USA AND FOOTBALL! OH! SORRY SOCCER!

I am not a professional writer but I like to write and share my thoughts with both the like-minded people and those that are not. My train of thought might not excite a few minds when it comes to issues which are close to heart and mind but that’s why, I gave my site the name, “SEEING U.S.A FROM AN AFRICAN EYE”. And this is the reason why my view of things happening in the U.S. of A might not ogre well with some but as always, I welcome and respect positive criticism and inputs.

That aside, one thing that intrigued me or puzzled my mind, I am not sure whether those are the right words to use though, while I stayed in the U.S. for a whole year was, I never heard of anybody going to watch a football match well, we'll call it soccer for now, or little did I hear many people talk about any soccer match that was happening at that time in the States. I must admit that this was one of the things that “culture-shocked” me! The ‘absence’ of soccer or just the absence of the talk about it or just the popularity, let’s say, caused my culture shock. 

But I remember attending one of the baseball games in Philadelphia where there was a total of 74,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park courtesy of my host brother, Gene Stevenson, may God bless him.

Many people followed and continued and I still think continues to religiously follow sports around NFL, i.e., American football that looks like rugby from where I am sitting, baseball that I might have easily confused with cricket and basketball! While soccer still lags behind baseball and the NFL in popularity, more YANKS are following soccer- or football as it’s known in most places in the world to my amazement during the current World Cup, I saw a lot of my friends from U.S.A talking more about soccer than any other time in history, i.e., since I started liking soccer.

It’s this time round of the current FIFA World Cup tournaments that I was coming to learn about the goalkeeper, Tim Howard, of course with his beards, who would identify him without beards, let’s say if he shaves them off?! Americans followed their team’s performance in Brazil with passion! And I know Tim Howard today is a Hero in the US! Is this love going to continue? Only time will tell.

Let’s face it people, USMNT has always represented US Soccer Federation and competed in CONCACAF (The Federation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) and is ranked 13^th in the world according to both FIFA and world rankings and the World Football Elo Ratings. They have also appeared in the last seven FIFA World Cups and hosted the 1994 edition! But who in America talks about Soccer? And I even doubt whether the current liking and talk about the team and soccer will last.

Just a bit of history for you, USMNT achieved their best result when they reached the semi-finals at the 1930 World Cup finishing 3^rd at that time. And this was also the highest finish of any team from outside of South America and Europe. After the 1990 World Cup, the U.S qualified automatically as hosts of 1994 World Cup eventually losing to Brazil in the round of sixteen. The team has qualified for every round of World Cup since, including 2014 World Cup.

Early Years!

The first United States national team was constituted in 1885, when they played Canada in the first international match held outside UK but Canada defeated USA 1-0.

They fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first ever #WorldCup!

In 1934 #WorldCup, they played with Mexico and defeated them 4-2.

They withdrew from the #WorldCup in 1938 and appeared in the 1950 #WorldCup in Brazil.

Months before the famous #WorldCup loss to the USA, England had beaten all-Star “rest of Europe” side 6-1 in an exhibition match what was famously called World Cup upset by Americans in 1950, the “Miracle on Grass”.

And there is more and more history about the USMNT.

My question still stands, “How long will the talk about the team last?” “How long will the passion for the team exhibited during 2014 FIFA World Cup last?” “How many people will want to ask which outdoor league is USMNT going to play next?” Or is soccer gaining popularity in the US? Why has it taken them so long?

According to some sources, the United States has been the second largest market for ticket sales this year’s games owing may be to the proximity between the U.S and Brazil.

In fact, ticket purchases by Americans have outpaced those in several countries where football is by far most popular sport, including Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, France and Italy .

Enough said!

I'll appreciate comments.