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[PureKillin]

Why isn't there a English Football Sub forums

[Scarecrow11B]

Honestly because Soccer is not as popular over here in the States as it is across the pond and most of the people from XGP are from the States. So at XGP we did not think that one was warranted for it's own forum. All of these sub-forums for the Sports section is migrated from XGPgaming.com and not fevergaming originals.

[Cap10Mark]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow11B

Honestly because Soccer is not as popular over here in the States as it is across the pond and most of the people from XGP are from the States. So at XGP we did not think that one was warranted for it's own forum. All of these sub-forums for the Sports section is migrated from XGPgaming.com and not fevergaming originals.

Things may change soon Scare. Not that I care, but there are some that do...

Rae's Say: Beckham the perfect marketing man

Now that we've had a few days to digest the frightening financial details of the David Beckham to Los Angeles transfer, perhaps it's time to take stock of what it all means for the player himself, and the league he'll soon be playing in.

he extreme view from England of course, is that Beckham's move to California is tantamount to giving up. Tommy Docherty went as far as to suggest on the radio the other night, that the standard of football in MLS is akin to that of the Conference in England. It's no better than what's on offer at Altrincham, in the Doc's opinion.

Subscribers to that school of thought will tell you that Beckham - his skills having clearly diminished - should have sought a swift return to the Premiership. Only back in England could he prove the critics and doubters wrong, and possibly regain his place in the England team.

In fact, the standard of play in Major League Soccer is not nearly as bad as the man who has 'had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus' would have us believe. Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Tim Howard and now Clint Dempsey would not be playing in the English top flight now, were it not for MLS. But let's be clear: it's a long way from Premiership level, and it's doubtful whether it's the Championship in England either.

We mustn't forget though, that on the other side of the Atlantic, the arrival of Beckham serves a specific purpose. MLS, through last week's big announcement, received arguably more publicity in two hours than in the previous two years. The former England captain now becomes the league's chief marketing director. Beckham, a man who sincerely loves the modern-day media circus, won't object.

Americans can't help but take notice of David Beckham. This has little to do with football and everything to do with the cult of celebrity, but you can't blame the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer for taking advantage of that. They have gone out and seized the opportunity to enhance the profile of league football in the USA. All credit to them.

The question really is this, however. Will Beckham's arrival prove to be just another short-term gimmick, or will it kick start a genuine and long-lasting interest in football amongst followers of the other big American sports?

Problematic for MLS is the fact that there is only one David Beckham, one player who can generate this sort of buzz in the USA, even though far from being the top footballer of his generation. Fans will doubtless come in their droves to see his initial MLS appearances. Crafty ticket managers at other clubs will probably package a deal whereby fans have to attend multiple games just to get into a match involving the Galaxy.

However, after the early hype dies down, will there be anything real left on the surface? Although played by more American youngsters than ever before, the culture of football remains on the periphery of American life.

If he can even go part of the way towards changing that cultural outlook, Becks will have earned his bucks.

It's fairly obvious that Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich are heading for a quickie divorce in the summer. While Mourinho is the sort of manager more likely to stay with a particular team for two years rather than two decades, it's the owner who has much to answer for in this case.

Clearly Abramovich has learned little from the chaos created a few hours north in Edinburgh by the interference of Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

Abramovich has done what might look like the impossible, in making Mourinho look sympathetic to the neutral football fan.

Don't be surprised if Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon already has a special plan that involves the 'special one.'
**From ESPN.com

[PureKillin]

Football will one day take over American football. Anyone for a bet?

[Mithrus]

Soccer is the worlds most popular sport.

[PureKillin]

Yeah, I know they said within 5 - 10 years Football (not soccer) will be as big in American then the EU.

[Scarecrow11B]

It might just happen, but right now NASCAR is the US's most popular sport from what I have read. Me, I do like to watch Football (soccer), but not enough to watch it all the time or the entire game. Just when there is absolutely nothing else on TV or if I am in a sports bar and it is on the TV with nothing else on.

[Da Rafsta]

Football owns the U.S. It's the greatest thing ever!

[PureKillin]

Isn't NASCAR that sport which basically go around & around in a speedway track? if so that the most boring motor sports I've ever seen. You need to watch F1 it owns NASCAR.

[NoTBeNnErZ]

because soccer sucks

[PureKillin]

Man, If you said that in the UK you would be dead within 5 mins of saying it. Also I don't see how you can say Football (Soccer) sucks. Its the best sports out there and try telling that too the 3.2Billion viewers who watched the world cup.

[shivvy]

david beckham gets paid to much....somone change the title of this thread

[Snevik]

Originally Posted by PureKillin

Yeah, I know they said within 5 - 10 years Football (not soccer) will be as big in American then the EU.

they said that when pele was playin in new york. it'll never be that big here; it just isn't an american kind of sport. that isn't an insult, personally i love soccer (i feel like a poser calling it anything else) and am a huge newcastle/celtic fan, but it just won't catch on, because the american idea of soccer is seven year olds playing peewee and minivans.

[PureKillin]

It will all change.

[Snevik]

Originally Posted by PureKillin

It will all change.

sure, as soon as you stop being naive. nothing changes; a fading star more interested in the american breed of celebrity and his t-shirt contract won't change anything. ronaldo gaining another 30 pounds in the next two years and then shifing over to chavos usa to become the mls leading scorer isn't going to change anything. the world cup being played here didn't do it; the women's us team winning it all didn't do it. and soccer people here couldn't be more missionary. it's just not realistic.