Regardless of whether you like soccer or the World Cup, I think the list is rather humorous. Even rabid soccer fans need to be able to laugh at themselves every now and then.
Regarding the game, I don't know--it seems to this casual observer that these soccer players aren't as talented as soccer fans want to make them out to be. I mean, for example, in basketball, players shoot a ball through a goal that is barely twice as large as the ball itself, and still hit it rather consistently. In hockey, they're shooting at a goal that is only roughly 4' x 6', and are able to put it in the goal frequently, relatively speaking. But in soccer, you have a goal the size of a respectable studio apartment, and teams struggle to find it even once per game? Yeah, I know there's defense, but in the three WC games I've seen, several times players have gotten behind the defense on a breakaway, shot the ball, and missed it--BY 20 YARDS--and the commentators are oohing and ahhing about how CLOSE the shot came! Come on--I've never played soccer, but I have kicked a ball, and know that I could get the ball in that large of a goal from that distance! With that glaring lack of kicking talent, there's no way these people can be the best in the world!
Also, I'll grant that this is my bias favoring the "American" sports--but some of these rules are absolutely ridiculous:
--Offsides being determined by where the DEFENDERS are located??? When you're on defense in any goal-oriented sport (basketball, hockey, air hockey, foosball, etc.), the best position to have yourself in is to be between your opponent and the goal. But in soccer, they actual REWARD defenders for getting themselves out of such a defensive position! Whose ludicrous idea was that?
--Two players try to head the ball. They both miss, and instead hit each others' heads. Both go down and need stretchers to help them off. And the clock--keeps running! Why??? The game is stopped--the clock should too! Same goes for goals, and balls out of play. Stop the clock already! Then, because of the lost time thanks to the fact that no one apparently knows how to push a "pause" button on a stopwatch, they add "injury time". But the amount of time is basically however much the referee wants to add! If he wants to extend the game 2 minutes, or 10 minutes, it's entirely up to him! Ridiculous.
--And then there's the stupid "cards". You get a yellow, you're warned. You get a red, you're out of the game. And two yellows is the same as a red. I understand and agree with everything so far. But then, additional rules say that if you get a red card, or two yellows in different games, you have to sit out another game too, automatically! (I might not have these numbers right, I apologize if they're wrong. But the concept is accurate to what they do.) That's ridiculous--If you're in a game with an incompetent or corrupt referee, I understand that there's not a lot you can do about that game--but his incompetence/corruptness shouldn't be allowed to screw you over in subsequent games as well! If someone's play was violent or unsportsmanlike enough to merit suspension from subsequent games, let the governing body do it after reviewing the evidence. Don't just entrust it to blind referees.
I could go on with this rant, but I'll stop here...
And for the record, I've enjoyed what I've seen of the game so far, and will watch more. But man, do some of these rules defy logic!
