We here at UF have had numerous discussions about the state (and fate) of soccer in America, mostly along the lines of whether or not it will ever evolve into fan-levels on par with the NFL or MLB. John Feinstein, writer at the Washinton Post (BOOOO!), jumps into the discussion with the idea that we need to understand the history of the sport in America if we are to move forward. Join me after the jump for a little bit about the NASL.
Feinstein starts off his discussion by mentioning that he "really want[s] to like soccer again", presumably in an effort to assure us that this won't be yet another ill-informed rant against the strange sport. Then he notes that "there are two ways people look at soccer: Either as the most wondrous sport ever created or the most boring." For the most part, this would appear to be true - all of us here can attest to that fact. We (i.e. those of us at UF) all have friends who cringe at the mere thought of watching a soccer match (yet will sit for 3.5 hours and watch a 1-0 baseball game), and we all have friends who are absolutely rabid footy fans (if you don't, you need new friends).
Feinstein's point is not that we should try to convert the non-believers, it's that we can lure in the casual observer by understanding more about the history of soccer in the US. Forget for a moment that Feinstein's description of the dichotomy in his initial thesis (i.e. rabid fans v. those bored to tears) precludes the very idea of a casual observer, and instead take a trip down memory lane. Feinstein does well to note that many of the North American Soccer League (NASL) teams spent quite a bit of money to bring in aging superstars such Pele, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer, and Cruyff in order to give the league some credibility. Covering the league as a young reporter (no word on whether he ever met Hirshey), he learned quite a bit about the sport of soccer and grew to love it. But somewhere along the way, they broke up.
The NASL really over-extended itself when it expanded from 12 teams to 24 teams in the span of two years, and MLS has worked hard to avoid the same mistakes. But Feinstein argues that "it still hasn't gotten to where the NASL was in its glory days. My sense as an outsider is that most soccer people now take the attitude that if you don't get their sport, it is your loss." Whether or not the first statement is true is somewhat debateable, but the second is almost certainly true. I know very few people who can understand why I will wake up at 7:30am on a Saturday morning (tomorrow) to watch an on-line feed of the Chelsea v. Manchester United match, particularly when I am an Arsenal fan. I also know that I have very little interest in trying to make them understand.
So, is soccer better off in America now than back in the late 1970s/early 1980s? I certainly hope so - we have far greater TV coverage (hey, ESPN even broadcasts MLS games on nights when there are hockey playoffs going on!), including soccer specific channels like FSC, GolTV (thanks for finally adding it, Comcast! Wankers.), and Setanta. We have soccer-specific stadia. We have more people playing the sport than ever before. We have more casual observers (including the random kit-wearing douchebag from Chicago with the Blanco jersey who couldn't even spell Cuauhtemoc, much less pronounce it (OK, that's a little unfair).
I think the reality is somewhat close to what Feinstein has stated, although I think that the picture is a little brighter than he thinks. For the most part, there are two camps of people - the rabid fans and those who think soccer sucks (you ignorant bastards). But I believe that the former group has grown exponentially since the days of the NASL. However, while the state of soccer in America may be bright, this does not necessarily mean that the state of American soccer is the same. People are interested in the international game, such as Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 (and particularly in the EPL; suck it Barclay's!), and MLS often suffers in comparison. However, if people truly took the time to watch MLS matches, I think they would be pleasantly surprised by what they saw (well, unless they were watching San Jose v. DC United).
Some people think that MLS should strive to more closely emulate the NASL in an effort to draw more interest, but I think that's probably a bad idea. What part, exactly, of a failed league should we be looking to implement? The wonderful kits? The use of Bugs Bunny as a mascot? (and fuck that useless twat - I went to numerous Cosmos games as kid, and that bastard never threw one of his stupid carrots to me)
No, I think that soccer in the US is just fine as it is. Those of us who love the sport: (1) appreciate MLS for what it is; (2) wake up at 5AM to watch World Cup matches in Korea; (3) rabidly follow the EPL (or Ligue 1, La Liga, Bundesliga, Eredivisie, or, God forbid, Serie A); and (4) most likely play it as often as possible. To those of you who don't love the sport, we won't try to force it down your throats. But stop with the "Soc-cer?" jokes, already. You're not funny, asshole.
