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On numerous occasions have ignorant Brits attempted to write about soccer in America. The hype surrounding David Beckham’s transfer to MLS side LA Galaxy fuelled the sports journalists to further criticise the game in the States. However 12 months on from Beckham’s move to Los Angeles, I have tried to find out how soccer really fits in to the American sporting culture. When considering the popularity of “The Beautiful Game” across the Atlantic, one must remember the sheer size of the country and population; about five times that of England. So even if the United States boasted 30 million die-hard soccer fans, that is less than 10% of the USA population. Another point to be mentioned is whilst in England football is more popular than both cricket and rugby, in the States soccer has to compete with American football, basketball, baseball and NASCAR. Although it’s a crowded market place, soccer is certainly not ignored or unpopular. In fact more people play soccer in America than in any other country on the planet. With college sports reaching the same levels of popularity and fan support as professional sports, the problem is most young people switch sports to one of the others as they grow older.  At professional level in America 14 teams compete in Major League Soccer which is often referred to as the abbreviated MLS. It is here that perhaps the problem lies. With MLS teams currently averaging around 16,000 fans per game, many soccer fans in the US prefer to watch European matches. With the US broadcasting more English Premier League games than in England itself as well as matches from La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga; the die-hard soccer fans can discern the difference in the level of play and elect to ignore the MLS. However this is where Beckham comes in.  The former Manchester United and Madrid superstar said his move was “about football” and stated “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could make a difference.” Now a year on, whilst soccer was already growing, it is fair to say Beckham has sped up the process significantly. LA Galaxy road games attract larger crowds than the other teams. Furthermore he has brought awareness and exposure of the sport and of the MLS to general masses. Additionally Beckham earned his way back into the England national squad during his time in the MLS, which proves the league is not as appalling as many would have you believe. Far from it. With football icons such as Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho having been linked with American moves, perhaps the league will relive the days when Pele, Best, Cruyff and Beckenbauer strutted their stuff in the States.
However whilst Beckham himself is a big draw, as would other stars be, it is hard to say if his move has improved the sports popularity overall. Many attend games merely to see David Beckham the celebrity and not David Beckham the footballer. However he has certainly helped carve out a healthy niche among the US mainstream but more has to be done to make soccer better across the nation. The arrival of Beckham has helped LA Galaxy join FC Dallas in becoming profitable clubs. Recently TV revenue deals have increased and with the inclusion of Toronto FC, coverage of the MLS now stretches into Canada. Regarding this, ESPN’s Andrew Rogers said “Beckham will count for nothing if crowds and viewing figures don’t increase when the Galaxy aren’t in town, or if his era doesn’t produce the first crop of US superstars.” FC Dallas President and General Manager Michael Hitchcock believes there is a “slow growth model and key to this is developing the American player.” Therefore whilst attracting foreign players, the MLS needs to be a breeding ground for fresh national talent. Over the last few years the league has witnessed some of its home grown favourites depart to more prominent leagues in Europe. National players including Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan left with players such as Abel Xavier and Juan Pablo Angel joining US teams. This highlighting an exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to the United States.  Ultimately this is where the future needs to be different. We are currently viewing in England an invasion of foreign talent but if the USA is going to build both a strong league and national team the country’s youth needs to be bled through. Promisingly the USA national team is very healthy despite losses to England and Spain in recent months. The youthful attacking options are exciting with Freddy Adu, who is still only 19 and Michael Bradley, 20, who is very highly rated. At 26 Donovan and Beasley are the old timers and with 18 year old Jozy Altidore forcing his way through, the national team looks strong. Furthermore the nation can always produce good goalkeepers as England has had the pleasure of seeing in Howard, Keller and Friedel. Though many Americans feel new coach Bob Bradley’s appointment was a sideward step as he comes from the same school of thought as former manager, Bruce Arena. Overall a year on from Beckham’s much hyped and lucrative transfer, soccer in America is looking stronger than ever. If the nation can carry through the youth who play the sport, it won’t be long before the national side is mentioned as a pre-World Cup favourite. The country’s quarter final success in 2002 shows they could soon be challenging as they do so competitively in all other sports. Whilst the MLS still needs improving, currently an LA Galaxy Vs DC United match can’t compete with Manchester United Vs Chelsea, but I’d definitely take the MLS tilt any day of the week over Derby County Vs Wigan. By James Bailey I would like to thank Greg Daurio, managing editor of American soccer magazine 90:00, for all his help with this article. He gave me a useful and respected American viewpoint on soccer.
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