World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

[J.D.]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I don't think it's any different than someone from North Dakota/Nevada/New Mexico picking an NFL/NHL/NBA/MLB team to follow...

It's usually based on where you grew up, no? Obviously it's different if there's no local team.

I love soccer and have the New England Revolution here--didn't hurt that my cousin played for them when I was growing up. I'm not a huge fan or a fan of MLS at all, so I guess I can understand soccer fans looking elsewhere. Like I said, I love watching EPL highlights. There's just no attachment to any of its teams for me to justify adopting one and following them religiously. To each their own.

Yes, I use our/we for all the teams I support. Badgers, Packers, Man City, the USA, and so on. Why not?

I just find it a bit fanboyish, but fair enough.

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

It's usually based on where you grew up, no? Obviously it's different if there's no local team.

I love soccer and have the New England Revolution here--didn't hurt that my cousin played for them when I was growing up. I'm not a huge fan or a fan of MLS at all, so I guess I can understand soccer fans looking elsewhere. Like I said, I love watching EPL highlights. There's just no attachment to any of its teams for me to justify adopting one and following them religiously. To each their own.



I just find it a bit fanboyish, but fair enough.

Did you attend Boston College? Isn't that the same as picking a college team you didn't attend in your eyes?

 

[Kepler]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

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South Africa just announced they are bidding for the 2020 Olympics, so the second album will be all the anthems.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I think it is different in that the World Cup is once every four years and a tournament format. The way I see people talking is that they're diehard fans of an individual EPL team. I don't know--just doesn't register with me. Don't get me wrong, I love watching the EPL Review show on Sunday nights. I just can't get myself so invested that I religiously follow one of their teams like I was born and grew up there.

True it is different than rooting for the team you grew up with but once we started watching consistently it wasn't hard to figure out which teams we liked and didn't and then come to one that we (my son and I) root for consistently. I asked some folks and was told about Aston Villa, their situation outside the top 4 appealed to me and I follow them as closely as I do traditional US sports teams. It really isn't that hard.

One thing I've mentioned on another thread, I think every youth soccer team named the Lil Kickers or Dynamites should be renamed after a team in one of the European leagues and the kids should have to learn something about the team. My son has played for Roma and Celtic over the years and is moving to a team named after an EPL team this year. That has helped him learn about the leagues, the history of the teams and players he wouldn't have known about otherwise.

That was particulary interesting last night as we went to the Union-Celtic game. There he was in his Union jersey with a Celtic scarf.

Part of this for me is that kids emulate what they see on TV and live sports...by having an EPL team that we call our own, he takes the time to watch a whole game, follow favorite players (likes Petrov, Milner, Ashley Young, not a Heskey fan) and has a higher understanding/expectation of how the game should be played.


So, trust me, your heart has room for an EPL team! It will fill that empty feeling you have in your life.

May I suggest Aston Villa?

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Speaking of random, I saw someone in a Man City Adebayor t-shirt this morning on the bus into work.

 

[Kepler]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I think every youth soccer team named the Lil Kickers or Dynamites should be renamed after a team in one of the European leagues and the kids should have to learn something about the team. My son has played for Roma and Celtic over the years and is moving to a team named after an EPL team this year. That has helped him learn about the leagues, the history of the teams and players he wouldn't have known about otherwise.

This is a great idea and it would probably help a lot. Getting access to the major associations will help too, and as we move from TV- to internet-oriented entertainment it's only a matter of time.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

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This is... I hesitate to call it "good", but it's amusing.

 

[J.D.]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Did you attend Boston College? Isn't that the same as picking a college team you didn't attend in your eyes?

I'm glad you brought that up. I think the difference is I have a lot of connections to the school:

-Grandfather, father, uncle, sister, etc. went there
-My Dad's cousin was/is a priest associated with the school
-Growing up, my Dad took me to football, basketball, hockey games
-I got to work for a web site associated with the school for a year

I don't want to make this too personal, but with my connections, I could have gotten into BC. Couldn't have made it in on my own. Only problem was, even if they got me in, there's no way I would have been able to afford it--so that ended that.

I was going to games prior to York even being there, etc. I just think it's a little different.

