The funny thing about American football is that we've attached these arbitrary numbers to scores (much like rugby, as I understand it), which has hoodwinked us into believing that football is a higher scoring game than it is in reality. A 24-14 game is really just 3-and-a-half to 2.
See now, as a Celtic fan I just watched us thumping Slovan Bratislava 5-1 and whilst it’s enjoyable being 2nd in the league behind Bayern, I know that in the next 3 games we’ll get thumped by Dortmund, Leipzig and Atalanta, so maybe drawing 0-0 four times would be better overall 🤔😁
The second live game I went to as a 14-year old Fulham fan was a 0-0 home draw against Hereford, in which Hereford had two players sent off in the first half. I think I mostly fell in love with live football because of the astonishingly inventive swearing I heard that day.
Arsenal are my team too and I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed both 5-3 and 7-3 victories against Newcastle referred to in earlier responses. However, the most extraordinarily madcap game I have attended was our 7-5 League Cup win at Reading. It contained enough drama and chaos on the pitch to satisfy the most demanding American spectator but, conversely, it was a game of relatively low quality.
Certainly the defending in the Reading game was comical, even kamikaze at times. But it was not a game of great significance so there was a kind of joy in the haplessness on display. But two games stick in my memory where the stakes were rather higher. One was our goalless draw in the Champions League semi final away to Villarreal in which we hung onto our slender lead almost until the last when Villarreal were awarded a scandalous penalty right in front of us. You know what happened next. The other was Anfield in 1989, the most remarkable game I have had the privilege to attend. You know what happened there too! Yet each match, tense, dramatic and emotionally wrenching, was a reminder as to why I love football so much. As the late Pope John Paul opined, football is the most important unimportant thing in the world!
My older son is a huge Manchester United fan. For his 25th birthday, he and I went to Manchester, tooled around for a few days and saw a match at Old Trafford. It was a draw. All the men around us and at our hotel were so upset, calling their wives and telling them about it. Even my son was unhappy about it. But still, we had a fantastic time!
Minor point, but it's unlikely that a Red Sox 1-0 win was a terrible game. That's likely to have been a pretty high quality pitching duel.
I'm only mentioning cos you seem to be arguing against a hypothetical "low football engagement" person (potentially American) misunderstanding the sport and the possible worthiness of a 0-0 draw. But then appear to be committing the same error in reverse?
(For the record, I'm not American, I love baseball, and am a Heart of Midlothian fan and we'd really take a few 0-0 draws at the moment...)
A goal in football (soccer) is a non-trivial event. While I do enjoy watching basketball, handball and other high scoring sports, I just can‘t take the first half or so all that seriously. The score just seems to irrelevant to me.
Nick, I’m an American and a rabid Gooner since 2006 thanks to you, Thierry, and Freddie. “Fever Pitch” still one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read, even if I wouldn’t understand the significance of some of the names until years into my fandom. The nil-nil draw is one of those peculiarities of the beautiful game that doesn’t need to justify itself. It can be both entertaining and strategically important over the course of a season and I’ve watched my share of entertaining draws over the years, biting my nails, hoping we won’t concede, but also hoping for that late winner. Sometimes it doesn’t come, and that’s just football. And life.
I have been an Everton fan all my long life, I feel it is punishment for my bad behavior at some forgotten time. I agree with Nick that the flow, movement and skill of the players is what we go to watch and that goals are the cherry on the top. However I have a beef regarding shots on goal - if neither team has had a shot on goal after 30 minutes I feel there is a good case for abandoning the game and giving the spectators their money back.
Well, I would recommend my own team. They are on the rise, they play good football (usually) and the players are likeable. Avoid Man City - that’s just glory hunting!
Pick a wealthy and occasionally successful team, Mike. (Arsenal wouldn't be a bad shout; their fans - like Nick - seem like a nice bunch on the whole). I've been following a team (Everton) that's been consistently awful for three decades. They have contributed very little pleasure to my life in that time - and lots of drabness. When I started following baseball, I picked a similarly underachieving team (the Red Sox). But... then they got good. And started winning things occasionally. That has, on the whole, given me joy. Rooting for the underdog is overrated.
One of my best male friends is an Evertonian. The awfulness is scarcely believable. They are like a life form that biologists have yet to find any purpose to.
The first match I went to was Arsenal 5 Newcastle 3 in 1976. Ten year old me thought that's how It would always be, but it was 28 years before I'd see that many goals in a game again.
https://youtu.be/nmuC8iohU88?si=FXTpJg3bQ_w9F5Rf
The funny thing about American football is that we've attached these arbitrary numbers to scores (much like rugby, as I understand it), which has hoodwinked us into believing that football is a higher scoring game than it is in reality. A 24-14 game is really just 3-and-a-half to 2.
Ha yes. Maybe FIFA should just say that a goal is 12. And if you score nil you get 2.
Chicago born and bred here. Liverpool fan for life, i have never taken to American sports at all.
i know how lucky and rare i am.
great piece, thank you
See now, as a Celtic fan I just watched us thumping Slovan Bratislava 5-1 and whilst it’s enjoyable being 2nd in the league behind Bayern, I know that in the next 3 games we’ll get thumped by Dortmund, Leipzig and Atalanta, so maybe drawing 0-0 four times would be better overall 🤔😁
Correction. NFL games could end in 0-0 tie. It would be absolutely miserable to watch though.
