**Official USA vs Germany World Cup Match Thread**

[|Zach|]

USA vs Germany | Recife | Group G | 11 CT | ESPN

This is the big one.

If the United States ties or wins they advance to the knock out stage of the World Cup. There are also scenarios that are not that outlandish that let them move on if they lose but **** those scenarios.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by DTLB58

I tried watching today. (Germany match) but my god, that was so boring and frustrating to me as I pretty much 99.9% thought it was gonna be.

I mean seriously 1-0? People stood on their feet crammed against one another for 90+ minutes watching what appeared to be an extremely undermanned team in the U.S. Who couldn't even come close to scoring.


But I left the TV on for the entire game and probably an hour after listening to Bob Ley on ESPN after to give it a fair chance but Never again. I'd rather take a nap.

I completely agree with this, this Germany match was boring. I'd say if you can give this next game a try. The US was exhausted from there last game, it was raining hard, neither team was really interested in doing anything.

[the Talking Can]

the only thing more boring than teh 5 guys left in america that need to loudly proclaim that they don't like soccer...


...is baseball

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Yes.

And I know when a game isn't a glowing endorsement of the sport. This wasn't an awful game at all. But it wasn't one of those matches that inspires people to know more.

The Portugal match, however...

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

The Portugal match, however...

For sure. And I think the next will do the same.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

For the moment "young people" like it.

In my anecdotal experience, my age group of people in the mid 20s, a possible half of the people I know might go out of their way to watch the USMNT but aren't big on MLS or EPL/Seria A/BL soccer.

I'd stake my reputation that this is also the case for many social circles in my age range.

Thing is, even for people like me and the few who will go out of our way to watch the World Cup, we still are bigger supporters of pro or college football.. Followed by baseball (mostly a casual fandom) or basketball. Eventually, my generation will start (deliberately) having children and they will probably continue to consume these sports and will expose these younglings to those sports more so than soccer.

People who are huge soccer acolytes (to the point it's their only sport preference) my age seem to be self-serving hipster douches who think themselves more worldly (or something) as well as people who grew up playing the sport from YMCA to high school or even college.

And again, I'd also stake my rep on saying that my generation -even from bum**** rural Missouri- has been exposed to soccer from a young age in terms of recreational playing and we still gravitate towards the American-born sports moreso than soccer.

The MLS will grow, sure. And the USMNT will grow stronger as more "athletes" find their niche in the game more than they have in the past..

But American culture is predicated on football, basketball or baseball in terms of prevalence... and until there's a "Tuesday Night Soccer" available to 90% of household televisions and watched regularly by tens of millions of those TVs (or tablets / smartphones what have you) then I'm going to doubt the sport will ever supplant basketball in terms of popularity.

It may supplant football.. if the sport becomes watered down due to injury concerns.

I, also, am from bum-**** rural Missouri. I grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball. Never even saw a soccer ball.

I loved the hell out my high school football days. I Love the Chiefs and Royals above all other professional sports teams. BUT, if I have a son one day I will certainly nudge him in the direction of soccer and hope that he doesn't become intensely interested in playing football. The head injuries are too much.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

I knew my boy notorious had an inner troll in him

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Backing in is the dumbest ****ing statement ever anyway. It's as dumb a term in football as it is here.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Backing in is the dumbest ****ing statement ever anyway. It's as dumb a term in football as it is here.

My guess is the sentiment comes from the fact that it was only three games, so it SEEMS like they didn't accomplish much. Of course, that ignores all the work it takes just to get in in the first place and the fact that it was a tough, tough group to get out of.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by DaFace

My guess is the sentiment comes from the fact that it was only three games, so it SEEMS like they didn't accomplish much. Of course, that ignores all the work it takes just to get in in the first place and the fact that it was a tough, tough group to get out of.

That's why people shouldn't spout off about to things they do not understand. In reality they accomplished a shit ton. Sucks they gave up that late goal to Portugal to skew things.

[Donger]

One of things that has always amused me about Americans who hate soccer is the "there's no action!" comments.

"Errr, there's actually constant action."

which then leads inevitably to, "Well, yeah, but there's not much scoring!"

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

I, also, am from bum-**** rural Missouri. I grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball. Never even saw a soccer ball.

I loved the hell out my high school football days. I Love the Chiefs and Royals above all other professional sports teams. BUT, if I have a son one day I will certainly nudge him in the direction of soccer and hope that he doesn't become intensely interested in playing football. The head injuries are too much.

Let me make something clear - I'm not trolling, nor is this a "soccer is teh sux" post. I've been on that side of the argument before, and I've actually come to enjoy the game over the last year or so.

With all that said - if I remember the data correctly - soccer is alongside hockey in 2nd place for number of concussions in youth/HS/College sports.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

I, also, am from bum-**** rural Missouri. I grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball. Never even saw a soccer ball.

I loved the hell out my high school football days. I Love the Chiefs and Royals above all other professional sports teams. BUT, if I have a son one day I will certainly nudge him in the direction of soccer and hope that he doesn't become intensely interested in playing football. The head injuries are too much.

And play it he may, all the way through his HS days and possibly later.

But what is he likely watching on Sunday afternoons in the Fall?

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

And play it he may, all the way through his HS days and possibly later.

But what is he likely watching on Sunday afternoons in the Fall?

With the way everyone here complains about Goodell turnign the NFL into flag football is won't be the NFL his not yet born son is watching on Sundays.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Let me make something clear - I'm not trolling, nor is this a "soccer is teh sux" post. I've been on that side of the argument before, and I've actually come to enjoy the game over the last year or so.

With all that said - if I remember the data correctly - soccer is alongside hockey in 2nd place for number of concussions in youth/HS/College sports.

You are right. There are a lot of concussions in soccer. I think it's crazy that most soccer players don't wear a mouthpiece. My kid certainly will.

It's not just the concussions, though. It's the constant sub-concussive blows that your head takes throughout a football game/practice.

I have personally dealt with a noticeable loss of cognitive ability in my early twenties that I can only attribute to ten years of tackle football (playing both ways every season).

Which brings up another point: if my future son does want to play football, I might try to make him wait until at least 7th grade and try to make sure he only plays on one side of the ball.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

You are right. There are a lot of concussions in soccer. I think it's crazy that most soccer players don't wear a mouthpiece. My kid certainly will.

It's not just the concussions, though. It's the constant sub-concussive blows that your head takes throughout a football game/practice.

I have personally dealt with a noticeable loss of cognitive ability in my early twenties that I can only attribute to ten years of tackle football (playing both ways every season).

Which brings up another point: if my future son does want to play football, I might try to make him wait until at least 7th grade and try to make sure he only plays on one side of the ball.

Same here, so I completely understand your thought to avoid football. If I (or my parents) known back then what we know now, I wouldn't have played.

Just pointing out that soccer isn't exactly exempt from the concussion crisis either.