What do the World Cup/FIFA and the BCS have in common?

fuegote · 06-17-2006, 09:49 PM

So, i've calculated that I've watched over 60 hours of footy recovering for my surgery this week. (http://fuegote.blogspot.com)

I'm a huge college football fan and I couldn't resist but post the irony of these teams....

UEFA is the BCS of world soccer. It really is. (For those not in the know, college football is separated by 6 "power conferences" and if you're not in these conferences you aren't considered a national powerhouse nor ever will be).

1. they are arrogant. They italians didn't know any players on the US squad. that is proof enough for me. Europeans feel they own the rights to play footy and everyone else is catching up when actually the rest of the world isn't that far behind and any given saturday, one of these "lesser" teams can win.

2. they get calls. they do. they got a lot of calls and none were more evidenced than watching Italy today. They flopped worse than a team of Carlos Ruiz and got....every....call. They did. The foul count was at one time 22 for the US, only 7 for italy. and those red cards...THOSE FREAKING RED CARDS!!!

3. do they play other teams outside of Europe much? I'm new to this whole thing but a lot of BCS schools won't venture outside of their friendly confines for college football "friendlies"

4. rankings are skewed in their favor. they usually are, the US won't be in the top 10 for long and we deserved a higher seed (well, before we played the czech's anyway).

That's why I'm cheering for anyone from the western hemisphere (minus the rivals from Mexico). Go Brazil...the best team on the planet and they still have to "prove" themselves in Europe. Go Argentina! Go T&T! Go Ecuador! Go any team from Africa (except Ghana)!

Beat those Euro snobs on their soil!

fuegote · 06-17-2006, 09:59 PM

More comparisons:
the Pac-10: Argentina, and Brazil. On the other hemisphere so aren't considered to be that elite yet seem to be in the mix for world champion every four years.

Big 10: England, Sweeden, Netherlands: these teams are always picked to win everything yet choke when the stakes are highest.

Big 12: Poland, Switzerland: Teams that shouldn't be in power conferences yet because of location are included.

ACC: Germany: Have won some championships and feel intitled to be there and receive calls regardless of the class of the team it has on the pitch at that time.

SEC: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal: these teams feel they are god's gift to the world of soccer and deserve to win every match. they get every call and cheat better than any other conference.

Big East: countries like Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia. These used to be part of powerhouse teams before wars separated the countries. Much like the Big East that lost its best teams yet still thinks it's a power house conference.

go "mid majors": every other team in the tourny.

clarette · 06-18-2006, 10:14 AM

Laughing muchly at the SEC/Italy-France-Spain-Portugal comparison... the SEC thinks they invented gymnastics too.

knowwonnose · 06-18-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

More comparisons:
the Pac-10: Argentina, and Brazil. On the other hemisphere so aren't considered to be that elite yet seem to be in the mix for world champion every four years.

Big 10: England, Sweeden, Netherlands: these teams are always picked to win everything yet choke when the stakes are highest.

Big 12: Poland, Switzerland: Teams that shouldn't be in power conferences yet because of location are included.

ACC: Germany: Have won some championships and feel intitled to be there and receive calls regardless of the class of the team it has on the pitch at that time.

SEC: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal: these teams feel they are god's gift to the world of soccer and deserve to win every match. they get every call and cheat better than any other conference.

Big East: countries like Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia. These used to be part of powerhouse teams before wars separated the countries. Much like the Big East that lost its best teams yet still thinks it's a power house conference.

go "mid majors": every other team in the tourny.

That's very much the way I feel. Of course, the Mountain West is the CONCACAF with Mexico = BYU. 🙂

fuegote · 06-18-2006, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knowwonnose

That's very much the way I feel. Of course, the Mountain West is the CONCACAF with Mexico = BYU. 🙂

well duh...that's just understood. :D

I_Believe_In_Kreis · 06-19-2006, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

SEC: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal: these teams feel they are god's gift to the world of soccer and deserve to win every match. they get every call and cheat better than any other conference.

Plus (with the exception of Italy) all these countries sound funny when they talk.......French is a weird-sounding language, Spain Spanish sounds very "flaming", and Portugese sounds like a drunk guy speaking Spanish. People from SEC schools also sound funny when they talk.

Old Ska · 06-19-2006, 10:12 AM

Okay, but only 3 non-Uefa sides have ever won the world cup, and when they do it is with teams heavily populated by guys who play professionally in UEFA countries. Brazil has what, 2 whole players on their squad right now that actually play for a Brazilian club team? And one of them, Ricardinho, played most of his career in UEFA countries before being put out to pasture back in Brazil.

Why? Because generally speaking club soccer in non-Uefa countries sucks...big time. Brazillian club teams have average attendance draws not that different from MLS', but soccer stadiums designed to hold huge crowds...even a "soccer crazy" country can't be bothered to turn out for their lousy club matches. My experience with Brazil is that generally speaking people couldn't tell you who is playing for their local club team, but can recite Arsenal and Chelsea's entire line-up. Don't even get me started on Mexico or Argentina (although to their credit, Argentina is at least fielding a fair number of guys who play in Argentina).

14 of the 32 spots in this World Cup went to UEFA teams, but in many ways that is sort of an old-fashioned, European, artifact anyways. More instructive would be to take all of the players playing in the World Cup right now and see how many of them play professionally for a club in a UEFA member country.

I agree that like in the BCS, oftentimes considerations in FIFA/UEFA that are not purely football related (that is, not related exclusively to play on the field) are the main motivating force. In BCS it is all about dollars. Teams with a large fanbase that travel to see their teams get bowl spots over slightly better qualified teams with little in the way of traveling fans. I know, I travel to see one of those teams just about every bowl game they are in. The easiest way for a team to get taken seriously by BCS would be to start having their fans 1. sell out stadiums home and away, and 2. travel by the tens of thousands to bowls, guaranteed...no matter where the bowl is or what it is (lots of teams achieve this, and they are all BCS teams). In Uefa (and FIFA) I think money rules all as well, however the exact role that money plays is a little more complicated, but still includes things like branding, attendance money, political pressures, etc.