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Soccer in the US

  • 30-07-2010 6:40pm
    #1
    _Bella_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,178 ✭✭✭


    A lot has been made over the last few years about soccer becoming a bigger part of American society and trying o make the MLS stronger. One thought struck me and maybe I am alone in this but I think that I would prefer that soccer didn't become a major sport there.

    The US have dominated many sports over the last few years, and if soccer was to become a major sport there, they would probably dominate it too. With a population of 300 million people the potential they have is amazing.

    Soccer is already a very commercial sport and it would only become more commercial with the Americans joining in. Soccer stars might start playing in the US and clubs with rich traditions in Europe may not be able to compete with the American clubs.

    So do you think that soccer growing in America is good for the sport?


Comments

  • #2
    3hn2givr7mx1sc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,838 ✭✭✭✭3hn2givr7mx1sc


    European teams never compete with American teams in competitive games and I can't see how people from this side of the world would have a huge interest in the game over there due to games being on in the middle of the night.

    1. China
    2. India
    3. USA
    4. Indonesia
    5. Brazil
    6. Pakistan
    7. Bangladesh
    8. Nigeria
    9. Russia
    10. Japan
    11. Mexico
    12. Phllipines
    13. Vietnam
    14. Germany
    15. Ethiopa
    16. Egypt
    17. Iran
    18. Turkey
    19. Congo DR
    20. France

    That's the top 20 countries with the most population in the world.
    6 of those countries were in the WC, so the population doesn't really come into it. Holland are 67th in the list and they are the WC runners up.

    There isn't enough of a soccer tradition in America for it to kick off properly, imo. Preference will stay with basketball, baseball and American Football, also possibly ice hockey in some States.


  • #3
    Frisbee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,571 ✭✭✭✭Frisbee


    What sports do the US dominate over the past few years?

    Football - No
    Tennis - No (Mainly Switzerland and Spain over the past few years)
    Rugby - No
    Golf - Up until a few years back Tiger dominated, but not all out, he just upped it hugely in Majors and not recently.
    Boxing - Do well but not dominate.


    Fair enoguh at the Olympics they do well in Basketball and Baseball, but that's because they invented it and play it more than any other country.


  • #4
    _Bella_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,178 ✭✭✭_Bella_


    Frisbee wrote: »
    What sports do the US dominate over the past few years?

    Football - No
    Tennis - No (Mainly Switzerland and Spain over the past few years)
    Rugby - No
    Golf - Up until a few years back Tiger dominated, but not all out, he just upped it hugely in Majors and not recently.
    Boxing - Do well but not dominate.


    Fair enoguh at the Olympics they do well in Basketball and Baseball, but that's because they invented it and play it more than any other country.

    Tennis- They have dominated the womens for the last few years

    My main example would probably be athletics where at the moment the only two countries would be Jamaica and the US. If soccer became as big as it is in countries like Germany, Brazil, England they could completely dominate it for the next few years.


  • #5
    3hn2givr7mx1sc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,838 ✭✭✭✭3hn2givr7mx1sc


    _Bella_ wrote: »
    Tennis- They have dominated the womens for the last few years

    My main example would probably be athletics where at the moment the only two countries would be Jamaica and the US. If soccer became as big as it is in countries like Germany, Brazil, England they could completely dominate it for the next few years.

    TBF, it's only two women and no offence to them but they are genetic freaks. The rest is Europeans.

    Athletics is completely different to soccer, it's mostly pure athleticism, that will only get you so far in soccer.


  • #6
    Frisbee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,571 ✭✭✭✭Frisbee


    _Bella_ wrote: »
    My main example would probably be athletics where at the moment the only two countries would be Jamaica and the US.

    Maybe in the sprints and short distant stuff. In the longer distant running and other evens I wouldn't say the US dominate at all.


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  • #7
    Oat23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,472 ✭✭✭✭Oat23


    baz2009 wrote: »
    TBF, it's only two women and no offence to them but they are genetic freaks.

    G-FILF's ftw?


  • #8
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    Soccer is the most played sport in the US. Think you may be too late OP...


  • #9
    Mr.Nice Guy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,640 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Nice Guy


    They are dominant in most sports and respectable showings at World Cups won't do a lot for the game there like it has for New Zealand or ourselves. I think it will probably take something like an American team reaching the World Cup Final for the sport to really grab the mainstream attention there. Either that or a player comes along, a la Messi or Ronaldo, that becomes a worldwide sensation and they take him into their hearts.

