re: World Cup Daily Thread - Sat., June 20

Concacaf getting 6 bids this cycle is the biggest theft they’ve ever pulled off

Sorry for the OT post, but this doesn’t deserve its own thread so I’m going to post it here. I’m a relatively casual soccer fan as I have no club teams that follow given I’m not close to any MLS teams and have no allegiance to any foreign club teams. I do follow the USMNT regularly (since 2002) and try to watch all of the tournament games. I enjoy watching World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF and UEFA leading up to the world cups.

I was reading some English soccer subreddit threads and many were mocking the Americans for being optimistic. That was no surprise to me obviously, but was surprising was how many English redditors had so little understanding how how the World Cup is structured both in the new changes and also with things that haven’t changed.

For example, many were complaining that the groups must have been rigged through corruption because the three host nations managed to dodge the top European teams in their groups seemingly oblivious to how World Cup draws are structured for host nations. Soccer doesn’t have a lot of rules, but so many Europeans are struggling with the new head to head tiebreaker. I get that it’s new, but you couldn’t take five minutes to look up new rules or have heard someone mention it over the past week? Do they just focus mostly on their club teams or are there a bunch of casuals that turn into “diehard” soccer fans and experts when their country is in the World Cup?

I’ve noticed this in a lot of other aspects of soccer as well. The pre-match and match commentary on tv seems so much more basic than most American sports are, even by the foreign tv personalities that were greats in the sport. I know their knowledge is much deeper, but they seem to rarely talk about tactics in much depth. I get trying to simplify it for American audiences, but it honestly feels like watching a bunch of former defensive tackles try to discuss a football game instead of letting coaches or QBs break it down.

Ecuador is completely devoid of attacking talent.

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I was reading some English soccer subreddit threads and many were mocking the Americans for being optimistic. That was no surprise to me obviously, but was surprising was how many English redditors had so little understanding how how the World Cup is structured both in the new changes and also with things that haven’t changed.

For example, many were complaining that the groups must have been rigged through corruption because the three host nations managed to dodge the top European teams in their groups seemingly oblivious to how World Cup draws are structured for host nations. Soccer doesn’t have a lot of rules, but so many Europeans are struggling with the new head to head tiebreaker. I get that it’s new, but you couldn’t take five minutes to look up new rules or have heard someone mention it over the past week? Do they just focus mostly on their club teams or are there a bunch of casuals that turn into “diehard” soccer fans and experts when their country is in the World Cup?

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I imagine UK-based soccer Reddit boards are on par with the poli board here

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I’ve noticed this in a lot of other aspects of soccer as well. The pre-match and match commentary on tv seems so much more basic than most American sports are, even by the foreign tv personalities that were greats in the sport. I know their knowledge is much deeper, but they seem to rarely talk about tactics in much depth. I get trying to simplify it for American audiences, but it honestly feels like watching a bunch of former defensive tackles try to discuss a football game instead of letting coaches or QBs break it down.

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It's hard to really discuss soccer tactics in that setting.

There isn't a "middle road" like with what we have in football where you can explain concepts in more detail without getting into full depth. With soccer you're either at a really basic level or really deep, in my experience, and TV just doesn't give the opportunity to really discuss tactics.

You can't do something like this on TV

Curaçao is in trouble. Can’t possess and rest on the ball.

Man, the keeper has a magnet. How’d that stay out.

Pretty good game in spite of being 0-0. Curaçao’s keeper beasting.

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Sounds more like Reddit earning its mantle as the epicenter of retards

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I think this place holds the retard championship belt

Huddersfield/champo legend Bacuña