This is not a topic which really interests me that much, but it seems to be a topic some want to debate in the World Cup thread on the football board, so I'm giving a forum for that debate...
Is soccer about to explode?
- Thread starter TIDE-HSV
- Start date
It is. The World Cup match with the US team playing had a bigger TV rating than the baseball World Series. I think soccer became the fastest growing youth sport some years ago.
It could, if they would take my suggestion from this thread....
http://www.tidefans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224776
http://www.tidefans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224776
I recall the same question being asked during the last World Cup. And the answer then, at least among media types, was that soccer was on the verge of becoming hugely popular among Americans. Yet, I don't think that has happened; at least not at the professional level.
I think as long as the US team continues perform well and there are compelling matches to be seen by the American audience (regardless of the teams), I think soccer will continue to grow in popularity.
For a real boost though - think supplanting the NHL as a major sport - I think there will probably need to be rules changes to increase scoring. Too many people only want to see goals and don't appreciate the artistry and strategy involved. To get the casual fans to tune in and boost the popularity of the sport, scoring will have to go up some.
I think as long as the US team continues perform well and there are compelling matches to be seen by the American audience (regardless of the teams), I think soccer will continue to grow in popularity.
For a real boost though - think supplanting the NHL as a major sport - I think there will probably need to be rules changes to increase scoring. Too many people only want to see goals and don't appreciate the artistry and strategy involved. To get the casual fans to tune in and boost the popularity of the sport, scoring will have to go up some.
I've been hearing about this supposed 'explosion' is soccer's popularity for over two decades.
Still waiting to be awestruck by its popularity.
Still waiting to be awestruck by its popularity.
When the US is consistently better than everyone else (not going to happen) it can become big here.
Actually, in 1996 the Los Angeles Galaxy had over 69k in attendance for a game, 13 years prior to Seattle's individual record.
It's grown, no doubt, but when someone says 'exploding', I picture it challenging the big five (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, NASCAR) - which it's not close to doing.
The other reason I can see soccer growing in the US is due to the concern with head injuries from football. More parents may pull their kids from football and push them toward soccer.
The explosion already happened. Prior to...say...1950....how many youth soccer teams were there? Now check that number for 1970 & 1990. That was the explosion. Now comes the slower process of increasing the number of HS programs, college programs, and interest in MLS. Beyond that, the challenge will be getting elite, multi sports athletes to stay in soccer over the other big 3 US sports. At some point, a US national team will go far into the WC and there will be a powerful ripple effect that will accelerate the growth at upper levels.
Those that don't see the explosion must expect to see soccer immediately become the sport in America like it is in the rest of the world. That's not going to happen in 30 years. It's going to take time.
First, we had kids playing soccer in the 60's and 70's that are now grandparents.
Secondly, most likely their kids and/or grandkids played soccer.
Third, we see more community soccer leagues along with travel teams as those that played little league soccer get older and move.
Fourth, those community leagues and travel teams cause local schools to have a soccer team.
Fifth and most important, those that play high school soccer go onto play collegiate soccer, possibility leading to a professional career.
The issue with kids going from high school to college remains Title IX. Alabama has a club team for guys but has a girls team. With FBS schools giving 85 football scholarships, they cannot afford to give scholarships for a soccer program. Nor can they afford to cut a current program in order to start a program from scratch.
First, we had kids playing soccer in the 60's and 70's that are now grandparents.
Secondly, most likely their kids and/or grandkids played soccer.
Third, we see more community soccer leagues along with travel teams as those that played little league soccer get older and move.
Fourth, those community leagues and travel teams cause local schools to have a soccer team.
Fifth and most important, those that play high school soccer go onto play collegiate soccer, possibility leading to a professional career.
The issue with kids going from high school to college remains Title IX. Alabama has a club team for guys but has a girls team. With FBS schools giving 85 football scholarships, they cannot afford to give scholarships for a soccer program. Nor can they afford to cut a current program in order to start a program from scratch.
Actually, soccer carries its own concussion danger. The repeated blows to the head while doing headers accumulate just as in American football. The headers actually pose a greater threat to the neck than football. The next time you see teams take the field, look at the players as they file out. There'll generally be one or more jerking his head to the side, trying to remove the crick...
It never has happened, and it (likely) never will.
This soccer explosion has been "gonna happen" now since before I was even born in 1969. The previous year, the late Phil Woosman bragged to journalists that "in 20 years, soccer will be bigger than the NFL in this country."
That was 46 years ago.
It was gonna explode when the USA first made the World Cup in 1986. It didn't happen.
It was gonna explode when the USA hosted the 1994 World Cup. It didn't happen.
And the "it won't happen overnight" argument (while appealing) can't explain why we had skyrocketing booms in the NBA and NASCAR that - supposedly - should have taken just as long as soccer did. There's been a tennis boom in the interim that was so long ago most of you don't even know about it. There's been increased interest in both golf and cycling in that span for periods of time. Hockey expanded from 21 to 30 teams while this "boom" has been brewing.
How many soccer leagues in this country have gone under? Three? Four?
Furthermore, I think it will be more difficult because it will take yet another generation to arouse interest of a sufficient level of ability. If someone likes soccer today in the modern age, they simply turn on ESPN and watch the Premiere League.
Anything we have is going to be third-rate comparatively speaking.
My suspicion is that most of the fans watching this are fans of the USA, not fans of soccer. Sorta like the Olympics (Michael Phelps is not authoring any sort of swimming boom to my knowledge).
And head injuries? Have you not heard the discussions about headers and concussions?
This soccer explosion has been "gonna happen" now since before I was even born in 1969. The previous year, the late Phil Woosman bragged to journalists that "in 20 years, soccer will be bigger than the NFL in this country."
That was 46 years ago.
It was gonna explode when the USA first made the World Cup in 1986. It didn't happen.
It was gonna explode when the USA hosted the 1994 World Cup. It didn't happen.
And the "it won't happen overnight" argument (while appealing) can't explain why we had skyrocketing booms in the NBA and NASCAR that - supposedly - should have taken just as long as soccer did. There's been a tennis boom in the interim that was so long ago most of you don't even know about it. There's been increased interest in both golf and cycling in that span for periods of time. Hockey expanded from 21 to 30 teams while this "boom" has been brewing.
How many soccer leagues in this country have gone under? Three? Four?
Furthermore, I think it will be more difficult because it will take yet another generation to arouse interest of a sufficient level of ability. If someone likes soccer today in the modern age, they simply turn on ESPN and watch the Premiere League.
Anything we have is going to be third-rate comparatively speaking.
My suspicion is that most of the fans watching this are fans of the USA, not fans of soccer. Sorta like the Olympics (Michael Phelps is not authoring any sort of swimming boom to my knowledge).
And head injuries? Have you not heard the discussions about headers and concussions?
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