USA! USA! USA! Sound familiar? During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, you couldn’t go anywhere without shouts of patriotism being screamed from city streets all across the country. However, let’s face it; soccer is definitely not on most people’s radars at the moment. Except maybe after a thrilling 1-0 win against Italy, for the first time. The United States is finally building some confidence and momentum after Wednesday night’s win. It was a rare victory over a major soccer power; in fact, it was unprecedented. With Clint Dempsey’s goal in the 55th minute, the Americans’ beat the Azzurri for the first time EVER. That’s 82 years of trying to beat one of the world’s best. Make no mistake about it, this was a huge achievement for the USMNT.
But what does this win really mean? It will probably garner attention for a few days…maybe even a week. That’s the norm for American soccer fans. It was just a friendly match, and even though this win will give the team a much-needed confidence boost going into world cup qualifying this summer, the big question still remains: Why is there not a huge soccer following in the U.S?
Sure, there are scores of die-hard soccer fans scattered throughout the country, but it’s always football or baseball or basketball that seem to come first for Americans. Soccer seems to be more of a foreign, European/South American sport we don’t know much about and frankly don’t care much about. What are the rules? Why is the game so slow? For true soccer fans, every game is exciting, whether the score is a 5-4 shootout, or a 0-0 tie. Every game has a story and every game is a beautiful display of athleticism at its finest. Soccer players are incredibly talented athletes. Stamina, agility, quick footwork, these are just some of the things that soccer players excel at that sets them apart from all other athletes; imagine watching a football player try to play a full 90-minute soccer game.
So, I’m sure as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil approaches, more people will begin following soccer, but until then, the reality is most Americans are nothing more than fair-weather fans when it comes to the sport. Will soccer ever catch on in the U.S.? Does the win against Italy mean anything, or will nothing matter until the World Cup gets here?
