The World Cup

I'm sorry - I don't get the hullabaloo about World Cup soccer.  Actually, I don't understand the allure of soccer at all. 

In the World Cup final in Berlin on Sunday, France and Italy played to a 1-1 draw after 90 (plus) minutes of regulation. (I also don't understand the extra time added on at the end of regulation - it seems like it's some arbitrary amount of time pulled out of mid-air by the referee.)  Then they played two 15 minute (plus) overtime periods before they went to penalty kicks.  Italy won 5 goals to 3. 

Actually, the most exciting thing about soccer is the penalty kicks.  A player gets to try and kick the ball in the goal from about 15 yards away.  It's mano-a-mano, (not to be confused with mano-y-mano, which is what I saw on a billboard for a gay porno theater in Miami Beach one time years ago) with the goal keeper anticipating which way the "shooter" will kick the ball.  Actually, France lost the penalty kick phase when one of their players hit the top of the goal bar with his kick. 

And another thing - why do they call them penalty kicks when there really is no penalty?  Why don't they call it a shoot-out - like they do in the National Hockey League?  (Another professional sport that I have no interest in watching.)

With the way the games of the World Cup tournament are played, it's a wonder anyone wants to watch them.  They're completely boring. 

There were 40 games (out of 66 in the World Cup tournament) where at least one team was shutout.  7 of those 40 games ended up "nill-nill", with neither team scoring in regulation.  13 of those 40 games ended up 1-0.  5 of the 66 games ended 1-1. 

The biggest blow-out in the World Cup was Argentina's 6-0 shellacking of Serbia-Montenegro.  That game tied with Germany's 4-2 win over Costa Rica for the most goals in a match during the World Cup.  Spain, the Ukraine and the pre-Cup heavily favored Brazil were the only other teams to score 4 goals in a game.

In the semi-final match between Germany and Italy, neither team scored during regulation, plus about 3 minutes of extra time.  The first 15 minute overtime continued to be a scoreless affair, but Italy finally scored a goal in the 119 minute of the match - basically, the final minute of the game.  There is no "sudden death" in World Cup play in overtime, as there is in the NFL, so the match continued.  So for good measure, Italy scored AGAIN less than a minute later. 

I didn't see the two scores (although I had peeked in for a moment, earlier), but my friend, Scott Schroeder, who understands the game of soccer much better than I (given that his son, Greg, used to play for Davenport Central high school), told me that Spain suddenly opened up the field and played the way international soccer is supposed to be played. 

Now, I don't claim to be an expert on soccer.  Although, I have to admit, I was a good soccer player when I was much younger - and in good shape.  But quite, frankly, I hated to play the game.  Too much running and not enough scoring. 

And that's what it is with me and world class soccer these days.  They run up and down the friggin' field for 90 plus minutes, no one scores, and then they don't score in overtime, and it gets down to the penalty kicks. 

Why don't they just cut to the chase and go for the penalty kicks at the start of the match? 

I think of the penalty kicks to decide a game similar to two basketball teams playing to a draw after regulation and two overtimes, then settling the game by shooting free throws.  Actually, hitting free throws would be tougher than the free kicks they take for penalty kicks. 

Still, I understand the television ratings for the World Cup - even with the United States' early exit - are up significantly from the 2002 World Cup figures.   A lot of that has to do with the expansion of games shown on ESPN and on the Spanish-speaking Univision networks. 

However, they're not huge numbers in the United States.  ABC averaged a 2.5 rating and about 2.8 million homes through the first 8 games they broadcast (including the U.S./Italy game that had 4.4 million viewers).  Ratings for the final game will be made available in a couple of days. 

Considering the recent NBA Finals between Dallas and Miami garnered an average of rating of 8.5, which isn't all that great for a major professional sport, soccer still has a ways to go to connect to the mainstream of American viewership. 

Opening up the game and allowing more scoring would be the first fix I'd put in place.  However, given the television ratings and the interest around the world for the World Cup, I don't think FIFA, the international body that governs soccer, is going to be changing things any time soon.

So my interest level in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be similar to my interest level this year.  Passing - at best...

Comments

[GRG]

Remember the time you head butted me in the chest at the Kinnick parking lot? LOL No major wire picked that up...

:-)

[Will Veber]

I believe you tried to take my beer!