Soccer Draws are exciting
August 31st, 2010Last weekend Nick and I finally convinced the rest of the friends to attend a Columbus Crew game. Most of them still have some World Cup fever and it was easier to convince them than prior years. Thanks to Abby and some local deals we got the tickets for less than face value which also helped recruit more for the road trip to Columbus.
The last two Columbus Crew games that I had attended have been blow outs. They are the top of the division and they were winning by two goals or more. I knew in the back of my mind that there is the possibility that they could lose or the worst case scenario of a draw. Now as a soccer fan this is kind of natural for me, but I knew that for the rest of the crew they often this of this aspect as peculiar.
Draws seem natural for me and it is a fair outcome of what transpired in the 90 minutes, I do not think it is fair to penalize a team if they played equally for the whole regular time. As we were leaving the game after a 0-0 draw, I was getting questions from almost everyone about that was a crappy ending and why are there draws etc. For me penalty kicks rely more on fate or luck and would rather just toss a coin at the end of the game to decide the winner.
For most people(non soccer fans) a draw seems like a crazy concept. Most American sports have a winner and a loser and having that breakdown of a winner and loser in everything seems more American. I often have to remind them that soccer games are decided by the slimmest of margins and that it is not fair to just go directly to penalty kicks and get an outcome. Both the teams had battled so hard for 90 minutes and to rely on just a goalkeeper to get a win does not seem fair in any sense for the regular season.
For the world cup and other championship the extra time and penalty shoot outs are done and they are necessary to advance to the next stage.
Draws are cool. okay! good!