Posted on 06/30/2014 12:03:51 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
SAO PAULO – Lost amid all the talk about the World Cup making soccer grow in popularity within the United States is one very real and unexpected development taking place right here in Brazil.
The United States is growing in popularity within soccer.
Don't look now, U.S. men's national team, but you are increasingly becoming the second favorite team for a lot of folks from other countries, including the host nation.
"Brazil is falling in love with the U.S.," said Brazilian businessman Mario Ribiero, who partied with American supporters in Recife last week. "It is seen as something new and exciting and surprising. We love the team because it is an underdog. And we love the fans."
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
A less cynical way of putting it is that the large US contingent - and while soccer may be a niche sport in the US, that still leaves a lot of supporters and they tend to be passionate - helps sway the “neutrals” in the crowd.
So far, I’m 4-0 in picking the knockout round games. I have Germany and France today (duh), and Argentina and USA tomorrow. Personally, I think today has the potential for being the dullest of the round of 16, but nothing in this tournament has been predictable.
Please enlighten us on some of the “good points” made by AC in that otherwise (unintentionally) hilarious article.
Costa Rica may well send the Divers back to their redlight districts and Mosques, at least the Greeks have a cross on their flag.
Duh. Do these people think plane tickets to Brazil are cheap?
I am starting to believe in Colombia. They have played the best of any team thus far.
Don't mention the war.
If the game had Ivory Coast in it, I see their fans, if it was Japan, their fans, if it's the USA, their fans and so on. Chile, Mexico, Netherlands, etc.
Uh, no!
That explains this email I just received....
I am Alhaji Waziri Dongoyaro, and I play for Nigerian Soccer team. I came to know of you in my search for a reliable and reputable person to handle a very confidential transaction........
Watch Zer0 fly down and make a grand entrance, sealing the hatred deal.
I thought the Ghana fans were great. I wonder though, how many of them actually still live there.
But the Giants flop more, at least in their last superbowl run...
Ha, ha!
Glad to see the poor-sport, anti-American Mexicans go down.
USA defeated Spain when they were on their record win-streak and were Euro-Champions, that was in the Confederations Cup so still something, we also advanced in 2002 to the Quarter Finals and one can argue we were hard-done there. USA has already shown its potential. I think we have indeed defeated both Argentina and Brazil as well.
We did do well in this group stage in hindsight, tied on points with Portugal and winning the tie-breaker.
88th minute Holland scores, hardly a convincing victory, they deserved it as they were denied that earlier fairly clear penalty. Until the 88th minute though, definitely the Dutch were on the losing end.
US soccer has arrived. We will be a top 10 nation from here on out. We have permanently passed England, which shocks me to say it. I see a degree of sophistication and maturity that I haven’t seen before.
And you "enjoy" soccer so much that this is the only thing you've posted about it since the WC started? Pull the other one.
-— wouldn’t it be great to see them beat the Dutch! -—
Sure would be. Their weakness is defense. Robben frightens me more than Percy. He’s cold-blooded and very smart.
In yesterday's "11", that many modern-day Greeks held off 10 Costa Ricans,
before going down to defeat with their heads held high in a demonstration of hack mediocrity.
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