Why Soccer in the United States Fails

Soccer in the United States has been a miserable failure on so many different levels. Pro Soccer leagues have come and gone, youth soccer leagues are far less popular than American Football, and many American Colleges have limited scholarships available for the sport. Soccer suffers from 5 inherent problems that it will likely never overcome. These are my 5 reasons Soccer in the United States will never be big.

1. Soccer in the United States is hard to watch on Television.
American's are obsessed with watching their sports on the television. In order for a sport to be successful on the television it must be able to show the intricacies of the game. Much of the strategy involved in the sport of soccer occurs off the ball. American's are used to watching the ball when they watch television. In soccer if all you do is watch the ball then you are missing at least half the game. The most popular sports in the United States allow the viewer to see the entire court or the majority of the field where the action is taking place.

2. Americans watch sports that they grew up playing.
Most people in the United States grew up playing football, baseball, and basketball. I believe these sports are popular because American's can see themselves playing those sports. As a former football player I love watching my sport. Until children grow up playing soccer in the United States throughout their high school and college days then the suffering will only continue for futbol.

3. The Soccer Season is to hard to understand.
American's enjoy seasons that are set in stone. Every NFL fan can tell you that the season runs 17 weeks for every team from the months of September through December and the NFL playoffs occur in January. Most sports fans could tell you that baseball is a summer sport, and basketball is a winter sport. None of my friends can tell me anything about the soccer season, and to be honest I can't either. Soccer is pretty much a year round sport with several different leagues and each league has different levels. Soccer teams can trade players from division to division, and in some instances from league to league involving teams on opposing continents. Fans in the United States prefer a set season that is easy to understand.

4. Americans are sports snobs.
I say this with a finger pointed at myself. I detest hearing from sports fans from other parts of the world that soccer is the most popular sport in the world. I hate hearing how American's are ignorant for not liking soccer. I believe that most American's feel the same way and are resistant to having someone force something on them that they don't like. I refuse to watch soccer even though some mainline sports stations have begun showing more and more highlights. My refusal lies in my abhorrent hatred of being told how I should learn to appreciate soccer in the United States.

5. The NFL.
Soccer in the United States will never be as big as the National Football League. At one time in our country baseball was known as the national past time. That idea has passed its time as American Football is a ratings hog when it is up against every other television show you can find. The NFL carries ratings that are higher than all other professional sports and long ago left baseball in the dust. The NFL has dwarfed every other professional sports league and soccer in the United States has little chance of ever competing.