In this article I am going to be a ruthless advocate of soccer lol! Especially against those who say that this sport is boring …
… I’ve played and watches soccer for many decades and the last word that I can associate it with it is boredom!
So, Is Soccer Boring?
Absolutely No! Soccer is a very intriguing sport, as it’s a showcase of exquisite skills and talents on a single field for 90 minutes.
The tactical and technical aspect of the sport is really fascinating; it is pretty much like a chess match with a ton of excitement!
Let me ask you this question, if soccer was so boring, why do we see in most matches sold out stadiums all over the place?! Not to mention, the millions of people watching games from all over the world!
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Reasons why this sport is far from being boring …
1. Very Simple
Soccer is a very simple game. The objective is to get the ball past the other side’s goalkeeper!
Fouls, set pieces, and the offside rule take some getting used to, but once that is taken care of, fans can easily and quickly understand the game.
American football and baseball—two of the most popular sports in the US—have extremely complex rules that take a long time to fully comprehend.
Introducing a novice to the game of soccer is easy because one has to explain only a small handful of regulations before they’re ready to join their local supporters’ club.
2. Anyone can play it
Soccer is a game that anyone can play, regardless of income level or equipment!
Have a perfectly maintained field with lines carefully painted? A game can occur there.
Find yourself in the African countryside or a crowded Brazilian favela? Find four sticks to mark the goal line and anything hard and round to be the ball, and you can have a game right then and there.
The sport doesn’t require any expensive equipment, making the same accessible to all.
3. Skills are a BIG part of the game
Soccer is a game where skill rules the day. Messi’s dribbling, Ronaldo’s shots from distance, Mbappé’s genius on the ball, and Neymar’s nutmegging…
… It doesn’t matter how big or tall you are, unlike basketball or American football. Messi has cemented himself as arguably the greatest of all time in spite of standing at a diminutive 5-7. It shows that the ability to work with your feet, knees and even heads stands supreme over brute athleticism.
I personally believe this is the main reason that many experts consider soccer as the sport!
4. Largest Global Following
Soccer has the largest global following and is an easy way to make friends in a foreign land.
Just got off an airplane that took you across the Atlantic to France? Strike up a conversation with your taxi driver about Paul Pogba.
Standing at a Milan coffee? Ask about the latest Derby della Madonnina.
Having a spot of tea on Liverpool? Bring up Mohammed Salah, and you’re sure to be popular.
5. Goals are really meaningful …
Unlike many other sports, a scoring moment in a match is extremely important. In basketball and to a lesser extent, American football, scoring is so common that any given basketball or touchdown may not swing the final result in either direction.
But in soccer, one goal means a cataclysmic blow for one side and a euphoric moment for the other. This is because a single goal so often dictates a 90-minute fixture’s entire result, something that isn’t easily replicated in other sports.
Why Americans still consider it to be boring?
Many Americans still find soccer to be boing for two main reasons.
1) People in the US are used to sports with lots of scoring. Basketball and American football come to mind. Even baseball still sees much more scoring than soccer does. People in the US are often put off by a game where a final score line reads 0-0.
2) Equally if not more importantly is the fact that soccer’s superstars come from outside the United States. The best basketball players are American, with the same obviously holding true for American football too. Even sports such as baseball and ice hockey, which feature large numbers of non-US born stars, those players still compete in US-based leagues.
Soccer is different in the fact that the best players both are not American and also play in non-American leagues.
This drags down the potential for soccer to take off in the US, for reasons that range from the natural tendency to root for athletes from your own country, to more nuanced obstacles such as time zones that the biggest games occur in.
The game can become more popular in the US if the country develops a crop of homegrown talent. A player like Christian Pulisic is exactly what the country needs. Even though he plays in England, the young man from Hershey, Pennsylvania gives Americans someone to root for in the exotic world of European football leagues.
Top Changes to make soccer even more exciting …
To increase player creativity in open space and possible scoring chances, perhaps FIFA should look to alter the guidelines for pitch size to allow for bigger fields.
Currently, goal lines must be between 70 and 80 yards wide and the touchlines must be between 110 and 120 yards long. Maybe the governing body should allow for fields wider than 80 yards or even set a lower limit of pitch width.
The same goes for length. Instead of an acceptable range of 110-120 yards, maybe the threshold should be 115-125, or 120-130 yards.
The size of the goal could also be increased to add more goals. Instead of an 8X8 yard net, perhaps expand it to 10X10 yards or something in that neighborhood.
Lastly, the game could allow more subs to enter the match. Currently, teams are limited to three substitutions in competitive matches, with an extra replacement allowed only in exceptional circumstances.
Fresh subs could allow for more speed late in matches, and more offensive risk taking that fatigued players wouldn’t tolerate. This could increase goal scoring, especially in key moments late in matches.
What is exceptional about soccer?
Soccer is the only sport that has stopped wars!
In 1969, a civil war in Nigeria underwent a 48-hour ceasefire just so Pele’s club Santos could play a friendly in front of fans without having to worry about anything other than the match, at least temporarily.
When the Ivory Coast was too experiencing a civil war in the 2000s, a side that qualified for their first ever World Cup in 2006 pleaded with its countrymen to find a better solution.
“Men and women of the Ivory Coast,” Didier Drogba announced to the nation. “From the north, south, center and west, we proved today that all Ivorians can coexist and play together with a shared objective: to qualify for the World Cup.”
The message worked, at least temporarily. While 2010 saw the return of internal conflict to the nation, for that moment, soccer transcended war and politics.
Is soccer boring to watch?
Soccer is not boring to watch. It’s 90 minutes of nonstop action, with players from all corners of the globe congregated on a single pitch. One kick, one foul, one bad clearance or referee decision may make the difference between heartbreak and jubilation for a side and everyone who supports them.
Anyone can be the striker who scores the winning goal in added time, or the keeper who couldn’t keep the ball out of his goal.
The game doesn’t discriminate based off any individual’s race, religion, nationality or socioeconomic status. When a Brazilian and a Nigerian play in front of an English crowd, for the right to advance to a European competition, with a Serbian referee and a French goalkeeper all standing in each other’s way of glory, we know we’re not witnessing a World War, but a match of the beautiful game.
Final Thoughts …
Hope this article has given you enough reasons to see the excitement and value that soccer brings to the table …
… Believe me, I’ve played and watched soccer for many years and the last word that has crossed my mind is boredom!
Lastly, I highly invite you to check those things that you shouldn’t do in soccer! There are many amateur players who don’t know about these …