my friends think im gay because i cant wait for World Cup 06. why doesnt the U.S.A. love soccer like mexico?
139384
It seems that Americans prefer sports that originated here (baseball, basketball, football). However, interest in soccer is growing here, especially since a huge number of kids participate in youth soccer leagues (much more than football or baseball, primarily because more girls play soccer). I think soon, soccer will be big here as well.\n\nAs for your friends, tell them to go to England, or France, or Mexico, and tell soccer fans there that they're gay. Seriously, soccer fans around the world make Raider fans look like the girl scouts.
1167266
because people think that the usa does not know how to play soccer.   TO THESE PEOPLE I SAY LOOK AT LAST YEAR!!!! we made it so far for our standerds. no one thought we would be able to get out of group stages.\nWE WILL SHOW THOSE DANG EUROPEANS!!!!
322902
Americans are a proud people...and what's hard for you, and other countries where soccer/football is predominant to understand, is most Americans love our own sports.  We're a country based on freedoms, those freedoms earned by our war of independence with England.  Soccer has been played here for years, but not as a professional sport.  I think what turned Americans around about soccer and how it's viewed, is the Women's Olympic team and their triumphs.  For me, my ties are with England, having been raised there when I was a child.  Although my parents are American, my brother was adopted there, and is completely "British" in attitude, demeanor, everything except accent!  He speaks better "suthern" than I do!  But being raised HERE since he was 3, his favorite sports are baseball and our football.  For myself, I am a diehard Manchester United Football Club fan, with plans to finally see my team play next year live!  But what I love the most, I think, is the fact that a man who owns one of OUR football teams here in the state I live in (Florida) ALSO owns controlling interest in my British football team!  How great is that?!  American owned...but British through and through.  Give us time, we're slowly coming around to loving soccer as much as the rest of the world!  I wear a multinational necktie at work, with flags of all the countries that have soccer teams in the World Cup, and soccer balls on it, you would not believe the responses, or conversations that start because of that tie.  I am quite surprised at how many people come into our restaurant and talk to me about soccer!  So you see...times are changing...people are aware of the sport the rest of the world considers "football", and if I mention "soccer", they usually correct me.  Patience is a virtue...and it's really great seeing how this game is finally taking off here in the USA. :)
313230
they say african teams because the africans are always the cinderella story, spain almost always does well, but they never win, they just have the talent to win so the media thinks that each cup might be their cup because of the potential, mexico always comes into the world cup with a ton of wins...but they also have so many wins cuz they lead to the cup playing jamaica, panama, and el salvador, they play the easy teams and look amazing, so the media think they will come to the world cup and beat teams 8-0
1106433
You've got to be kidding.  The U.S. is the most gay-friendly country in the world.
1181746
Oh, come on...  Let's stop with the derogatory answers about the US and soccer.  I, for one, absolutely love it.  I've had a great time watching the World Cup.  My roommates (both Americans) and I have recently spent our afternoons watching the games.  I'd also really like to play, but I'm pretty bad at sports so I don't know how that would go over.  \n\nHowever, not everyone in the US loves soccer.  I think this has something to do with the fact that soccer is televised without commercial breaks.  This makes the major television companies less likely to carry it (even though there is a Fox soccer channel you can subscribe to) because they make a lot of their money on advertisements, which sports like (American) football allow for.  Still, soccer is a popular sport in American high schools, and I hope to see its popularity increasing as people become more drawn into the World Cup this year.
723125
A lot of people in the US care about the world cup because most Americans are immagrants from europe and south and central americas. \n\nHowever it is hard to get excited when the games are on at 5am in the morning or midnight in 2002.\n\nIt does not get media coverage though.
