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Why Soccer Won’t Be Huge In The U.S.
September 3, 2009 | Water Cooler | Add a comment
This is a great article that was posted at World Cup Buzz describing 5 reasons why soccer won’t ever make it as one of the top sports in the United States.
- Outside Soccer Snobbery
- No Patience
- Freak Athlete Factor
- Rich Country, Poor Game
- The American Way
Some key points I wanted to point out were:
“Americans are not conditioned to appreciate the subtlety of soccer because American society as a whole is about instant gratification and the quick fix. The artistry & skill of soccer is lost on Americans because there isn’t a goal being scored every 2 seconds or someone isn’t getting the snot blasted out of them on every play. A game of patience cannot become huge in an impatient society.”
“Americans like their athletes freakish, whether they are unusually tall like basketball players or unusually muscular like American football or the roided up baseball players. Soccer is the common person’s game with its stars & icons looking as common as their rabid fans.”
“The prevailing notion in the US is that soccer is as an immigrant sport played by short guys with one name who aren’t masculine cause they don’t use their hands. A nation founded by immigrants has grown to view immigrants as dirty and the scourge of a nation. This American isolationist mentality & air of superiority has carried over to the promotion & marketing of soccer, thus stunting the growth of the Beautiful Game in the US.”
I couldn’t agree more with the above statements. It’s unfortunately very true.
What are your thoughts? Please feel free to comment.
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5 Commentators
#5 – I agree that other countries look down upon us, when it comes to US Soccer. But it also makes sense since we as a country are not as dedicated as others.
#4 And we are definitely not known for our patience, because frankly, we have none!
#3 And we do always favor the “big guy” and then pretend that we are shocked when the drug tests come back positive.
#2 Its pretty true, US Youth soccer is one of the largest youth sport organizations, but yet countries who do not have the money organized youth sports tend to produce the best players.
#1 And yes we do want to do things our way…
But given all these reasons, soccer is still my #1 sport!
On September 3, 2009 Danie said
I wont take much time to comment on this here as I already responded to the actual article but I definitely agree with everything that was said
On September 3, 2009 Jake said
I disagree 100%. I see your points and I respect them but I feel that is the old view. Yes, America is fueled by instant gratification but as time goes on, soccer is gaining steam.
There are trillions invested in soccer around the world and slowly the US is beginning to see this. Look at ESPN for example. 5 years ago, the only channel showing any type of foreign soccer was ESPN deportes or Gol TV or Fox Soccer Channel. Now, some EPL and Champions League games are shown live on ESPN. Sure this is a tiny dent in the “anti-soccer” way of life in the US but if the biggest sports channel in the country is beginning to explore this new territory, that must mean they are looking at the big picture.
Another factor is that the US rate of immigration is increasing and as foreigners crash into the country, they bring with them their beliefs. One of those beliefs is soccer soccer soccer. I moved here from South Africa about 7 years ago and was shocked at how soccer was belittled even though it was the biggest sport in the world. But as time went on, I began seeing the little changes. Parents who have “normal build” children, ie: they are not freakishly tall or big, are starting to push their children towards the beautiful game. Its lack of popularity also means the pool is less thus a greater chance for the child to receive a scholarship or better yet go pro (its a numbers game).
I feel by stating that soccer will NEVER become huge in the US is a flawed statement. Soccer will be huge in the states and one day will be the number one sport in the nation – the question is: how long will it take?
On October 12, 2009 Tiki said
Tiki, you made some great points! The culture in the U.S. is constantly changing, so I’m sure it’ll change for soccer as well.
On October 12, 2009 Danie said
When I came to the US 30 yrs ago, soccer was nonexistent. Today, there are not enough fields for kids to play soccer on. Every college big or small, private or public has soccer program. As the population grow older & more diversed, soccer will become huge in the US if it’s not already.
On October 26, 2009 Dennis Win said
