Soccer Becoming Popular with US kids
There is a growing enthusiasm here in the United States for Football with the young kids (they call it soccer - we’ll call it football in this article), since over the last few years or so they have been able to watch the Premiership and other top leagues (Serie A, La Liga etc) on the Fox Soccer Channel (owned by Rupert Murdoch of SKY television).
They play football as kids so they know about the game - but the fairly recent introduction of top class football (as contrasted to their own MLS – Major League Soccer – which isn’t top class) has a number of kids watching avidly.
A case in point was yesterday when I had lunch with one of my close friends John, and the guys in the next booth kept turning around – seemingly listening to our conversation. I talk too much and too loud (my wife tells me this every day :D) so I indicated to John, my friend, that I’d better reduce my noise level – and thought no more about it.
John was arguing that he couldn’t understand how football would ever be successful in the US - because there were no time-outs - so the only way they could broadcast it here and make money was via PPV (Pay Per View). I argued that wasn’t the case at all since the Fox Soccer Channel is free and they broadcast about 4-5 Premiership games a week. Also, ESPN over here broadcast the European Champions league games live - all without commercial interruption.
Well - we finished the meal about 30 minutes later and on leaving the restaurant – a bunch of teenagers had amassed outside and one of them said “Hey are you English?”
I said yes and he immediately added “Are you watching the Liverpool Chelsea game this afternoon?”
“Yes”, I said. “Who do you think will win ?”
“Liverpool” I said “will be hard to beat at Anfield”
“I’m really looking forward to the game that’s on tomorrow afternoon – I’m a Manchester United fan” he replied.
I said – “Well - that should be a great game”
At the end of the fairly brief conversation I volunteered that my team was the great Newcastle United – who play in black and white stripes (a hint - in case he didn’t know who they were). “Yes” he said “they didn’t play very well on Monday did they?”.
“ No – but we’ll be a lot better next season with Michael Owen back” I offered.
“We’ll see” – he said - and I made my way to the car.
This interaction would never have happened a short three years ago – but the kids over here are now catching onto soccer – big time- and they are all excited that David Beckham is coming over to play for LA Galaxy. Take a look at the LA Galaxy web site http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/t106/index.jsp
Will soccer ever be a huge sport in the USA?
Probably not - but there are many kids starting to play the game seriously - as they see they can make big money and big careers in Europe - with players like Brad Friedel, Carlos Bocenegra, Brian McBride, Kasey Keller and DeMarcus Beasley playing regularly.
It seems also that youngsters are coming through here that would be good captures for clubs in Europe - as more US athletes are taking to soccer - maybe Newcastle United need to partner with an MSL team over here - and use them as a feeder club.
Freddy Shepherd - are you listening?
Ed Harrison writes for - you guessed it - the Newcastle United blog.
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Discussion - 12 Responses
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Hmm… interesting.
Being here in the US for the past year I learned one thing. American kids usually play soccer. I mean it is THE recreational sport for all budding athletes in the US. The stronger ones move on to football (I mean American Football) the others move on to Basketball or Baseball (which are far more lucrative) as soccer is given step motherly treatment at college level, which by the way is the place where young sportsmen are nurtured, unlike clubs in Europe whose youth system are supposed to bring through young talent.
But from my conversations with people around, the most shocking perception I could get from them is this, “Soccer is fun to play but not fun to watch. Not everyone can play football (the American one) but it is so damn interesting to watch.” Of course, I do agree with their perception that football is interesting, but Soccer being boring? That i can’t understand!
Their sports are kind of manufactured for that - not that that’s bad.
They need to watch the recent Champions league games - like Liverpool Chelsea yesterday - so exciting.
To derive slightly from the topic I personally do find American Football a joy to watch, I’ve been known to stay up until first light watching it on Channel 5!
