Boring? I guess you could say that about any sport, depending on which game you watch.
For good soccer look back at the 06/07 FC Barcelona.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4O129DXrDhw

The 05/06 Juventus before they were relegated. Cheaters? Why would they cheat when they had some of the greatest players in the world at their disposal. (Eight of their players played at the world cup/06 final that same year.)
And as for toughness, just look up Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=95_kgpr_B9o&feature=related

Or when two super-powers play one another. Who can forget the great match between Milan and Liverpool in Istabul, final of UEFA 05. Milan scored three goals in the first and Liverpool answered with three goals in the second, leading the game to penalties where they would eventually win. However Milan would get their revenge two years later in Athens of UEFA 07, this time defending their two nothing lead to reclaim the cup.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XsCejBo3P3E&feature=related

Soccer (or to the rest of the world; Football, Futbol, Futebol, Calcio, Fusball, Voetbol) is not always enjoyable to watch; you just have to choose the right game.

As for the fans, they’re f*^kin’ crazy. http://youtube.com/watch?v=URwiZLZipeg

And as for the international level, you are right that thats makes it very tough. I suppose cheer for the scrappy underdog, or cheer against Italy and Brazil? But as my entire background is British, I am drawn to England, even though I actually hate the team because they are basically the Leafs of International soccer (case in point, didn’t even qualify for Euro 08)

Don’t worry BMurph, you’ll come around

1) I have no real heritage. I am a little bit Spanish, but not enough of anything to justify cheering for a team on the international level. This makes international events like Euro and WC, while entertaining, meaningless to me. This adds to your point, I guess, about the U.S. needing international success for soccer to grow (except, uhh, Canada).

2) It’s extremely difficult to choose a team to cheer for in league play. On one hand, you can be a bandwaggon hopper, on the other you can select at random, or on the mysterious third hand you can copy a friend (or choose their rival). Using this method, I’d select Chelsea (they were in three of the first four Champions League games I watched and I love Didier Drogba), but I feel like this is a cheap ‘pick-a-winner’ method.

This is a sport where you absolutely need to have a rooting interest to enjoy the game, and I can’t develop one on two different fronts. I’ll keep trying to follow along, and I’ll be one of those casual/pseudo/fake fans you real fans hate so much…but please, how can one make the jump to real fandom?

Paul, you make a great argument about what is definitely the worst part about football: the flopping. And worse yet, it has crossed over to basketball with the influx of Euros now in the NBA that played football as kids and learned it as necessary skill.

As for the Tuscan villa, that sounds fantastically awesome actually. And while he is no Italian, have you ever seen Ronaldo’s girlfriend? AJ did a fantastically straightforward report a month or so back on the hottest footballer’s wives. Cold shower anyone.

Also, Juventus just outright sucks at life, no argument there.

The thing with soccer is I just can’t get excited enough about it unless it’s the WC. As much as you can try to convince someone that soccer is the most riveting sport to watch, it’s just going to fall on deaf ears. It’s usually too long and too boring. And don’t tell me you haven’t wanted to punt a puppy after watching a 0-0 draw.

Another thing I hate about soccer is that it lacks intensity and is played by a bunch of pussies. The diving is out of control. And for good reason, considering one well timed dive in the 18 yard box can win you a game. In the European Championship, penalty kicks have a success rate of 84.6%. (http://www.penaltyshootouts.co.uk/research.html). Penalties shouldn’t be a guaranteed goal, resulting in referees having a greater say in the outcome of the game which could be exploitable (cough Juventus cough).

Soccer’s great and all, it’s fun to watch some of these guys display some amazing athletic skill. But it’s more boring than hockey and it’s played by a bunch pussies, seriously, whose ideal Saturday off is tea and biscuits and getting trained on white cotton sheets in a Tuscan villa overlooking the ocean…

I know what you’re thinking, that doesn’t sound too bad at all… but it is kinda gay.

And speaking of well timed counter-attacks; David Villa’s second goal against Russia this afternoon… thing of sheer beauty. I’m kicking myself for picking the more expensive Torres than him in my fantasy team, though it should still prove to be a solid pick in the end.