The Ignorant American

[ohwell98]

I have to admit it: I don't understand soccer.

It's not that I don't get the rules of the game; I understand (vaguely) what the objective is.

But there are a few things I don't get.

I don't get the 0-0 tie. A game without at least one point is, for an American sports fan, unacceptable. I don't know if there's ever been a 0-0 tie in an American sport.

Comments

[hbkrickj]

I admit, I know nothing much about soccer, as far as the strategery or nuances of it, but I have come around to at least appreciating the game, because, in a lot of respects, what makes soccer so beloved is what makes college football so awesome:

Lots of history -- both games have roots in the 19th century.

Legendary venues -- Wembley Stadium/Old Trafford/Santiago Bernabeu meets the Rose Bowl/Michigan Stadium/Death Valley (the one and only true Death Valley in Louisiana)

The goofy cheers/chants/songs/etc., passed down from generation to generation. The best ones are the ones where EVERYONE joins in (the lack of which at USC gets on my last damn nerve). Think "OLE! OLE! OLE!" and "Rocky Top."

Soccer hooligans/West Virginia fans. Win, and some shit is getting set on fire, believe you me!

You know about "The Miracle in Michigan," or more closer to home, "The Fade" against Miss. St. They know about "The Hand of God."

Penn State doesn't wear names on their jerseys. Barcelona doesn't advertise on their shirts. But both are derided for sporting "The Swoosh" while upholding that tradition. Go figure.

So, you see, I kind of see it as the two games are distant cousins. Twice-removed or something like that. But, still, closer than you might think!

And while we have the tie-breaker. They have promotion and relegation, which I think is cool as shit. Well, that is until I realize that if college football had that, the Gamecocks might be stuck in the Division III CVAC or something awful.