re: My biggest problem with following soccer or the World Cup.

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If youre under 45, you have played Fifa and probably a lot.

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Andriy Shevchenko

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Oh god. I see the casuals have entered the chat.

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Yup

It’s my Mom asking why teams just run up the middle all the time during a Saints game or something

This thread is mostly embarrassing

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The rule has been loosened. I guess the goal needs to be bigger and goals should count as five points.

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Predictable soccer elitist response. I’m just giving my opinion and not suggesting a dramatic overhaul to change the sport. It’s simply my observation that if these goals counted, it may hold the interest of a casual observer

In the US, most of the highest levels of soccer are not played at times that many of us are in front of the tv. When they are, like in this WC, people see the rule being applied somewhat inconsistently and taking goals off the board for what otherwise look like fair and difficult plays. The game would be more approachable to US observers if some of these goals counted, that’s all I am saying. It happens consistently on the field, so the players obviously push the limits or otherwise don’t understand how to avoid violations, and people argue over some of these calls - it’s all over twitter not just US games - so to act as if it’s not a legitimate point of criticism, and further refinement is equivalent to changing the size of the goal, is frankly ridiculous.

My only issue is games ending in ties. Play until the next team scores or go straight to a shootout.

Probably my biggest problem with soccer. Its just fricking stupid.

We have the technology: Just stop the clock.

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A ref isn’t going to call a game when a team is attacking. If they cleared the ball, then he’ll call the game.

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yep. They played 90+ minutes, they aren't gonna stop a game right when a team is attacking at the end just because the clock says 90 minutes are up. Especially when they don't stop the clock when the ball is out of bounds or play is stopped for whatever reason.

If they did it the other way, they'd stop the clock every stoppage, games would take longer, and they'd insert more commercial breaks.

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let alone understand what’s and isn’t a foul during game play, and the squishiness of the boundary lines.

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Soccer fans recognize fouls. As far as the boundary lines, the entire ball has to be over the line for it to be out.

Yeah such a huge contrast to our sports, especially basketball, where the last 20 seconds takes 20 minutes, and the last 3 seconds takes 10. (Which I admit is ridiculous).

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My only issue is games ending in ties. Play until the next team scores or go straight to a shootout.

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The way I've come to rationalize it to people that don't follow soccer is a difference of viewpoint. Americans view every single game as a war where there has to be a winner and a loser. Soccer is more of a war over the course of a season/group stage. There can be battles that don't have a clear winner, but it all builds up to identifying the best team in the competition.

They are never going to play until the next team scores because that could result in teams playing a ridiculous amount of minutes and costing them further in the tournament with exhausted players. A shootout can be a crapshoot. Sometimes, the teams were just equal that day.

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My biggest problem with following soccer

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It’s boring AF, and loved by leftists and homos

There is nothing more boring. Literally nothing.