Club Game or International Games?

[Denis Hard]

This week's qualifier matches placed international football in the spotlight. The fact it the qualifier matches didn't attract much interest from football fans suggests that maybe in future, people won't be so enthusiastic about the World Cup.

So guys if two big clubs were playing say [Barcelona vs Bayern Munich] and two national teams were also slugging away [England vs Portugal (some friendly match)] which of the two matches would you watch?

 

[caparica007]

I think we all prefer to watch a competitive match. If it was a friendly vs a champions league game I'd prefer the CL game. Qualifying matches give no trophies, but a WC is something entirely different, everyone is crazy to see their team win...

 

[Denis Hard]

Fact however is, much as we all want to see our teams win, players tend to play better when they are at the Clubs they play for [than when they play for their national teams]. For example, Messi who is one of the best players in the world has consistently failed to impress people with his skills when he's wearing his national colors.

What do you suppose happens?

 

[caparica007]

I think players train all year long with their teams and they know each others, while at the national teams they sometimes just train 3 or 4 days before a match. On top of this and in the case of Messi, I think Barça has more quality than Argentine team and that makes the difference.

 

[Denis Hard]

All year long! Would Clubs be willing to lose all that money they make from selling tickets for an entire season? While I don't know how much players get paid when they play for their countries but I'm thinking it's not as much as what they earn at the Clubs they play for.

So maybe the money question also plays a major factor. Why play like a maniac, get injured and risk losing allowances you'd be paid by your club when you're fit [even if you're only warming the bench]?

 

[caparica007]

Mmm, I think that the players in national team play with their hearts because the money doesn't pay off, that is true. I think motivation is not an issue, just look at Ronaldo, he gives everything he has on the national team.

 

[Denis Hard]

Let's just say Ronaldo and a few others are exceptions play well enough for their national teams. For instance most English players hardly try hard enough [on the world stage] to win? Or is it just because of the bad blood that exists between clubs?

 

[deansaliba]

I don't know what country you come from Dennis, but here in United Kingdom we LOVE our respective national teams. I personally have many friends who follow England home and away.

 

[Chrisbasket]

Even though CL retains a certain amount of extra glamour and prestige over every national level competition (it somehow feels a lot more high class), I would still go to watch an international game over a CL one every day of the week. In World Cup and Euro the fans are absolutely over the top crazy like mad cows about their teams. They will dress like whatever comes to mind resembling (or not) parts of their culture, they will scream more, they will cry more and they will laugh more.

Compare that to far less verbal abuse to each other than CL and you see why I would always choose international.

 

[dillinger10]

For me, I would personally prefer to watch two national teams play. International matches are fewer and so the games are far more meaningful than say an August game in the Premiership. International games feature the very best players. The buildup for an international game is unlike anything else. There is a lot of nerves and anxiety. The football level is also higher in international games than in league matches. Though I do prefer the higher intensity and pace of league games to international games which are played at a slower pace.

 

[proyyy]

Yeah, I will second dillinger, it's far more enjoyable because they gather all the best players from different clubs (not Brazil's case though). Club matches are tedious to watch and overall not pleasant, because some of the players are very, very unexperienced!

 

[bullbrand]

Personally i will always have preference towards clubs, and i know many people feel the same way. On the other hand the way an international tournament brings a whole country together no matter who you support is what i like!