World Cup 2018/2022

I wonder why this is such an emotional matter? It's after all just about which boring country gets the right to host the World Cup, not to lift the trophy.

After FIFA decides who gets to win these World Cups, the discussion will be a lot more interesting.

Originally Posted by clockwise

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After FIFA decides who gets to win these World Cups, the discussion will be a lot more interesting.
This is exactly what its about already: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64F0UC20100516 That was the Chief of the FA who stepped down a few months ago after claiming the Russians and Spanish were trying to bribe referees at the last finals. The Chairman went yesterday. At the moment the FA has no Chairman or Chief Executive, with the implicit suggestion being that anyone who fills those roles must be prepared to deal with a corrupt world governing body.

What does this decision mean to me? That my efforts to try and attend Brazil '14 are now doubled.

What an awful pick for a World Cup. Qatar had by far the weakest bid of any country in 2018 or 2022 but, they have buckets of oil money to pay off the FIFA voters. Wall Street Journal speculated that Qatar payed 80 million of debt for the Argentinian Football Association although of course Grondona denied any payoff.

Qatar has never qualified for a WC and never hosted a major sporting event. They have to build an entirely new infrastructure, anywhere outside and not air conditioned is going to be brutally hot, they typically do not allow alcohol, etc. Absolutely disgusting that Qatar got a World Cup.

This was obviously a corrupt (and idiotic) purely political decision with no basis in quality of the bids as both America and Australia were much more deserving and qualified to host the Cup than Qatar.

Originally Posted by svelten

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Ouch, what happened to San Jose? They're a pretty new team too, sort of.

If by sort of you mean that they existed for a while then had the team move to houston and then a few years later have the current incarnation pop up then ya you're right. It's also interesting that they had attendance plummet while they had one of their best runs in a while. Probably since their last MLS championship run.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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By the way, saying that NOBODY cares about soccer in the US is a bunch of BS.
Indeed. Pubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles were packed at 4am and 7am this summer (by Americans not just ex-pat Brits and Germans) to watch the games. I am sure other cities on the eastern seaboard or great lakes were the same.

Originally Posted by embowafa

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When you say that I pretend like MLS is the NHL, I'm not. I'm saying MLS isn't even as popular as the NHL, and it won't be.
I just want to point out that MLS attendance is not a measure of how popular soccer is in the USA. Many soccer fans in America are still much bigger supporters of European teams than MLS teams. I pay almost zero attention to the MLS but I watch my team Arsenal all the time and also watch Champions League every year. I probably watch more random matches from the Bundesliga than I do MLS.

Originally Posted by word

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Where I grew up (rich white suburbia) many of the kids played soccer, including me. I'm sure most rich white kids who were born in the early 80s played soccer at some point in their early life. And there were no chicos around this city either.
Its not just "rich kids". If you count girls and boys, I believe that youth soccer (thanks to AYSO from the 1970s) is the sport played by the most American children by quite a substantial margin.

Originally Posted by Cotillion

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Its not just "rich kids".

If you count girls and boys, I believe that youth soccer (thanks to AYSO from the 1970s) is the sport played by the most American children by quite a substantial margin.

Have you seen a youth soccer game? 20 kids chasing the ball in one herd. Not quite MLS, definitely not Europa league level of play.

The same can be said about pop-warner football, it's nothing like the the NFL.

The strange thing about soccer in America is that there are so many youth players who drop the sport. Their youthful passion is never converted to adult interest, in the form of going to MLS games or even watching the ESPN 2 broadcasts.

I think that as more european game become easily viewable in the USA, the glamor of the game will be exposed, and support will follow. Most American sports fans respect the World Cup, but may not realize that club soccer in Europe (at the highest levels) is superior. Just my two cents.

Anyways... Is it time to start forging alcohol licences and smuggling beer into Qutar?

Originally Posted by culverwood
In your dreams

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Originally Posted by embowafa

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Yeah...ok. The US doesn't produce the vast majority of popular culture/media for worldwide consumption.

I think you made my point for me.

We should have gotten it, of course.

Originally Posted by NOBD

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We should have gotten it, of course.

Punishment for cheating against the Slovaks this summer.

Originally Posted by clockwise

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After FIFA decides who gets to win these World Cups, the discussion will be a lot more interesting.

as hosts don't have to qualify their teams it will be REALLY funny how qatar loses 3 games in a row during world cup qualifying for finals and then puts an end to the games ..

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

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Punishment for cheating against the Slovaks this summer.

The Dutch?

Originally Posted by NOBD

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The Dutch?

Yes.

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

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Yes.

Must have repressed that. I just read a match report that stated the Slowaks got a present penalty. It was a Dutch report, though... What happened?