Is that right? No overtime?
If the clock runs out in OT, the game ends in a tie (unless it’s the playoffs).
The second live game I went to as a 14-year old Fulham fan was a 0-0 home draw against Hereford, in which Hereford had two players sent off in the first half. I think I mostly fell in love with live football because of the astonishingly inventive swearing I heard that day.
I am taking my hat off retrospectively to Hereford’s doughty defence
Arsenal are my team too and I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed both 5-3 and 7-3 victories against Newcastle referred to in earlier responses. However, the most extraordinarily madcap game I have attended was our 7-5 League Cup win at Reading. It contained enough drama and chaos on the pitch to satisfy the most demanding American spectator but, conversely, it was a game of relatively low quality.
That Reading game was a joke!
Certainly the defending in the Reading game was comical, even kamikaze at times. But it was not a game of great significance so there was a kind of joy in the haplessness on display. But two games stick in my memory where the stakes were rather higher. One was our goalless draw in the Champions League semi final away to Villarreal in which we hung onto our slender lead almost until the last when Villarreal were awarded a scandalous penalty right in front of us. You know what happened next. The other was Anfield in 1989, the most remarkable game I have had the privilege to attend. You know what happened there too! Yet each match, tense, dramatic and emotionally wrenching, was a reminder as to why I love football so much. As the late Pope John Paul opined, football is the most important unimportant thing in the world!
My older son is a huge Manchester United fan. For his 25th birthday, he and I went to Manchester, tooled around for a few days and saw a match at Old Trafford. It was a draw. All the men around us and at our hotel were so upset, calling their wives and telling them about it. Even my son was unhappy about it. But still, we had a fantastic time!
But were there goals in the draw?
The Mighty Us away to The Chairboys (aka Cambridge United away to Wycombe Wanderers for the uninitiated). I’d bite your arm off for a drab 0-0…
Minor point, but it's unlikely that a Red Sox 1-0 win was a terrible game. That's likely to have been a pretty high quality pitching duel.
I'm only mentioning cos you seem to be arguing against a hypothetical "low football engagement" person (potentially American) misunderstanding the sport and the possible worthiness of a 0-0 draw. But then appear to be committing the same error in reverse?
(For the record, I'm not American, I love baseball, and am a Heart of Midlothian fan and we'd really take a few 0-0 draws at the moment...)
But as an English non-baseball fan, I really wanted to see the ball go over the fence…
A goal in football (soccer) is a non-trivial event. While I do enjoy watching basketball, handball and other high scoring sports, I just can‘t take the first half or so all that seriously. The score just seems to irrelevant to me.
I feel that way about five-set tennis. What is the first set FOR?
Nick, I’m an American and a rabid Gooner since 2006 thanks to you, Thierry, and Freddie. “Fever Pitch” still one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read, even if I wouldn’t understand the significance of some of the names until years into my fandom. The nil-nil draw is one of those peculiarities of the beautiful game that doesn’t need to justify itself. It can be both entertaining and strategically important over the course of a season and I’ve watched my share of entertaining draws over the years, biting my nails, hoping we won’t concede, but also hoping for that late winner. Sometimes it doesn’t come, and that’s just football. And life.
I have been an Everton fan all my long life, I feel it is punishment for my bad behavior at some forgotten time. I agree with Nick that the flow, movement and skill of the players is what we go to watch and that goals are the cherry on the top. However I have a beef regarding shots on goal - if neither team has had a shot on goal after 30 minutes I feel there is a good case for abandoning the game and giving the spectators their money back.
I am an Inter fan and I think the draw against Man City was tactically of high value. Also chances were so interesting especially on our side.
Agreed. It was a smart game.
I enjoy watching EPL football matches for the physical talent on display but haven’t adopted a favorite side yet. How would I decide?
American football is also good but watching on TV is sheer torture, having to endure so many commercials for cars, beer, insurance etc.
Well, I would recommend my own team. They are on the rise, they play good football (usually) and the players are likeable. Avoid Man City - that’s just glory hunting!
Pick a wealthy and occasionally successful team, Mike. (Arsenal wouldn't be a bad shout; their fans - like Nick - seem like a nice bunch on the whole). I've been following a team (Everton) that's been consistently awful for three decades. They have contributed very little pleasure to my life in that time - and lots of drabness. When I started following baseball, I picked a similarly underachieving team (the Red Sox). But... then they got good. And started winning things occasionally. That has, on the whole, given me joy. Rooting for the underdog is overrated.
One of my best male friends is an Evertonian. The awfulness is scarcely believable. They are like a life form that biologists have yet to find any purpose to.
The first match I went to was Arsenal 5 Newcastle 3 in 1976. Ten year old me thought that's how It would always be, but it was 28 years before I'd see that many goals in a game again.
Supermac! I remember the game well.
American going to my first ever PL game tomorrow at Tottenham (whom I support, because Jewish so it seemed right). I think I want some goals!
3-1
That’s your score prediction? I’d accept that
Assuming we are on the right side