Topic: The 'Soccer' World Cup...

As far popularity of Soccer in America, I truly think it will take a World Cup Championship from the US to make it boom. We all know that's never going to happen so......

The whole world is football mad, except of course, America. It saddens me to see so many people completely uninterested in the beautiful game. 200 million people tuned into yesterdays draw, as events go, The World Cup is the biggest thing on the planet, even bigger than the Olympics.

I'm football mad, so will never understand why America chose to embrace a silly version of rugby, instead of trying to excel in what is, the worlds most popular sport.

Don't worry, in June 2010, England will knock the US out of the group stages and you can all go back to being oblivious again.

Actually, I back England and the USA to go through from our group. Algeria aren't going to trouble either of us, and we can both beat Slovenia.

I back England to win the group, USA to go through in 2nd place.

Anyway mate, you didn't have to be quite so Winston Churchill about the whole thing, I was just trying to find out if the Yanks have woken up to football yet, no need for the St George's Cross, and a few verses of God Save The Queen.

I was half expecting you to start shouting - WE MADE YOU, YANKEE, WE MADE YOU!

We are all Anglo Saxons, after all. They just eat more burgers than we do. And own less maps.

Oh yes there is!! It's war!!!

Me and my girls here will be cheering for England. I brought one for you too Machu.

Peace treaty accepted.

I wish England and USA much luck and pwnage.

Where's me girl? I'll have the dark haired one plz.

Not sure why America is always singled out. It's not the only country, I'm sure. I haven't noticed any general enthusiasm for the sport coming out of Canada, either, and while the game is played the world over, Europe and South America seem to be the only areas absolutely mad about it.

Africa is pretty much football mad as well. Also, world cup fever pretty much takes over in any country that qualifies, apart from America, where it doesn't spark the national interest.

But yeah, USA should be North America I suppose. The Canadians are too busy playing hockey.

The only continents not obsessed by football, are North America, and ergh... Antarctica.

World Cup '94 was hosted across The United States. England famously failed to qualify (after their performance in the previous World Cup).

Well, if we are getting detailed about it:

Football is completely dominant is South America, completely dominant in Europe, pretty much completely dominant in Africa, dominant in Russia, highly popular in China, dominant in Asia apart from India (cricket), Pakistan (cricket), and Mongolia (local weird sports). In Oceania, it's dominant in most areas apart from Australia (rugby, cricket), and New Zealand (rugby, cricket).

Note that we invented all of these sports anyway.

This isn't 100% correct, but you get the idea. Baseball, American Football and Basketball are minority sports.

Edhe - We failed to qualify after failing in the qualification tournament. You don't qualify for a World Cup by your performances in the previous World Cup.

And here is one more thing - the only time England have played the USA at the World Cup before was in 1950... and the USA won.

its the fact that us Americans are too damn proud to try new things. It suck because my school has every freaking sport but soccer (at least were starting a new baseball team in the spring).

So why does EA always make a separate world CUp game instad of having it already on disc or As DLC.

Also Machu are you one of those Soccer Thugs i hear so much about on ESPN.

Back in 94, I honestly thought America would fall in love with the sport and the rest would be history. But sadly not.

Seems silly huh, that America have already hosted the World Cup despite there being next to no interest, whilst Africa, who's passion for football is tangible, is still waiting for it's opportunity.

EDIT: @shingi. LOL soccer thugs. No! Though if you'd seen me this afternoon, cheering on my team, you may have disagreed. As fr your school, you don't need any equipment for football, just a ball, and your foot. That's why it's so beautiful. Just find a ball and a wall to kick it against, and you are off.

I really don't see Asia as obsessed with football. It's played, certainly, but obsession is another thing. And now you're generalizing entire continents when before it was just one country singled out. I don't know that football is huge in Mongolia, for instance. They're probably more busy riding horses, wrestling, or reminiscing about fallen empires or something. Let's pick on the Mongolians instead of Americans.

Edit: Trin beat me to it, but I'm glad to see we are at least united in thinking of Mongolia first when it comes to "weird sports." That was quite random.

Yeah, I'd say that's about right. It is the most popular sport in most of Asia, but the obsession is found mostly in Europe, South America and Africa.

Also, no-one is 'picking on' anyone, firstly because America has several sports that are well established, and secondly because this isn't a playground.

Sounds like we are splitting hairs now. Fact is, any country lucky enough to qualify for The World Cup, would feel honoured to do so and immensely excited, America however, do not.

What I meant to say was it was significant that England didn't qualify for '94, having played so well in '90. They had a similar team and the momentum from the last World Cup, and yet they failed to qualify.

True. We also failed to qualify for the last Euro Championships.

Qualified for this World Cup with ease though. Top of our group. I'd say England, Spain and Holland were the most impressive European teams in qualification.

Machu, it isn't unusual for America to qualify. Most small countries would be excited to qualify because it would probably be rare for them. I don't think it's fair to say America is unique in not being crazy about the sport using such a standard.

Trin, that was a joke.