The Rise of Soccer in the U.S

Soccer is on the rise in the United States. But why is it on the rise? It has never been very popular before in the States, so what makes it popular now? The U.S. has been a leader in sports for decades now but soccer is a sport that has mostly been enjoyed by other countries but that is starting to change.

Soccer started to pick up popularity much more when the U.S. woman's soccer team started to win gold medals in the Olympics. According to Ussoccer.com, in 1996 and 2000, the U.S. women took home gold medals and put the U.S. on the map with women's soccer. In 2004 the women took home silver but came back and won gold in 2008. This shows that soccer has been building for at least a decade.

In the 80's and the early 90's, soccer did not have much of an audience in the States. People just were not as interested in soccer when they had football to watch. Soccer is a rough sport but Americans tend to lean more towards violence (the recent success of UFC is a perfect example), that is why football was more popular.

Lately football players have been in the headlines for inappropriate behavior. Parents want professional athletes to set good examples for kids, and the NFL has tried to provide that, but they seem to have a hard time with it. Rarely do you see a soccer player from the U.S. in the headlines for doing something illegal. This has started to make soccer more appealing.

Fans of aggressive sports can still get enough aggression from soccer. On the flip side, it is not so violent that parents want to avoid it. The athleticism of soccer also makes it a favorite of parents because it helps to keep their kids in shape but the kids are less likely to get hurt than if they were playing football.

A sure sign that soccer is on the rise is David Beckham accepting a deal from the L.A. Galaxy. Even though his position on other teams was starting to fall, his level of play is still very high compared to most U.S. players. Beckham can pick up the U.S. league and bring in more fans because he is such a universal figure. The fan number for soccer was already on the rise but when Beckham came over and got involved, the number when through the roof. The L.A. Galaxy tickets have been selling much better since they signed Beckham, even their away games are better sellers than before.

Keep an eye on soccer. This sport is sure to bring in money from other countries. Soccer could be another way for us to connect with other countries and enhance our position with them. The U.S. will continue to enjoy soccer and it will continue to be a growing sport.

Sources:

Ussoccer.net

ESPN.com