Soccer: A Cute "Man's" Sport

I went to a soccer game yesterday but, surprisingly, I had a lot of fun. Now I am not sure how this happened. The game ended in a 0-0 tie and the teams didn't actually start shooting until around the 85th minute (for those of you that know nothing about soccer, they play 90 minute games.) Probably the coolest thing about soccer is the section of fans that is never sitting down and singing songs the whole time, and I was sitting close enough to that section that I was able to have a good time. I went to the game with soccer fans and they all said that the game was boring, so why did I have so much fun? There are a few reasons. I must be going through some type of sports withdrawal. I haven't seen a live sports game since early September and I haven't even watched one on television since the beginning of October.

Another reason is the atmosphere.When you go to a baseball game you can have a "good crowd" i.e. one that boo's an opposing team's player simply because he is the best player out there, but at a soccer match you always have the fans that are into the game for the full 90 minutes. Pretty cool. The key point there though is that the game is only 90 minutes, what a perfect segway into why soccer has never really appealed to me.

Soccer games are two 45 minute halves with around a 20 minute halftime, the game is too short. I was in the stadium for a total of 2 hours and that is simply not long enough. Yes, they play for 90 minutes and basketball and hockey only play for 60, but the amount of time in a soccer game that is wasted by the two sides being absolutely boring and passing it backwards towards their goalkeeper legitimately cancels out about 20 minutes.

The second reason why soccer has never been a favourite of mine is the type of people that play soccer. Every single soccer player in the world thinks that soccer is the best sport in the world. They all think that they are above everyone else. But really, of that 90 minute game only two or three people on either team is actually running for over 75% of the match. That isn't to say that these players aren't in good shape, but if you were to ask them they are in the best shape out of any professional athlete.

This results in soccer players trying to be cute. As a hockey player, I try my best to stay away from anything affiliated with the word cute. Even in the crappy Australian league where players from the MLS go to retire (the MLS is the American/Toronto league where European soccer players go to retire) the players try to score highlight reel goals and be "cute" until the last five minutes, when it was actually fun to watch. Obviously throughout the game both teams had opportunities.. but overall it was pretty boring.

When I get home I am going to go to a TFC game to see if I can actually stand them, and I will be sure to sit as close to the rowdy fans as possible. I just wish soccer players didn't try to be so cute.

Until soccer players grow a pair,
- Riley