HT: to John H. for turning me on (eww, gross) to the Feinstein story.
Friday, April 25, 2008
American Pro Soccer: A History Lesson
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Don't Fuck with Otay Ranch
Because they will set your facts straight.
Coach Eduardo Jimenez Arenas showed San Ysidro's fighting spirit when, after an Otay Ranch player fouled one of his own, he started choking the player. If that weren't enough, he then punched another player in the face who tried to stop the choking.
At that point, all hell broke loose. Two hundred spectators and players are said to hav.e joined in a melee on the pitch. When the cops arrived, the fighters scattered, because no one likes getting pepper sprayed. Arenas has been arrested, with charges to follow.
I'll say this, Millwall fans better think twice about that American tour if it stops in San Ysidro. Them folks will fuck you up.
All apologies for the previous misstatements. No harm was meant.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
MLS Superdraft=Superaction!
Chance Myers. This little bundle of smiles is your #1 MLS Superdraft pick of 2008. He joins a list of luminaries taken #1 in previous years, including Steve Shak, Chris Carrieri, Chris Gbandi, and Nikolas Besagno.
Alright, before I go any further, I'm going to go ahead and own up. I believe that the Superdraft is one of those many things that make the MLS a league that will never have true international standing. It should be obvious that American soccer can't be treated like other leagues in the US, but still the powers that be try to fit the square pegs into the round hole. Meanwhile, the kids in college (or earlier) who don't want the hassle of going through a ranking process just go ahead and sign overseas, like Oguchi Onyewu, or Landycakes. Besides, it's not like college programs are the best step up for building international talent. America's budding young players need to get away from the TV timeouts and multiple substitution patterns as soon as possible. But I digress.
Chance here is a single-year starter from UCLA. His top collegiate honor is a 1st team Pac-10 spot in 2007. He also got a call to the USA U-23 camp this winter. Ooohhh. All signs are go for that Steve Shak revival, I tell ya. From the looks of things, the best chance he has to make history is being the guy who changes the play Take Me Out from baseball to soccer. Fun bonus fact--he was not even on the MLS poll of who will be the first pick. Those guys are all over it, aren't they?
The rest of the first round proves that it pays to either go to a California state school, or be a part of generation adidas (no capitalization necessary). Of the top eight picks, only Patrick Nyarko from Virginia Tech, who would have been my personal top pick of the draft, did not come from one of these places.
Patrick Nyarko. Next year's MLS Rookie of the year. May be Marlo Stanfield's cousin.Some last, random thoughts
- Players drafted came from seven nations, including the new Haitian Sensation, Ricardo Pierre-Louis. Oh, and MLS can't decide how to spell Haiti.
- Furman, a smallish school in my hometown, had two kids picked in the second round, Shea Salinas and Johnathan "With" Leathers. God, I hope he makes SportsCenter someday.
- While Stephen King and David Roth came close, the best name in the draft is Rauwshan McKenzie. When I see that name, an image of a kilt-clad Busta Rhymes pops in my head.
- Really. A quarter of the picks came from California state schools. If your kid wants to play in the MLS, get him a scholarship there.
Chance Myers photo from mercurynews.com
Patrick Nyarko photo from hokiesports.com Read more on "MLS Superdraft=Superaction!"...
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Maybe Liverpool Should Sign This Whole Squad
What could definitely be considered an upset of epic proportions, but Raleigh youth squad CASL 91 Elite beat Chelsea FC 2-1 in the championship of Disney Soccer Showcase U-16 Showcase Division. Sidenote: The tourney name could definitely be improved upon.
I'm not quite sure how Chelsea FC assembles their youth squads, but I am pretty sure they frequently sign players to play for them and recruit them from all over the place. Whereas, most youth club teams in the states don't pay their players (some do it to get some great immigrant to play for them, but in my experience they don't normally) and the recruiting is minimal.
Live it up CASL 91 Elite U-16 because you have reached the peak of your soccer glory and it is all downhill from here on out. Or, maybe I could be an optimist and say this proves a lot about the ascendancy of soccer in the U.S. I prefer the former.
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