    There's a stigma attached to the game over there and they need to overcome that first. There was a stigma here once upon a time too, but because we are near a much larger power, there was always going to be the likelihood that the sporting culture of the UK would influence us in the way their music and TV shows did. The difference with America is that it is the top power in the world, who tend to be the ones doing the influencing, and seeing as their neighbours are Canadians who seem to be as hostile to it as they are (if not more so), and Mexicans, who let's face it they have long decided to keep at a distance, the cultural change towards the sport must therefore come from within.

    As a result of that I can't see the image of the sport changing any time soon. I think it will be a case of decades rather than years for the sport to really take off there, but I do think it can happen.


  • #10
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    Frisbee wrote: »
    What sports do the US dominate over the past few years?

    Football - No
    Tennis - No (Mainly Switzerland and Spain over the past few years)
    Rugby - No
    Golf - Up until a few years back Tiger dominated, but not all out, he just upped it hugely in Majors and not recently.
    Boxing - Do well but not dominate.


    Fair enoguh at the Olympics they do well in Basketball and Baseball, but that's because they invented it and play it more than any other country.

    The us has dominated womens tennis, as much as Spain and Switzerland have dominated mens tennis.

    Also womens golf iirc...


  • #11
    Le King
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,092 ✭✭✭Le King


    BastardPrince wrote: »
    Soccer is the most played sport in the US. Think you may be too late OP...

    Huh? Basketball has to be the most played sport in the US.


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  • #12
    eagle eye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,450 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    BastardPrince wrote: »
    The us has dominated womens tennis, as much as Spain and Switzerland have dominated mens tennis.

    Also womens golf iirc...
    You don't rc.


  • #13
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    eagle eye wrote: »
    You don't rc.

    10 players in the top 30, maybe dominated wouldn't be the word, but it's close...


  • #14
    Mars Bar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,973 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    Asia is dominating Women's Golf at the moment. Previous to that, it was the Americans.

    I'd love to see Mens football really take off over there. The Women won the WC in 1999 and won a lot of major trophies through the 90's.


  • #15
    yabadabado
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,573 ✭✭✭✭yabadabado


    I would have to agree with Mr. nice Guy ,they probably need a superstar player to come along and be a world star for soccer to really become a major attraction in america.I think if the MLS winners qualified for the Copa Libertadores it would help greatly to increase the popularity.


  • #16
    Mister men
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭Mister men


    Once the kids in the disadvantaged areas start playing ball on a regular basis you will eventually see some major talent come out of there and the very real prospect of a World Cup win for the US.


  • #17
    3hn2givr7mx1sc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,838 ✭✭✭✭3hn2givr7mx1sc


    Mister men wrote: »
    Once the kids in the disadvantaged areas start playing ball on a regular basis you will eventually see some major talent come out of there and the very real prospect of a World Cup win for the US.

    Soccer is still a rich kid sport in America.
    Basketball is still where it's at.


  • #18
    Le King
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,092 ✭✭✭Le King


    baz2009 wrote: »
    Soccer is still a rich kid sport in America.
    Basketball is still where it's at.

    Basketball has to be by far the most popular. It's by a mile the most dominate in elementary, middle and high school.

    Basketball was the most popular where I lived, but in some areas you would have more kids playing baseball. But by large it was Basketball. It wasn't rare you would see kids with a "soccer" ball though. Just by large it was kids on the courts or playing with a net or something. That's New York btw. I can't say for the rest of the states.


    EDIT: Also to add let's not forget the MLS is generally still young, a lot of mistakes are still being learnt from the USL.

    Give it 5-10 years. Then I can see it taking off a bit more.


  • #19
    Big Ears
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,004 ✭✭✭Big Ears


    Was in America during the World Cup, California to be specific and there was a lot more attention paid to soccer than I thought there would be. Talking to locals aswell it seems the game is picking up in popularity(which is surprising quite a few people from older generations over there).

    As the previous poster says I think take a look in 5-10 years. I think it could be quite big by then, it'll never be as big as American football, basketball or baseball but I could see it overcoming Hockey in time as the 4th most popular American sport. That's more long term than that 5-10 year timeline though, but I think by then we'll see some serious popularity for the game over there.


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