-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
US GAF: Support your national soccer team
- Thread starter xbhaskarx
- Start date
- Status
UltimaPooh
Member
Everyone has signed the bid right?
http://www.gousabid.com/
We got till December 2nd to get more than 1,000,000 people to sign it.
http://www.gousabid.com/
We got till December 2nd to get more than 1,000,000 people to sign it.
jamesinclair
Banned
2010 World Cup Final Is Most Watched Soccer Game in U.S. TV History, Draws 24.3 Million
Yesterdays World Cup Final between Spain and the Netherlands drew a total of 24.3 million U.S. viewers, making it the most watched soccer game in U.S. television history, according to The Nielsen Company. The figure, which includes viewership on both ABC and Univision during the two-and-a-half-hour game window (2:30 to 5pm ET), surpasses the record of 19.4 million viewers that tuned in to the U.S.-Ghana match earlier in this World Cup.
Most Watched Soccer Games in the U.S.
Rank Date Game Network(s) Viewers
1 7/11/2010 Spain-Netherlands ABC/Univision 24.3 million
2 6/26/2010 USA-Ghana ABC/Univision 19.4 million
3 7/17/1994 Brazil-Italy ABC/Univision 18.1 million
4 7/10/1999 USA-China (women) ABC 18.0 million
5 6/12/2010 USA-England ABC/Univision 17.1 million
ABC : 15.5 million viewers
Univision : 8.8 million viewers
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/1...me-in-u-s-tv-history-draws-24-3-million/56860
Yesterdays World Cup Final between Spain and the Netherlands drew a total of 24.3 million U.S. viewers, making it the most watched soccer game in U.S. television history, according to The Nielsen Company. The figure, which includes viewership on both ABC and Univision during the two-and-a-half-hour game window (2:30 to 5pm ET), surpasses the record of 19.4 million viewers that tuned in to the U.S.-Ghana match earlier in this World Cup.
Most Watched Soccer Games in the U.S.
Rank Date Game Network(s) Viewers
1 7/11/2010 Spain-Netherlands ABC/Univision 24.3 million
2 6/26/2010 USA-Ghana ABC/Univision 19.4 million
3 7/17/1994 Brazil-Italy ABC/Univision 18.1 million
4 7/10/1999 USA-China (women) ABC 18.0 million
5 6/12/2010 USA-England ABC/Univision 17.1 million
ABC : 15.5 million viewers
Univision : 8.8 million viewers
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/1...me-in-u-s-tv-history-draws-24-3-million/56860
timetokill
Banned
woodchuck said:
My dad HATES soccer, has always hated it while I was growing up.
Anyway, over the course of the World Cup he was mentioning some of the games to me, I was surprised he actually watched a few games.
And then yesterday, he said: "Did you see that final World Cup game? What bullshit! What a boring, boring game... I could feel my life slipping away while I watched it. And that's a championship game? Awful sport."
So... yeah. He was starting to get into it and then that final reminded him why he hates soccer :lol
timetokill
Banned
AstroLad said:
It would probably help if it was traditional for Americans to get together and have huge parties and stuff for the World Cup like the Super Bowl... the parties help make up for crappy games
And of course, ad-watching.
GoldenEye 007
Member
You seem like a fun person to be around.rar said:
jamesinclair
Banned
Stuck said:
4.5 million on Univision, dont have the ABC numbers yet.
GhaleonQ
Member
woodchuck said:
I'm sure it will turn them off, but not completely. I've heard similar comments from non-soccer fans, but they do have vague, fond memories of the overall experience. Unless they ONLY watched the final, the World Cup's pulled them out of the hole far more than it's dug them into it.
mikeybwright said:
:lol awesome. what timing.
this was looking like it was going to be a sure loss pre-game. Revs actually played decent and LA was pretty beat.
it was looking like a 0-0 draw for a while there before we scored on the free kick. then got that lucky 2nd goal.
glad we won for such a decent home crowd. we usually lose those bigger draw games.
I wrote what might be my final Understanding Soccer blog post (might do one more to explain the US minor leagues/pyramid such as it is), and it just about killed me:
Understanding Soccer 6: Major US Soccer Competitions
http://soccernewbies.posterous.com/understanding-soccer-6-major-us-soccer-compet
This one explains the CONCACAF Champion's League, the US Open, and SuperLiga. It was much more work and took much longer than I anticipated, and I'm still not sure that it is very clear or makes much sense to a new/non-fan.
Understanding Soccer 6: Major US Soccer Competitions
http://soccernewbies.posterous.com/understanding-soccer-6-major-us-soccer-compet
This one explains the CONCACAF Champion's League, the US Open, and SuperLiga. It was much more work and took much longer than I anticipated, and I'm still not sure that it is very clear or makes much sense to a new/non-fan.
