Total American Futbol: The Macro View Of U.S. Soccer
It’s been over seven months since the United States was captivated by the national soccer team and their run to the 2010 FIFA World Cup’s knockout round of 16. After every World Cup, talk emerges that this will finally be the year that the sport breaks through and wins over the casual sports fan, earning more than just a once-every-four-years following.
It never happens, though. The talk is always more media driven than reality among American sports fans. In a sports landscape where virtually everyone watches the NFL (see: Super Bowl XLV ratings) and baseball and basketball still demand huge national attention and (sometimes) ratings, soccer still inhabits niche status.
While it may not ever challenge any of the “big three” American sports, it is undeniable that soccer is on the upswing here in the U.S., and it’s not only a direct result of the 2010 World Cup hangover.
The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT from here on out, since I enjoy acronyms) has gradually enhanced its presence both at home and abroad, and it has taken place and as a result of a number of key factors. I’ll go over a few that I think are critical to the recent enhancement of U.S. soccer’s presence:
1. Players in the World’s Biggest Professional Leagues. There are certainly precedents when it comes to American soccer players making contributions to well-known European teams (Claudio Reyna, John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, Brian McBride, etc.). But this is a golden age for U.S. players cracking into and impacting top international club teams. At this point, naming all the Americans currently enjoying strong showings in Europe would be a bit staggering. The reputation of American players seems to be improving among top international clubs, which means more global soccer fans are paying attention to what the U.S. team and its players do. That leads to more interest when the USMNT plays an away friendly or competes in a tournament such as the Confederations Cup.
2. The Rise of MLS. Major League Soccer is still disparaged far too often by the casual sports observer and analyst, but the league has made huge strides in recent years in terms of talent levels, quality of play, and developing fan bases across the nation. The system that league commissioner Don Garber and team owners have put in place has largely worked, as attendance has risen, TV ratings have improved, and more quality players populate teams’ rosters. Most importantly, to me, is that MLS is actually producing young talent that makes an impact (good or, sometimes, bad) on the international level. The league’s improvement goes hand-in-hand with the improved quality of the USMNT’s depth chart and their ability to sustain international success.
3. Stability of Leadership. Many supporters have an extremely negative opinion of national team head coach Bob Bradley. Some have called for a more tactically refined international coach at the helm of the USMNT. But Bradley has had strong success during his four-plus years in charge, and has developed a number of quality international players while guiding his squad to some huge wins. He’s drawn praise from leading international managers like Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson and was even linked to head coaching jobs in the EPL shortly after the World Cup. Keeping him in place for another World Cup cycle is a positive, as it gives the player pool stability and a chance to get comfortable and further develop in one coach’s system. This will help avoid international flops and regressions that have plagued the USMNT from World Cup to World Cup. (Prime examples: the drop off from 1994 to 1998 and also 2002 to 2006)
4. Playing a Rigorous International Friendly Schedule. To me, this is the biggest positive force increasing the USMNT’s profile at home and abroad. There’s no better way to keep improving the quality of a national team, while also drawing in more casual fans, than taking on top flight soccer nations. Since the 2010 World Cup the United States has played Brazil, Poland, Colombia, South Africa, Chile and would have played Egypt (if not for that whole revolution thing). Their next two matches are against Argentina and Paraguay. Playing the best teams the region has to offer immensely, especially as the team gears up for this summer’s crucial CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
These positive, big-picture developments are just a few reasons that come to mind why the team has grown leaps and bounds in recent years.
In the coming weeks, I’ll get more specific as it relates to players, matches and other elements that have a more micro affect on American soccer. For now, I’ve chosen to look at the macro. If you can think of any other overarching positives (or negatives) that have developed around the USMNT in recent years, be sure to chime in and let me know.
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