One thing I've mentioned on another thread, I think every youth soccer team named the Lil Kickers or Dynamites should be renamed after a team in one of the European leagues and the kids should have to learn something about the team. My son has played for Roma and Celtic over the years and is moving to a team named after an EPL team this year. That has helped him learn about the leagues, the history of the teams and players he wouldn't have known about otherwise.

I like this idea.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Kind of a cool interative look at PGE Park, where Portland will be playing next year:
http://pgepark.io-media.com/

$99 for season tickets in the upper terrace. I would totally grab those in a heartbeat if I lived in Portland.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Kind of a cool interative look at PGE Park, where Portland will be playing next year:
http://pgepark.io-media.com/

$99 for season tickets in the upper terrace. I would totally grab those in a heartbeat if I lived in Portland.

Given the cost of tickets for other major sports, the MLS season tix at Philly Union were almost too good to pass up. The experience is great because you get the amenities of the bigger parks in a small setting and I can afford to get tickets for the family. I'd never pay what they want for other sports...no way it is worth the price. Plus, the soccer crowd is so much easier to tolerate than the NFL fans.

30 years from now, when soccer is the biggest sport in the country , my kids will be thankful I had the foresight to get tickets way back before MLS was the premier league in the world.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Bet Capello still tries to select him

 

[J.D.]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I never really understood why if you're going to keep playing club soccer, you have to announce your retirement from the national team. Why bother? Just leave the door open if by chance the national team is still interested in you.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I never really understood why if you're going to keep playing club soccer, you have to announce your retirement from the national team. Why bother? Just leave the door open if by chance the national team is still interested in you.

Because it saves the embarrassment of still being potentially considered as part of the mix and then not getting callups.

 

[blockski]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

I never really understood why if you're going to keep playing club soccer, you have to announce your retirement from the national team. Why bother? Just leave the door open if by chance the national team is still interested in you.

I don't think you have to retire, but a lot of guys realize that their time is done at the highest level, and the more beneficial thing for the National Team as a whole is to get younger players more playing time in the various friendlies and qualifying tournaments.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Got my ticket, going to see the Red Bulls play Tottenham in the Barclays New York Challenge (read: a friendly that they're gussying up in the guise of a "tournament") next Thursday night. Looking forward to my first trip out to the new stadium, and also to seeing what kind of reception Henry gets at his first home game with his new team.

 

[JohnN]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Does anyone know how long MLS has Donovon tied down for? As a national team fan, it would be nice to see him playing in Everton or elsewhere in Europe on a permanent basis.

 

[collegehcky2]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Got my ticket, going to see the Red Bulls play Tottenham in the Barclays New York Challenge (read: a friendly that they're gussying up in the guise of a "tournament") next Thursday night. Looking forward to my first trip out to the new stadium, and also to seeing what kind of reception Henry gets at his first home game with his new team.

The new stadium is really nice, looks like it could hold 50,000 instead of the 25,000 it's capacity is. Don't take the shuttle from Newark Penn, take the Path and walk, it'll save you about 20 minutes.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Got my ticket, going to see the Red Bulls play Tottenham in the Barclays New York Challenge (read: a friendly that they're gussying up in the guise of a "tournament") next Thursday night. Looking forward to my first trip out to the new stadium, and also to seeing what kind of reception Henry gets at his first home game with his new team.

I'm planning to attend the Spurs/Sporting and Man City/Bull**** doubleheader next Sunday.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

The new stadium is really nice, looks like it could hold 50,000 instead of the 25,000 it's capacity is. Don't take the shuttle from Newark Penn, take the Path and walk, it'll save you about 20 minutes.

Was going to do that anyway but thanks for the pointer.

I'm planning to attend the Spurs/Sporting and Man City/Bull**** doubleheader next Sunday.

That should be a really good time. Some great teams, and also Man City.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: World Cup Soccer XVII: There can only be ONE!!!11!!!

Does anyone know how long MLS has Donovon tied down for? As a national team fan, it would be nice to see him playing in Everton or elsewhere in Europe on a permanent basis.

Garber says: Not For Sale

I think selling Landon would bring a lot of positives for MLS. But I can also see Garber's argument about keeping him as well.