For decades, the joke went: “soccer is the sport of the future in America and it always will be.” Soccer skeptics would then usually cite how youth participation doesn’t equal adult fandom. Their other argument was Major League Soccer, and it’s small crowds and low ratings.
These skeptics are going the way of the Triceratops, as I pointed out in my Chicago Tribune RedEye op-ed on Wednesday.
A globalized world, the millennial generation, and simultaneous revolutions in communications technology and sports media reach have made soccer the sport of today in America.
As I wrote in RedEye:
MLS hasn’t broken through yet because it’s not one of the world’s top tier soccer leagues. That’s a moot point because it’s a globalized world now and Americans are embracing top flight soccer originating from around the globe.
Players and teams from the English Premier League (the world’s most watched sports league), UEFA Champions League, and Spanish La Liga dominate the top nationally top trending terms on Twitter during matches. That’s top ten trending terms in the United States, not worldwide. And it’s not just big brand name clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris St. Germain. Lesser known names like Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur are showing up quite often.
“These days, you can cover a team from anywhere,” an NFL Network Executive said at the pre-Draft luncheon.
Read the rest here.
“Soccer crazes” aren’t just passing fads anymore in America. This summer, with the Women’s World Cup kicking off tomorrow and the USWNT playing Monday night, it’ll be the fourth summer in five years that we’ve seen Yankee fever for the pitch. (2011 U.S. takes second in WWC, 2012, Women win Olympic Gold, 2014, Men reach World Cup sweet sixteen)
“Based on the momentum that soccer gained in the United States last summer in Brazil, if the United States goes to the finals and wins the finals it would be a seminal moment for soccer in the U.S,” said FOX Sports Executive Producer David Neal.
“It’s one of those situations where the planets align, based on the enthusiasm that we saw last summer, coupled with the U.S. team having success and then the perfect time zone, it’s the closest to being a home game as you re going to get without it being actually in the United States,” Neal continued.
“American viewers love seeing American athletes succeed. The success of the U.S. National Team is without question hugely important to us. Having said that, this is the world’s most important women’s sports event. All the factors are there for this to be a continuation of the momentum that soccer gained last summer.”
So there you have it, just like in the rest of sports, it’s all about winning and being the best. Americans want the best in everything they consume. MLS is usually rated 7th or 8th among international soccer league power rankings, so that’s why it doesn’t factor as much into this argument as one would naturally think it does.
Here’s the TV schedule
Sat., June 6
6:00 PM A Canada vs China PR Edmonton FOX Sports 1
8:00 PM FIFA WWC TODAY FOX Sports 2
9:00 PM A New Zealand vs Netherlands Edmonton FOX Sports 2
2:00 AM* FIFA WWC TONIGHT FOX Sports 1
Mon., June 8
7:30 PM D USA vs Australia Winnipeg FOX Sports 1
‘Merica! or you prefer ‘Murrica!
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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