Australia v U.S.A> football

[scottymc]

Australia is playing U.S.A. in football at Jo'burg South Africa in an hour. Haven't heard much about the American team , do they have much of a chance?

[sofadoc]

Haven't heard a word about it here. What kind of football are we talking about? Is it that stuff where the refs wear the pointy hats? :D

[scottymc]

It's a  friendly before the world cup.Never seen the pointy hat.

[gene]

My son spent last year in New Zealand so he's become a big Blacks fan. Other than that, I just don't hear much about your style of football.

I occasionally see a game on TV but not very often. I would think the other major sports teams here in the US of A would work to keep it out.

Gene

[Darren Henry]

before the world cup

What kind of football are we talking about?

That would have to be what we north americans can soccer.With the differnces in the rules it would be hard for an american/canadian football (played with an oblong ball) game. Will that be three downs or four? Do we share the 50 yard line or do we have ten yards of "no man's land ? etc... Aussie football is so different from NFL or Cfl that it would be impossible.

[scottymc]

America beat Australia, so I don't want to talk about it anymore. :(
Yeah Darren it is soccer, we also call it that as we have 4 different codes of football. We like America invented our own code of football (Australian football league) so that no one else in the world could beat us. We also have rugby league, rugby union and soccer. I believe you have rugby union in Canada which is what the all blacks play, they are the national team. A.F.L. fans refer to this code as cross country boxing. American football is called gridiron over here, I see some retired A.F.L. players are starting to play in America as punter's (I think that's what you call them) Ben Grahams one and Sav Rocca. Are these guys any good at American football, when Ben played A.F.L. he could put the ball onto a guys chest from 50 metres.
You guys should get behind your national soccer team,their in the world cup it's a big thing that they have even qualified. 

[gene]

I thought you were talking about rugby.

Even Beckem with his mega million contract couldn't get the usa interested in soccer.

Gene

[scottymc]

Yeah I find it surprising the lack of interest for soccer in America considering all the immigrants you have from central and south America , soccer being there national sport. I'd have thought it would have a pretty strong following in the southern states of America, plus with all the people of middle eastern origon living in the U.S. and such a huge overall population I would have thought America could field a very strong team with a huge fan base.

[sofadoc]

Yeah I find it surprising the lack of interest for soccer in America

Hey, I watched a soccer game once. I got bored with it when one team built up an insurmountable lead over the other team. I think it was 1-0. :D

[scottymc]

Yeah I find it surprising the lack of interest for soccer in America

Hey, I watched a soccer game once. I got bored with it when one team built up an insurmountable lead over the other team. I think it was 1-0. :D

Yes, on the face of it it does look boring, but it's a bit like an arm wrestle the tension builds. Any sort of football or any elite sport for that matter doesn't need to be high scoring to be a tense exiting game, I'm sure that there have been many classic games of American football that have been low scoring,I mean if it's low scoring, then it has to be close so it can go either way so that adds to the theatre of the game.This is probably why there are so many riots at soccer matches, too much tension.

[Darren Henry]

Socceer is gaining popularity here in Canada. we're still well behind the europeans but we're gaining. It's biggest advantge is the cost. To outfit one kid to play hockey or football is expensive, then comes league fees,his kid brother, etc...

[sofadoc]

A friend of mine who runs a local YMCA said to me, "Some kids play baseball, some football, some basketball, but EVERYONE plays soccer!" He predicted that in 20 years, when all of those kids were grown up, that soccer would become the most popular sport in America.
That was 30 years ago.
Parents love to enroll their kids in soccer, because any kid who can run and kick can at least "blend in" on a soccer field. But if he, or she can't hit a baseball or dribble a basketball, they stick out like a sore thumb. 

[byhammerandhand]

I heard this AM that there are more Americans as cup spectators than any other country.

[hdflame]

Yeah I find it surprising the lack of interest for soccer in America considering all the immigrants you have from central and south America , soccer being there national sport. I'd have thought it would have a pretty strong following in the southern states of America, plus with all the people of middle eastern origon living in the U.S. and such a huge overall population I would have thought America could field a very strong team with a huge fan base.

Scotty,

I had to laugh when you said you didn't want to talk about it anymore when the US beat the Aussies. ;D  I was actually surprised, but then I don't watch much professional sports.

Around here (North Carolina), soccer has definitely become more popular in recent years due to the hispanic population increase.  I used to NEVER see soccer played, but now it's everywhere with the smaller kids and also the Latin teams.

[scottymc]

I think America will become a huge force in the world game in years to come, it's a much more politicly correct and enviromentaly friendly road to world domination. :P The U.S. did quite well to qualify for the world cup, it took australia about 30 years of trying before the got in.