Can soccer become popular in the US? What should be done for it to reach the mas

1. 65

   prettydarkhorseposted 12 years ago

   Can soccer become popular in the US? What should be done for it to reach the masses?
   
   Love for a particular sports is affected by lots of factors. It can be cultural. 
   
   Do you think Americans will appreciate soccer more or they will never like it? What should soccer stakeholders need to do in order that Americans will appreciate it more?

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2. 79

   CCahillposted 12 years ago

   America has too many popular Sports, American Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey would need to die out.
   
   Until you can shake this impression that Soccer is for wimps and girls and much less contact than others, then itll be hard to popularize. Although the Female soccer leagues are much more successful in America than they are Europe, as far as i can tell.

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3. 79

   internpeteposted 12 years ago

   Even in the last 5 years I have seen soccer become more and more popular in the US. From the MLS, to the USMNT, and even other leagues such as the EPL, more  Americans are both playing soccer, and watching it.
   
   Soccer does have a long way to go before it tops any of the other popular sports, but i saw a survey by ESPN I think, that said soccer was 3rd most popular amount young adult males.
   
   I really like what the MLS has done, they have made soccer specific stadiums for many of the league's teams. The Philadelphia Union for example, have sold out nearly every game this season (many other MLS teams are also selling out).
   
   As the world becomes more globally accessible, soccer, as a global sport, will become more popular in America.

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4. 72

   seh1101posted 12 years ago

   The market is simply flooded with other sports, but the MLS and EPL are gaining popularity even in the face of critics. My reasoning behind the lack of soccer interest is this...
   
   The first organized sport that many kids get into is soccer here in the States. The rules are simple for kids to grasp. There are more sports offered the older children become and kids are become more attracted to the other sports. My high school didn't even have a boy's soccer team because there wasn't enough interest, and the school didn't want soccer to take athletes away from the football program.
   
   Women's soccer is strong here in the States because it is one of the few professional sports for women that is successful, along with basketball. Fast pitch softball tends to only span as far as college for women...and pro volleyball is essentially unknown.
   
   Well I digress...but the money and the market just isn't as strong in soccer as it is in baseball, football, and basketball.

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5. 89

   cryptidposted 12 years ago

   You know, since I was in high school (which was a while ago) people have been saying that soccer is going to take over America like it has other countries. It hasn't happened yet. I do not expect it will happen in my lifetime. 
   
   Men's soccer is played in the fall in the US, which puts it in direct competition with football.  Not only in competition for fans, but for players as well.  If you are an American high school, would you rather field a football team that will sell 5,000  tickets every home game in the fall, or a soccer team that a handful of people will show up to watch?  Big schools can have both, but most have to choose. Football is where the money and glory are at.  It's not a very fair fight for soccer.  The only way I see soccer gaining popularity is if football is banned or something.  Even then, there's always Rugby. 
   
   As for international soccer, I just don't know that most Americans get it.  The games are long, nothing seems to happen for forever on end, and there really isn't much national pride in our team.  During the Olympics that will probably change, briefly, but otherwise most people just don't care about American soccer.

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6. 87

   Jools99posted 12 years ago

   All sports stand a fighting chance if they are started off new at 'grass roots' level - in schools and through youth clubs etc.  Children love most sports to which they are introduced and football (soccer) would certainly stand a chance against other U.S. sports if it was played in schools.  The problem might be in finding space for it on the Physical Education curriculum alongside all of the traditional US sports.

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7. 61

   mwales28posted 12 years ago

   The only way this may be possible is by getting rid of the NBA and the NFL.  Oh, then you have golf and tennis and... Well, I don't think it will happen.  It has become a little more popular than I ever remember it being but there is stiff competition out there.  Not to mention so many people don't just have dreams of becoming the best at their sport, most are fueled by the "almighty dollar".  So even parents who grew up playing street soccer don't want their kids to be pro soccer players, no, they want them to be pro footballers or pro basketballers, or the next Tiger Wood, even Nadal or Federer.  They want those million dollar contracts and all those other unrealistic goals for themselves and their kids.

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      CCahillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Valid comment, i guess they also dont have many big role models within Soccer, no real American talent which they can look up and admire and aspire to be like and see the potential rewards first hand.

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8. 0

   supreme upbeatposted 12 years ago

   I think Americans will certainly shine in football if they concentrate on this outdoor game with proper planning and practice .They are idle to play such kind of diligent game ,though they pass time whiling away with mental diligence .The concept should be changed from grass root of student life that they can do soccer well and in every school football must be attached with other interesting sports.sorry now I am going to sleep!

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9. 0

   moncrieffposted 12 years ago

   I'm afraid nothing could be done about it. American football is a purely American sport where Americans face no competition on the international level. And if you think about it, all American sports are cut off from international competitions, apart from the Olympics. It'd hurt people's feelings here every time when Argentina or Italy would win yet another World Cup (or if USA won't even get into quarter-finals), so I don't see how soccer can consolidate Americans towards that sport on the national level... Unless it would become a closed American affair. In which case, schools and popular perception would have to warm up to the sport.
   
   It's a great outdoors sport, for sure, but just not for America.

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