3 ways the USA dominates soccer
By Katie Kieffer
USA's Clint Dempsey of USA celebrates his goal against Brazil with his team during the FIFA Confederations Cup Final on June 28, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Image credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images via soccer.teamusa.org.
Pass U.S. the ball. ‘Cause she’s a winner, winner, winner.
Team USA did not hoist the World Cup trophy on its shoulders in South Africa. But, what the sports world, even in the U.S., has overlooked, is that Team USA and the U.S. have made soccer the popular and profitable sport that it is today.
Today, the U.S. influences and contributes to the growth and development of soccer more than any other country in the world. Here’s how:
ROLE MODELS
- Safe and fun atmosphere: In America, we are passionate about soccer without becoming obsessed. Players do not need to fear for their lives if they make a mistake like the late Colombian soccer player, Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga. As sports columnist Christine Brennan of USA Today points out, “By not being single-mindedly devoted to soccer, aren’t U.S. fans exhibiting a laudable sense of perspective? They respect the World Cup, mostly — bad calls, bad acting, bad leadership and all — but they don’t live and die with it. One could make a case that this is a very good thing.”
- Sportsmanship: Our team played honorably and stood out from the Ghana players faking injuries and the French handballs that robbed Ireland of a chance at the 2010 World Cup.
- Responsibility: The U.S. soccer team takes their celebrity seriously. As Ronald Bum of the Associated Press reported, U.S. coach Bob Bradley said, “You want to have a team that the people who care about … and follow that team and root for that team and can feel part of. A team that people believe in and a team that people are proud of. And so, that’s part of our responsibility, and we’re excited in the moment that there’s that kind of feeling.”
Team USA head coach Bob Bradley during the FIFA World Cup Qualifying soccer match between the USA and Mexico at Azteco Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico on August, 2009. Image credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images North America.
Team USA head coach Bob Bradley during the FIFA World Cup Qualifying soccer match between the USA and Mexico at Azteco Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico on August, 2009. Image credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images North America.
$OCCER’$ GREEN MACHINE
- Economic boon for other countries: If it weren’t for U.S. investors, soccer would be a whole different ballgame – one with less glamor, fun and profitability.The U.S. hires foreign-born stars such as David Beckham and Fredrik Ljungberg to play on her teams and recruits British pros like Martin Tyler to analyze her game on ABC/ESPN. Thanks to American sponsors such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Visa, and live TV coverage of the World Cup on American networks, there are suddenly millions of Americans are familiar with players from the Republic of Cameroon. Millions of Americans watched Spain’s historic soccer glory yesterday on ABC. No doubt this will prove a boon for Spain’s floundering economy.
David Beckham plays for the LA Galaxy.
- Television coverage & Sponsors: A primary reason TIME Magazine can report that, “Africa was the world’s third largest TV audience for soccer in 2006″ is because of U.S. investment in soccer.FIFA president, Joseph S. Blatter, was able to bring soccer to Africa and Asia because of the U.S.’ success in soccer and investments made based off of that success.Television is “central” to the World Cup and allowed Blatter to make “the game truly global, taking it to Asia and Africa,” says TIME Magazine.Television coverage and financial sponsors for the game came from the U.S.According to TIME Magazine, “The still unsurpassed success of the U.S. tourney allowed Blatter to float TV packages for the 2002 and 2006 tournaments to the highest bidder on a country-by-country basis. Under Blatter, FIFA began soliciting only the biggest brands and corporations, and all rights packages and sponsorship deals were sold for two World Cups at a time, guaranteeing fees against volatility in the global economy. The packages don’t come cheaply: in 2006, Blatter enticed more than $875 million from FIFA’s top sponsors.”
GROWING THE GAME
The U.S. is popularizing soccer at an unmatched pace.
- Fan base: “More tickets to the World Cup were purchased in the U.S. than in any other country except the host nation,” reports Bill Saporito.
- Participants: TIME Magazine reports that, in the U.S., “Soccer trails only basketball in the number of participants.”
- Media: American media giants have helped give credence to soccer as an American and worldly pastime. Vanity Fair has featured foreign stars such as Christiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba on it’s cover – while the Fox network chose live coverage of an Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich soccer game over live coverage of a New York Yankees vs. New York Mets baseball game, reports TIME Magazine.
Soccer is thriving in America, and it is alive and well in the world. Much of soccer’s growth is attributable to the passion of American soccer fans and participants – as well as the investments of American capitalists.
This video showing the reactions of from Team USA fans across the U.S. and around the world to Landon Donovan‘s last-minute winning goal against Algeria. It will shred any doubts of America’s passion for soccer:
World Reacts To Landon Donovan’s Goal – Watch more Funny Videos
