Daily Madden: No Match In U.S. For Passionate Soccer Fans
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Brazilians and fans of their World Cup team worldwide were devastated by the 7-1 loss to Germany Tuesday.
"That's their sport. That's their life on the biggest stage," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. "That was a tough thing for them to take. The people that were crying weren't the typical sports fan. It was families and children and older people. The variety of people that were so engrossed by that and upset by that was really very, very wide... When the World Cup comes around I'm always impressed by how passionate the fans are."
Some Brazilian fans accused their team of quitting as Germany scored multiple goals. Madden doesn't buy it.
"One of the first things that you learn in sports when you play at the lowest level, even before you get to high school and then in high school and going up the chain, is that quitting is never an option. You got yourself into this and you have to work to get yourself out of it, and there's no other option. And I think that every player, when you get to that elite level, has that ingrained in them and you know that, that you just keep going." (6:30)
Daily Madden
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)
