Football (American) vs Soccer

[Nighthawk22]

I know im not on much at all anymore but earlier today my friends and I had this debate on which was "better" American Football or Soccer and why, so i thought id ask you guys on your input on this.

To me Football is the far greater sport although that might just be because its the sport i grew up with and acts as about 60% of my life. The point of the issue comes down to one thing, excitement. When you’re watching a football game, a score could come at any time, and when it comes it will be beautiful. It’s not just the scores that are exciting either. The structure of a football game is set up so that exciting players can make great plays.

Most soccer games on the other hand see one or two scores a game, and only a few more exciting plays, mostly by goalies or other players who stop a score.

You might say that soccer is the better game because it’s players show better athleticism than football players. This is only true to a certain extent. Soccer players have better endurance since they run almost non-stop for the entire game but there’s more than one reason that few people watch marathons on TV. It’s not just because they’re long its also because a display of physical endurance isnt nearly as visually impressive as a display of speed, agility, or strength all of which is better demonstrated in a game of good old American football. It may be more awe inspiring on paper for a soccer player to play a whole game and outplay his opponent in overtime but it’s more visually impressive to see Reggie Bush zip past defenders who are much larger than him or to see Vince Young’s huge frame juking much smaller and quicker looking defenders on route to a spectacular, clinching touchdown. Still however, by all means i understand the athleticism it takes to play soccer.

[blayzer13]

I'm on my way to bed however one major difference between football and futbol is the teamwork involved. Soccer is the most teamwork requiring game currently in existence. Every player has to be on the same page and pay attention to everything going on in both sports, however, with soccer there is no 5 minute breaks for 20 seconds of play, nearly everything, every play is created through trust between every player, completely on the fly. If your keeper goes to make a kick and our outside mid fielder is going against their striker and an offensive middie, he needs to know that he has several passing options if he manages to beat the opposing side, and that he has defenders backing him up. There is minimal communication, which creates an environment for a tighter pack within the team, something that football cannot do due to the interruptions from continuous play.


One other point I would like to make about a big difference between the two is injuries and duration. Most of the injuries are created by overuse of muscles and are easily healed due to a very healthy body which most players sport, compared to football, (in my opinion players in both sports get hit equally as hard, 2 seasons ago a kid on our team kocked a kid down and broke his collar bone in 2 places) in football the injuries recieved are those you would expect from "unfit" people, if u have taken nearly a year off from a sport and then gone to preseason you know what these injuries are, pulled muscles, torn muscles, sprained ancles, pulled groins and such. In a nutshell I think that soccer is actually a bit safer and smarter to play due to the smaller chance of permanent injury. Also how many people do u see that get hurt and cant play for an entire season, not that many. where as football players get weeks off all the time for a sprained finger or have to take a season off due to a pulled hamstring.

also the quick healing allows players to play for a greater majority of their lives. how many football players were playing on a professional level and are still around today, how many linemen?

[cleeduz]

Nighthawk, nice to see you back.

As a lineman (Defensive Tackle) I played from ages 10-23, not at a professional level of course.

I have to disagree with you Blayzer, as to the two sports being on the same level as far as hitting or physical contact. There is a reason for the "constant" breaks between plays, it's to let the lineman breath, there is more physical contact and exertion being done in a 4 run drive than in an entire soccer game imho. I would love to see the NFL strap a "belt cam" to a linemans waist sometime to see what really happens at the bottom of those "pigpiles", punt returns or any running play.

I have a lot of respect for "soccer bunnies" :-P , as I played lacrosse for many years also, and understand the endurance needed for the game. But, as far as the hits being as hard in soccer as in football, I think not.

So, as to which one is better? It depends as a lot of things on the individual, I prefer to play & watch Football, but can understand someone feeling the same way about soccer. But in reality fishing beats all! What other "sport" can you enjoy while getting loaded and exerting almost zero energy! :-P

[Tubruk]

Hmmm. American football vs football. I would have to say rugby ;P much better sport to play and watch and there's no girly armour. Just my preference anyway being half welsh half south African I have no choice but to like rugby. But each to their own I have lost all faith in footbLl tbh all the diving etc ruins it for me

[Soccerman771]

Well, you know which way I'm going to vote

And just so you know nighthawk the common average score in American football is around 21-14. That's the same as a 3-2 soccer score (not far from average there, either).

I think the real question here and the one that will really answer this "debate" is two fold. Which fans are more passionate, and during which event is more beer consumed? Euro football wins hands-down IMO in both those categories.

[Tubruk]

"Well, you know which way I'm going to vote"
i was like, which way soccer? and then i remembered i'm clueless lol. about the passionate aspect of the game, it really, and i mean really changes to when its a club game or you if you watch the international games, which from my experience have just been amazing. and you can drink beer at rugby games

[Roger_The_Rogue]

For me, rugby rules. There is no amour and thus every tackles hurt. I know that as I was known for my bone-crashing tackles because after I made few of tackles, the players in the other teams avoided me preferring to run into my teammates. Lol. Also if you have been watching the international rugby games, you'll see many injury breaks and it is rather common to see plenty of blood. Have you seen our captain's face when he lift up the World Cup? His eye is swollen and he need some snitches in his eyebrow.



You will not see that often in American football. Also there is no stop-go-stop-go in rugby - you'll have to play full non-stop for 40 minutes in each half. That is why I love rugby.

[Roger_The_Rogue]

Sorry for double post.

[Soccerman771]

Is it just me or does the captian in that pic look like George W Bush?

[Roger_The_Rogue]

Don't tell me that you are jealous? Lol.

[Tubruk]

yeah, in some cases the injuries sustained are extreme to say the least, and the amount of fights that break out

Youtube Rugby Tackle's

[Highlander999]

Lets get this straight. It isn't soccer, it is football. We invented it first. Americans just copied it because it is British and everything out of Britain rules and Americans just want to be like us (New England, New Hampshire etc etc) :p

Rule Brittania!!!!

(I joke )

[huGGy]

Let me post one Video and you will see why being in a football stadium (Highlander is right ) is better than being in an american football stadium:

[Highlander999]

Now thats looks amaze. Atmosphere there must be brilliant. Good old mainland Europe

[RascalJones]

[quote=""cleeduz""] But in reality fishing beats all! What other "sport" can you enjoy while getting loaded and exerting almost zero energy! :-P[/quote]

Well, some people consider Poker a sport...