Stuck said:
I know what he means, though. You like to see new fans but at the same time, you get sick of people complaining about integral parts of the game and generally spouting incorrect nonsense
I get that feeling when I would watch sports with my mom, or people in the dorm who didn't know the rules.
All the friendlies are so expensive, but it's worth it to see a world class team play in your local stadium, imo. I'm not a Man City fan, but if Liverpool came to Gillette stadium I'd pay silly money to see them
I'm debating spending 50 bucks to see Celtic FC (Scotland) and Sporting FC (Portugal) at Fenway in a week. Downsides are that it's a super old (but awesome) baseball stadium and probably terrible for soccer, but it'd be fun to see a Celtic game since I have Scottish and Irish blood, and I sort of like the SPL
ATF487 said:
Not everyone is born following soccer. If you already get how awesome the sport can be, explain the rules to these people and welcome them into the know. This kind of stuff really spreads through word of mouth and shared experiences, and if your family or classmates are having a blast with you, everybody wins.
I get that certain people like their little insular groups and hate to see outsiders encroaching upon what makes them feel special. Some people are going to watch just because of the World Cup buzz and actively dismiss what they see and have no intention of trying to understand. Others just might never like soccer, and that's totally fine too as everyone is entitled to their personal tastes. Just don't assume everybody new to soccer has this mindset. How could someone new to the sport possibly hope to immediately be a sophisticated fan on the same level as someone who grew up with it?
Part of what I liked about the World Cup so much was how it made soccer feel like such a sport of the world. People from all walks of life and corners of the globe got to enjoy soccer together by cheering on their teams, and that was really cool. I would hope that those people who get to live in European, South American, and other big football countries would embrace Americans (or others) trying understand the world's game, instead of walling it off to themselves. We might be annoying and ask dumb questions now, but eventually we'll be able to hold our own and really add to the discussion too.
eh? there are 25$, 40$, 60$ and on up..mYm|17| said:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E0044AAE64F84D6?artistid=1450089&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=11
mokeyjoe said:
Yeah, yeah. I'm making a cliched point that could apply to a lot of different situations, but whatever, still rings true to me.
Mildly off topic, but I grew up playing basketball, and I was unfortunately dealt the geographic cards that made me a Golden State Warriors fan. I was pretty hooked after the playoff appearance in '93-'94. The Warriors didn't make the playoffs again until 2007.
During that incredibly painful stretch when all of my Bay Area middle and high school friends were rooting for the Lakers or Kings, I stuck it out and envisioned the day when the Warriors would finally be good again and I could lord it over all those fair weather bandwagoners. I practically had the words written out in my head for these people. Come 2007 when our lowly 8th seed team upset the first place Mavs, like clockwork the team got tons of new support. But, you know what, it was really fun to watch with all of those friends who never sat down with me to watch a game in years. The Bay Area was buzzing with excitement and the Oakland Arena was just going nuts. Maybe not everyone appreciated the moment as much as I did, but who cares? Why be jaded or cliquish and rob myself of enjoying something I care about with others?
woodchuck said:
My boss liked it. He has made fun of me being a soccer fan for 3 years until this World Cup came around. He was *so* into it. Maybe the extreme physical play of the Dutch turned some people on? I mean, say what you will, but a spin kick into someone's chest is pretty bad ass, no matter what the sport.
My dad also liked it, and said he didn't think it was boring. Maybe ignorance is bliss in this case? I mean, *we* know it was no jogo bonito, but the average American doesn't know any better, maybe.
So no, I don't think it will turn most people off. 4 years is a long time. This World Cup will only make more fans (like it always does), and I expect the ratings for Brazil 2014 to be even better.
daoster said:
I really, really hope they stick with the sash design (the white one should have the red stripe like the 1950 jersey). It's our only jersey with a bit of history to it, and we should get down and "settle" on a standard jersey like other teams have that is recognizable instantly (heck, even Australia has a recognizable uniform). Enough tinkering with the uniform!
Clydefrog said:
Its true though. Fuckin' 7th place
The thing is, if someone legitimately becomes a fan of soccer then I wholly embrace it. I've had a few friends that have been converted after my insistence, and it's nice, especially in the US where we're a minority.
But I've known a lot more people who view the World Cup like how I view the Olympics, which is to say 'a novelty that comes around every four years' and that's sort of the attitude that bothers me...all the articles saying how soccer will never be the number 1 sport, and everybody cheering for the USA until they lose and then turning off the TV for the rest of the tournament are actions of people who don't really like the sport for what it is. They will forget all about the sport until the next World Cup rolls around, and they mostly come and leave for the nationalism
Luckily this thread seems to be filled with people who want to follow the sport from now on (and current fans), which is great, and something that I fully condone. You shouldn't feel unwelcome if you want to learn!
