FIFA arrests (now with improved Blatter/Platini bans!)

[Scandavian States]

That feeling you get when your nation's soccer team, despite being the 5th most popular sport in the country, is better than the national team of the homeland of the sport.

[DesAnges]

That feeling you get when your nation's soccer team, despite being the 5th most popular sport in the country, is better than the national team of the homeland of the sport.

I'm assuming you're American? If you mean by FIFA rankings, they mean naff all mate. England were ranked as the 4th best team in the world inside the last two years and 3rd in 2012.

Edit: Scratch that, I'm intrigued now. Where are you from?

[The Blaatschapen]

Performances (or lack thereof) of teams are better taken to the season thread.

[The Matthew Islands]

two world wars and one FIFA head removed in an international conspiracy with american backing to strip russia of its rightful cuppiness and make football come home for real

I don't want an English World Cup. I'm currently in a support boycott of the useless gits but I don't want the humiliation by association of us emulating South Africa.

An English world cup would be great though. Seeing as how England has a massive network of large stadiums at the ready with the infrastructure to back it all up it would be hard to see how England could get it wrong.

[DesAnges]

I don't want an English World Cup. I'm currently in a support boycott of the useless gits but I don't want the humiliation by association of us emulating South Africa.

An English world cup would be great though. Seeing as how England has a massive network of large stadiums at the ready with the infrastructure to back it all up it would be hard to see how England could get it wrong.

Yeh but I live in England. It'd be shite.

Performances (or lack thereof) of teams are better taken to the season thread.

I was going to say, I've never heard of prestations before and the definition didn't seem to fit your point. Silly sheep.

[The Matthew Islands]

An English world cup would be great though. Seeing as how England has a massive network of large stadiums at the ready with the infrastructure to back it all up it would be hard to see how England could get it wrong.

Yeh but I live in England. It'd be shite.

So do I and I really don't see how.

[The Blaatschapen]

An English world cup would be great though. Seeing as how England has a massive network of large stadiums at the ready with the infrastructure to back it all up it would be hard to see how England could get it wrong.

Yeh but I live in England. It'd be shite.

Performances (or lack thereof) of teams are better taken to the season thread.

I was going to say, I've never heard of prestations before and the definition didn't seem to fit your point. Silly sheep.

I couldn't think of the word 'performance' immediately, so I went with the French word (same root as the Dutch word btw). Did not work here. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prestation

[DesAnges]

Yeh but I live in England. It'd be shite.

So do I and I really don't see how.

The suffocating self-importance of England fans would go through the roof, for a start.

[Laerod]

So do I and I really don't see how.

The suffocating self-importance of England fans would go through the roof, for a start.

It would die down after England fail to make it past the group stage.

[The Matthew Islands]

So do I and I really don't see how.

The suffocating self-importance of England fans would go through the roof, for a start.

Well, it's not like the country isn't extremely, extremely passionate about it to the point that most of the world's biggest clubs are located here along with the most watched top-tier club competition and that for millions of people in the country it forms an extremely important part of their lives.

It's just them being self important of course.

It's actually hilarious that you are complaining about this when enthusiasm for the England squad is arguably at an all time low, especially after that embarrassing performance at Ireland.

[DesAnges]

The suffocating self-importance of England fans would go through the roof, for a start.

Well, it's not like the country isn't extremely, extremely passionate about it to the point that most of the world's biggest clubs are located here along with the most watched top-tier club competition and that for millions of people in the country it forms an extremely important part of their lives.

It's just them being self important of course.

It's actually hilarious that you are complaining about this when enthusiasm for the England squad is arguably at an all time low, especially after that embarrassing performance at Ireland.

Passionately supporting your club isn't self-importance, and neither is passionately supporting your country. I didn't say it was. It's the "Let's bring football home", "we're going to win this tournament because x" attitude from the years 2002-2010 that is self-importance. And you're right, it's pretty much at an all-time low.

That attitude isn't helpful to enact the changes the game needs at the developmental stage to actually put the team in a place where winning a tournament would be feasible, and a World Cup on home soil would bring that roaring back.

[MERIZoC]

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/john-oliver-makes-good-on-promise-chugs-bud-light-lime-after-fifa-president-sepp-blatter-resigns

[Gauthier]

And nobody wants to add Americans to the looming pool of hooligans.

Have you ever attended a sporting event in America? Booing is generally frowned upon and being excessively rowdy will get you thrown out of a stadium. If hooligans tried the crap they pull in Europe they'd end up with a boot on their neck and a gun to their head courtesy of a pissed off police officer.

Inside sporting venues maybe. Outside, turning over cars and vandalizing buildings becomes Olympic events, especially after some major sports championship.

[Camicon]

:rofl:
http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/john-oliver-makes-good-on-promise-chugs-bud-light-lime-after-fifa-president-sepp-blatter-resigns

A man of his word. More than Sepp Blatter can claim.

