America and Soccer

Were the US population given the opportunity to choose its favorite sport by popular choice, the answer would most likely be the one defined differently across the rest of the world: Football. If that choice were removed, baseball or basketball would be right there to take that spot. It’s always amazed me to see how my country juxtaposes so many others that live and breathe the beautiful game. Although soccer won’t reach the status it has held by the rest of the world for a while, I want to examine some recent shifts in the US’ culture, ranging from politics to popularity, which can highlight soccer’s brighter future in the states.

1.) Immigration

For those of you who don’t keep up with US politics: the rising popularity in immigration reform and the public’s demand for change in it has led to plans introduced by both political parties—with surprising overlap between them, in my opinion. When slicing into what both sides are suggesting, the recently-counted eleven million illegal immigrants in the US (though I contend it’s more) becoming legal citizens will not be obstructed by such mammoth legal hurdles, barring those who would be deemed ineligible because of committing crimes and such.

The reason that poses the greatest interest in my analysis is the continuing cultural swing that is happening in this country. Granted, even if most current illegals here WERE granted citizenship the next day, that would only account to a point-four/point-three percent increase in the total population; however, those numbers rise dramatically when considering their primary locations being in southern states. From a geographical perspective, entire pockets of Texas, Arizona, Florida, and more could be imbued with a soccer-obsessed body of people that can now legally attend schools of all kinds without hassle, run for some levels of office, etc.

2.) MLS

Despite enjoying the sport, I typically don’t bother watching anything other than some EUAFA and World Cup games (I already don’t watch sports games that often). Although something like the David Beckham deal to LA Galaxy did keep my interest for a while, the flow of that team just didn’t feel…right, as to what I’ve seen from European teams (in my opinion). That has to do with two factors: the popularity of the players and atmosphere surrounding the league. With the growing popularity of the league among younger audiences, I can foresee a team’s ability to give higher salaries and present better promotional opportunities, such as when some European teams competed in US stadiums. Going back to reason #1, think of how much greater the league’s growth potential can be with reform possibly driving up the chance for more prodigy-level newcomers that would consider America their home.

As a Uruguayan co-worker, and soccer fanatic, noted: “the MLS has changed a lot in the last ten years.” From its inception in the nineties to now, the league is becoming a tour de force in bringing attention to itself. Now, all they need to do is be attentive in finding several home-grown stars and continue to push promotional ideas depicting US soccer as “the next big thing” over here.

3.) No stigma for sticking with it

Although there wasn’t “humiliation” per se in high-school students remaining with the sport they love, soccer wasn’t exactly an activity bolstered by the student body in the not-so-distant past. In comparison to several other popular sports in high school, there really wasn’t much auxiliary social impetus to see soccer as anything else then physical training to keep your endurance during the offseason of whatever sport you were truly dedicated to playing.

Think about this fellow Americans who’ve long graduated: did you ever think buying/trading soccer cards even…existed here? With a few soccer players being ranked in ESPN’s “Top 50 Most Popular Players” list in 2011, those unimaginable things like…soccer cards could invariably become the next baseball cards for the upcoming generation of elementary and middle-school youths. Since my years in middle school to now, soccer has slowly taken on the role from “just a good workout” to “another sport the cool kids enjoy.”

Conclusion:

In the end, I think time is on soccer’s side. When you consider the unbelievable rise of the NFL over the MLB since the mid-nineties, which both had equal standing back then, the changes in the nation’s identity thanks to the continuing cultural expansions—which can be furthered by new laws—shows a similar rise can happen in soccer’s case. But like the patience typically demanded for a goal to be scored in a professional game, the same should be allowed for soccer to take shape and win the hearts of more American sports fans.