<a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/news/soccer-fans-watch-usa/image/9096797?term=us+soccer+fans" target="_blank"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/news/soccer-fans-watch-usa/image/9096797?term=us+soccer+fans" target="_blank"></a></figure></div>
Let’s face it. We soccer fans live in a bubble. We eat, live and breathe soccer. So much so, that it’s sometimes hard to get a perspective on how popular, or unpopular, the sport is in the United States.
I really enjoy speaking with people who aren’t rabid soccer fans to hear their perspectives on the beautiful game. It often brings me down to earth and I get to better understand what the average American, who may not be a soccer fan, thinks.
For better or worse, soccer becomes an American mainstream topic every four years. No matter how much soccer grows, many of the same questions and same complaints about the sport are raised.
Luckily, in the past week, I’ve had a chance to experience what people in the street and in the press are saying about soccer, and the observations are quite revealing, so I thought I’d share a few with you.
First, The Guardian published a story today entitled <a href="http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jun/18/world-cup-2010-usa" target="_blank">Horns Stay Silent For the Underdog USA</a>, which includes a couple of choice quotes from me and some surprisingly pessimistic viewpoints from Jason Davis, a red-blooded American soccer blogger for Match Fit USA. Ed Pilkington, The Guardian’s New York correspondent, penned the piece but it feels as if he’s disappointed by the response so far from American and its residents in terms of getting into the World Cup. I discussed this with Pilkington on the phone a few days ago when he interviewed me. He mentioned how he sees very few flags or cars honking horns in New York when a team scores a goal. My response was that it’s not part of American fan culture. Americans love their flags probably more than any country in the world, but they don’t take to running through the streets or honking the horns in delight. Americans are more likely to party inside — whether it’s their homes or the many bars that are showing games.
Second, I spoke this morning with the exterminator my wife and I hire to keep those pesky Florida bugs out of my home. My wife started talking about the World Cup to him to get a sense for whether he’s been watching any matches. He’s not a soccer fan, but he admitted he turned on the England against USA game for a few minutes to see what the fuss was about. But when my wife asked him whether he was going to watch the rest of the first round games featuring the US, his response was surprising but enlightening. He replied “I heard that the US has no chance of winning the World Cup, so I’m not bothered to watch it.”
Americans are extremely competitive and always want to excel in everything they do. So, rather than watch a sport where the US will not succeed, the exterminator (and presumably countless other Americans) want to watch something else, something they can win.
Third, I’ve heard the following two arguments aimed at soccer too many times to remember. The first is that soccer is boring. The second is that soccer is low-scoring. Both criticisms are related, but they are difficult to argue against. I’ve had the good fortune to be interviewed by two radio stations this week about the World Cup and the way I positioned the answer was to say that soccer is a sport that is extremely different than most American sports. The closest resemblance is ice hockey and, even then, it’s nothing like the NHL. Soccer is a team sport played by 11 players on each team. It’s not a sport like American Football where it’s much easier to score. And it’s not a sport where one goal equals six points.
Non-soccer fans in the United States can be pretty dismissive and harsh against soccer when given the opportunity. But a shining light for me has been my week at Wowies, the sports bar in Boca Raton which is where MLS Talk is hosting its official World Cup viewing parties. While sitting in the booth working on my coverage of the World Cup, I’ve found myself eavesdropping on the conversations at the bar where there is a mix of soccer fans with some that know a little about the sport and others who have no clue and aren’t interested in it. Among all of the topics discussed at the bar this week, the World Cup has been the most prevalent. Yes, it’s a World Cup sports bar (at least for the next three weeks), but it’s a typical (but nicer) American sports bar. It’s not a soccer pub. However, the conversations have been surprisingly positive about soccer and many of the patrons sitting at the bar seem genuinely interested in how well the USA does but in the tournament itself. After living in this country for more than 25 years and having to endure so much negativity aimed at soccer, it’s refreshing to hear positive things being said about the sport.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so positive in the story. The TV ratings back up my belief. Now the most important thing is for the United States men’s national team to come through with their end of the bargain and to progress out of Group C. Then, mainstream America (and perhaps my exterminator) will become more interested.
What do you think? Is Davis too pessimistic? Am I too optimistic? What are you hearing from people on the street? Is soccer getting bigger in this country where you can see evidence with your eyes? Share your opinions in the comments section below

Is Soccer Popular In The United States, Or Not? - World Soccer Talk

Is Soccer Popular In The United States, Or Not?

What if? What if Robert Green had spilled that shot from Clint Dempsey in the World Cup, but then he managed to grab it before it crossed over the line.
Watch this video to see what could have happened if things were different. It’s a handy piece of revisionism that England fans would much prefer to watch than what actually happened.

Robert Green and England: If Only Things Had Been So Different: Video - World Soccer Talk

Robert Green and England: If Only Things Had Been So Different: Video

<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/wowies-group-usa-england.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/wowies-group-usa-england.jpg"></a></figure></div>
<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/wowies-group-usa-england.jpg"></a>Friday is a big day for readers of this blog as we prepare to watch two massive World Cup games, both of which are must win matches. USA against Slovenia kicks off at 10am ET. Followed by England versus Algeria at 2:30pm ET. And we have the added bonus of the early kick-off at 7:30am featuring Germany against Serbia in another game of immense proportions.
No matter where you live, I encourage you to get out of your home or office and go see the game in a public setting such as a bar, pub, restaurant or cafe.
If you’ll be in South Florida on Friday, I’d like to invite you and your friends to watch the World Cup games at Wowies Sports Grill in Boca Raton, Florida. Here are seven reasons why you should join us there:
<ol>
<li>Enter a free raffle for your chance to win a copy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa video game for the PS3, courtesy of EA Sports. The drawing will take place at the end of the United States against Slovenia game. The videogame is in stores now and it enables you to take your favorite nation to World Cup glory.</li>
<li>Bring <a href="http:\/\/www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies" target="_blank">this flyer</a> with you and redeem it for a free Red Stripe or Sierra Nevada beer. Yes, there is such a thing as free beer.</li>
<li>Happy hour is 12-7pm everyday. Who can argue with half priced drinks?</li>
<li>All games are shown live in HD on 31 big screen TVs. It’s one of those venues where it’s impossible not to see a TV no matter where you sit.</li>
<li>Come support your country with fellow passionate soccer fans who are as serious about the game as you are.</li>
<li>Be interviewed for a chance to appear on EPL Talk. After the games on Friday, I’ll be taking my digital recorder with me and interviewing opinionated soccer fans at Wowies to get your reaction to the games and how the teams played. This is your chance to get on EPL Talk. For those who can’t make it, I’ll be streaming the World Cup Viewing Party live on the homepage of EPL Talk.</li>
<li><a href="http:\/\/wowiesgirls.com/official%20site.htm" target="_blank">Wowies girls</a>. Take a look at their website to see the Wowies bartenders and waitresses, and then come in Wowies to be served by them.</li>
</ol>
Wowies is located at 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33433. The sports bar is open at 9:30am ET each day and is showing every World Cup game (except the 7:30am ET kick-offs).
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to interview two soccer fans who were there at Wowies to hear their opinions about how the US played against England, as well as to ask an England fan about his desire to see either England or his club team, Manchester City, win a trophy in his lifetime.
Thanks to Paul and Christian Sachleben for taking time out of their busy days to be interviewed.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "usa" - Page 9

Leagues: MLS

Is Soccer Popular In The United States, Or Not?

General

Robert Green and England: If Only Things Had Been So Different: Video

General

7 Reasons to Attend Wowies for USA-Slovenia and England-Algeria World Cup Viewing Parties