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Im with you, a soccer fan no matter what, but if we(USA) can get to the semifinals or better I think that would go along way for the future of soccer in America. My heart tells me they can win the entire thing, but my head tells me there is no way.
I love my team win or lose. I am worried that if they lose tomorrow the new generation of "4th day fans" will talk smack about "soccer sucks anyway". Just a thought. Lots of stuff going through my mind right now about the game. I hope that 90' +1' goal truely tapped into the area of the soul that seems reserved for your national team, birthing a new generation of fans. Much like 2002 vs Portugal did for me.
Im with you, a soccer fan no matter what, but if we(USA) can get to the semifinals or better I think that would go along way for the future of soccer in America. My heart tells me they can win the entire thing, but my head tells me there is no way.
I hardly think team USA will have a better chance than this one to move on. I'm certainly hoping they capitalize on it.
LOL @ "Some dude in Arkansas"
yeah i love that video! Ole ole ole ole landon---donovan----ole ole ole ole landon---donovan!!!
I thought i would get some sleep tonight. dont think its going to happen
If soccer gains enough popularity to knock NASCAR and MMA off national TV, I'll be happy.
Well by advancing till here, they already contributed to popularity of football in the USA. It can only get better from here on. Football has a bright future ahead in the USA I think. It's nice to see.
i was kinda starting to like soccer until all these bad calls and flopping, there flopping isn't like nba flopping im talking bout they fall if someone runs right bye em its stupid
that's the wonderful thing about soccer one goal can make the difference
not a chance, the mls blows and the premiere league ain't prime time here
Why do people care so much if America as a whole embraces soccer like some sort of reality tv, American Idol type fad? The only thing I care about is that I can catch La Liga's Barca games, some Champions League, an the major tourneys like Euro and World Cup. I don't care if Joe and Jane Blow in Tuskegee like it too.
Because if football becomes more popular, that means more people will play the game, more money will be invested, more athletes will choose this game and the game will be more developed. After a while that will result in the USA national team probably going to be a top football team and maybe even being a contender.
Considering the US shipped over the most tourists to South Africa for this World Cup, and are among the biggest spenders over there, there are very real economic reasons for wanting the US to catch up with soccer.
I doubt things change much even if the American team wins the whole thing.
World Cup soccer is to American men what Olympic figure skating is to American women. Once every four years, they watch a sport that they really don't understand and use words like 'nil', 'side', and 'pitch'. Once the show is over, they'll go back to watching sports that they understand.
On the short term yeah probably not much will change, at least no immediate effect. But I do think it will change on the long term. I mean if they have success, popularity will gain and if more money and facilities are being invested in this sport it will be developed.
Im sure a lot more youngsters will be attracted to this sport, that will improve US football. More talents will be discovered, more talents will choose to play this game. It will improve the NT and the image as a whole in your country. More people going to games, because they will have something to see, more people will follow and like the sport.
Soccer is already a hugely popular youth sport in America and has been for a very long time (hence the term 'soccer moms'). That popularity has never translated into popularity as a spectator sport on TV or in a stadium.
With a very few exceptions, American kids with ambitions of becoming professional athletes don't stay with soccer beyond the youth levels. They switch to baseball, football, or basketball.
Remember, we had the World Cup in America in 1994. Sold out stadiums around the country. Once it was over, people went back to familiar sports.
As a spectator sport, soccer will always be viewed as 'foreign' by the vast majority of the American sporting public. The results of this tournament won't change that.
Last edited by Mel_13; 06-26-2010 at 01:02 PM.
Well, I think that could change if the popularity goes on and if the NT has more and more success and keeps improving. Of course it will not be as popular as the big American sports, Baseball, American Football and Basketball. That will probably never happen.
But I think US Football has a bright future and making it popular will attract more young talent to chose for this game thus improving the NT and improving the image of football in the USA. Already its improving and getting more popular. It can only get better.
The WC in the USA was in 1994 though, not 1998.
You're trying to apply logic to what is essentially an emotional issue. The future of American soccer will look very much like its recent past. Hugely popular youth sport, largely irrelevant spectator sport.
