Geometry Of Imperfection

Contrary to the ranting beliefs of certain xenophobes, you don't have to be sick to enjoy watching soccer, but it can help. I'm recovering from a little head cold, which puts me in the mellow, contemplative sort of mood that allows me to thoroughly enjoy the Fulham-Liverpool match, even though there is no score at the half.

The question of geometry suffuses the entire match. John Arne Riise was a star with Liverpool, and now he is back in England with Fulham--symmetry. Give-and-go passes define invisible triangles, and attempted through balls are all about finding the right angle to create an intersection of the pass and the striker.

Knowing where someone is trying to play the ball when pulling it back from the end line is great fun, and even when a ball goes horribly awry, that still elicits a "Woah" of reaction as the ball goes sailing directly into the side advertising boards.

The pace of the Premier League is still so much faster than Major League Soccer. I also compare this to the College Cup, where the Stanford women just beat Duke. I got to see the game on ESPN3.com, and the soccer was just as pleasing to the eye, the same strategy, the same overlapping runs and working to unlock the defense, the same chess match as in Liverpool-Fulham, but at a slower pace.

Do you prefer watching professional or college sports? Do you prefer watching men or women? In soccer, other than goals, what are your favorite elements to see during the match?