ESPN released a survey which stated that soccer is now the second most popular sport (Baseball ranked #1) among 12 to 24 year old’s. (see article here) This is opening up some interesting topics for discussion about the rise of popularity of soccer in the USA.
Soccer is the world's most popular sport.. With soccer gaining popularity at an alarming rate,there's millions of athletes to choose from in the USA, and of course, the USA is at an obvious advantage when it comes to player selection. The more states that can develop serious players, the larger the pool to qualify.
The USA has a large presence in the Olympics, usually bringing home the medals to prove it.. The United States ranks top in the sports it chooses to to take seriously. Soccer's time is coming.
The US however doesn’t even compare on the international stage, even though the USA has more registered youth players and competitive travel youth soccer clubs combined than any other country in the world. Why is this? The recent success of Christian Pulisic is definitely opening the eyes of the potential that the USA soccer system may have, proving that an American male can play European soccer and bring home a trophy to show. The USA women's nation team are wonderfully successful internationally. Even Alex Morgan has dipped her toes into British Premier League playing for Tottenham Hotspurs Women's Team. No easy feat for American's.(More to come on the USA pay to play system later).
The women's national team is ranked #1 in the world and has been in the top three for over 40 years, so soccer in the US has somehow earned the untrue reputation as a women's sport.
However, the US women's national team is a result of the NCAA which has allowed American Football programs to shut down men's college soccer programs.(more on this in another post).
Since 2001, the NCAA men’s soccer program has seen 48 teams dissolve to be replaced by or in favor of American Football. This is going to change, it HAS to change, as America becomes more and more diverse and this sport is becoming the future. While the US Women's National Team is clearly amazing, with top talent, they really are the best of the best, the popularity of men's soccer is rising. They need the same opportunities for scholarships as the women and as of the American Footballers.
When we first moved here in the early 2000's we kissed goodbye to watching the Premier League, Champions League, and any other division of soccer on the television. You couldn't even pay to watch it anywhere. Now, every major network is picking up these games. (more on creating a soccer culture at home later) and it is truly amazing to watch this sport rise, and so rapidly. Great things are happening.
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