Sorry, but I just don't get Soccer. It's Hockey on grass to me. (Or, Hockey - Soccer on ice).

Please understand, I get American Football, Aussie Rules Football, and Rugby - just not Soccer.

>Spain vs. Italy was a delight to watch. They just play the game so beautifully. Among other countries, of course. Many Americans will look at the 1-1 result and yawn, if they even bother to look. It's probably unfair of me to put this on Charles, who IMO is about the smartest person here, but I wish I could watch a game with him and try to put it better. Probably a better starting point would be that soccer is like jazz. Improvisation. You have some plans and then the game flows. Like music. The players are athletic enough to play 90 minutes without a break. The pure precision of the passes. They are not physically imposing like American football or basketball players but they can keep doing it with artistry. The unspoken teamwork, knowing when to push it ahead and when to pull it back, is pure artistry. It's just against American sensibility for a missed shot to be an exciting play.