Anywho, I think it’s fantastic that football is catching on with the youngsters over in the States, it’s a nice thought that I’d be able to wear the red and white of Sunderland over there and people know what it is, rather than having to wear the red and white of Guadalajara (Chivas)!
The only problem I can see is that we British only have Football and Cricket where we’re better than America, so do they really need soccer too!?
Bit of a non-story Ed - It’s always been popular with kids in the USA, but not with adults. That said, it’s great that some kids over there like watching the premiership.
I don’t believe this will ever change - there’s simply too much competition from Football, Ice Hockey, Basketball and Baseball. As kids in USA grow up peer pressure (amongst other factors) forces them away from ‘kids sports’ such as soccer.
Beckhams influence at LA Galaxy will be negligable - If Beckenbauer, George Best and Pele couldn’t make an impact then what hope for golden balls & skeletor?
But years ago we had very few American players in soccer - watch that grow even more - over the next few years.
That was meant to be my major point of the article - may not have come across too clearly.
And as for Beckham - think he will have a major impact here - and things have changed big time since the 1970s with Best, Pele and Beckenbauer - heck England even had a good team then !
As a lifelong US Soccer fan, the notion that “soccer” hasn’t been popular with American kids is incorrect.
I think Ed, that you mean that American kids are “catching on” to EPL/European football, which probably is true. American cable/satellite channels now show over 20 top-flight Euro and SA matches every weekend.
As I’m sure you also know, American sports leagues aside from soccer (basketball, ice hockey, and baseball) offer fans the most talented, best-paid global athletes. MLS (not MSL, as you note) can’t and won’t make that claim. Not now and not ever.
I’d argue that MLS is growing in popularity as well, and for the first time this season, every single MLS match will be televised.
The argument that MLS must surpass one of our other pro leagues to be “sucessful” holds little water as well. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball boast 50+ year head starts and much deeper pockets over MLS.
This season, a majority of MLS clubs will play in their own, new stadiums, a key contributor of additional revenue. MLS teams can have shirt sponsors for the first time this season as well. LA has already earned Beckham’s salary in its first shirt deal with Herbalife.
It’s all about who the kids can see on their TV screens, and if they can see DaMarcus Beasley start at Chicago and head to PSV and Man City, or Tim Howard star in New York before heading to Man U and Everton, or Clint Dempsey move from New England to Fulham, then they’ll believe a future in soccer can lead to riches, lifting all US soccer boats.
Yes - the MLS is becoming more popular - and I don’t even believe the US needs a very strong league - because they can be like Brazil - where most of their top players play in Europe. Because of all the other sports in America - that looks like the best model - but I also believe the US will shortly have a very good National Team.
Also David Beckham will give the MLS a lot more publicity and fan appeal - once he arrives in LA.
Kind of disappointed with the US performance in last year’s world cup. I wish they would get Jürgen Klinsmann to manage the side - not sure why he hasn’t been snapped up by now - he would be great.
From what I understand, Klinsmann wanted to become the de facto head of US Soccer rather than simply coach the national team. He was rebuffed.
The current “Interim” coach, Bob Bradley, has led the US to a 3-0-1 record this year to date, including a win over our biggest rival, Mexico. US honcho Sunil Gulati should be selecting a new head coach, possibly a current Euro club boss, before the Yanks’ next friendly vs. China on June 2. Stay tuned.
I also understand that Bob Bradley wanted the job full-time - any chance they will give it to him?
I’d prefer an experienced international coach.
Doubtful. If US Soccer wanted to name Bradley head coach, they’d have done it already. As for the US “being like Brazil…,” I’m all for that!
As an American teenager I have definitely seen the popularity of soccer explode among members of my generation. It all goes back the world cup 94 i think. Adults in the US rarely know anything about soccer and usually don’t care to watch it. My generation however, kids who were growing up and beginning to play in the 90s have a great knowledge of soccer.
The Champions League games this week have been big on campus this week, I know of several of my friends, including me that have skipped afternoon classes just to watch.