I cannot exactly place my reasoning, yet it still captivates me nonetheless. Soccer, or football, as most of the world knows it, stands out—at least to me—from virtually all sports. My opinion may be biased after a decade of playing, but there is a good reason I stuck with it for so long. While playing, I found myself to become so impassioned with not just the obvious, drawn-out goals of the game, but also with the paralyzing suspense present in no other sport quite as it is in soccer. I find it to be equally as exciting play as it is to behold. Seeing how one minute movement can completely change the outcome of the game is a marvel even to witness, let alone play. You almost cannot afford to look away, as every match is both detail-oriented and volatile.
It was a bright, August day, with a temperature to match. At least 85°, sun outside was at its peak, with not a cloud to be seen for miles. Such a day is almost unheard of in southern Germany, where the weather tends to be milder year round. It was the perfect day to begin the new season, as well as my first match. I had played many games before this day – nine years’ worth in fact. However, they had all been in the United States, where football is the king of sports. Although the atmosphere was similar, there were distinct, yet almost intangible differences. Many devoted soccer fans do exist in the United States, but the aura at many matches seems to be rather lackluster. Many of those present appear to be disinterested, and it is rarer to see a full venue than in Europe. The set up and division of the sport alone set itself apart from the US. Schools do not have sports teams, only clubs and cities do. Most of the players had been with the same coach and team members since they...
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...t very seriously and expend most of their free time trying to get better. In the United States, though, this is virtually reversed. This is not to imply that countless players at all strata in the U.S. do not take the sport as earnestly or try as much as their European counterparts. However, soccer is placed neatly on a high shelf next to tennis and golf, written off for the large part as a sport of the affluent and wealthy. Masculinity also plays a role, as many see football to be much manlier, played traditionally by the archetypal jock. Major League Soccer (MLS) achieves only a fraction of the viewership of the National Football League (NFL). Matches are only broadcast on national networks once in a blue moon, if at all. It is plain to see, especially at U of M, how little emphasis is placed on soccer in comparison to football. One need only to follow the money.
In 1991 there was so little media interest in the event, almost no one even knew the United States had a team, and even less people knew that the United States won. Eight years later, “tickets sales reached 388,000,” more than triple the amount of sales in the 1995 Women’s World Cup (Longman). FIFA was depending on this World Cup to gain popularity, they needed more interest to spark people to play. If the United States had not won, it was predicted that not many in the suburban would not have much interest in soccer. Millions of young girls across the United States came to this event. After the World Cup it “will celebrate the explosive growth of soccer for women in the United States, where 7.5 million female players are registered, according to a recent survey by the Soccer Industry Council of America, a trade group. In suburbia, where the game flourishes, girls' soccer has become as popular as sport utility vehicles” (Longman). This World Cup team changed the perspective that soccer was only for males. “‘ We're fighting the myths and prejudices that women's soccer felt in the U.S. in the 70's,'' said Andrea Rodebaugh… 'That there are sports for boys and sports for girls and that soccer is not for girls, not feminine’” (Longman). This team changed the lives for many girls. The team gave little girls hope and faith they could make it in soccer. This team made them believe they could follow their passions.
Foer vowed to show us how the game of soccer can impact different regions and cultures. He indicated us how these relationships (between different nations and beliefs), while there, are hard to apprehend on the global scale. But trough soccer, these relationships reveal themselves in a hesitant fashion.
Soccer is still the world?s most beloved sport, and will continue to be the number one sport for generations to come. However, North America is never bound to join this band wagon because we simply find the sport dull. The fake injuries, scoreless games, and long game lengths disappoint the majority of North America, whom would much rather watch other exciting sports. Because of lacking a long-time tradition, excitement during matches, and good opportunities for big time television networks to broadcast the games, the real football fails to succeed as the superior sport in North America. Paying $250 million dollars to David Beckham won?t do any good in promoting soccer across North America. ?Football? will continue to be less than a second thought, so long as we have these other terrific sports at hand.
Franklin Foer the author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization is an important contributor of the small topic of the how soccer is related to the world. Foer from the New Republic who writes from time to time in the well known newspaper of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal had traveled around the world especially the continent of Europe, Asia, North and South America. Going from the topic of why the Islam religion, Islamic law, and religious paramilitary militia prohibits the passionate, die-hard Islamic women fans; from attending and/or watching soccer games and then partying hard like the men after the game if their country or favorite club wins. To the topic of how America relates to soccer when the middle class accepted this sport because of the little violence that they thought the sport contained and to how some Americans support writers such as Tom Weir from USA Today’s “that hating soccer is more American than apple pie, driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons channel surfing with the remote control” (Foer 240). The majority of Americans that support this quote are the lower class, liberals, majority of sports reporters, and narrow minded Americans. These topics and/or chapters really show how soccer is creating more globalization around the world especially with Islamic women getting rid of their traditions and trying new things such as showing their passion for soccer. In addition, America is trying to pass its apple pie and watching American Football on a Sunday to watching beautiful game of soccer. How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization is really divided into three groups; the first being the rivalries between clubs and human beings, sec...
