**Official USA vs Portugal World Cup Game Thread**

[|Zach|]

USA vs PORTUGAL | 5 PM KICK OFF | ESPN
Arena Amazonia | Manaus, Brazil

United States moves on to the knockout stage of the 2014 World Cup with a win. A tie or loss leaves a lot of other scenarios but lets just win this.

US faces a talented team that is having a bit of a crisis of confidence. They feature the best player (arguably) in the world in Cristiano Renaldo. If we can contain CR7 the rest of the team probably does not have what it takes to give us trouble.

Huge ****ing day for US Soccer.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

You're missing my point. The US was in the group stage last tournament and the tournament before that and got. Ratings are up 50% from the last tournament yet you give no credit to soccer. Do people love USA that much more?

It wasn't about not giving credit to soccer (which has been growing in popularity for sure), it was about pointing out the very obvious nationalism element to all of this.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

It wasn't about not giving credit to soccer (which has been growing in popularity for sure), it was about pointing out the very obvious nationalism element to all of this.

For the United States National Team?

Now that is a hot sports take.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

For the United States National Team?

Now that is a hot sports take.

You're the one who got defensive over it for whatever reason. And yes, just like how people watch Olympic volleyball or track or gymnastics and then stop watching those sports for four years when it's over. Same will happen here for many when the US is eliminated, it always does.

[aturnis]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Seems I've touched a nerve, but US TV ratings for the World Cup will crash once the US is out of the competition. There's a massive nationalism element at play here.

What does the US have to do with Spain v Netherlands?

Americans are watching games that are meaningless to them as far as nationalism is concerned, at a higher rate than ever.

Why would that change if the USMNT gets eliminated?

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by aturnis

What does the US have to do with Spain v Netherlands?

Americans are watching games that are meaningless to them as far as nationalism is concerned, at a higher rate than ever.

Why would that change if the USMNT gets eliminated?

I agree, more people are into soccer than they were in the past. But it'd be silly to think that the ratings won't go down once our team is eliminated.

Like another poster mentioned, Nationalism is certainly at work here.

I enjoy watching Soccer. But i don't give two ****s about any team aside from the U.S. I watch other games just to see what the competition looks like. Once the U.S checks out, imma check out. I'm probably not that different than the rest of the viewers right now and i actually LIKE the sport.

It's hard to stay tuned in to a sport when you don't know the rest of the teams or its players. There is no attachment, therefore not much reason to watch.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I agree, more people are into soccer than they were in the past. But it'd be silly to think that the ratings won't go down once our team is eliminated.

Quite literally nobody is saying that.

There was pushback to the idea that this is all just because the US is involved. Which is stupid because they have been involved for years and people didn't tune in at the level.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I agree, more people are into soccer than they were in the past. But it'd be silly to think that the ratings won't go down once our team is eliminated.

Like another poster mentioned, Nationalism is certainly at work here.

I enjoy watching Soccer. But i don't give two ****s about any team aside from the U.S. I watch other games just to see what the competition looks like. Once the U.S checks out, imma check out. I'm probably not that different than the rest of the viewers right now and i actually LIKE the sport.

It's hard to stay tuned in to a sport when you don't know the rest of the teams or its players. There is no attachment, therefore not much reason to watch.

If the US makes the elimination rounds, people will know that the teams left if or when the US gets eliminated are all the real deal. That could make a difference. If the audience is thinking they are starting to understand the game, they may well stick around to see what the cream of the crop is doing different.

[aturnis]

As for the Ronaldo hate...

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by aturnis

As for the Ronaldo hate...

SUMABITCH how are we going to hate on the guy now?

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Quite literally nobody is saying that.

There was pushback to the idea that this is all just because the US is involved. Which is stupid because they have been involved for years and people didn't tune in at the level.

|Zach| , i have a friend who loooooves soccer, but hates the MLS. He basically says its because the talent isnt near as good as the other ones around the world.

Is this a common thing among alot of soccer fans? Just curious....

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by aturnis

What does the US have to do with Spain v Netherlands?

Americans are watching games that are meaningless to them as far as nationalism is concerned, at a higher rate than ever.

Why would that change if the USMNT gets eliminated?

The fact that the US is still playing (and doing quite well so far) keeps casuals more interested in the other games too. Keeps interest in the whole tournament up. It all will go down when they exit.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

|Zach| , i have a friend who loooooves soccer, but hates the MLS. He basically says its because the talent isnt near as good as the other ones around the world.

Is this a common thing among alot of soccer fans? Just curious....

Eurosnobs. Fairly common, and those people tend to see disparities where there aren't. A common refrain from these soccer fans: when an MLS player misses a shot, they'll say something like "a striker in the Premier League makes that shot every time." But similar misses happen in leagues like the Premier League all the time - which the Eurosnob will never admit.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Eurosnobs. Fairly common, and those people tend to see disparities where there aren't. A common refrain from these soccer fans: when an MLS player misses a shot, they'll say something like "a striker in the Premier League makes that shot every time." But similar misses happen in leagues like the Premier League all the time - which the Eurosnob will never admit.

It is a higher quality league, though.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

|Zach| , i have a friend who loooooves soccer, but hates the MLS. He basically says its because the talent isnt near as good as the other ones around the world.

Is this a common thing among alot of soccer fans? Just curious....

Yea of happens. I think a lot of people are unfair to the league but whatever. It's funny when those same guys gripe about the USMNT every 4 years and don't lift a finger to support their domestic league. Opting for some popular team they have zero real life connections to.

Whatcha gonna do the world needs front runners right?

I think the league turned the corner in 2007 or so and has been raising it's level of play each year...by any measurable. It it is a top 10 league in the world. But it can be tough to win people over if they don't give it a chance...sometimes someone will think MLS players are shit until they go somewhere else to prove themselves but when they do that they say MLS is shit because that player isn't there...if they go back then suddenly they are shit again...no way to win.

Kansas City has shown itself able to develop talent and keep some of it as well as turn it loose on the best leagues in the world. It's a balancing act.

Experience wise Kansas City is as good as it gets...as far as the excitement of going to a game. But not all places are equally awesome...some ownerships have old school ideas or can't hang with the new free wheeling big spending MLS. Great experience going to a game in Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake, KC, Philly....LA is ok...Colimbus can be ok as well as LA. Some places have problems like Chicago, Chivas, Dallas to name a few.

TLDR - MLS is a great product but not the best in the world and is still paying for the sins of a shitty product in the past.

[Baby Lee]

Saw an interesting dissection of English national soccer. Basically, they are victims of the popularity of the sport in their country. They aren't good enough to compete with the superstars EPL draws from around the world, but still get paid better as backups on those EPL teams than they would going abroad and facing more diverse competition. So basically, at this point, English MNT is composed largely of a bunch of Chase Daniels and Kyle Ortons.