“Cultural Implications of the Soccer Phenomenon in America

[Dan D]

Resistance to soccer is futile! :P

Interesting and fun -but long- read, originally published in 1986 (=“soccer phenomenon� ? ):
http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/culture.html

Extract:
„…Soccer in many countries cannot be understood apart from the country's culture, traditions, class structure, geography, and values. Soccer reflects a nation's culture because it permeates all levels of a society. There are probably climatic reasons why South Americans in their warm climate play at a different pace than the English, who play right through the winter and have to keep running to combat the cold. Brazilian soccer, so well documented by Janet Lever (1983) in Soccer Madness, is "alegre," soccer to a Samba beat-joyous, unpredictable, spontaneous, "poetry and motion." (A Sao Paulo psychologist once observed that Brazilians have lost their self-esteem, and "soccer comes in as a saving element-the sensation of taking part in a collective undertaking . . . rich in emotions" [Hoge, 1982, p. A-2].)

England's "Dunkirk style" is tenacious, with hard tackling, fairness, and a "let's-get-the-job-done" attitude.
West Germany's highly disciplined, mechanistic, orderly "systems soccer" was called by Pele on TV in 1982 "ten robots alongside Rummenigge" (Europe's "player of the year").
The superbly conditioned Soviets engage in "technical soccer," by the book, but often fail against the flamboyant South Americans and the gritty, determined English.
Italians may learn acting before soccer, treating the sport (as in most Latin-language countries) as a matter of life and death. In fact, one Italian coach was overheard to remark that "some say football is a matter of life and death. Well it isn't-it's more important than that!"…

Side note: “one Italian coach�, gosh! It was the ex-Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who had said that.
Some more Bill Shankly quotes:
„What a great day for football, all we need is some green grass and a ball.�
“Me having no education. I had to use my brains.�
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Will the American soccer create its own style? What will it look like?
A chess-like system soccer a la American football combined with elements of Brazilian-Dutch individualism and British-German fighting spirit? God help us!
***
Also interesting:
„Epic clash of the logos“:
Nike (USA-Brazilian Nike squad) vs. Adidas (Germany),
http://www.slate.com/id/2139940/?nav=tap3

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"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football." (John Heisman)