309874
I guess it's because Women’s soccer in the US is more developed (like in the nordic markets in EU) compared to the half hearted attempt at getting the US mens game up to the same level\n\nFact, the US Women’s team have won their version of the world cup and the man's equiv have won diddly squat
586741
I'm Italian so I will make comparisons based on my feelings about where Italy stands.\n\nNot saying that the US has a bad team, they actually have a decent team and it's possible that they can beat or tie with Italy (not likely though) and/or the Czech Republic.\n \nNow let's see why the US is in 4th position...\n \nItaly could rack up tons of points by always playing teams like:\nGuatemala, \nCosta Rica\nTrinidad and Tobago\nPanama\nMexico\nJamaica\nEl Salvador\n \nUnfortunately for Italy (and others), we play in Europe where the competition is stiff!  Points racked up by playing substandard teams mean absolutely nothing in my opinion.\n \nThe fact of the matter is that the CONCACAF division is a joke.  What Mexico and US are proving in that group is that they can beat up teams like the ones mentioned above.  This means absolutely nothing.  The reality is that this division should be combined with the South American division.  This has been proposed in the past, but it hasn't gone through because most likely 95% of the teams in the CONCACAF division (the one the US is in) wouldn't make it through.  \n \nThe friendly games they've been playing are mostly a complete mismatch.  They've played:\nCanada\nNorway\nJapan\nGuatemala\nPoland\nGermany\nMorocco\nVenezuela\nLatvia\n \nThe only 3 teams here on the list of friendlies that are any decent are Japan, Poland, and Germany (the rest weren't even close to qualifying for the world cup).  The game against Japan is a good win for the USA, the game against Poland was played in blizzard like conditions (see http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/photos/usa.html?i=1&d=1) , the game against Germany was a blowout and Germany walked out with a 4-1 victory.   \n \nJust to compare friendly game schedules, Italy will play friendly warm up matches with the following teams (which all qualified for the world cup)\nGerman (beat them 4-1)\nSwitzerland\nUkraine\n\nThe ranking system is a marketing tool.  The only way soccer will be become popular in the United States is if people hear "The US is ranked 4th!!" and FIFA is desperately trying to break in the USA market for the goold old American dollar.  Not that I am saying that FIFA has manipulated numbers in favor of the US, but combining CONCACAF and CONMEBOL has been brought up in the past, but refused by FIFA because it will not guarantee a place in the World Cup for Mexico and USA.
1112860
Absolutely not!  They love football, but it is American footbale play by hand! 99% of American do not care soccer. I tried to watch Mexico against Angola yesterday and only Spanish channel show this match. During that period of time, three other sport channels were showing other sport!\n\nHow do they expect their team would advance to next round this year? US team did a very good job in 2002 World Cup. This should increase the popularity of this sport in the US. But, obviously, it is not.\n\nNone of the newspapers in the US shows the World Cup' s matches schedule. No analysis has been drawn up. \n\nUS seems to enjoy sports that other countries do not play. The biggest sport in the world, Soccer, has been intentinally igonored!
381697
Not anytime soon, that's for sure. The U.S. will never win a world cup as long as the best athletes in America play other sports. For god sake the game is called football not soccer. And as long as the leagues in America have no talent pool and bad youth systems, there is no good outlook for American soccer.
1117555
i want the us to win, but they are in a really hard group. im supporting germany and england, france is a good team also
1099560
Actually I think it is because they do not have the drive to want to play in the World Cup as all the other countries do..\n\nJust look at the game between USA and Ghana...\n\nThis is Ghana's FIRST appearence in the World Cup and they advanced to the next round, and yet USA has qualified for the World Cup since 1990 and still lost..\n\nIt goes to show that they do not truly have the desire to want to play soccer and be in the World Cup
1164189
I am loving it!!!! I am a Mexican-American so of course my two favorite teams are MEXICO & AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!  And yes it is very addictive!!!! But it's a good addiction!!!
1054750
I agree.  \n\n\nThey don't have enough passion and love for the sport. Every other team loves the sport and plays with passion. USA play because they are the "big country" in the world, everyone expects them to be good in everything.
1139433
hmmm....  obviously you have offended the yahoo  people... you know they are  promoting the gay parade don't you? (it's true) and  you combining it with soccer...well...maybe they just  don't like sports that involve kicking balls..lol....it also has become quite fashionable to  insult/ hate our president.. though  this appears to be  mostly a liberal pursuit..... it gives them something to do between  pizza deliveries...
1178724
I'm with ya einny...i don't get it either...oh well..this world cup stuff will be over soon and once again we Americans can forget we even have a team\nlol\n:-)