Men's Soccer in the United States

Article by Michael Wright-Elliott. Edited by Tom Hercock. Additional Research by Ellie Veryard.

Sport has been a part of American society for many years, whether we look at the creation of sports such as American football, or the popularity of boxing between immigrants in the late 19th century. However, the world’s most popular sport has never really been well received in the States. As a British sport, football (or soccer, as it is better known in the US) arrived to America in the 1800s, where the Americans adopted the game, particularly in the Universities. The game was played between universities, using the English Football Association rules. However, with the arrival of rugby to the United States, both rugby and football merged together, which was to form the basis of American Football. However, soccer failed to capture the imagination of the American public, whilst American sports were gaining more and more popularity. Soccer was seen more as a recreational activity or a college sport, whilst sports such as American Football were seen as the important competitive sports.

Throughout most of the 20th century, soccer remained a minor sport in the United States, even though a professional soccer league was established in 1921, well before a professional American Football league. Although there was a professional league, and the national team played in the first two World Cups in the 1930s, the sport was not a part of the traditional American sports, with basketball and American football dominating high school sports programmes. American commentators have argued that the style of the game, with its low scoring nature and offside rules has dissuaded the American public, who are more accustomed to a basketball score of 89-84 rather than a 1-0 victory. Also, the fact that whilst soccer has working class roots in many countries, soccer is a middle class sport in the US, lacking the rival working class affiliation attached to basketball.

The US soccer association attempted to reverse the game’s fortunes, with the creation of the North American Soccer League in 1969. The sport was ‘Americanised’; with the clock counting down to zero and overtime to reduce ties. Also, by bringing in ageing stars, such as Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, the league was trying to increase their audience. Pele’s team, the New York Cosmos, attracted 73,000 fans to watch the championship victory at Giants Stadium in 1978. However, the league’s average attendance never reached more than 15,000. By 1984 the league was in decline, and eventually merged with the indoor soccer league.

Soccer’s resurgence as a top sport came in the 1990s, starting with their successful bid for the 1994 World Cup. Hosting the World Cup led to the creation of Major League Soccer. Although the World Cup may not have captured the imagination of every American, it still holds the record of the best attended world cup, with 3,587,538 people watching in the stadia (we won’t mention Diana Ross’ embarrassing penalty miss in the opening ceremony). It brought soccer back into the mainstream media, which was followed by a new professional league, whose infrastructure was built from the tournament.

The MLS is slowly building a fan base in the US, and many experts believe that the sport can overtake ice hockey, and break into the top 5 American sports. The sport has become more popular within American society due to the MLS, which is quintessentially American in every aspect; franchises which can move cities and a playoff format rather than the conventional league format used by most countries. The increase in popularity can also be seen due to mix of young American talent and the rise of foreign stars in the league, with LA Galaxy’s signing of David Beckham in 2007 being the biggest coup. The ‘Beckham factor’ has brought soccer into the mainstream, as Beckhams celebrity lifestyle brings more attention to the game and his celebrity friends such as Tom Cruise have visited the Home Depot Centre to watch the Galaxy. The average viewing figures for soccer on ESPN increased by 23% when Beckham played in the 2007 season, and most teams recorded record gate receipts when the Galaxy came to play. Soccer has become a household name in the States, with more European talent moving across the Atlantic. Television is increasing its popularity, with European leagues broadcasted on various channels. The 2010 Champions League final was shown on Fox television for the first time. The arrival of Thierry Henry in the MLS, after rejecting Premier League teams, has also been considered a coup by some American commentators.

Since the 1990s, the national side has been improving steadily. This is due to the great college athletic programmes and the fact that many American stars have gained experience in Europe, such as Brad Friedel, Landon Donovan and Brian McBride, who have all plied their trade in the English top flight. The MLS is a great breeding ground for young American footballers especially with the influx of experienced European professionals. The fortunes of the national side have improved greatly, and they have enjoyed recent victories over some of the best teams in the world, including Spain (2009) and drawing with England in the 2010 World Cup.

Many commentators wonder whether soccer can compete against American football, basketball or baseball, the big three sports. With the increase in coverage, more people are watching football; 24.3 million people watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, whilst only 22.3 million watched the decisive game in the baseball World Series. Another factor which will increase the popularity of soccer is the rise of the Latino population. Football is the most popular sport in Latin America, and the Latino population is set to become a third of the American population by 2050. Chivas, a team in Mexico already have a sister team in the MLS which boasts big support among the Latino immigrants.

Whilst it seems that America, in the past, has rejected football and other European influenced sports, the popularity of soccer is on the rise. The new MLS teams are imitating their European counterparts, and building traditions within their fan bases, with songs and fan clubs. New soccer specific stadiums are being built by many franchises, as football looks to build on its progress. Whilst the failed World Cup bid for 2022 may have helped to increase soccer fans, it seems that the success of the national team will decide whether the American public will come to love the most popular sport in the world, and with the great amount of investment in soccer scholarships, and the improved quality of the MLS, it is certain that the US national side will become more competitive with time, and if the US side win a World Cup, soccer will be adored by many Americans.

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The 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States had on average an attendance of 69,000 spectators per match.

The creation of the MLS was a condition for the hosting the World Cup in America.

The official mascot Stryker, a dog dressed in red, white and blue, was designed by Warner Bros.

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