The Future of American Soccer

       What the Future Holds

If one were to approach a random stranger and ask him or her if America is a soccer nation, whether or not that person knew anything about the sport, the answer would probably be “no”. After all, the MLS (Major League Soccer) is only the fifth most viewed sport in the U.S.A, after American Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Ice Hockey respectively. In 2018 America's National Men’s team didn’t even make it into the World Cup, losing out to Trinidad and Tobago. Even America’s success story in soccer, the Women's National Team doesn’t seem to be particularly valued by its own country, garnering attention when it wins an international title, and then flatlining for years when it comes to regular season viewership.   The women’s team is also paid less than the men’s team despite their much more impressive showings. Still, this, my final article, stands to prove that even in the face of all its many challenges, soccer is on track to keep growing as an American sport.

 The NSL (National Soccer League) is only about 20 years old, and already has the following to fill NFL sized stadiums, something the NFL couldn’t do in its initial 20 years as a league. The MLS has broken its average season attendance for three years straight. The U.S. is a nation that boasts millions of players and supports a fanbase of millions more.  In fact, America ranks sixth in world average attendance - ahead of both France and Italy. New men’s clubs are currently sprouting up across America with the introduction of new pro teams in LA, Miami, Atlanta, and others all being introduced to the MLS in recent years. Yet another good omen for American men’s soccer comes in the form of immigrants. Ever since the MLS signed a five year contract with internationally renowned former British pro footballer David Beckam in July 2007, more and more talented players have switched to play for Team U.S.A.. Such names as Ricardo Kaka, Thierry Henry, and Steven Gerrard, all of whom became known and respected in their home countries are now wearing the stars and stripes, placing their bets on the up and coming. The other kind of immigrant that spells good news for men’s soccer are the ones that come to the U.S. for life opportunities, especially those who come from soccer loving countries which are likely to support and become avid fans of the American teams. Not only are immigrants more likely to follow America’s men’s teams, but they are also more likely to grow up playing soccer. An estimated 13 percent of MLS players are second generation South American immigrants, and they bring a great deal of talent to the league. My final point in favour of Americas men’s pro soccer is that although they did lose out embarrassingly early in the 2018 World Cup, that is the first time that they hadn’t qualified in nearly 30 years - not a bad streak.

           USA men’s pro team fills NFL team Texans stadium

The next topic of concern is that of the NWSL’s future. Before COVID-19 struck, the NWSL was planning to make an aggressive move towards expansion in 2020. The last post highlighted the successes of America's National Women’s Team. The most recent American victory, the 2019 Women’s World Cup, garnered the attention of more Americans than ever before. The NWSL had plans to harness the enthusiasm after flatlining three years prior. COVID-19 may have destroyed the NWSL season, but it didn't stop the league from expanding from nine teams to ten - welcoming the Racing Louisville into the NWSL ranks. The “Racing” in the name comes from the team’s close proximity to the home of the Kentucky Derby. It is a tradition for soccer teams located near great racing tracks to incorporate racing in the team name. By 2022 the NWSL plans to be a 14 team league, with cities across the country like Sacramento, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Austin already showing interest in the prospect, it seems like an attainable goal for the set timespan. The NWSL picked up ESPN as a national TV partner as well as achieving a sponsorship from Bud Light and renewing another one with Nike. Thanks to the record setting turn out to the Women’s World Cup, NWSL president Amanda Duffy made it known in late 2019 that the NWSL games would be “in a different place from a commercial standpoint, and in a good position to propel us to a new television deal”. On top of all of this, the Portland Thorns set a new league record for average home game attendance of over 20,000 people filling the stands as well as reaching an end of season profit of over seven figures, another historic league record. Women’s pro soccer is making its move, the question is whether its efforts will stick.

                                   Portland Thorns A team (2019)

 A few months ago, the University of Cincinnati announced that it will no longer sponsor the men’s soccer program.

  RIP Cincinnati Bearcats (1982-2020)  May they rest in peace

The announcement was a surprise to absolutely no-one who follows the team. Men’s soccer is not a huge revenue point for schools, and with the coronavirus outbreak at hand, Cincinnati is not the only school looking at making this tough call due to lack of funding. The trouble that some college teams are currently in has led some to ask if college soccer is necessary in today's America at all. In recent years, national men’s teams have been investing heavily in training programs, and today it is more likely that a national men’s soccer team will recruit from it’s own secondary team than from college teams. This recruiting from a young age and drafting into secondary programs is commonplace throughout the rest of the world. It is a system that has proven highly successful, and oftentimes will lead to a better end player. Colleges are most concerned with winning games while a club has the freedom to focus on player development.  So, should there be worry about whether college soccer might die in the U.S.? The short answer to this question is, “not any time soon”. When the current head coach of the Men’s National Team, Jurgen Klinsmann, was approached with the question, he made the point that America is a unique country when it comes to higher education and athletics. That is a good thing. In most European countries, a young person's future has been decided by the time he or she is 16 years old, but in America, no matter how many times that person may have fouled up academically, that person could have the chance to get themselves back in order and become a doctor, lawyer or even a politician. Klinsmann, and the rest of the MSL it seems agrees that this principle should hold true for soccer. So then, in the eyes of America's pro teams, they will be there to draft the early risers, and the colleges are there to pick up the second wave, a not unimportant task. 

So, in conclusion, America is now, more than ever before, a soccer country, and it's only going up from here.

                                          Recommended Readings for this Post

• Because this blog post focuses on the future of soccer, my final citations are not up to the usual academic standards, nevertheless I encourage you to read them as they contain valid, up to date information. 

Bonte-Friedheim, Julian. “Can Soccer Be the next Big American Sport?” Theperspective.com/, The PERSPECTIVE, 8 July 2019, www.theperspective.com/debates/sports/can-soccer-be-the-next-big-american-sport/.  

This brief article takes a look at some of the most widely accepted reasons for why soccer, most specifically the MLS could come to be one of America’s next big sports. The article also weighs some counterpoints and challenges that soccer faces in collecting a competitive following.

Wahl, Grant. “What the Future Holds for NWSL in Pivotal, Historic Year for Women's Soccer.” Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated, 24 Oct. 2019, www.si.com/soccer/2019/10/24/nwsl-future-expansion-player-signings-us-soccer.   

This second piece focuses on the NWSL and what the league is planning on to grow interest in teams on a national level.

Rollins, Sean. “College Soccer Remains Important to American Soccer.” The Mane Land, The Mane Land, 20 Apr. 2020, www.themaneland.com/2020/4/20/21226770/college-soccer-remains-important-to-american-soccer.  

This final reading simultaneously examines school and club soccer, with an emphasis on men's collegiate level soccer and why it is weigning. The article gives some insight as to what direction pre-pro soccer is headed.