My problem is I can’t stay interested for long.

Yes, it’s possible that it’s a “me” problem.

90 minutes of kicking the ball back and forth across the pitch that feels too large for the task at hand, occasionally scoring, only to end up with what amounts to a pretty low scoring game. It’s just hard to watch, it seems to move so much slower than I can handle.

If it works for others, that’s awesome; any sport that has the potential to bring many people together is a great thing.

▲

borosuxks 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Football (or soccer for you) can be insanely high tempo and insanely slow and boring. Depends on the game.

But the low scoring is actually one of the most important things in soccer.

A goal in soccer is so much more precious than in any other sport. It can win you the game, as almost a third of games have one or less goals in the game. So the euphoria when the team scores outweigh any "boringness" that preceded it. It can only be compared to a sudden death win in hockey (another relatively low scoring game, though a not as low as soccer).

Those not into soccer don't really understand this, and many have tried to increase the number of goals scored. But it doesn't make the game better. An 8-2 score is much more boring than a 2-0 game, as the nerve is there all game.

	▲	6 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		[deleted]
	▲	skydhash 4 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I got into soccer late (watching it, as I was playing it all the time as kid). The best aspect is that it can be incredibly hard to score and a goal requires good team coordination and individual skills, which must be better than those of the adverse teams. Once you get familiar with it, it becomes an anticipation game. And you on the stand usually as a better view of a play than the players. So while there’s only passing going on, you start to sense the strategy shifts. And you may even think it’s either doomed or have a high chance of success, but the opposite happens. A goal is the reward for high amount work, not a foregone conclusion. That’s what makes a penalty so painful.

▲

prmph 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In addition to the sibling comment, I'd say that to enjoy the game, you really need to appreciate what's hard, the incredible acrobatic feats the players do, the intricate positional maneuvers, and how much training goes into all that.

But I guess it is hard to do that later in life, if you did not grow up in a football (soccer) culture, maybe playing recreationally as a boy, and avidly following the game.

▲

jrpelkonen 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I think it’s hard to truly appreciate any sport you haven’t played yourself. I personally cannot get excited about baseball, and it’s probably mostly because of my own lack of playing experience.