So now that the #USMNT is out of the World Cup, all the typical, tired stories are emerging — so NOW will soccer take off in the U.S.? Its a story weve long heard, and of course this years event is setting records for TV viewing and massive watch parties, so its being asked once again. Soapbox, please: No, this years World Cup isnt going to create an explosion of everyday soccer fans. It will gently, solidly increase that number, just as the arrival of David Beckham in MLS and the 2010 World Cup did. Many others will be every four years event fans, which is fine. People watch the Olympics the same way. No, soccer isnt going to finally make it in the USA. It already has. We have a solid domestic league, a reasonably competitive national team, an endless stream of viewing options for top international matches and pockets of huge support (Seattle, Kansas City etc.). None of these existed 20 years ago. Its easy to get lost in a white, middle-aged male Midwestern perspective (and Im a white, middle-aged Midwestern guy) and say nobody cares about soccer, but its just not true when the entire country is taken as a whole. But saying soccer has made it doesnt mean its as popular as baseball, basketball or football. Its unlikely that it ever will be, because the others are too distinctly American. (Although, if you had told somebody in 1950 that the NFL would dwarf every other sport in just 60 years, and boxing and horse racing would be almost completely off the national radar, they would have thought you were crazy.) In fact, its very hard to compare soccer interest to major American sports. Some folks watch MLS, some follow the national team, some watch the English Premier League or Mexican Primera Division, some do a combination. Its a more splintered fan base than that of the NFL/college football, for example, or Major League Baseball. Yes, we can eventually win a World Cup. But not in the next 8 years, or even 12. Lets be real — without Tim Howard being awesome, Belgium was going to strafe us by 5 or 6 goals. We need more creative, technically skilled players and that will take time to develop. More are in the pipeline for sure, and by 2022 we could be damned dangerous. But win it? Couldnt guess when. Yes, the ratings for the USAs World Cup matches are as good or better than baseballs All-Star Game, even though baseball gets an over-the-air, prime-time slot. No, it doesnt mean soccer is more popular than baseball. It means the All-Star Game is awful. Yes, Im going to Summerfest now. And cant wait to watch the World Cup final, and then follow the USMNTs development though the next cycle as best as a married-with-children, cable-eschewing, middle-aged Midwestern white guy can.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:17:05 +0000
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