Let's face it: football is America's game, and baseball is America's pastime. Professional basketball players are some of the highest-paid athletes and hockey is becoming increasingly popular too, with one of the most iconic trophies in the sports world. But what about the world's game: soccer? Where does it fit into American sports culture?
To tell the truth, it doesn't rank very high, and historically hasn't. The World Cup is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, with American viewership numbers close to the Super Bowl, plus the hundreds of millions worldwide that watch it. But the MLS isn't as popular as say the Barclay's Premier League in England or La Liga in Spain. So why should you start caring about it more? Here are just a few reasons.
It's the most popular sport in over 50 countries.
Yeah, about 25 percent of the world loves soccer the most. Compared to American football (US and Australia), that's a lot.
There are plenty of teams to root for if you don't have a hometown team.
The MLS is expanding rapidly. With 20 current teams and 5 in the works in cities like St. Louis, Atlanta and Miami, more soccer fans around the U.S. will finally have a hometown team to cheer for.
Soccer players aren't the only athletes that flop.
Soccer players get a bad rap as "actors," "floppers," and even "divas." But look no further than the NFL and NBA to find examples of flopping. It's present in every professional sport to try to get a call, it just so happens that it happens a little more often in soccer. But that just makes it all the more exciting sometimes.
MLS has some of the coolest sports logos
Just look at those logos. They may not be your typical flat-bill logos, but they're slick and ready for you to don on game days. Plus, what's even cooler about soccer logos is that you can get the team logo as a patch and have it sewn into whatever you want, be it blankets, shirts or just keep them as memorabilia.
Look at the stadiums they're building!
The concept art of the stadiums and complexes that the MLS wants to build for its future expansion teams are pretty awesome. They're going to be family-oriented atmospheres to watch games and just have a good time. They may not be the flashy football stadiums that can hold 70,000 plus people, but they look awesome.
American soccer is faster-paced than European soccer.
Look at that speed--If you're one of those people that think soccer is boring because "it's so long" and "all they do is pass," the MLS is for you. Compared to European soccer, American soccer is more aggressive defensively and doesn't put as much emphasis on maintaining possession, like Barcelona in Spain (the team Messi plays for).
It's more competitive than you may think.
There are a lot of really good players from really good European club teams. Former winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaka (who beat out Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi), plays for Orlando FC; Champions League star Didier Drogba plays for the Montreal Impact; Liverpool FC legend Steven Gerrard plays for the L.A. Galaxy; former FC Barcelona star forward David Villa plays for the new New York City FC alongside former teammate of Didier Drogba at Chelsea FC, Frank Lampard. There are some star-studded names playing right here in America - real once-in-a-lifetime talent - that you shouldn't miss out on.
Looking to get into a new sport or find a new team to cheer for? Look no further than the MLS and the world's game of soccer, right here in America.
