How to fix Soccer

[rightwinger]

You can only do so much with soccer

Boring is still boring

 

[BrisbaneBhoy]

How to fix Soccer

Don't go to the games.
Don't watch it on the TV.
Don't talk about it on the internets.
Make soccer fans just listen to it on the radio.

That should fix soccer.

Unfortunately for you, football is the biggest and most popular sport in the world. So the likelihood of football only being broadcast via the radio is nigh on impossible.

If you don't like the game that is perfectly fine. Hating on the game says more about the person then the sport.

If I was as boring and pointless as soccer you might have a point.

The slogan for soccer should be:

"wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... wait.... watch for it...."

I scored more than a thousand times in the twenty years between 1965-85.

Name me a soccer team that has scored more.

I rest my case.

I am not sure what your case is and why you scoring "thousands of times" (in which I don't know what you are talking about) is any proof of anything. But still, whatever your point was that you made - well done
You can be proud of your said achievement

 

[Montrovant]

As much as FIFA and the world soccer community want to tap-in to the ridiculously untapped potential that the US sports market presents, they are not going to compromise how the sport is played in order to do it.

See my responses below.

It will still be Soccer but what needs to be changed NOW

1. The clock: Nobody cares how much time you have played. They care how much time is left. It is what makes sports exciting. Drop the additional injury time that nobody except the ref knows. Stop the clock when somebody goes down

Not sure why this change would be needed. The same amount of drama has occurred at the end of a half with the timer counting up than counting down. Reversing this would have no effect on the "excitement" of the game. Stopping the clock means the elimination of stoppage time, which is where so much of the drama actually occurs. Removing it, removes a good deal of the excitement you're looking for.

2. Extra time: Every other sport understands sudden death. First goal wins...Period. In a 0-0 game at the end of regulation why allow the other team to tie it back up once a go head goal has been scored?

Soccer had sudden death once upon a time. It was called the "Golden Goal" and it was used last at the Euro 2004 competition. It was supposed to have increased a team's urge to play offensively and go for the winning goal. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Teams played much more defensively and were content to just play out the rest of extra time, waiting for penalties. FIFA saw this occurring far too much and scrapped the golden goal for the current format. I personally don't like penalties, but a better way to decide games in ET hasn't been found yet that wouldn't guarantee teams playing ugly.

3. Penalty kicks to decide a game. You have just spent two hours where it is next to impossible to score. Why decide the game with a process where it is almost impossible not to score? Should tie basketball games be decided with free throws? Should tie football games be decided by bringing out the kickers to kick field goals?

I don't disagree since i don't like penalties either, but a better way to decide a game has not been found. Penalties have the advantage of always deciding a winner and a loser. There are no draws, the bane of American sports fans' existence. There's no way to tactically effect the game during the penalty shootout phase. It's about nerves and luck.

MLS tried, in its early years, to "Americanize" soccer just as each of your points would do. It didn't go well and they rightly aligned themselves with the rest of the world in terms of the rules and how games get decided. The league reaped those benefits.

The hockie rings use to be different in the olympics than it is in the NHL. So we're basketball in Europe. Don't know if that's still true.

Point is, our best teams can play by the Europe rules when in Europe. When trying to sell it to Americans, have a shootout at the end of the game so we have a winner. Americans like winners. And tell us how much time is left. Maybe a few less guys on the field, make the field smaller and no off sides. Spice it up a little.

Have there only be 12 weeks season then playoffs and put these games on right after the NFL is done. Games are Sundays 1pm and make the stadiums smaller so they sell out every week. Hard to get tickets.

I would watch. Shorter games too maybe. Bigger goals. Hot women coaches. Cheerleaders. Good p.r. get the cities to know and care about the players.

I was perfectly happy when hockey had ties. Shootouts turn a team game into one-on-one matchups.

 

[sealybobo]

As much as FIFA and the world soccer community want to tap-in to the ridiculously untapped potential that the US sports market presents, they are not going to compromise how the sport is played in order to do it.

See my responses below.

It will still be Soccer but what needs to be changed NOW

1. The clock: Nobody cares how much time you have played. They care how much time is left. It is what makes sports exciting. Drop the additional injury time that nobody except the ref knows. Stop the clock when somebody goes down

Not sure why this change would be needed. The same amount of drama has occurred at the end of a half with the timer counting up than counting down. Reversing this would have no effect on the "excitement" of the game. Stopping the clock means the elimination of stoppage time, which is where so much of the drama actually occurs. Removing it, removes a good deal of the excitement you're looking for.

2. Extra time: Every other sport understands sudden death. First goal wins...Period. In a 0-0 game at the end of regulation why allow the other team to tie it back up once a go head goal has been scored?

Soccer had sudden death once upon a time. It was called the "Golden Goal" and it was used last at the Euro 2004 competition. It was supposed to have increased a team's urge to play offensively and go for the winning goal. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Teams played much more defensively and were content to just play out the rest of extra time, waiting for penalties. FIFA saw this occurring far too much and scrapped the golden goal for the current format. I personally don't like penalties, but a better way to decide games in ET hasn't been found yet that wouldn't guarantee teams playing ugly.

