as for "the whole world loves it/plays it so there must be something to it" position...here is my take on that argument................
The overwhelming majority of the World is made up of third world countries and soccer is very cheap to play. All you need is a ball and an open field......the world plays it because they can afford to play it.
It takes money and lots of it to play football and to some extent baseball.
The game simply sucks. Great athletes when considering endurance and coordination but the game sucks.
As for the crowds really get into it.......yeah, what do you expect them to do? Pump 'em full of beer, there is nothing much else to cheer about back in the home country so whooo hooooo lets cut loose a little....I mean if you lived in Venezuela or Cuba or Congo or Bosnia and actually were able to get the hell out of there and go mingle with other people and forget for a little while...well Hell Yeah I would party too (and probably get lost in the crowd and figure out a way to go somewhere else)
Just my take.......slam away, agree, have fun with it, and/or stick it up your ass and do soccer cheers.
makes no never-mind to me.....I gotta go groom my poodle and get my Chihuahua back from Taco Bell.