ATF487 said:
I totally hear what you're saying, but would you rather these types of people just didn't cheer at all for the US team every World Cup? Does their involvement really detract from anyone's enjoyment of the tournament? If anything, the mainstream buzz that these 'casual' people are a big part of helps to draw in a lot those that end up diving deeper into the sport. Watching all of the fan reactions to the Donovan goal in the Algeria match on Youtube really sparked my enthusiasm, and I ended up watching every game of the tournament after that.
sazabirules
Unconfirmed Member
rar said:
I haven't met a single person who does that or even heard of someone watching soccer because it is cool/different.
ATF487 said:
Its true though. Fuckin' 7th place
The thing is, if someone legitimately becomes a fan of soccer then I wholly embrace it. I've had a few friends that have been converted after my insistence, and it's nice, especially in the US where we're a minority.
But I've known a lot more people who view the World Cup like how I view the Olympics, which is to say 'a novelty that comes around every four years' and that's sort of the attitude that bothers me...all the articles saying how soccer will never be the number 1 sport, and everybody cheering for the USA until they lose and then turning off the TV for the rest of the tournament are actions of people who don't really like the sport for what it is. They will forget all about the sport until the next World Cup rolls around, and they mostly come and leave for the nationalism
Luckily this thread seems to be filled with people who want to follow the sport from now on (and current fans), which is great, and something that I fully condone. You shouldn't feel unwelcome if you want to learn!
A lot of people view the World Cup (and Euros) like that in England too. My parents have no interest in football until it's World Cup time. I told someone at work I was going to watch the semi finals and they were completely shocked I was still watching after England was out.
Yes it's the biggest sport in the UK, but not everyone is that into sport, and even if they are then it's not necessarily football. I doubt soccer will ever be the number one sport in the US. But does that really matter? If it gets to a point where it's accepted and understood as part of the sporting landscape instead of just something foreigners play then that would be a great thing for the game.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Earthquakes
Saturday, 7/17/10, 1:00PM PDT
Buck Shaw Stadium
Santa Clara, CA, USA
I'm going to try at catch this match on TV (I would go in person if I was back home). This will be both my first real MLS and EPL team viewings, so I'm very curious to see how everything stacks up. Anything I should know about the Hotspur F.C.? Should I expect San Jose to get slaughtered?
Saturday, 7/17/10, 1:00PM PDT
Buck Shaw Stadium
Santa Clara, CA, USA
I'm going to try at catch this match on TV (I would go in person if I was back home). This will be both my first real MLS and EPL team viewings, so I'm very curious to see how everything stacks up. Anything I should know about the Hotspur F.C.? Should I expect San Jose to get slaughtered?
Stuck said:
The Spurs are a team that have been decent in the past couple of years, always competing for that 5-6 spot right after the traditional big 4 (ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal & Liverpool). Though last year, they actually edged Man City out for that 4th spot, and are in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League for the first time.
But these friendlies are useless, so even if they were a a world class team (I think they're a good team, but I wouldn't call them world class), you shouldn't expect a San Jose rape.
sazabirules
Unconfirmed Member
Is there any way to watch the two Superliga games tonight without having Telefutura?
Outdoor Miner
Member
I think the Superliga site has streaming, but I'm not sure if you have to pay or not.
DTLIONS1013
Member
Stuck said:
Most of the starting XI should play
FYI, Major League Soccer clubs are playing in three (yes three) international competitions/cups in the month of July. Well techincally the US Open isn't international... but it is outside the MLS regular season.
I compiled a list of what MLS teams are in tournament competition, who they play, and on what dates:
http://soccernewbies.posterous.com/us-competition-fixtures-july-2010
SuperLiga begins TODAY. Hopefully the US teams will perform a little better against the Mexican squads than they have the past couple years.
Galaxy should easily squash Puerto Rico to make it through the Champion's League Prelim. Seattle is likely to get crushed by Isidro Metapán though. Toronto is also likely to be beaten by C.D._Motagua. Still, that gives the MLS three squads in the group stage. So... not too bad.
I compiled a list of what MLS teams are in tournament competition, who they play, and on what dates:
http://soccernewbies.posterous.com/us-competition-fixtures-july-2010
SuperLiga begins TODAY. Hopefully the US teams will perform a little better against the Mexican squads than they have the past couple years.
Galaxy should easily squash Puerto Rico to make it through the Champion's League Prelim. Seattle is likely to get crushed by Isidro Metapán though. Toronto is also likely to be beaten by C.D._Motagua. Still, that gives the MLS three squads in the group stage. So... not too bad.
- Status