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OFFICIAL USA vs PORTUGAL

It wasn't the norm. What are considered fouls now used to be called good tackles when I played in a lot of these cases. Society of sport is changing and the same has happened to football and other sports as well. Look at Rugby...makes NFL players look like a bunch of adults running around in diaper gear.

FIFA definitely needs to change some rules and I believe they will. In US the market has grown so much, this is a huge untapped market for FIFA and they know it. It's a sleeping giant.

The Nielsen Company reported a total of 24.3 million U.S. viewers who saw the World Cup Final in 2010 between Spain and the Netherlands – the most watched soccer game in American television history. To give an overview: even the most watched Super Bowl, Academy Awards, or Olympic game has yet to surpass viewership of the World Cup; the Final in 2010 alone boasted over 700 million viewers worldwide.
 
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It wasn't the norm. What are considered fouls now used to be called good tackles when I played in a lot of these cases. Society of sport is changing and the same has happened to football and other sports as well. Look at Rugby...makes NFL players look like a bunch of adults running around in diaper gear.

FIFA definitely needs to change some rules and I believe they will. In US the market has grown so much, this is a huge untapped market for FIFA and they know it. It's a sleeping giant.

The Nielsen Company reported a total of 24.3 million U.S. viewers who saw the World Cup Final in 2010 between Spain and the Netherlands – the most watched soccer game in American television history. To give an overview: even the most watched Super Bowl, Academy Awards, or Olympic game has yet to surpass viewership of the World Cup; the Final in 2010 alone boasted over 700 million viewers worldwide.

Maybe they will make some changes. If they got rid of that "flail around and draw a penalty" crap, I am sure more people would be interested. The USA has a deep culture where "fair play" is respected. Not saying that cheating never happens, but certainly this crap where people who aren't even touched fall over and get hauled off on a stretcher to draw a penalty doesn't do much to bolster the image of the sport. That crap is unacceptable. I think that is why it isn't bigger here. That is definitely not fair play in anyone's book.

Perhaps there could be an overhaul of FIFA. That group is more corrupt than the U.N. and olympic committee put together.
 
Maybe they will make some changes. If they got rid of that "flail around and draw a penalty" crap, I am sure more people would be interested. The USA has a deep culture where "fair play" is respected. Not saying that cheating never happens, but certainly this crap where people who aren't even touched fall over and get hauled off on a stretcher to draw a penalty doesn't do much to bolster the image of the sport. That crap is unacceptable. I think that is why it isn't bigger here. That is definitely not fair play in anyone's book.

Perhaps there could be an overhaul of FIFA. That group is more corrupt than the U.N. and olympic committee put together.


For the record, if a (competent) referee sees a player grossly exaggerating being tacked in the box in order to draw a penalty kick (aka diving), that's an automatic red card. The problem is that things happen so fast the ref can't be everywhere on an expansive field and unless he happens to be in the right spot, it's hard to see exactly what happens in that moment. There is no instant replay allowed in soccer (although, that may change eventually). Sometimes they get it right, but often they get it wrong. Fates have been shattered based on a bad call, and only to the benefit of the opposing team.

I kinda see where you're coming from, though, because that's what happened to me with MLB. I used to like it a lot, but with all the doping scandals and so many "greats" -going all the way back to my childhood favorite Jose Canseco- being exposed as cheaters and phonies, it really turned me off. I can't help but think how many other current "legends" have enhanced their way to such a status.
 
Not meaning to re-stir the pot, but Real Sports on HBO at 10pm tonight will be talking the pervasive MATCH FIXING in Soccer...
 
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