Why our football is better than their football

The Phantom

It's all to do with the footballing culture of the country they come from. In England players don't tend to go down, they stay on their feet for as long as they can. On the continent however, especially Portugal, the players are encouraged to go down. It's they way they've been brought up to play, so they know no different. To tackle the problem the football authorities need to target grass roots football and clear it out of there and work their way up.

Invictus

Number of things to add.

1.) I played a little American Football at Uni, and I have played a lot of Rugby. American Football hurts lot more. In Rugby you expect a tackle too but in American Football you turn round to a fat ass who knocks you clean out.

2.) DMW you're post was funny. Bigger nets, ok.

3.) You're ideas behind the penalty shootout are flawed. Yes penalties is pot luck but so is sudden death. I think it was Euro 96 which had sudden death 'golden goal' extra time. Croatia were attacking trying to win the game against Germans who sat on their ass and then caught them on the break with a flukey goal. Thats why UEFA and FIFA got rid of Golden Goal Extra Time, because it was just a random as penalties.

4.) THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A DRAW. Some fo the best games of football you will ever see are draws.

5.) I hate diving and it ruined the world cup and yes even though I hate the bloke you will never see Rooney take a dive (although he did take one against Arsenal last season but one in 4 seasons isn't bad.) Rooney could have gone down seconds before he got sent off but he tried to stay up. Shame really. Cristiano Ronaldo will be a hate figure and never play in the UK again, good riddance.

DMW

What's so funny about making the nets bigger? I just think a lot of the problems that are inherent in soccer could be fixed by getting the scores up. Just because something has been a certain way for a long time doesn't mean it couldn't be better.

Obviously none of my suggestions would ever happen because soccer is too entrenched in it's tradition to change, but I really feel like those things would make it a better game. I definitely think the offside penalty should be abolished.

K Jay

Soccer can be played to a good even standard anywhere from a school yard to the san siro. AF who are you kidding? All the great points you list about it only happen in the NFL. I've got a lot of time for the game and if it flowed (rather than stoping every other second) I would consider it in one of the top 5 team sports in the world but the fact is it doesnt and as Crocker points out it is not popular outside of Northern America because of that.

I had a sig, once.

The Phantom

I think they should make Ice Hockey nets bigger.... that would make things more interesting.

Blitzkrieg

The only thing I would do away with would be the penalty shootouts to end the matches.. I can't stand them. An NBA game wouldn't end in a dunk contest and a baseball game wouldn't end in a home run derby.. I think that logic is seriously flawed...

Everything else I can live with.

B-Money

King of the Arcade

what the hell is up with that dude who head-butted the guy in the chest?!?! He's lucky he didn't break his neck. That type of hit is banned in the NFL because of that exact reason.

I, personally, have never head-butted anyone and don't ever plan on doing it. It seems like a very dumb move.

B-Money

The Phantom

But how do you end a game? You can't have overtime till someone scores because most of the players will get tired and it won't be much of a game then. As harsh as a penalty shoot out is, it's the only way to decide a match. Suddern death overtime has been tried and it didn't really work.

Blitzkrieg

They could have overtime periods.. not sudden death, but timed periods and they could add subs to make up for the player's fatigue.

The Phantom

That wouldn't work either, it'd get boring and tedious. Fans wouldn't care for it much either as they could be there all night. Bottom line is Penalty shoot out is the only way to go.