75 replies to this topic

[LJ]

^Actually the Canadian men's lacrosse team are world champions.

[Rob Randall]

Wrong. Canadian prioritize other sports over soccer. Our best male team sport athletes become hockey players. Personally, I prefer that.

 

The number of registered soccer players in Canada is more than double Iceland's population. Soccer is the most popular organized sport for kids, more kids are enrolled in soccer than hockey. Soccer isn't even Iceland's national sport--it's handball. 

 

The difference is, kids from other countries practice soccer skills. Canadian kids just run up and down the field flailing their arms.

[AllseeingEye]

Canadian men do poorly at soccer, however our women are FIFA ranked # 4 in the world. Not bad for a nation of supposed hosers....

[jonny]

I bet by the time most of us are dead, Canada'a men's soccer team is an expected World Cup team.

It is kind of odd though how we're so bad. Like it's not surprising that we're not a powerhouse team, but to be consistently ranked in the 70's, 80's and 90's in the world rankings is just embarassing...

[lanforod]

I still think its the lack of draw here in Canada. Hockey is so much higher prioritized that it's not really surprising. That trickles down to drawing quality coaches, quality trainers, and keeping kids interested once they get into their teens.

Soccer is the number one sport in most countries in the world. Even the USA which I suspect pours more money into sports training than anyone is only ranked 25th in the world in FIFA men's. They prioritize American football, basketball, baseball and even hockey higher.

 

Lacrosse isn't prioritized anywhere, but is our national sport, so we'd better be world champions and perennial contenders there!

Edited by lanforod, 17 June 2018 - 08:53 AM.

[SimonH]

Any coffee shops showing the World Cup ? In the past Chorizo was a go to,  but now ??

[SimonH]

https://www.reddit.c..._acting_school/

 

Make sure volume is on.

[LJ]

https://youtu.be/LC-H2wXK4T4

Edited by LJ, 04 July 2018 - 07:39 PM.

[tedward]

The difference is, kids from other countries practice soccer skills.

 

The difference is, other countries have professional leagues where young players can aspire to play for a salary while getting the professional coaching needed.

Our youth teams do pretty well but when they reach the crucial age, 17-18, they can choose to find a place in Europe or take the easier route through NCAA system which retards development as a player. They then emerge four years later with a degree (good thing I grant) but they will have fallen far behind players who have been playing under the direction of professionals, with professional players, in professional games.

Our National team is already a little better thanks to the three MLS and two ex-NASL teams. Once the CanPL starts next summer we will see more improvement and hopefully qualification for 2022.

[AllseeingEye]

Ha! Belgium...well done. The WC will be an all-Euro final after they took down Brazil today 2-1. Perhaps Neymar can take his act elsewhere and win a medal at the next World Diving Championships.......

[lanforod]

France vs England would be insane.

[rjag]

France vs England would be insane.

 

Gotta get through Sweden first and they have a solid squad. I think Croatia should take out Russia as well. Gonna be a fun morning tomorrow!

[AllseeingEye]

Really disliking some of the diving theatrics we see all too often in football. This word cup hasn't been too over the top although the Neymar display was frankly just embarrassing.....

 

There are times when I wonder whether I'm watching a football game or the World Diving championships. Hockey players routinely play on without complaint with broken bones, dislocated joints, concussions, or spit out multiple teeth after taking a 100 mph slap-shot to the mouth - and then proceed not to miss their next shift. Yet some of these nancy girls on the football pitch act as if they've been hit with a .50 calibre cannon round - which looks even more girlish when replays show contact was in fact minimal or all too often utterly non-existent. My favorite example from a year or two back showed two players explode into the air backwards as if hit by an anti-personnel mortar. The replay showed their feet coming no closer than one foot (minimum) separation. The patch of grass clearly visible between their boots - where 'contact' was supposedly made - was big enough to drive a tank through....

 

Change up the rules: I'm sure the prospect of a mandatory red card / match penalty for a grossly exaggerated dive will help minimize that distasteful behavior.

[Greg]

Really disliking some of the diving theatrics we see all too often in football. This word cup hasn't been too over the top although the Neymar display was frankly just embarrassing.....

 

Neymar dives, but it may be unfair to view that in isolation. I read an interesting article a few days back defending him, based on the idea that he is compelled to embellish to draw the referees attention due to the fact that opposing teams often decide that the best way to defend against him is to "kick him off the pitch." Both Switzerland and Mexico explicitly approached their games against Brazil in exactly that manner. Switzerland abused Neymar with more fouls than any player has been subjected to in a single World Cup game in the last twenty years. That has to get old.

 

I would also note that most people thought the VAR (video assistant referee) would expose more diving and result in penalties being waived. In actuality the result has been decisively the opposite, with more penalties being given due to the review. Careful review has shown that a lot of times what looks theatrical, especially when shown in slow motion, was in fact an actual foul.

 

I get the comparisons to hockey (or rugby for that matter), but the rules in hockey allow for checking, and the rules in soccer do not allow for just kicking strikers in the shin any time you feel like it. When you clean up the fouls, you get a far more attractive and flowing game. The VAR and the resulting enforcement of transgressions from late tackles to shirt-tugging on set pieces has resulted in a much higher scoring and more interesting World Cup. I'm not that keen to watch defenders abuse strikers for 90 minutes ending in a nil-nil draw.

[Wayne]

Croatia played a great game.

 

Was hoping for a France vs England final, but England did not play well in the 2nd half yesterday.

[AllseeingEye]

Yup the Croats deserved to win no question. England really lost their nerve in the second half. In spite of that have to think their future is bright with a young core that now has the experience of 'the Final Four'.

 

As an English-born colleague said at work today better a loss now than later to "......the &#^%#$^@*@*$#&^#^@^@^@-ing French!!....", lol...

[Mike K.]

Lol...

My money’s on the Croats. I also predict a hangover for Marko.

[Jackerbie]

I'm also cheering for the Croats, but man, imagine if France won the day after Bastille Day. That's like Canada winning Olympic gold in hockey on July 2. Would make for quite the weekend in France (and quite the red-wine hangover on Monday!)

[nerka]

I usually favour the underdog, so I am definitely cheering for the Croats. Be pretty amazing if a country of 4 million wins this.

[nagel]

I'm also cheering for the Croats, but man, imagine if France won the day after Bastille Day. That's like Canada winning Olympic gold in hockey on July 2. Would make for quite the weekend in France (and quite the red-wine hangover on Monday!)

Just watched all the bastille day fireworks last night and now I’m trying to find a spot to watch the game in the Loire Valley. There will be a massive wine hangover for me at least.