Soccer?

[JonUA97]

Ok, I’m going to have to put on my salesman hat to pull this one off...

 

Next weekend the girlfriend and I are going to be in San Diego.

 

I was looking at the athletics web site and saw that our Great Danes Men's Soccer team has two matches there.

 

I'm going to try and sell her on the idea that a few hours at the University of San Diego is time well spent. I don't know what the trade off is going to be yet but before I get too into this, Does anyone know anything about soccer?

 

I have no clue about it. All I learned during the World Cup is that the clock goes in the wrong direction and there is some ambiguous thing called 'injury time' or 'stoppage time'.

 

Anyone care to give me the 3 second Soccer rules and maybe something about our team. There was not too much on the web about Albany Soccer unless I want to sign up for the youth league that plays behind Alumni Quad. I think that I missed the age cutoff for that.

 

What good is a trip across the country if I can’t somehow make it about Great Dane Athletics?

 

As always...

 

SSS!

[Dane96]

Ok, I’m going to have to put on my salesman hat to pull this one off...

 

Next weekend the girlfriend and I are going to be in San Diego.

 

I was looking at the athletics web site and saw that our Great Danes Men's Soccer team has two matches there.

 

I'm going to try and sell her on the idea that a few hours at the University of San Diego is time well spent.  I don't know what the trade off is going to be yet but before I get too into this, Does anyone know anything about soccer?

 

I have no clue about it.  All I learned during the World Cup is that the clock goes in the wrong direction and there is some ambiguous thing called 'injury time' or 'stoppage time'.

 

Anyone care to give me the 3 second Soccer rules and maybe something about our team.  There was not too much on the web about Albany Soccer unless I want to sign up for the youth league that plays behind Alumni Quad.  I think that I missed the age cutoff for that.

 

What good is a trip across the country if I can’t somehow make it about Great Dane Athletics?

 

As always...

 

SSS!

15733[/snapback]

 

 

Well, first off, soccer is simple...put the damn ball in the back of the goal.

 

Second, soccer in the English speaking countries (US, Ireland, Australia, England, New Zealand, S. Africa, etc.) does not subsist on constant diving, which is generally a S. American/Mediiterranean countries cultural thing.

 

Third, our team is young, but has brought in some very good playres. I have watched every game they have played in Boston, including the game Yan Gbolo got hurt (it was horrific to watch) in against BU.

 

Fourth, San Diego and San Diego State are PERENNIAL (sp?) top 20 teams. These guys have players you will see in the MLS, and leagues in Europe (maybe not first division, but definately in Europe.). USD has a top 15 ranked recruiting class. These are teams that would give bottom level teams in middle level leagues overseas(second and third divisions) good games.

 

Fifth, San Diego (USD not SDSU) has a beautiful facility, Torero Stadium, which should not be missed...take a peak at the 6000 seat facility....http://usdtoreros.cstv.com/facilities/torero-stadium.html

 

 

The game is an afternnoon game and you will be in and out by 2:00. Tell your little lady you can hit the game, relax, and then do whatever she wants..

[JonUA97]

Dane96-

 

Thanks for the info and and help with the sales pitch. So am I to conclude that this is a little like going to UConn for basketball? Are we talking about that kind of mis-match?

 

Thanks again!

 

SSS

[Dane96]

Dane96-

 

Thanks for the info and and help with the sales pitch.  So am I to conclude that this is a little like going to UConn for basketball?  Are we talking about that kind of mis-match?

 

Thanks again!

 

SSS

15736[/snapback]

 

Yes, because we are young...but, if memory serves correct, we played them to 1-0 lost two years ago, SDSU 2-0. Won't/shouldn't be a blow out.

 

Whatever you do, dont tell her "San Diego has an awesome new arena, called the Jenny Craig Pavillion, we should check it out."

 

Invoking Jenny Craig will probably get you a kick to the groin, which would feel just as bad as losing to Siena...in anything.

[mainejeff]

I've been to USD for quite a few soccer games.....best college soccer facility that I have seen in a beautiful setting. Have fun!

[UAlbany09]

Ok, I’m going to have to put on my salesman hat to pull this one off...

 

Next weekend the girlfriend and I are going to be in San Diego.

 

I was looking at the athletics web site and saw that our Great Danes Men's Soccer team has two matches there.

 

I'm going to try and sell her on the idea that a few hours at the University of San Diego is time well spent.  I don't know what the trade off is going to be yet but before I get too into this, Does anyone know anything about soccer?

 

I have no clue about it.  All I learned during the World Cup is that the clock goes in the wrong direction and there is some ambiguous thing called 'injury time' or 'stoppage time'.

 

Anyone care to give me the 3 second Soccer rules and maybe something about our team.  There was not too much on the web about Albany Soccer unless I want to sign up for the youth league that plays behind Alumni Quad.  I think that I missed the age cutoff for that.

 

What good is a trip across the country if I can’t somehow make it about Great Dane Athletics?

 

As always...

 

SSS!

15733[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

Stoppage time or injury time (same thing) is what the ref adds on to the end of every half since the clock doesn't stop at all. If the game is stopped for an extended period of time due to an injury, fight etc. then the ref will add a few minutes to the end of the half. It will usually be 1-2 minutes, but I've seen games with 5 minutes of injury time. It actually makes it pretty exciting when 90 minutes is up but you still got a couple of minutes of injury time to get that winning goal.

 

 

 

Something else that might be confusing for a non-soccer person is offsides. Basically, if a player is behind the last defender of the opposing team and the ball is passed to him while he's in that position then he's offsides and the other team gets the ball. This rule is important because it keeps people from sitting up top and cherry picking. It gets a little more complicated at times but that is the jist of it.

 

 

 

One other thing that might not be intuitive is when the ball is hit out on the goalline which is the line that runs across behind the net, then it is either a goal kick or corner kick. If the team that is defending the goal kicks it out on their goalline then it's a corner kick. If the attacking team does it, then it's a goal kick and the goalie kicks it down the other side of the field and the play heads that way. Corner kicks are big plays, alot of goals are scored that way.

 

 

The beauty in soccer is watching the play develope from one end of the field all the way to the other. It's not about scoring a million goals, but about stringing a bunch of amazing passes together to get that one amazing shot into the back of the net. Having a million goals in the game would just cheapen it. It's about anticipation, because it goes from nothing happening to a breakthrough sprint or curling shot from the 18 to the net in a matter of seconds. Hope this helps.