Soccer

[BA GT-HO]

Originally Posted by RedXR347

The only reason anyone gets into playing soccer is because they are too much of a pussy to play AFL or NRL.

Like to see you chase a ball for 90 minutes plus.

Wow I wish I was as 'tough' as an AFL or NRL player.. So I can be in a wheelchair by the time I am 40 with crook knees/back/shoulders etc etc etc.

I go to both AFL + A League matches. I like the atmosphere at the A-League way more. I have only followed soccer since watching the Socceroos qualify for the World Cup, but it is an addictive sport to watch. The ecstacy of your team scoring is what keeps you coming back for more.

I will never forget standing with my mates watching the Adelaide vs Newcastle penalty shootout to make it into the 2006 Grand Final. It was just fantastic and dramatic and my team came out on top which made it so much more special.

You just can't beat soccer for drama and action. Nothing comes close. If you think AFL or NRL does your bloody dreaming. It amuses me greatly when I take non soccer people to the A league games, sure enough they will say its a 'pussy sport' etc etc but sure enough they usually come back 'only for the atmosphere, they are still pussies'. It is just one of those sports.. like the A League slogan says '90 Minutes, 90 emotions'. Very true.

[uranium_death]

We are into the third season of the A-League and you're asking this question now?

Last season, 39,000 people attended the first MVFC V Sydney FC match at The Dome.
The second had 50,000.

The Grand Final had over 50,000 people, and the Adelaide FC Final before that had a great crowd with an electric atmosphere.

I am an AFL nut and I still prefer it over everything, but the A-League is the best league we've had in Australia ever. Besides the tryhard teenagers and the older fools who decide that being the "biggest" supporters means lighting flares, abusing opposing supporters and getting into fights, the crowd is well behaved and everybody enjoys the game.

The NSL in the end was not as well managed.

The A-League is way, way better.

I went to ~9 games last season and have been to all the Victory home matches this season as I am a member.

Victory's crowds have dropped off this year because there is a massive bandwagon.
I'm a Geelong supporter and have been for a long time (still have Ablett Snr, "Toby" and Couchy on my wall!) but next year I wonder how many new Geelong fanatics there will be?

The A-League is looking good.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by BA GT-HO

You just can't beat soccer for drama and action. Nothing comes close. If you think AFL or NRL does your bloody dreaming.

Try being a suffering Geelong supporter, than creaming yourself when the team actually wins a premiership.

Unfortunately, too much of the drama in soccer is from the louts in the crowd. Wish such people would stick to other crap.

But it comes down to what you love too.

I have loved AFL my entire life and a Geelong victory will always mean more to me than a Victory victory.

It comes down to personal experience and choice.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

the quality has to improve imho..

How can the quality improve when there is a salary cap and heavy restrictions on drafting?
The A-League will never be a cream-of-the-crop competition with World Class players because the clubs nor the league cannot afford them.

EPL matches costs a hell of a lot to attend and the TV rights are highly lucrative. A-League costs a student/concession $10 to attend, and an adult 15-20 bucks.

The quality will not improve because unlike England, Australia has many sports to choose from which at the moment, are more prominent.
Besides soccer, the only good sport that comes out of England is....<insert sport here>

International football is their number one sporting league/competition.

The salary cap is the best thing about sport in Australia because it means that all teams are on level terms when it comes to securing good players from a financial perspective.

The EPL is great quality, but how boring when you KNOW before the season starts that realistically, the premiership is between Arsenal and Man U (Chelsea bought their premierships, and Blackburn snuck in for one over a decade ago). How boring.

[HTCURRY]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

The EPL is great quality, but how boring when you KNOW before the season starts that realistically, the premiership is between Arsenal and Man U (Chelsea bought their premierships, and Blackburn snuck in for one over a decade ago). How boring.

The BPL is the same as every top league in Europe.

In Spain you know the only teams in with a shout are Real/Barca/Valencia and Maybe Sevilla(recently)

In Italy its Milan, Juve and Inter.

Also in terms of Chelsea buying the league....nearly everyone buys the league.

Madrid for decades actually received money from the spanish govt.

Barca also spend a lot of money in the transfer market.

