Soccer is Australian!

[Sean K]

I played soccer as a kid and thought it was good fun. It taught me a few things. Some eye-leg co-ordination. How to hit a ball with my head. And I had a coach who my Mum called Ron Barassi. He must have been good for me.

However, I was Australian, so I switched to Australian Football and was relatively successful at that game.

Having watched the soccer highlights tonight I have concluded quite emphatically that soccer is very very un-Australian.

Has anyone else thought that?

 

[So_Cynical]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Agree somewhat...its a game that hasn't really developed as a game, gone forward i mean...there is no video ref and no hope there will ever be one, an accidental goal mouth arm ball 1 minute into the game is penalised the same as a very deliberate hand ball with 1 minute to go...crazy stuff.

Its un-Australian cos its played (and often has to be played) in in such a way that its not worth watching and pretty much a joke...as is any sport where playing for a draw is the strategy for the whole game.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Nonetheless it is the World Game.

gg

 

[Sean K]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Nonetheless it is the World Game.

gg

So, good ambassadors for the human species.

Should we send them off into outer space to represent us?

 

[So_Cynical]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Nonetheless it is the World Game.

gg

Really makes you wonder what there thinking? add to that lunacy, American football and even basketball and baseball...its all pretty ordinary.

With soccer at least all that needs to happen is for the goals to be made about 1 meter wider and about 15 cm higher, add in a video ref and 2 challengers, per side, per game....and Walaah its a game worth watching.

 

[tothemax6]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Not a big fan of soccer, but rest of world is mad on it.
Mind you I'm even less a fan of so-called 'Australian' games like AFL and Rugby league. Seriously, AFL, what the hell? This is a game? It amazes me that they take so seriously a game with so little structure and so little challenge. You need only boot the ball over everyone and between two poles, and that's the scoring? .
And league, well. League is "we are not intelligent enough to enjoy the challenging technical aspects of Union, so we will just stick to the smashing into each other bit instead, and call that a 'game'".

Probably going to aggravate a few fans, but that's what the internet's are for .

 

[JimBob]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

If only they could stamp out diving - would make the game much better and more interesting for australian supporters. If they make an automatic one match ban for anyone found to be diving or faking injury based on a video review after the match - i think this would cut most of this stuff out. I did watch a game recently where it was snowing and there was a few inches of snow on the ground during the match. Not one player stayed down faking injury during that match.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

If only they could stamp out diving - would make the game much better and more interesting for australian supporters. If they make an automatic one match ban for anyone found to be diving or faking injury based on a video review after the match - i think this would cut most of this stuff out. I did watch a game recently where it was snowing and there was a few inches of snow on the ground during the match. Not one player stayed down faking injury during that match.

agree JB. Diving is unAustralian

gg

 

[jersey10]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

I played soccer as a kid and thought it was good fun. It taught me a few things. Some eye-leg co-ordination. How to hit a ball with my head. And I had a coach who my Mum called Ron Barassi. He must have been good for me.

However, I was Australian, so I switched to Australian Football and was relatively successful at that game.

Having watched the soccer highlights tonight I have concluded quite emphatically that soccer is very very un-Australian.

Has anyone else thought that?

agree JB. Diving is unAustralian

gg

Before i add my on this topic, may i have a list of characteristics that may lead to something being branded 'unAustralian'?

 

[GumbyLearner]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Hi. I'm Australian. I use to play that
on bitumen with other fellas in primary school in the 80's in Australia.
I suppose it really depends on whether you want the skin removed from your legs.

what a stupid thread!

 

[Whiskers]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

Agree somewhat...its a game that hasn't really developed as a game, gone forward i mean...there is no video ref and no hope there will ever be one, an accidental goal mouth arm ball 1 minute into the game is penalised the same as a very deliberate hand ball with 1 minute to go...crazy stuff.

Its un-Australian cos its played (and often has to be played) in in such a way that its not worth watching and pretty much a joke...as is any sport where playing for a draw is the strategy for the whole game.

Really makes you wonder what there thinking? add to that lunacy, American football and even basketball and baseball...its all pretty ordinary.

With soccer at least all that needs to happen is for the goals to be made about 1 meter wider and about 15 cm higher, add in a video ref and 2 challengers, per side, per game....and Walaah its a game worth watching.

International Rules Series!

A hybrid of the Aus game and Soccer... played between Aus and the Irish... only. I wonder why!



But seriously, I think if there is one major sport organisation that is still on balance more corrupt, it's FIFA.

I think that is a lot of the reason why Aus has not developed the game as much relative to other international sports, because the Aussie way is a fair go, which is evidenced by technological advancements to improve the fairness of the game, but is decidely lacking in will by FIFA.

 

[Tink]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

I would rather watch the soccer than the cricket :

 

[Logique]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

...I switched to Australian Football and was relatively successful at that game.

Ditto, minus the relatively successful bit. I noticed someone said they couldn't see the skill in AFL. Let's see them go out and get a touch against Gary Ablett. Junior or senior.

That QHB site looks good Kennas, cheese making supplies as well, what will they think of next.

 

[todster]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

UnAustralian. At the moment it seems the the bigger the flag or flags hanging off your clapped out commodore the more oz you are.
Why did they ban automatic weapons?

 

[satanoperca]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

You cannot be serious!

Un-Australian - bull****

This is sportism at its best, why not bring back the white Australia policy.

Would rather my son play football (soccer) than AFL any day but then again I must be unAustralian.

Cheers

 

[choice1]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

I can't really see how a sport that has slightly different arbitrary rules, has different shaped goals and does not allow the use of hands gets labeled un-Australian...

Of course if you're talking about the type of PLAYERS the sport attracts then perhaps it's true that they don't fit the typical Australian sporting persona. To be honest I'm glad because hearing about fights, gang rapes and naked pictures does tend to get old...

But yeah Australian's never really seem to get into soccer. Since Brisbane has been leading the A-league we've been getting crowds of 10-15k consistently (up from 6-10) but that really doesn't fill up much of Suncorp stadium. Hopefully Australia will start supporting their soccer stars but until then there will be no growth in the national league and Australia will not be able to retain it's top talent. There is a good reason only 3 out of 23 players in our national team play in the national league...

On a side note we're 1 game away from qualifying for the AFC Asian cup finals!

 

[Sean K]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

The thing I really don't understand is the after goal celebration.

I mean, why try and run away from your team mates, even the one who did all the hard work downfield and kicked it to you, and take off your shirt to show everyone your weenie body.

Very un-Australian.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

The thing I really don't understand is the after goal celebration.

I mean, why try and run away from your team mates, even the one who did all the hard work downfield and kicked it to you, and take off your shirt to show everyone your weenie body.

Very un-Australian.

Each form of football has it's own characteristics. In ARL you can have your prostate checked, I am told, in any old scrum.

gg

 

[Bill M]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

When I was a kid we use to call it w@g ball because all the Italians played the game. They called our football water mellon ball in return. Then when I went to high school all the 10 pound Pommy immigrants were playing it, I wasn't wanted on their team. Not a lot has changed really, nearly every name in the Aussie team comes from another country originally.

One of the best quotes I heard describing the game was my expat Aussie mates living overseas saying, "it's the only sport in the world where they play for 90 minutes and can't get a score, how boring."

Give me Aussie Rules or Rugby League any day.

 

[Sean K]

Re: Soccer is un-Australian

It's definitely un-Australian to fake for a free kick or to fake an injury. It should be on our citizenship test. Do you lie down, roll around on the floor and whimper like a dog in order to gain advantage in a game? I suppose if that was the case soccer wouldn't be played in Australia.