(Make sure to read the first point: Soccer will never be popular in America)
It would be foolish to say that soccer is a big sport in the U.S. It’s not, and everyone knows it.
But that could change, and it has nothing to do with clock management, or ties, or low scoring or even flopping.
Basketball players flop just as much or even more than soccer players.
The running clock is actually one of my favorite parts of soccer, because it means no commercials during the action.
And the referee doesn’t subjectively decide extra time. There is a fourth official who has a stopwatch and keeps track of the time wasted by injuries and other play stoppages, and then relays that number to the head referee on the field.
But none of that matters. Soccer can be big in the U.S. The infrastructure is here. We have a stable league, albeit one that is suffering from a lack of stars.
However, teams are making money, and more and more teams are building soccer-specific stadiums, which means no more yardage lines or baseball diamonds are the playing surface.
Soccer is ready to burst onto the scene. It just needs one more ingredient.
It needs a Jordan. It needs a Gretzky. It needs a Jose Reyes, someone who is so good and so fun to watch that it won’t matter if we win or lose. That’s why people watch sports.
There are already stars like this in other countries. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar all have to ability to make an entire stadium hold its collective breath.
The U.S. men’s national team doesn’t have anyone like that. The team isn’t bad, it’s just boring. They make a living off of playing it safe and working hard.
On the other hand, a team like Brazil makes a point of showing off its skill. Brazilian players run straight at opponents, make audacious passes, and in the end score ridiculous goals. And even when they lose, they’re fun to watch.
That’s what the U.S. needs first. And I think it’s possible. European soccer is easier than ever to find on TV, and instead of only being able to see these players once every four years, up and coming soccer players can watch Messi light it up every week.
And once we have players like that, the quality of play in the MLS will improve. This is important simply because most European games are on in the morning. We as Americans expect games in the evening, when we’re not at work.
I realize it’s a long shot. But it’s the way every other sport got big. Baseball really took off with the emergence of players like Ruth, Demaggio and Cobb. Basketball had Wilt and Dr. J. Football had Unitas and Joe Brown. Even hockey had players like Richard and Orr.
Not one of these four sports, while always watched and followed, was ever really popular until they had players that blew fans away.
Soccer is just waiting for their Ruth. And when he comes around, the sport will take off. I guarantee it.