In Italy...well at least the other teams bought titles legally...unlike Juve, who simply bought the officials.

In truth in nearly every sport worldwide, there are only a few teams that are potential champs.

[Polyal]

I wont watch domestic games, but if Australia is playing then ill be interested; otherwise WGAF.

Put it this way, get a soccer player to play AFL and see how long he will last. An AFL player would pick up soccer pretty damn quickly, and they occasionally train using a soccor ball anyway.

There is room for another big code, I dont know how Vic does it though. Majority of AFL clubs are there, rubgy, soccer etc

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by HTCURRY

The BPL is the same as every top league in Europe.

In Spain you know the only teams in with a shout are Real/Barca/Valencia and Maybe Sevilla(recently)

In Italy its Milan, Juve and Inter.

Also in terms of Chelsea buying the league....nearly everyone buys the league.

Madrid for decades actually received money from the spanish govt.

Barca also spend a lot of money in the transfer market.

In Italy...well at least the other teams bought titles legally...unlike Juve, who simply bought the officials.

In truth in nearly every sport worldwide, there are only a few teams that are potential champs.

Didnt Juve just get caught talking to officials?
Least what i heard.

There are planty of 6 foot and over Soccer players in Europe.
If Afl teams can train irish football players to play AFL im sure they could trin soccer players.

[HTCURRY]

Originally Posted by Polyal

I wont watch domestic games, but if Australia is playing then ill be interested; otherwise WGAF.

Put it this way, get a soccer player to play AFL and see how long he will last. An AFL player would pick up soccer pretty damn quickly, and they occasionally train using a soccor ball anyway.

There is room for another big code, I dont know how Vic does it though. Majority of AFL clubs are there, rubgy, soccer etc

I dont mind people saying such and such sport is tougher than soccer, but so generalise and say AFL players would pick up soccer is pretty damn easily is simply wrong.

Soccer is more than just being big, fast, heart, passion etc....it involved skills that arent just picked up.

Want an example?

The English national team...loads of wonderful physical specimen ala ur AFL players, but 0 in terms of technical ability, end result...

Next to nothing in terms of international success, because the more skillful sides wont even let them get hold of possession.

[MethodX]

The Poms are in mourning.
THey didnt make the Euro Championships next year.

They lost to Croatia home and away.
And to Guss Hiddinks Russia.

[xy351]

Originally Posted by boss-290

Soccer is homo

try telling that to 90% of the world.
its the world game. if you appreciated skill and possibly had any clue what you were talking about you would see that NRL does not require, and does not involve, even 10% of the skill involved in soccer. ever been to a game? i doubt it... so do before voicing your ill informed and stupid opinions.

[HTCURRY]

Originally Posted by xy351

try telling that to 90% of the world.
its the world game. if you appreciated skill and possibly had any clue what you were talking about you would see that NRL does not require, and does not involve, even 10% of the skill involved in soccer. ever been to a game? i doubt it... so do before voicing your ill informed and stupid opinions.

No need to reply in kind, it what ruins most sports threads on this forum.

When i was growing up in the states, we knew nothing about rugby, and at school, we played what we thought was 'rugby' we called it 'smear the queer'.

It basically involved one guy with the ball, and everyone else trying to jump on him and tackling him, hence the smear the queer name.

1st sight of American football, and my mom asks " why is he putting his hand under the other guys butt"

for those who dont know...it was the quarterback getting ready to get the ball from the center.

Australians think American football is soft...hey they wear all that padding.

Americans come back with lets see what happens when a nearly 300 pound guy with the quickness of a man half his size hits you....

it goes on and on....

fact is, soccer is the sport of the masses the world over, because it requires so little....all u need is a ball, goals can be made from anything, and the pitch, can be anything from ur backyard to ur cul de sac.

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by MethodX

Its not cos they lose, its rivalries due to culture.

The A-league is free of ethnic based clubs.

FF

[4Vman]

All the "flopping" and acting by players from minor or non existant contact on the international stage has hurt the perceptions of the sport i think......

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

All the "flopping" and acting by players from minor or non existant contact on the international stage has hurt the perceptions of the sport i think......

