Bruno Jesus: I'm not sure what to make of this last statement of yours. Soccer isn't what I'd call manly, especially if you're going to compare it to other sports that are popular in the United States or in other places.
Snowboarding, hang gliding, parachutting, extreme snow skiing, rodeo, motorcycle racing, and other less known sports are all more manly than soccer.

As far as team sport go, I'd say Australian Rules Football puts soccer to shame in that regard. No substitutions, 30 minute quarters, tackling allowed, no pads, and free flowing action just like soccer. Soccer gets it's name from Association Football. I believe this type of football (Soccer) was created for the express reason to have the participants not risk injury as can happen in real football games, like Rugby, American, Canadian, or Australian rules games. The pads you speak of actually make the game more dangerous as it increases recklessness while providing protection to some parts of the body. There's not too many soccer players that can survive playing American Rules football except for the place kickers, which I might add are usually called lots of disparaging names on their own teams even though place kicking is one of the most important ways of scoring in football. They come in and kick the ball for field goals and kickoffs. That's it. No tackling, no special teams, no blocking, no rushing, nothing but place kicking. Even the punter's job is more dangerous. Let alone if we talk about the quarterback or a running back. And who hasn't seen a wide receiver go up for a pass knowing he was going to get hit hard by the free safety and a few other defenders and marvelled at his composure and ability to make the catch? And the linemen! What a pounding they take blocking the defense on pass plays or rushes. These guy all weigh 250 to 350 pounds. Because American Rules football has breaks in the action after every play and free substitution, it means that fresh players come in during each play and the carnage continues. And what about the coaches and the plays themselves? This is what's fun about watching a real football game. Seeing if you'd agree with the coach's decision. Knowing what down it is, what the game situation is, and how you'd call the play if it was your decision.
None of this exists in soccer. Arguing over a ref's call or lack there of, soccer has this in it as does just about every other sport.

Americans like to argue about what shoud've been done and how. We like to bet on the outcome of a sporting event too. This is probably the largest interest soccer even holds here. Betting on it.

I've been reading the posts of soccer here, in the newspapers, and on television. It seems everyone complains about the officials and that's about it. All sports have that aspect. It's been a baseball tradition for years. OF course the United States team sucks at soccer, all our real athletes are playing real games. America's chance of winning is like when the Hockey team won in the Olympics against the USSR. Bunch of amateurs somehow pulled it out. Even our basketball team when the professionals weren't allowed in the OLympics would win almost evey game. And look what has happened since the professionals have been allowed to compete? I liken soccer to ice skating. It's all on the referees and judges. When's the next scandal coming?

It'll be a sad day for me if the United States ever does well in soccer on the international sports scene. Then it will be put on the front page of the paper and be the lead report on television. As it is now soccer actually gets some press. The professional soccer league is still playing it's regular season too. Which, if covered by a newspaper,
has it way in the back of the sports section. Even the NFL's player draft gets more press coverage than soccer does in the United States. This cup championsip will be going on after the U.S. drops out and I bet the executives that run ABC television will be wondering why or how they got duped into paying for the rights to broadcast something that no one is watching. THough I think the NFL is crazy for trying to expand American rules football around the world, maybe they're onto something.