Franklin starts by giving reasons why he has used soccer to explain the failure of globalization and also clarifies that his objective is not to argue economic changes and factors, but to address cultural issues. In the first part of How Soccer Explains the American Culture Wars, the author goes into depth that how and why soccer entered into his life and what role his parents played to ensure that their child excelled in the sport. He then talks about the cultural divide in America; the different mindsets of the elite and the working middle class and how individuals from these classes reacted to the introduction of soccer in America in the 1980’s. Moving on, in the second part of his analysis, the author sheds light on the hateful comments of some eminent Americans such as Tom Wier, Jack Kemp, Allen Barra and most importantly Jim Rome. These individuals have openly expressed their hatred for soccer and they believe that it is “not a sport”. To counter claims and criticism made these men, Franklin presents some facts and figures that clearly state that over the years soccer has managed to make its way into the American culture, while the most American sport i.e. Baseball has lost viewership. This section is summed up by differentiating between the stances of two contrasting groups towards globalization. In the last part of the
Soccer has a important place in the history of several countries. It is the most popular sport in the world. I will be exploring soccer’s place in American history and how it has been growing in America throughout the years. I will explore how soccer got to America and how it has spread across the nation. These questions and more will be answered as I explore soccer in America.
Soccer differs in Spain and in America when it comes to attendances and passion for the sport, play style, and the way their players are shaped into professions. The United States is said to play a hybrid form of soccer compared to hispanic countries (Parrish). American soccer athletes are typically taught to emphasize conditioning and possession. Secondly, Americans and Hispanics’ passion for the sport are extremely different from one another. The people in Hispanic countries live for soccer, as they are devoted, passionate, and loyal to the teams. Contrarily in America, football, basketball, and baseball trump soccer making it only the fourth most attended and watched event. No matter how the sport is played or how many people attend the events, soccer is well liked in both the United States and Hispanic
In the world of sport, soccer and football with respect to demographic has had numerous controversies. Although both sport are known famously around the globe, for many years fans from both sides are known for asking, is American football same as soccer? What’s the time limit on both sports? What’s the game objective? Do they use the same ball? However they both have similarities and differences which I will be talking about in this essay.
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I believe that people are often far from the truth about soccer. One reason soccer receives hate is because people believe that it’s a sport for wimps, however, this isn’t the case. There may not be bone crushing tackles like in American football, or huge body checks like in hockey, but soccer is a very physical sport in other ways. For one, if two players are running for the ball, there will often be a lot of pushing and shoving for possession. It’s also very risky, and dangerous, especially when defending. when going in for a tackle, or sliding tackle, you risk bad leg and / or ankle injuries from getting stepped on or going over on your ankle. Soccer also takes a high amount of stamina as
Soccer has proven to be a notable sport throughout the years starting with its unique history. Soccer began all over the world tracing back thousands of years. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Ancient Greek, Persian, Vikings, as well as other nationalities all played a form of the game soccer. In China and Rome, games that were similar to soccer were played around 200 B.C. (Helmer and Owens, 5). People believe that soccer started more than a thousand years ago when villagers killed attacking pirates by cutting off their heads and kicking them around (Helmer and Owens, 5). As time went on, people in Europe also played a game similar to soccer during Medieval Times. In fact, soccer was used to prepare warriors for battles in Ancient Greece and Rome (Dilov-Shultheis). In later history, the English called the game “Football” because soccer was played by kicking the ball with the foot (Helmer and Owens, 6). The name “soccer” came to be when the American’s Association Football was shortened to assoc., and later to soc. Eventually in 1895 it was called soccer (Helmer and Owens, 9). By the late 1700s and 1800s, soccer was played in many universities, but the rules were not ...
It all started when I started playing recreational soccer as a young child. I picked up the rigid soccer ball and dropped it at my feet and fell in love with the sport. Executing multiple wins and scoring keen goals, kept me motivated to move further. The accuracy and focus that it takes to finish a strike is difficult, yet everything takes a little practice. Scoring a goal is like being on stage with a spotlight on you, with the loud cheers, all eyes are on you. Being in the moment with minutes to go and the loud roars of the crowd and rapid beating of one’s heart as the referee checks his watch towards the final minutes delivers a terrific adrenalin rush. The game takes consistent and proper conditioning, in order
Soccer is not only my obsession but its the obsession of millions as well. It's a sport that is played and watched all over the world. Soccer stand to be the most popular sport with more than 265 million of players worldwide. Also, its a sport that lets people from different countries to get together and enjoy memorable moments. I would describe the history when soccer started,the consequences soccer hold for the players, and the benefits that soccers give to the players Recent, records show the history of soccer back more than 2000 years ago in ancient china.
Looking back in history to the 19th century Europe, colonization and global expansion created a sense of competition amongst European nations. This sparked global rivalries over territories and was a catalyst to the age of nationalism in Europe. The competition between countries venture of manifest destiny was the leading catalyst in the rise of nationalism. It is no surprise that the nationalism and competitive nature of 19th century expansionism, created a platform for the rivalry and competition in modern sports (Bottenburg). Global rivalries in sports are played out in, major events such as the world cup and the Olympics. These events bring out the die-hard and the casual fan together in a global celebration of sporting and national pride. The World Cup of soccer is a great place to begin looking at the impact modern sports have on nationalism and national identity. Every four years 32 teams from across the globe come together in celebration of the worlds most popular game, in hopes their country wins the worlds most coveted trophy. Nationalism in this tournament comes in an array of positivity and negativity. The atmosphere, colors, flags, fans cheering and chanting songs shows the role of symbolism. On the other hand, hooliganism and violence amongst fans show us the negative aspect of attaching such strong nationalistic ties to a
I was always taught that soccer was to be about the love of the game and that it should be fun. Unfortunately, I faced many obstacles that I needed to overcome before I could truly love the game for what it was worth. I grew and continued to love the game, knowing little at the time of the obstacles I would be faced with, and would need to overcome. My struggles with soccer began early in my life. I was an average player, who had a drive to succeed and go far.
Trecker, Jamie. Love and Blood: at the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans, and Freaks. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007. Print.