Soccer has played a very important role in my life. I started playing at the age of four. Looking back, I see that it was not as popular of a sport back then. A lot of kids would start with soccer and eventually move on to something else such as football, basketball. This summer alone, we have had the Copa America tournament, UEFA Euros, and in a few weeks the Olympic soccer tournament. Soccer is more known as the world's game. It is far more popular in other countries, but it is clear that soccer has finally gained some significant ground in the United States.
US National Team Success
The USA men's and women's national teams are a big reason as to soccer gaining ground. Both teams have captured the hearts of many during previous World Cups. The USA women's team won the Women's World Cup in 2015. The men have found success in World Cups as well. They have advanced into the knockout rounds in the past two world cups. They still have yet to win a World Cup, but with better athletes focusing on soccer I am lead to believe that they can win a major tournament someday. There is lots of youth on the men's team and they are very talented individuals. There is a new era for USA men's soccer and I think these will be the best teams we have ever seen. Plus, a lot of the players are now overseas playing against some of the best players in the world.
Many of the players are looked up to by many people. On the Women's team, you have Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and of course Carli Lloyd. They inspire many by their terrific play on the field. They are some of the best women players in the world. On the men's side, you have Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, and Tim Howard. They have all been the faces of USA soccer for awhile now. A step above them would have to be Landon Donovan. He is now retired, but he is a large reason that soccer has progressed so much in the states. I think almost every American soccer player has admired Landon Donovan and all that he has done for the game of soccer in the United States. I remember how excited I was when I bought his USA jersey right before the 2006 World Cup.
The MLS
Major League Soccer is the highest professional soccer league in the United States. The league has made significant strides since its creation in 1995. They are now pulling in more talent than ever before. The league has more money to throw around because of them being on TV and stadiums being full. Now it is not really known as the league that all the old players go to end their careers like David Beckham. The league has added teams with plans to add more in the coming years. A lot of teams now have their own soccer specific stadium. That is good for the league because soccer stadiums are much different than using a stadium where some other sport is played. The MLS is becoming more popular and I believe it will continue to grow into the future.
I firmly believe that soccer in the United States is on the rise. I was listening to The Herd on fox sports featuring Colin Cowherd and he feels that soccer is becoming more popular than hockey and even baseball. I can definitely see that happening myself. There is very little buzz with hockey and baseball and you see that they are both trying to make improvements to stay relevant. Attendance is down for those sports. So I believe all the right things are happening for soccer to become very popular in the United States. It may never pass basketball or football, but I think we will start to see soccer become the entire world's game.
