Is soccer boring?

his holiness nb · August 11, 2008, 01:42:15 PM

I like a bit of soccer every now and then, but after watching a GAA game and switching over it can seem very dull. I notice the curtain raiser for the English season ended up nil nil yesterday.

Then couldnt believe my eyes last night as the setanta sports news channel showed the results from the 8 olympic soccer games yesterday. Unless they got their info wrong, all 8 games finished nil nil. f**king hell!

nifan · August 11, 2008, 01:48:58 PM

Sunday 10 August

Men's group A:

Argentina 1-0 Australia

Serbia 2-4 Ivory Coast

Men's group B:

Nigeria 2-1 Japan

United States 2-2 Netherlands

Men's group C:

New Zealand 0-5 Brazil

Belgium 2-0 China

Men's group D:

Cameroon 1-0 Honduras

Italy 3-0 South Korea

Tony Baloney · August 11, 2008, 01:50:13 PM

You're not exactly comparing like for like. Soccer players have to play the ball with their feet (unless they were playing for Jack Charlton) or head and are limited to scoring below the crossbar so there obviously isn't as much scope for scoring as a GAA game.

DirtyDozen12 · August 11, 2008, 01:52:26 PM

Im a big soccer fan myself but i agree 100% with you when you say that after watching a gaelic match and flick it over to a soccer match there is not nearly the same excitment.

Watched the Cork-Kildare game yesterday, wasnt a great game by any means, but f**k when it was over and i turned over to watch a bit of the community sheild, there was a world of difference. I think Mickey Harte is right when he constantly says about promoting our games on a global scale rather than maybe playing in compromised rules games etc.. I cant see how anyone could not enjoy a good gaelic match. Was in the pub on Saturday watching the AI quarter final matches and ther was even protestants in watching it!!!!!!!!!!!! Even that must show there is an appeal for it

Maguire01 · August 11, 2008, 01:53:55 PM

Quote from: Tony Baloney on August 11, 2008, 01:50:13 PM
You're not exactly comparing like for like. Soccer players have to play the ball with their feet (unless they were playing for Jack Charlton) or head and are limited to scoring below the crossbar so there obviously isn't as much scope for scoring as a GAA game.

But he's not asking us to compare like with like, but to compare the two on their own merits.

As for my opinion, soccer is crap. I'd watch Ireland in the World Cup, but that's about it.

nifan · August 11, 2008, 01:56:14 PM

Community shield is a glorified friendly - Ferguson said as much before the game, saying he was using it for fitness rather than as a meaningful game.

As for the gaelic, the quarter final games on Saturday where both class, particularly wexfords win. But I have been bored by other Gaelic games before - they can be brutal too in my opinion.

nifan · August 11, 2008, 01:57:55 PM

Quote from: Maguire01 on August 11, 2008, 01:53:55 PM
But he's not asking us to compare like with like, but to compare the two on their own merits.

As for my opinion, soccer is crap. I'd watch Ireland in the World Cup, but that's about it.

But the fact that nil - nil is seen as a crap game by default is not right - points are generally always accumulated (even if it takes 25 mins in some games......) but scoring in soccer is completely different - low scoring does not equate boredom though,

his holiness nb · August 11, 2008, 02:04:12 PM

Quote from: nifan on August 11, 2008, 01:48:58 PM
Sunday 10 August

Men's group A:

Argentina 1-0 Australia

Serbia 2-4 Ivory Coast

Men's group B:

Nigeria 2-1 Japan

United States 2-2 Netherlands

Men's group C:

New Zealand 0-5 Brazil

Belgium 2-0 China

Men's group D:

Cameroon 1-0 Honduras

Italy 3-0 South Korea

Setanta sports news playing another blinder! This was about 11 last night too!!

I wouldnt say a nil nil game is exactly boring, and I do like soccer sometimes. But find when switching to soccer straight after a GAA game it does seem quite dull, even with a few goals thrown in.

Unless its after Kildare V Fermanagh

Tankie · August 11, 2008, 02:06:50 PM

you sould like americans bitching about goals and not enough scores. Scoring is essential in GAA to be interesting but i have many soccer fields who enjoy a 1-0 win over a 3-1 win, it all depends on what you are looking for in a game.

One of the best games of rugby i saw last year was the Munster - leinster game in cork, it was pissing rain and the backs never got a sniff of the ball but it was one of the best forward displays by two teams i think i have ever seen!

Hardy · August 11, 2008, 02:17:52 PM

Apart from its many other inadequacies as a sport, the big problem with soccer is the lack of resolution in the scoring system. It's just downright stupid to come up with a system where one score in a whole event extending over an hour and a half can decide it. Is there any other sport where this applies, other than a knock-out punch in boxing?

Clearly such a system cannot adequately represent the relative merits of the two competing teams, especially when you consider how difficult it is to get a score and how often a score can come from an accident or a fluke that has nothing to do with the actual performance of one team versus the other. It's as if you decided a matchplay golf game on holes-in-one. Even deciding a tennis match on aces would provide better resolution than the scoring system in soccer.

All other sports I can think of, especially team sports, have high-resolution scoring systems where the relative performances of the teams are more or less accurately reflected in the scores, because there are typically tens of scores in a game, allowing for slight incremental differences between the teams to be reflected in the result.

Mentalman · August 11, 2008, 03:00:07 PM

Nil all does not by default mean a soccer game was boring or bad - it usually depends on the level the game was played at and what was at stake. However having said that I'd agree with His Holiness, the transition back to soccer at this time of the year is painful, and increasingly over the past few years I'm not bothering to even try. Roll on the O'Byrne Cup!

The Real Laoislad · August 11, 2008, 03:13:20 PM

Is soccer boring?... No
Can soccer be boring at times?... Yes
Is Gaelic Football boring? ...No
Can Gaelic Football be boring at times?... Yes

The Real Laoislad · August 11, 2008, 03:14:46 PM

And for what it's worth comparing a Charity friendly match to a 1/4 Final of a major competition is plain stupid IMHO

GalwayBayBoy · August 11, 2008, 03:15:24 PM

I don't think the amount of scoring done bears any realition to the merits of a sport. There is a hell of a lot of scoring in basketball for example but it still does nothing for me. In fact there is probably too much scoring in basketball as scores seem to mean very little until the game reaches it's final few minutes and it's still close.

There may not be much scoring in soccer but when there is a score it is a big deal hence the wild celebrations. Part of the beauty of soccer (or weakness depending on your point of view) is that because games can often finish 1-0 it is not uncommon for a less talented team to beat a better team if they get their tactics right and get a bit of luck. Obviously this is far less common in sports like GAA and rugby where there is a higher scoring rate so generally the better team wins more often than not.

nifan · August 11, 2008, 03:23:07 PM

In the Wexford match on Saturday the commentators spent the entire first half saying that Wexford where getting dominated etc, but the teams went in with a very marginal difference. (admittedly i felt the commentators where overegging the domination). How does this square withwhats been said - was it simply the commentators talking balls about the difference, or was it the influence of the wexford free taker who had scored all bar one of the points?

One of my pet peeves (coming from a soccer background) is guys taking a really easy point when there is a great chance of a goal, so in a way I see taking the "easy" option as a bit boring.