome seeing it being steadily clamped down on.

Netherlands, Germany are my favorites to win.

But still, go USA! Humble Portugal!

As an American who grew up playing Soccer first, all other sports second, I am saddened by my countryman's easy dismissal of Soccer. I'm 48, and when I played, AYSO was it. So school teams, no club teams, just that one season each year.

Now a young person can play year round, be on a school team, a traveling club team, and play in college or potentially play professionally. Add in the significant immigration from soccer loving nations, and its just a matter of time for Soccer to rise inthe USA.

Replace NFL? Nope. NBA or MLB? Possible.

I'll just leave this here...

Enjoy.

Thats ok, we dont watch `soccer` We watch `Football`........

Though not to be confused with `American Football`.... witch is just a load of guys in padding trying to play Rugby.....

LOL!

Why is this thread in this forum?

I am really happy with the world cup many interesting and surprising result so far. i think that germany could win the cup show a solid team. But my heart is with Chile so crossing fingers for today's match again spain hoping win today and pass to next round.

VIVA CHILE!

My coworker is chileno you guys got brasil next it's gonna be tough, except Honduras ever American team is going forward it's the copa America with a few guests

-- unlike baseball's "World Series" that only has American teams.

I'm sure there are some Canadians/Canadiens out there who would take offense at that comment... plus, so many players in Major League Baseball come from the Caribbean and Latin America... but, yeah... you are basically correct.

Go, Belgium!

Go USA!

Also hope that FIFA comes down on Uruguay for Luis Suarez' despicable behavior (biting an opposing player... again)

As a Brazilian, I take the time of the World Cup not to spend any money. Everything here is now much more expensive. Even the taxes... lol... coke can for R$ 8,00 (about USD 3.50). At least I'll save some money for more x-wing miniatures... lol

Greetings Hugo.... Brazil vs Chile on sunday.... good luck for your team, but I hope that Chile wins... yeah...

And regarding Luis Suarez, yes FIFA should banned him for the rest of the cup.

Uruguay ate Italy yesterday

How's the kickball games going?

In more important news, LA took the Stanley Cup. Blackhawks and Capitals are set to play for the Winter Classic, might have to bring the spousal unit to that one if we can make it.

I am a Canadian. We have not make the last 7 world cups, maybe next time.

I love Soccer (and American football fwiw)

Allez Les Bleus!

In more important news, LA took the Stanley Cup. Blackhawks and Capitals are set to play for the Winter Classic, might have to bring the spousal unit to that one if we can make it.

You're spouting words, but they have no meaning it seems?

Not that I care for the antics of bad actors reenacting the beaches at D-Day. I prefer my sports fast and hard, such as field hockey, rugby or their love-child: hurley.

I prefer my sports fast and hard, such as field hockey, rugby or their love-child: hurley.

Now, we are talking REAL sport!

Next thing you know, people will slide rocks on ice and declare it a sport.

I'll just leave this here...

Enjoy.

Thats ok, we dont watch `soccer` We watch `Football`........

Though not to be confused with `American Football`.... witch is just a load of guys in padding trying to play Rugby.....

Ha ha ha, you might as well compare a 100m dash to a half marathon.

(American) Football is much more cerebral. Of all the major athletic sports, it has one of the most complex, if not THE most complex, playbook.

And, to my knowledge, there are no repeat-offender human cannibals in the NFL. The helmets pretty much rule that out.

(American) Football is much more cerebral. Of all the major athletic sports, it has one of the most complex, if not THE most complex, playbook.

It might be cerebral, but for the most part it is a boring game played with a continuous pause button. .

Same with baseball really, you USAians seem to like stop/start sports and are really waaaaaaaaaaay too much into meaningless statistics. .

Citius, Altius, Fortius!

As an American who could care less about football games that my kids are not playing in, one of the main reasons why I dislike soccer (despite playing it as a kid) is that many soccer fans in the States are condescending hipsters who like soccer because nobody else likes it. They roll their eyes and sigh any time anybody asks a simple question or tries to learn more. If soccer ever becomes as mainstream as the other big 3 sports (NFL, MLB and NBA) they will move on to some other sport.

