Well, I thought this subject needed it's own topic for it's reply.

The answer is very simple. Soccer (or futbol) in America is not popular. There are 125 teams in 4 other sports that are more popular than even one soccer team.

I'd venture to guess that almost every American who wears a soccer uniform is wearing the uniform:

1) Because of the style
2) his/her family came from that country

Soccer is just not big here. I am of italian heritage, if I were to buy a soccer jersey i would get Italy to show my pride.

I don't play or watch soccer but I'd rather an italy uni than a Metro Stars.

Most people would laugh at me around here for wearing a Metro-Stars jersey. But Italy would be respected because people would just understand that I am proud of my family's heritage, and not because I like Italy's soccer team.

I have a lot of frieds and I know only 1 person who can name more than 2 soccer players in the universe.

Just my take on things.

america is a mix of soo many cultures right?
all the cultures in the world love soccer except america right?
how come america doesn't like it?
is it cause they just wanna be different and show that they have their own identity?
doesn't make sense to me. ( no disrespect to anybody)
that was my own personal opinion..

cheers

well great though soccer may be as a sport

baseball, american football and basketball are pretty great sports too...i think there is room for soccer to catch on in this country but people love our own sports here... its not just wanting to be different.

Shez,

I mean no offense but that response was kind of ignorant.

Americans do not do it to be different. We like other sports because we grew up with them and have learned to love them.

Why do people from India love spicy foods?
Why do Japanese people love baseball?
Why do Irish like bars?

Simple. We grew up with them, not because we want to be different. They are enjoyable and they make us happy. That's it.

NYJets,

Your response holds no truth to it my friend.
It's not because we grew up with it. How do you explain the very succesful AYSO? Most young children are in a soccer league at a very young age. It's between grade 6-12 that the transition is made to other sports. The reason other sports are more successful is because they are better publicized, and advertized and because we are good at it. We, (USA) don't like to lose in any sport to any country period. Soccer happens to be one sport that we can't dominate.
Soccer is growing in the US, you can't deny that. However you should do your part and don't worry about your friends laughing at you (that's one reason why people pull away from the game during high school). Show them the game. I took a friend of mine to a soccer game and now he is hooked. Soccer gets in your blood, just ask the hundreds of countries who live and die for soccer (no pun intended). If given a fair chance in the US, it will become huge.

I think we have to win consistently in order for that to happen. That's why World Cup 2002 will be very important for the future of soccer in the US.

Pretty close to being bang on there, fifafanatic. The test? Women's soccer (football). All of a sudden the women's team looks like winning it, and suddenly 100,000 people turn out to watch them. Would 100,000 people turn out to watch the men's side in a World Cup Qualifier? I doubt it.

Drinky if the game was vs Mexico, the answer is yes, though a lot of Mexicans would be at the game...

Yeah, PolishPower, and fans never go see USA play against China, or Brasil, or Norway, or Canada. There are many American fans who go see the womens' team, regardless of who they play. Besides, the rivalry is only intense between the mens' teams.

TeKNoS

ha, yall see...when the american people realize that soccer has a great future in their country (if the u.s. MEN'S team wins the olypmics) then they will come and watch games. all they care about is winning, well not all of them, most of them

Yeah they go, but not 100,000. For example I remember the WC qualifier vs Jamaica in Washington Dc, 1997. The attendance was maybe 25,000 about half of capacity. The game vs Mexico in Foxboro was a sell-out though for a long time.

I wish the 2 American federations would unite, so then we would have many great games. It would do a lot to make soccer more popular, even if it hurt US in the short-term(much greater chance of not qualifying for WC).

[This message has been edited by PolishPower (edited 07-02-2000).]

Soccer for youth is most popular sport right now so in few years i wouldent be surprssed to see more players and better Natinal Team. Im an American and i Love soccer

Yes you were correct about one thing. After 12th grade, soccer is just not big around here.

But my main point was that we DO NOT dislike soccer only because we want to be different.

That is ludicrous.

i wrote a paper last semester on this topic and there are a million reasons you can list. i think it all comes down to the success of the national team and mls ability to bring over the best players in the world. ever other league in the US is the best in the world. best players, coaches this equals a lot of fans, publicity, and popularity. who grows up playing soccer in the lower forty eight where it is hot and hard to find rinks. ever other league, baseball, hockey, basketball gets the best players in the world to come and play and until the MLS gets this soccer will not grow. it has to start with the national team though.

Makes perfect sense. However I find it hard to believe that in my lifetime, soccer will ever become a major sport in the USA.

There just is no room for it. Unless of course baseball strikes again.

Kramer,

You must also remember, the sports Americans dominate in, are only played in America. That explains why everytime an American sports team wins a national title, they call themselves the "world champions". American Sports Make Me Laugh!!!!!

Hi I'm Italian and i'm very pride of my country.
I think that in your country SOCCER or CALCIO is not LIFE. For us is so.
From when we 're very little we play Soccer like you play Baseball.
SOccer is very popular in the world because all paople of nations like Italy, Brazil, France, England, Germany, Argentina and others love very very very much SOCCER.
WHEN LAZIO WON Italian Championship, all people run for the streets or drove their cars happy because Lazio had won!
I hope that a day you'll go in Italy and you'll understand what means Calcio or Football for we Italians!
FORZA AZZURRI!!!!!!!

Exactly what I said before. You grew up with soccer and and you play it a lot. That's why you love it. I think that is awesome.

I'm not going to make fun of you because you don't like baseball. That is what I am getting here.

"You and your country are idiots because you don't like soccer." That's stupid.

Guido, thank you for finally making some sense.

Well...

I've always thought it would be great if you could introduce Rugby to the US as it would be a massive hit. US Football but without the player protection, it has high scores, violence, action, close games - its very similar to the NFL. I imagine a US team, comprising NFL stars, would be really successful. Soccer is not the only sport.

Just one point though: I have been known to play Baseball, I've played US Football several times (once while drunk, but we won't touch on that), and watch these sports on TV. I don't feel as if I should be pressured into it _just_ because they are popular in the US. The same should apply over there - if they want to get into soccer, let them. The point should be made though that with the right coaching and support in high schools, the US could be world cup winners in a mere couple of decades.

Why can't you people just leave good enough alone?

I started this topic as an honest, straighforward answer to a question. All I get is bigotry and hatred for Americans slapped in my face.

What is wrong with saying "World Champions". We know what it actually means. You don't think that we'd LOVE to take the rest of the world on it baseball, football, basketball and hockey?

We say "world" because it makes it seem bigger and more important. Winning a championship in anything is a HUGE accomplishment and shouldn't be treated as anything less.

I bet your mother thinks she makes the "worlds best meatloaf". Who am I to tell her that she's an idiot for thinking so?

Take Baseball. You have 29 other teams and 1,000 players all trying to kick your ass and make you look bad. If you end up as the #1 team, are you going to tell me that it means nothing?

Stop your god damn bigotry. What do you have agaisnt Americans and America?

You people make me sick. This is disgusting. I hope to hell I never run into any of you because I'd pound you into the ground if I ever heard you say any of this crap.