Soccer Mania What You Need To Know

It comes around every four years and is one of the great sporting spectacles of our time.

It’s the global answer to America’s “Big Game,” but on a much grander scale.

Soccer’s Big Event

From June 11 to July 19, soccer/football teams from 48 nations will play 104 matches for the right to hoist the most coveted team trophy in international sport.

More than 6 billion people will view at least one game, with more than 1.5 billion alone tuning in for the final match on July 19.

More than 5 million people will attend games in some of America’s greatest venues, like SoFi Stadium in L.A., Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

For the purpose of this and future posts on this topic, we’ll refer to it as Soccer’s Big Event because we don’t have copyright permission. But you get the idea.

Because of the long-standing success of streaming series like Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso, American interest in soccer is at an all-time high.

It’s estimated that 70% of Americans will watch Soccer’s Big Event from the comfort of their living rooms, while 15-20% will watch matches at their local pubs.

Regardless of where you’re watching, if you are a relative newbie to international soccer, here are a few things you need to know.

The Game Doesn’t Stop. Sort Of.

Unlike American football, with three team timeouts per half and countless TV commercial timeouts, soccer has two 45-minute halves. The clock runs continuously, and will only stop for:

• A goal — approximately 30 seconds
• Player substitutions — approximately 15 seconds
• Lost time for player injuries or other rules infractions
• Lost time for Video Assistant Review checks

Based on the above stops, additional minutes are added to the end of each 45-minute half. This additional time is often referred to as “stoppage time” or “injury time.”

Low—or No—Scoring Matches Are Often Thrilling

Americans love high scores in their sporting matches.

A defensive struggle in football? BLAH! Give us 49-42 any day of the week.

This penchant for points is one reason many Americans find soccer matches boring. It’s not unusual for soccer games to be low-scoring or no-scoring affairs.

Many matches end 0-0, also known as nil-nil in soccer parlance.

But aficionados of “the beautiful game” tend not to focus on points because they appreciate the creativity and artistry of great players. Plus, low-scoring soccer games are unpredictable and can change with a single moment of brilliance, thus heightening the excitement of the match.

Note: It’s not uncommon for soccer games to end in 0-0 ties. But when games in the knockout round of Soccer’s Big Event end in a tie, the teams will play two 15-minute overtime periods. If the score is still tied after the overtime periods, the game will be decided by having each team take five penalty kicks.

It’s All in the Cards

Soccer referees have two ways of penalizing players, and sometimes coaches:

• Yellow Card: This is a warning or reprimand given to players for minor infractions like reckless tackles or faking an injury. A player can continue to play under a Yellow Card infraction.
• Red Card: This means immediate expulsion from the game. A player receives a Red Card after a second Yellow Card, and for other serious rules and safety infractions. Importantly, teams cannot replace a player who has been thrown out of the game for receiving a Red Card.

Your Watch Party Starts Here!

If you’re planning a watch party for Soccer’s Big Event, you owe it to yourself to visit The Party Source in Bellevue, KY. We have the region’s largest inventory of beers, wines and spirits at our everyday low prices.

Plus, we’re stocked with an unprecedented supply of soccer-related party supplies, from paper plates to balloons to inflatable soccer balls to soccer wearables. Learn more here.

We also offer in-store pickup, curbside pickup, and local delivery. Delivery in Northern Kentucky requires a $35.00 minimum and a $5.00 delivery fee. Curbside and in-store pickup can be ready in as little as two hours. All customers receive a notification via email or text when their order is ready for pickup. Same-day delivery is also available and can be ready in as little as two hours.