The best sport to watch on TV is basketball. Fast paced, lots of scoring, and it is over in 2 hours.

(American) Football is much more cerebral. Of all the major athletic sports, it has one of the most complex, if not THE most complex, playbook.

It might be cerebral, but for the most part it is a boring game played with a continuous pause button. .

Same with baseball really, you USAians seem to like stop/start sports and are really waaaaaaaaaaay too much into meaningless statistics. .

Citius, Altius, Fortius!

It seems more complex than it really is. 90% of the time the team with the better offensive and defensive lines wins the game.

(American) Football is much more cerebral. Of all the major athletic sports, it has one of the most complex, if not THE most complex, playbook.

It might be cerebral, but for the most part it is a boring game played with a continuous pause button. .

Same with baseball really, you USAians seem to like stop/start sports and are really waaaaaaaaaaay too much into meaningless statistics. .

Citius, Altius, Fortius!

Rather watch those sports than one where the players roll around on the ground in agony after the breeze of a missed punch or elbow goes by their head.

(American) Football is much more cerebral. Of all the major athletic sports, it has one of the most complex, if not THE most complex, playbook.

It might be cerebral, but for the most part it is a boring game played with a continuous pause button. .

Same with baseball really, you USAians seem to like stop/start sports and are really waaaaaaaaaaay too much into meaningless statistics. .

Citius, Altius, Fortius!

In American Football, there is a lot going on before the snap. If you don't care about player substitutions, analyzing the formations, improvised audible play calling, and reactionary defensive formation changes, and you are only interested in watching the bodies fly around after the ball is hiked, then yes, the game is otherwise less interesting.

Personally I find baseball boring because there is much less going on between pitches. However a huge factor of baseball is meta-gaming the statistics. If you actually believe that the statistics are meaningless, then you are boldly proclaiming your ignorance. If it didn't provide a competitive advantage then teams wouldn't spend millions on it. So I'm not sure what the "winky" means unless it was an indirect jab at the statistics I have been collecting in the Regionals thread? Statistics and understanding the meta game are certainly very useful in any game, even in our beloved X-wing. If you feel otherwise then you are free to write and submit a piece counter to Paul Heaver's recent article.

It (American football) seems more complex than it really is. 90% of the time the team with the better offensive and defensive lines wins the game.

LOL!

Citation?

Summary: watch and enjoy what you like, everyone's preferences and their culture is different. But there is certainly no need to insult or misrepresent other people's sports.

Rather watch those sports than one where the players roll around on the ground in agony after the breeze of a missed punch or elbow goes by their head.

Which is why I hardly ever watch football, except during the european or world cups and even then.

Give me a sport like field hockey where the players keep playing after a fall.

Personally I find baseball boring because there is much less going on between pitches. However a huge factor of baseball is meta-gaming the statistics. If you actually believe that the statistics are meaningless, then you are boldly proclaiming your ignorance. If it didn't provide a competitive advantage then teams wouldn't spend millions on it. So I'm not sure what the "winky" means unless it was an indirect jab at the statistics I have been collecting in the Regionals thread? Statistics and understanding the meta game are certainly very useful in any game, even in our beloved X-wing. If you feel otherwise then you are free to write and submit a piece counter to Paul Heaver's recent article.

First off, no, I would not disparage anyone's work, even if (as I have said before) I feel too much weight is placed on the statistics. What you do is valuable to a good portion of the community here and the fact that you provide that, as a hobby, is a good thing. Even if I don't particularly care for it, it makes it too dry for me, too much of a mathematical excercise, what you do is appreciated even by me because it helps the community.

The was meant to convey that I'm just being overly stereotypical and disparaging and not to be taken too seriously, I'm sorry that wasn't clear enough.

What I was trying to say was that you (USA) like stop/start games and most of the rest of the world is in love with a game where the players scream like a newborn baby if a blade of grass bends the wrong way where nothing happens for good long stretches. We all love different things and who cares, nobody is making me love baseball, nobody is making anybody love football. We all love X-Wing.