Re: I'll watch soccer when....
I, for one, really enjoy the sport. I grew up playing the sport and my 3 kids all play as well (I coach them).<br /><br />It is a great sport for youth for several reasons:<br />1. It is great exercise (much better than t-ball/baseball).<br />2. It is relatively inexpensive to play (compaired to U.S. football).<br />3. The game can be fast-paced and exciting at that early age.<br />4. You get to learn to act (well, act "hurt" that is - just kidding).<br /><br />For what the sport lacks in exciting goal-scoring at times (a major complaint by many in the U.S.), it makes up with it in turn-overs. Where you might have only 2 or three turnovers in a game of U.S. football, in soccer, within seconds, a team will be attempting to score on the opponents goal only to find their own goal being shot upon by the opponent.<br /><br />When you get to the level of World Cup soccer, the skills that they players make look easy are, in fact, extremely difficult. There is great skill involved in the sport, especially considering that the ball must be controlled without the use of hands (other than throw ins).<br /><br />Honestly, I could see soccer become more exciting to those that don't appreciate the game if they did the following:<br />- did away with offsides (which would allow for cherry picking and more goals)<br />- made the goal two foot taller and 6 foot wider (allowing for more goals).