[kearnyirish2]

“When played at a high level it is almost always a beautiful game.”

That is a critical distinction; much of the MLS is too slow, and the talent level is often lagging far behind the European leagues’. The recent MLS final was definitely worth watching, and any World Cup game (even if it is San Marino vs. Malta) is worth watching. To all the soccer-haters: 2 COMMERCIAL-FREE 45 minute halves...the game will usually be over within 2 hours of starting (unlike NFL games, where you spend 3 and 1/2 hours watching 4 fifteen minute quarters)...

TAKE COVER!

[Alberta's Child]

And in those four 15-minute quarters over 3-1/2 hours, you actually get about 13 minutes of actual playing time in an NFL game.

Football shares one of soccer's annoying characteristics . . . they're the only two timed sports I can think of where the clock still runs even after the whistle has blown. Can you imagine how short an NHL game would be if the clock still ran through the faceoffs?

[ml/nj]

Agree about MLS being substandard. I did sort of accidentally see a few minutes of their final this year when I stumbled onto it during an NFL commercial break, but normally I never watch.

ML/NJ