[Scandavian States]

Inside sporting venues maybe. Outside, turning over cars and vandalizing buildings becomes Olympic events, especially after some major sports championship.

Um, sorry, not in America. Major sporting events have enough armed security to repel an invasion, up to and including military counter-terrorism teams on standby. Case in point is the 94 WC, where there was a public statement to the effect that if hooligans got too frisky they were going to be shot. I don't recall any incidents, do you?

[Gauthier]

Inside sporting venues maybe. Outside, turning over cars and vandalizing buildings becomes Olympic events, especially after some major sports championship.

Um, sorry, not in America. Major sporting events have enough armed security to repel an invasion, up to and including military counter-terrorism teams on standby. Case in point is the 94 WC, where there was a public statement to the effect that if hooligans got too frisky they were going to be shot. I don't recall any incidents, do you?

The United States is the one nation completely apathetic towards soccer in general. Of course a World Cup held there would be rather uneventful.

10 of The Most Costly Sports Riots in History

7 out of 10 listed took place in North America.

[Scandavian States]

The United States is the one nation completely apathetic towards soccer in general. Of course a World Cup held there would be rather uneventful.

That WC set a still standing attendance record. The fact is, people were warned well in advance of the consequences of acting out like what happens in Europe and South America and it would be awful hard for you to convince me that didn't have a chilling effect on the rabble rousers. And I'm not saying sports riots don't happen, I'm saying you don't see hooligan groups like the Ultras. On the very rare occasions that sports riots do happen, they're never around the venues themselves because of the armed police and military presence.

[Camicon]

Um, sorry, not in America. Major sporting events have enough armed security to repel an invasion, up to and including military counter-terrorism teams on standby. Case in point is the 94 WC, where there was a public statement to the effect that if hooligans got too frisky they were going to be shot. I don't recall any incidents, do you?

The United States is the one nation completely apathetic towards soccer in general. Of course a World Cup held there would be rather uneventful.

10 of The Most Costly Sports Riots in History

7 out of 10 listed took place in North America.

Depends on how much you value a human life at. None of the North American riots caused any deaths.

Seventy-nine deaths during the Al-Masry vs. Al-Ahly riot in 2012, thirty-nine deaths during the Juventus vs. Liverpool riot in 1985, ninety-six deaths during the Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forrest riot in 1989.

I'd consider ten million dollars in damage (the most expensive NA riot) to be a far better outcome than eight million dollars in damage plus thirty-nine deaths, or three million dollars in damage plus seventy nine deaths.

[Souseiseki]

The United States is the one nation completely apathetic towards soccer in general. Of course a World Cup held there would be rather uneventful.

That WC set a still standing attendance record. The fact is, people were warned well in advance of the consequences of acting out like what happens in Europe and South America and it would be awful hard for you to convince me that didn't have a chilling effect on the rabble rousers. And I'm not saying sports riots don't happen, I'm saying you don't see hooligan groups like the Ultras. On the very rare occasions that sports riots do happen, they're never around the venues themselves because of the armed police and military presence.

hmm yes i can see what you mean we need people like you over here to teach us how to run things *starts a low-intensity civil war and has no idea why*

[Laerod]

*starts a low-intensity civil war and has no idea why*

Make it about tea.

[Gauthier]

*starts a low-intensity civil war and has no idea why*

Make it about tea.

Want a civil war in the United States? Make it about sla- no wait, it's been done- hmm... I know! Make it about a Constitutional Amendment abolishing the term 'soccer' and replacing it with 'football' like the rest of the world!

[Laerod]

Make it about tea.

Want a civil war in the United States? Make it about sla- no wait, it's been done- hmm... I know! Make it about a Constitutional Amendment abolishing the term 'soccer' and replacing it with 'football' like the rest of the world!

Or tea! Throw a party beforehand just to be sure.

[Gauthier]

Want a civil war in the United States? Make it about sla- no wait, it's been done- hmm... I know! Make it about a Constitutional Amendment abolishing the term 'soccer' and replacing it with 'football' like the rest of the world!

Or tea! Throw a party beforehand just to be sure.

There's already a tea party in the United States, and it hasn't really resulted in a civil war. Just rolled eyes and laughs.

[Geilinor]

Or tea! Throw a party beforehand just to be sure.

There's already a tea party in the United States, and it hasn't really resulted in a civil war. Just rolled eyes and laughs.

And Ted Cruz explaining why he hates green eggs and ham.

[Scandavian States]

hmm yes i can see what you mean we need people like you over here to teach us how to run things *starts a low-intensity civil war and has no idea why*

*shrugs* Just because it works for us doesn't mean it'll work for you guys. For starters, our attitude towards sports isn't anywhere near the same.