7 reasons some Americans may never commit to liking soccer

I’ve been watching the World Cup and I have to say that I’m impressed. But more importantly, I’ve spent time with some people that really study and understand the game, and that’s been what has really swayed my opinion on the game. They explain everything in a way that I understand. But not everyone in America has that opportunity, so I feel like there is still a lot of skepticism when it comes to watching or enjoying “The Beautiful Game.” In talking to these guys we kinda pinpointed some of the reasons Americans don’t like soccer. These are what we came up with.

7 We have so many other choices
In other countries soccer rules the roost. In the US we have basketball, baseball, football, hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, golf, gymnastics, etc, etc. American children have way more options when it comes to what sports they’d like to play. We have the resources to not only compete in several different sports per year, but a good portion also have the option of watching any sport they choose. There are so many options that sometimes American athletes don’t put all their eggs in just one basket. A lot of phenomenal athletes will play football and baseball or basketball and football. That’s not the case in most other countries where soccer is pinnacle of professional athletics. Too many other options for American kids just hurts soccer’s bottom-line in this country.

6 Our best athletes don’t play soccer
Imagine if Chris Johnson, Mike Vick and Lebron James were on the US soccer squad. I can tell you right now they’d be faster, more physical and more dominating than most of the current soccer players around the world. Our best athletes don’t play soccer because of the reason above — it’s not a big sport here and until the last decade or so, it’s been basically irrelevant. And even when we do produce good players, they take off for Europe when they hit their prime. The MLS is one of the least-talented soccer leagues in the world. That’ll have to change drastically for soccer to have staying power in the USA. (Apparently Rick Reilly did something like this on ESPN, but I don’t like Reilly and didn’t read or steal this point).

5 You can play for a tie
We are pretty black and white in America. If you look at the majority of the popular US sports, you realize that we don’t have ties or draws. We enjoy a definitive conclusion; you either win or you lose. The rules almost never allow for a tie. We have overtime, extra innings, penalty shots, etc. Most people don’t enjoy watching something for almost two hours and not have a clear winner. American just don’t enjoy the emptiness that entails. We like to gloat and listen to people on sports radio and blogs bash or bask in a coaching decision or a player coming up short. Ties don’t necessarily give us the same bitter or jubilant satisfaction than a clear-cut conclusion does.

4 It’s a long game and not always exciting
Look, I know that there are a lot of sports that are boring to watch. Baseball can be a long and arduous journey. Hours and hours of pitchers working slow and hitters stepping out of the box to adjust their jockstraps and batting gloves. But not everyone in America enjoys the MLB. Again, we have options, so we’re not just tied to one sport. Soccer tends to be a lot of people running around for not a lot of action. Sure, there are amazing shots and saves each game, but those tend to be few and far between. It’s a very orchestrated sport (I personally enjoy that), but it’s really not a super exciting sport to watch. Put it on ice, give them sticks and let them beat the hell out of each other and you still only have the fourth most popular sport in the United States. It doesn’t bode well for the future of soccer if we can’t keep the best American players playing in America.

3 It’s difficult to differentiate who is good and who is great
When I sit down and watch Peyton Manning play football, I realize that he is a phenomenal player. Same with Kobe and Lebron. Even baseball players like Pujols and Strasburg (I know it’s early to say that) tend to show that they are very special players. But with soccer, it’s kind of tough to discern who is good at soccer and who is great in soccer. Sure, players like Messi, Ronaldo and Kaka are amazing, but after the top few, it’s hard to tell who is good and who is great. I guess other sports just have more tangible statistics that we can rely on (box scores tell the tale of the game), but again, when I see Kobe score 80 points, I know that’s amazing. When I see the best soccer players go scoreless a few games in a row, it makes me begin to wonder just how good they are. I understand assists and creating shots are a big part of soccer but without scoring or strikeouts or touchdowns, it’s hard for Americans to figure out what players are good. And sure, we could stick around and really study the game, but this is America, our attention span doesn’t really afford us that luxury.

2 Landon Donovan is the face of US soccer
No offense, but when you work in the business of entertainment you want to have someone with an “it” factor. Someone that exudes confidence and electricity. A hype-man if you will. The powers that be have made Landon Donovan the face of US soccer, and in all honesty, the guy is boring. In every interview he comes off as a bit smug. America relies somewhat on outlandish, over-the-top athletes to carry their sports. We look for entertainment in our sports and therefore we want characters with personality. I mean, professional wrestling is completely based on that statement. People like Ron Artest, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Alex Ovechkin, and even Tiger Woods to some extent. They may not be the best players in their respective sports but they grab headlines, keep our attention and keep us talking around the water cooler. Landon Donovan doesn’t do that. He has no electricity or aura to his personality and that’s not his fault; he shouldn’t have to play a role just to get people interested in soccer. In order to get Americans really excited about soccer, when a guy like that surfaces the powers that be in the MLS are going to have to promote him and get him to stick around for awhile if they want to really get us fired-up about American soccer. (And I’m sure that there are a lot of players with ego and headline making quotes in the Euro leagues, but those guys don’t play here.)

1 They need to win a World Cup
When it comes down to brass tacks–we just need to win the World Cup. Easier said than done, but as I’ve mentioned before, America likes nothing more than a winner. And if the US can somehow pull a World Cup stunner, then soccer will immediately have a place in the American sports lexicon. Until that happens, I think once this year’s World Cup ends it will be back to business as usual in American sports. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but with an entire new generation of soccer players coming up in the system, I think soccer has a chance.

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