I've seen it. Soccer had a chance to take off in America with the popularity of the NASL in the mid 70s. I went to see Pele, Chinaglia and Beckenbauer play in front of very large crowds for the Cosmos. It just couldn't quite reach the tipping point to become a mainstream American spectator sport.
As a spectator sport it will be a sporting diversion every 4 years like the Olympics, nothing more.
Maybe you are right, Im just saying. But that could be changing. If it has been like that, doesn't mean it will stay like that.
And if it doesn't change much as you say in attracting spectators and sticking to familiar sports, it will change the NT itself. That's a good thing. The US team will get better and better. Popularity will improve the NT, even if it's only a little, even if it will not be a mainstream sport. If football was more popular in the USA they could have been a top football team and possibly having more chances in being a contender.
If the NT and US players are getting better, they will get more popular. Kids will start more looking up to them and want themselves to participate in football, even if its only a small part of the youth, then maybe they will choose to continue in football beyond youth levels. A new image will be created. That will also open up investments. New clubs, more money for scouting, facilities etcetera...
Anyway at least one thing is for sure. Your NT has improved already and are doing quite well! They'll be better and better.
Let's hope for a win tonight
Last edited by Bukefal; 06-26-2010 at 01:35 PM.
I'll agree with that.Let's hope for a win tonight
Just trying to give you some insight from an avid American sports fan who actually understands soccer. The 'foreign' origins, baffling rules, and lack of scoring in soccer mean it will never become popular as a mainstream spectator sport.
Yeah, I see what you mean. I could be wrong. That it will always be seen as a 'foreign origins' sport and thus being a reason for never being popular just because of that, makes sense. I haven't looked at it like that.I'll agree with that.
Just trying to give you some insight from an avid American sports fan who actually understands soccer. The 'foreign' origins, baffling rules, and lack of scoring in soccer mean it will never become popular as a mainstream spectator sport.
I don't know if that is really a factor. As stated earlier, a number of American youth play soccer, and that diminishes or removes the 'foreign' aspect to a degree. They're familiar with it. They know the rules and understand the game. The answer for a lot of them that seems to be staring you in the face is that (for many people) soccer is fun to play but boring to watch. That's not to say there are no exciting moments, but Americans can turn to football, basketball and (to a lesser degree) baseball for more exciting sports.Yeah, I see what you mean. I could be wrong. That it will always be seen as a 'foreign origins' sport and thus being a reason for never being popular just because of that, makes sense. I haven't looked at it like that.
In the wider world, those other sports cost more money to play (goals, courts, equipment, etc.). With soccer, you just need a ball, and you usually don't have the more interesting alternatives of (American) football, basketball, etc. In the U.S., soccer will never reach critical mass because we have alternatives we have great access to and prefer.
From a viewing perspective in the U.S., soccer is almost half a sport. Most of the players can't even use their hands, whereas in sports like basketball and football you can witness more of what an elite human being is capable of. Shooting running, falling 3-pointers through a tiny hoop, diving one-handed catches in the end zone. The exciting moments are greater in quality and quan y. That's not to say soccer players are not elite athletes (they run something like 7 miles a game on average, more than most other sports). As Stephen Colbert joked, though, Americans don't spend money to watch someone jog on a track.
It seems every few years during the Olympics or World Cup, fans of sports that are not as popular in the U.S. think we've reached a 'turning point' and will start flocking to soccer/hockey/etc. It's more of a nationalist sentiment, though; it might grab a few more followers for each sport, but for the most part when the U.S. team is done so are we. I haven't seen a hockey game since the U.S. lost to Canada, and I probably won't see another soccer game until the next summer Olympics.
I know I'll get a lot of responses to this, because a lot of you are die-hard soccer fans and resent the insinuation that it is inferior. A lot of you try to explain away the U.S.'s disinterest in your chosen sport; we just don't understand it (I don't believe that's the case, it's not that hard to understand and as mentioned earlier, a lot of American youth play it anyway). I don't think most people think when watching a sport 'wait a minute, where was this sport invented before I decide if I like it or not.'
You love the sport, and that's great. Enjoy it. You should stop getting your hopes up that the U.S. is suddenly going to throng to the sport every few years, however. People have been saying it will happen for decades. It hasn't happened, it probably never will, and you're just setting yourselves up for disappointment.
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