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Soccer Vs American Culture

Decent Essays

Two of the most popular sports worldwide have drastically different followings. Even though people say soccer is more popular, there is no real debate on why football is king. Both sports have impacted citizens and changed cultures, but which one is ultimately better?
The first football game was played about one hundred and fifty years ago, and since has grown to have the largest followings in the United States. American people have grown up in a society that is swarmed by a Footballistic Culture. During the fall season all talks and conversations are about how good the Patriots are doing or who has the best fantasy team, but by now this seems normal. To an average American boy this is nothing unnatural to hear about on a daily basis, …show more content…

The first reason is the specialization of offense and defense, which allows players to devote their entire career to one side of the ball. This allows a player who feels strongly about a position to master all aspects of it and to become the best at it. If a player is all about destroying the offensive line and being disruptive as possible, then the defensive line is the perfect match up. Forcing players to play both ways takes away from their ability to completely learn and master a position and it takes a toll on their energy as well. Allowing a whole fresh squad to exchange places with the athletes that were just on the field tremendously helps with the exhaustion factor and brings a whole new mindset onto the field. The second reason football is king is because of the amount of strategy and depth that goes into it. There are hundreds of plays that the an offense can run, and same for the defense trying to counter it. The ability to run and pass the ball takes the game to two dimensions, air and ground, which forces the defense to scheme the best coverage options on their own. Not knowing what the other team is about to run is devastating, but that’s why film and scouting have been implemented. Being able …show more content…

The United States has its own favoritism of sports, and is captivated by football. Soccer, for the rest of the world, is an all time classic. It brings neighborhoods, family, and teams together to participate in a game that seems a little simple. The problem with soccer is that for some it’s too basic, there aren’t enough opportunities to score and the players seem to just run around for ninety minutes. What soccer lacks is the depth of strategy and the ability for players to specialize. Some plays can be attempted, but they are usually unsuccessful due to the position of the teams’ players and the lack of communication across the field. When players are halfway across the field, it’s difficult to communicate a play and getting closer requires running which results in a loss of energy. Another reason why soccer isn’t as interesting is the fact that scoring occurs infrequently and sometimes never. Nobody wants to sit in a stadium for three hours to watch a game where the final score will be one to zero; where's the enjoyment in that! The overall play of the game comes off as boring, watching athletes kick a ball up the field makes the game unbearable to watch. Arguably one of the worst features about soccer is the fact that athletes never change sides, resulting in some players striking upfront while the others hang back for defense.

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