Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

Its weird Canada can't play football considering the amount of British migration it got/gets.

[Viking]

Its weird Canada can't play football considering the amount of British migration it got/gets.

British migration is associated with non-soccer types of football. viz Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Canada and US. Soccer was transmitted to the world not through migration rather than through commercial and business links. Argentina is the best example of this, a country without british political control at any time but has both migration and commercial links. Soccer was played in the commercial ports and cities while argentine rugby centers in the regions of welsh and english settlement in the countryside.

To simplify it. It's easy to teach the local dagos soccer, but to form a rugby team you need expats - this is a personal experience from playing rugby in norway. 

[The Larch]

Its weird Canada can't play football considering the amount of British migration it got/gets.

Because other anglo countries are such powerhouses...

[Sheilbh]

And let's not forget the high level of Scottish migration to Canada

[Admiral Yi]

What's more puzzling is why Canucks aren't any good at/don't play other Dominion sports either, like rugby and cricket.  Summer too short maybe?

[Ed Anger]

Too much flannel

[Josephus]

There's plenty of Italians, Germans and South Americans too. Soccer isn't ingrained in Canadian culture. If you're a decent Canadian athlete you go on to play hockey (what you call ice hockey) because that's where the money is. Now soccer isn't particularly ingrained in American culture either but the Americans are throwing something into it that Canada isn't....money. They're taking the time to develop and scout players and it's paying off nicely. Canada isn't anywhere near that standard.

[katmai]

Despite his diminutive stature, veteran guard Nate Robinson has lasted eight NBA seasons and counting. After turning into an unlikely scoring star for the Chicago Bulls last season, Robinson has signed on with the Denver Nuggets, his sixth team. He'll be counted on to provide scoring punch off the bench for a team in need of reinforcements after a tumultuous offseason.

Yet, while the challenge of integrating into a new team stands paramount for any offseason addition, Robinson is also faced with picking a new number. Throughout his career, he has opted for single digits, using Nos. 2, 3, and 4 at his various stops. With his preferred No. 2 retired for Alex English, Robinson has decided to go in a different direction. He will wear No. 10, in honor of one of the best athletes in the world. From an interview with Nate Simmons of Denver Stiffs (via Beyond the Buzzer):

    I usually dig the single digit numbers, but No. 2 is retired. Alex English, great player. He was my coach at predraft camp when I played in Chicago. He was my coach and I averaged like 22 points and 8 assists, something like that, and he was just letting me go. I was like, "Man, it's a pleasure. You rocked my favorite number." I knew exactly who he was and I was like, "Man that No. 2, there is something special about it." I'm going to change it up and wear No. 10. I'm going to wear it for [Lionel] Messi, that's my favorite soccer player. I've been playing a lot of FIFA lately and watching the games. He's the best little guy to do it and I've got to be the best little guy to do it at No. 10 in the NBA. That's my goal.

[Viking]

What's more puzzling is why Canucks aren't any good at/don't play other Dominion sports either, like rugby and cricket.  Summer too short maybe?

Dunno.. being culturally overwhelmed by the neighbor to the south perhaps?

[Josephus]

What's more puzzling is why Canucks aren't any good at/don't play other Dominion sports either, like rugby and cricket.  Summer too short maybe?

Dunno.. being culturally overwhelmed by the neighbor to the south perhaps?

cricket hasn't really caught on at all...and rugby is just a college sport at best.

[Viking]

What's more puzzling is why Canucks aren't any good at/don't play other Dominion sports either, like rugby and cricket.  Summer too short maybe?

Dunno.. being culturally overwhelmed by the neighbor to the south perhaps?

cricket hasn't really caught on at all...and rugby is just a college sport at best.

I don't know how that is relevant... since both cricket and rugby did catch on in the US. Baseball is "legendarily" invented by Abdner Doubleday when he ditches the cricket gear his civil war army is carrying on campaign and has the men play Rounders instead.. which became baseball. Football becomes distinct in the US when Heisman introduces the forward pass to avoid the problem of the primacy of the defense with the banning of the lethal Flying Wedge.

Baseball and Football are evolved from Cricket and Rugby.

[Sheilbh]

Apparently Spurs turned down a €100 million offer for Bale

[FunkMonk]

Apparently Spurs turned down a €100 million offer for Bale

[Viking]

Apparently Spurs turned down a €100 million offer for Bale

This is what happens when you let the  run a football club.

But seriously, they have solid finances, a good relationship with Bale, ambitions to join the top 4 in england. Real Madrid need a Ronaldo replacement and PSG has the money too. The can let them bid.

[Josquius]

What's more puzzling is why Canucks aren't any good at/don't play other Dominion sports either, like rugby and cricket.  Summer too short maybe?

The main reason I think, which covers the US too, is north America was quite heavily colonised before the sports were fully codified. They thus de sloped their own codes.

But yeah, given the constant influx of immigrants it's odd that some don't stick to the games they know.