3. Penalty kicks to decide a game. You have just spent two hours where it is next to impossible to score. Why decide the game with a process where it is almost impossible not to score? Should tie basketball games be decided with free throws? Should tie football games be decided by bringing out the kickers to kick field goals?

I don't disagree since i don't like penalties either, but a better way to decide a game has not been found. Penalties have the advantage of always deciding a winner and a loser. There are no draws, the bane of American sports fans' existence. There's no way to tactically effect the game during the penalty shootout phase. It's about nerves and luck.

MLS tried, in its early years, to "Americanize" soccer just as each of your points would do. It didn't go well and they rightly aligned themselves with the rest of the world in terms of the rules and how games get decided. The league reaped those benefits.

The hockie rings use to be different in the olympics than it is in the NHL. So we're basketball in Europe. Don't know if that's still true.

Point is, our best teams can play by the Europe rules when in Europe. When trying to sell it to Americans, have a shootout at the end of the game so we have a winner. Americans like winners. And tell us how much time is left. Maybe a few less guys on the field, make the field smaller and no off sides. Spice it up a little.

Have there only be 12 weeks season then playoffs and put these games on right after the NFL is done. Games are Sundays 1pm and make the stadiums smaller so they sell out every week. Hard to get tickets.

I would watch. Shorter games too maybe. Bigger goals. Hot women coaches. Cheerleaders. Good p.r. get the cities to know and care about the players.

I was perfectly happy when hockey had ties. Shootouts turn a team game into one-on-one matchups.

Then win.

You were but america isnt.

OK, then make overtime 5 on 5. Do something! I'm just spitballing ideas.

 

[Montrovant]

As much as FIFA and the world soccer community want to tap-in to the ridiculously untapped potential that the US sports market presents, they are not going to compromise how the sport is played in order to do it.

See my responses below.

It will still be Soccer but what needs to be changed NOW

1. The clock: Nobody cares how much time you have played. They care how much time is left. It is what makes sports exciting. Drop the additional injury time that nobody except the ref knows. Stop the clock when somebody goes down

Not sure why this change would be needed. The same amount of drama has occurred at the end of a half with the timer counting up than counting down. Reversing this would have no effect on the "excitement" of the game. Stopping the clock means the elimination of stoppage time, which is where so much of the drama actually occurs. Removing it, removes a good deal of the excitement you're looking for.

2. Extra time: Every other sport understands sudden death. First goal wins...Period. In a 0-0 game at the end of regulation why allow the other team to tie it back up once a go head goal has been scored?

Soccer had sudden death once upon a time. It was called the "Golden Goal" and it was used last at the Euro 2004 competition. It was supposed to have increased a team's urge to play offensively and go for the winning goal. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Teams played much more defensively and were content to just play out the rest of extra time, waiting for penalties. FIFA saw this occurring far too much and scrapped the golden goal for the current format. I personally don't like penalties, but a better way to decide games in ET hasn't been found yet that wouldn't guarantee teams playing ugly.

3. Penalty kicks to decide a game. You have just spent two hours where it is next to impossible to score. Why decide the game with a process where it is almost impossible not to score? Should tie basketball games be decided with free throws? Should tie football games be decided by bringing out the kickers to kick field goals?

I don't disagree since i don't like penalties either, but a better way to decide a game has not been found. Penalties have the advantage of always deciding a winner and a loser. There are no draws, the bane of American sports fans' existence. There's no way to tactically effect the game during the penalty shootout phase. It's about nerves and luck.

MLS tried, in its early years, to "Americanize" soccer just as each of your points would do. It didn't go well and they rightly aligned themselves with the rest of the world in terms of the rules and how games get decided. The league reaped those benefits.

The hockie rings use to be different in the olympics than it is in the NHL. So we're basketball in Europe. Don't know if that's still true.

Point is, our best teams can play by the Europe rules when in Europe. When trying to sell it to Americans, have a shootout at the end of the game so we have a winner. Americans like winners. And tell us how much time is left. Maybe a few less guys on the field, make the field smaller and no off sides. Spice it up a little.

Have there only be 12 weeks season then playoffs and put these games on right after the NFL is done. Games are Sundays 1pm and make the stadiums smaller so they sell out every week. Hard to get tickets.

I would watch. Shorter games too maybe. Bigger goals. Hot women coaches. Cheerleaders. Good p.r. get the cities to know and care about the players.

I was perfectly happy when hockey had ties. Shootouts turn a team game into one-on-one matchups.

Then win.

You were but america isnt.

OK, then make overtime 5 on 5. Do something! I'm just spitballing ideas.

They made overtime 4 on 4 in the NHL. Now it's 3 on 3. And still goes to a shootout if it's tied, just to have someone get a W.

I thought it was fine to have regular season ties and only have the playoffs be a must win.