Soccer, World Cup Style

So, I’m trying to give soccer a chance.  I admit, it is hard to be interested in a sport I never played.  Soccer is becoming more and more popular in the US it seems.  I know that the city of St. Louis has some pretty deep roots in the sport as well.  However, I haven’t been interested in watching soccer because it is a sport that I have not found very compelling.  The main reason why I find it unappealing is because of the lack of scoring.  It simply has not provided the excitement I am used to when watching sports.

But this year, since I have the free time to watch a full game, I am beginning to understand what some of the sport is about.  I still don’t like the lack of scoring, but I do understand the drama behind a goal.  You really appreciate the attempt at just simply getting a goal.  Compare it with basketball.  With basketball, you can dribble the ball down a smaller court than soccer, get pretty dang close to the goal, and then shoot it into a smaller goal than soccer.   And, the goal is not vertical in front of you with it’s gaping maw begging you to kick the ball into the net.  A basketball goal is horizontal and ten feet off the ground!  But, there is one major difference.  You can use your hands in basketball.  As a matter of fact, you can use your hands in every major sport in the US.  But you can’t in soccer.  So scoring one goal in soccer  is (How did Ron Burgandy say it?) kind of a big deal.

Now I understand why there was such a buzz in the US soccer community when Landon Donovan (the US soccer teams highest scorer) was left off the US team for this year’s World Cup.  Also, I now can tell why the penalty kick is such a big deal.  WIth great scoring attempts being a minimum in a game, a penalty kick is a big deal with the chances of scoring being relatively high.  But a penalty kick doesn’t mean an automatic goal.  I have seen a few missed attempts.  And I’ve seen some amazing goal tending.  

But it is still sad for a game to end on a scoreless tie. Keep in mind that this comes from a person who grew up playing a sport where the score can reach u p to 80 to 100 points a game...and that is just one team!  The old adage of  the “kissing your sister” feeling after a game ending in a tie is quite apropos.

Soccer is the world’s number one sport.  Some countries are already heartbroken due to their country’s teams have already been eliminated.  Cameroon has been eliminated from the World Cup.  England has also been eliminated as has Bosnia. Spain has already been eliminated.  That is remarkable since they are the reigning World Cup champions. 

But what about the USA?  In their first game of the World Cup, they beat Ghana which was satisfying since Ghana was the team that eliminated the US from the last World Cup.  I guess we will find out soon.  The USA team plays Portugal on Sunday.  Who knows what will happen?  I will be watching, but I hope at least someone scores a goal.