LOL true, did you see that one of the goal when someone ran past, no contact at all, falls to the ground and gets carried off...LOL

[AU2PWR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K1_P...eature=related

Show me an AFL game with this much Enthusiasm

this was at Telstra Dome an di heard it from Crown

[uranium_death]

The "Northing and Southing Chant" is also known as the "boredom chant".

I always wait and see how long it takes for it to start. The record is 3 minutes.

The goalie that fell over was a disgrace.

In terms of people diving, "GET UP ARCHIE! Be accountable and chase your man!"

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

All the "flopping" and acting by players from minor or non existant contact on the international stage has hurt the perceptions of the sport i think......

Seriously, its like an episode of Benny Hill, Im always waiting for the music to start when these clowns hit the deck holding their shin, that hasnt been touched.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by fmc351

Seriously, its like an episode of Benny Hill, Im always waiting for the music to start when these clowns hit the deck holding their shin, that hasnt been touched.

U r talking about Wanganeen and Lloyd right?
lol

[exrtnz]

Originally Posted by Polyal

LOL true, did you see that one of the goal when someone ran past, no contact at all, falls to the ground and gets carried off...LOL

Yeah agree here too, too many hollywoods and dives to gain much interest here, its not going to gain much more interest than now especially to watch a game for 90mins and to see one goal if any .
Its always going to be behind AFL,NRL and Rugby Union for the winter sports.

[GT 4eva]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

All the "flopping" and acting by players from minor or non existant contact on the international stage has hurt the perceptions of the sport i think......

well said i respect their skills but thet carry on like sissy's and worst still the Crowds carry on like tossers want to burn and start riots etc at least you can go to an NRL game have a bit of sledge (with most fans) and its all good.
But AUSTRALIA = CRICKET our greatest game of all

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by MethodX

U r talking about Wanganeen and Lloyd right?
lol

Im happy to put cr4p on both of them too.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by exrtnz

Yeah agree here too, too many hollywoods and dives to gain much interest here, its not going to gain much more interest than now especially to watch a game for 90mins and to see one goal if any .
Its always going to be behind AFL,NRL and Rugby Union for the winter sports.

It is for that reason that goals are so great to see because to score a goal is harder. It also makes any clash interesting because any team can score on a day while a far better team may play poorly.

It is a shame that the A-League is played during the summer period as well, making the mention of "winter sports" irrelevant.

But I agree with diving...I hate it...sick of it. I like everything Italian, except the diving.

[Bucknaked]

Have you guys seen the new Snickers add. :

Its on foxtel

[[Tonko]]

Sorry, But a game where scoring a TOTAL of 5 goals in an hour and a half and considering it action packed is boring to me.
Kick it up field, kick it back, fall over, kick it up again, pull your shirt over your head to look like a doofus and show your man cans. pass.

[DENKO]

to be honest, i love soccer but i hate the A-league, i prefer to watch state league soccer rather then the gAy league,

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by AGNT-XR

to be honest, i love soccer but i hate the A-league, i prefer to watch state league soccer rather then the gAy league,

Im with you man.
The a League whilst its a good training ground for future national team players leaves me cold.
****y American style team names.
No soul.
Something to do for bored AFL bogans in the off season - yayy lets continue our rivalry with South Aussies.

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by AGNT-XR

to be honest, i love soccer but i hate the A-league, i prefer to watch state league soccer rather then the gAy league,

Same here.

FF

[FTE217]

I find it ridiculous some of the pathetic school yard comments made about this code and that code.
Each Australian code has it's fair share of pansy's ! actors ! glory hunters though lack of talent ! cheaters ! drug takers ! wife swappers ! boguns ! etcetc........and soccer/Football is no different with the above but doesn't deserve some of the crap you rugby/afl followers dish out.
Grow up !

[herbs]

I like soccer, but I can understand why people hate it. FIFA needs to grow some balls and stamp out diving, plus the gap between the haves and have nots in major leagues like the EPL makes it all a bit farcical. A-league should do ok being in summer, but I doubt it'll conquer everything. For me, Aussie Rules and the Geelong Football Club is where it's at, growing up in Geelong and all. Want a real crap sport? Try gridiron or baseball. :togo:

[EFFII]

yea we get a full house but.....is it even worth watching? NOOO
id rather stay home and watch EPL!