Soccer to take over US -- forget it

You hear the question asked so frequently: “Why has soccer not caught on in the United States of America?”

Well, in a way it has caught on but I think it is closer to reaching a ceiling than most soccer zealots want to admit. Granted, soccer has become more mainstream in terms of American thinking but just because there are youth leagues all over the nation, that does not mean the sport will “take over” in the US as some might suggest.

People have their theories of why the sport has not “caught on” in the US. “It’s boring,” “Not enough scoring,” “The pace is too slow.” And of course the most cynical answer is, “It’s a Communist sport!”

I don’t see any of those answers as credible. I got news for you, a 2-1 soccer game is no less boring than a 14-7 football game. Plus, just because a game is low-scoring does not mean it’s boring. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of soccer but the notion of it being a “Communist” sport is a little over the top. Again, I’m not a fan of the sport but if my kids want to play it, I’m not going to stand in their way. After all, it is a positive and constructive activity for youngsters.

I believe the reason why soccer has not “caught on” in the US is very simple. It’s not our sport.

People’s prediction of soccer “taking over” ranks right up there with predictions we heard of how “hockey was going to take over” after the US upset the Soviet Union, which was considered the best international team in the world, 4-3 in 1980 in what has become aptly known as “The Miracle on Ice.” We are still waiting for hockey fever to catch. Hockey might be big in certain pockets of the US like say Detroit or Philadelphia but it remains a rumor in many other places in the US.

The bottom line is that Americans will never truly sink their collective teeth into soccer because we didn’t invent it or perfect it. Football remains the most popular sport in America. High school football games are like an event. College football is an American staple. The NFL is not only popular but profitable. Baseball, while a derivative of foreign sports that has become more global in recent memory, has American roots and there’s a reason we know it as our “National Past-time.” Basketball has also become more global but it is traditionally thought of as an American sport. Plus, the NCAA tournament thrives. NASCAR is typically associated in popularity in the Southern US States but has also grown in popularity around the entire US.

Again, baseball and basketball have become more global but the best in the world still come to the US to play. Whereas the best soccer players in the US go to other countries to play in order to advance their career.

Besides reaching the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup, the US national team has not had consistent success on the world stage. True, it was good to see the US Women’s team march to a World Cup title but that run was just a blip on the screen. Americans, meanwhile, are the best in the world in football, baseball, and basketball, they cannot yet hold a candle to other countries in soccer. Sorry folks, it’s reality.

Some soccer cynics go as far to say, “It’s not a real sport.” I tend to disagree with that statement because soccer players are very highly-skilled athletes. It takes great footwork and enormous stamina. I don’t think a pot-belly defensive tackle will last long playing the sport.

While soccer can be a good sport, it is simply not designed for TV audiences among Americans. Advertising dominates TV broadcasts. Since there are no timeouts in soccer, the best one can do in that case is have sponsorship for a half or part of a half. US broadcasts are based around 30-60 second commercials. NFL and NBA broadcasts have “commercial time outs” that lends itself to companies to place advertising at key moments of a game. And where do TV networks make money? Advertising.

Another stumbling block soccer faces with fully capturing the imagination of the US is that we do not have a star that transcends the sport. England has David Beckham. Brazil has Ronaldihno, Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo. The men, along with others for their nations, have grown bigger than their sport in their native lands. The U.S. hasn't had that one player that has done that yet. We’ve had a few good soccer players but it’s not like they are going to get splashed all over the Chicago Tribune sports section.

Again, soccer can be a beautiful game. Just don’t expect it to the game of the week in the US any time soon.