Why Isn’t Soccer Big In The US?
Every 5 to 10 years I hear that soccer
is going to be big at the professional level in the US. I have heard this for
over 40 years. In the late 70s, Pele, the most famous soccer player at that
time, signed to play for a New York team. That was supposed to be the start of
something big. It didn’t happen.
Now at the youth level soccer is huge.
Up through high school it is in just about every school district. It even has a
significant presence at the college level. But at the professional level it
falls way behind the other four major sports.
Even when the US women’s team won the
World Cup, that did not lead to a successful professional league. The men’s
team has never been able to perform at the World Cup to expectations. They
often get beaten by small Central American countries.
To the rest of the world soccer
(football to them) is the number one sport. It has massive and very rabid fan
bases. The top stars are recognized around the world and are paid at the
highest levels for professional athletes.
I’m not sure why the game has not
taken hold here at the professional level. It may be because it is not high
scoring. However, baseball has similar scores and it is played at a very slow
pace compared to soccer.
I know for advertisers it is a
challenge because there are very few breaks in the game for commercials.
I enjoy watching soccer at the
highest levels. I went to a match in England and it was a great time to hear
the fans singing throughout the game and how close you are to the field.
I want to see soccer succeed in the
US so we can join the rest of the world to appreciate the beauty of the game.
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