why isn't soccer bigger in America?

Speaking as a brit, i'll say its because Americans aren't seeing the proper top flight soccer/football that we get in England and Europe. They see it as boring because they're watching poor players in a poor league, with things like the NFL and the NBA they know they're seeing the best in the world play in they're hometown everyweek. Plus if you have sports like basketball and baseball and american football so well established why would you want soccer/football?Lewis-Morgan

There aren't any commercial breaks in soccer so it's not profitable to air it in NA, I still find ways to follow it though.UssjTrunks

I thought that's why they had all those advertisements on the sides in soccer games(and even the jerseys).

If you are a fan it is not that hard to follow! I just watched a live game in which Zenit Saint-Petersburg won the Russian Permier League title!!!!!!!!!! We are the champions!!!!!!!

Anyway, if you've never liked soccer or have not watched it I would say it's pretty hard to become a fan. Soccer is not shown on TV (and I mean ESPN, because it's the major sports channel), except for MLS, which is obviously a joke compared to Spanish, English or German Leagues. The only time to attract the fan base is during the world cup. Actually I became a soccer fan during World Cup of 98. Ronaldo was playing like a magician that year and it really pumped up my interest for soccer.

People play soccer here more than any other sport, the catch is that not as many people are as interested in watching it.

I think the fact is that once a sport gets established people hand it down to their kids and tradition has a great deal to do with the popularity.

2 reasons:

1. Because it isn't a part of our history. The other sports you mention have been around for 100+ years in the USA.
2. It's boring.

Most Americans are not open-minded enough to even take foreign sports seriously.IsaiahDaProphet

This is an offensive, gross generalization. Canadian sports such as hockey and basketball have achieved a heightened degree of success in their histories in America.

The MLS is simply not promoted enough.

2 reasons:

1. Because it isn't a part of our history. The other sports you mention have been around for 100+ years in the USA.
2. It's boring.

murlow12

To you. It's fun enough to be the most popular sport in the world.

But this topic is going down a bad path. It'll soon turn to insults like soccer supposedly being a 3rd world country sport and americans being too fat to play an endurance game like soccer. The topic needs to be locked.

[QUOTE="murlow12"]

2 reasons:

1. Because it isn't a part of our history. The other sports you mention have been around for 100+ years in the USA.
2. It's boring.

manningbowl135

To you. It's fun enough to be the most popular sport in the world.

But this topic is going down a bad path. It'll soon turn to insults like soccer supposedly being a 3rd world country sport and americans being too fat to play an endurance game like soccer. The topic needs to be locked.

Yep, threads like this just can't be allowed to go on, can they?

Well, the obvious reason soccer doesn't do well in the US is that it's a newish sport to Americans. After the years of football, baseball, basketball, etc, it's hard to suddenly start watching soccer and like it. It takes time to understand the rules. Second, the MLS sucks and Americans aren't exposed to quality games very often. Of course, the games aren't even televised much, and instead of soccer, repeats of poker tourneys are shown. Add all that to the fact that most states that could easily support an MLS team don't have one, and you'll see why nobody care about it.

People play soccer here more than any other sport, the catch is that not as many people are as interested in watching it.

I think the fact is that once a sport gets established people hand it down to their kids and tradition has a great deal to do with the popularity.

duxup

[QUOTE="UssjTrunks"]There aren't any commercial breaks in soccer so it's not profitable to air it in NA, I still find ways to follow it though.JML897

I thought that's why they had all those advertisements on the sides in soccer games(and even the jerseys).

They stick ads all over everything in every sport.

I watched a good bit of the World Cup, but to be honest I found it pretty boring. I try to get into it, but I just can't.

This is the reason I'm nota soccer fan, I can't speak for everyone else though.

I don't know why. I used to live in Poland and soccer was always on. I love soccer. I think its way better than most american sports. I mean come on baseball, cricket, golf??? Psshhh.twopic58

We don't watch soccer here because we have something called football. It's WAY more interesting. After watching football, every time I try to watch soccer I find it boring. Maybe im just not really rooting for a team like its from my hometown.

I guess I just find a game of football between two teams I dont know more interesting than a game of soccer between two teams I dont know.

Most Americans watch NFL, MLB, NBA or Nascar first, then when they go to watch soccer, its boring compared to the other Americansports. I honestly found it boring and hard to enjoy. I believe that the only way to be a soccer fan is if you watch that sport as a kid and not watch any others. Here in America, we grow up watching NFL, NBA and MLB and its just part ofour culture that we dont watch soccer.

Well...to people who say that soccer is boring they probably just have not seen enough of it. I mean c'mon! Did any of you watch 1999 Champions League Final??? Bavaria was winning 1-0 up to the 90th minute. No one believed that Manchester United could come back. But they did it! They've scored 2 goals in the span of 2 mintues! And that happened in soccer, where you often have a score of 0-0 (and that could also be a great game!)! It was unbelievable! That was the moment MU became my favorite team, after Zenit Saint-Petersburg, of course :) Yeah...actually here's the other thing. Americans need big scores. When the score is 102-98 that what ppl here like! :) Score can be decieving, people! Go watch some real soccer, at least watch Champions league on ESPN (I belive they still show it, don't they?)!1Furious1

lol, soccer fan has to go back to 1999 to find an interesting game. There are at least a couple very interesting games every week in football. Its more interesting because the score changes more often (and not once every half hour).

Most Americans watch NFL, MLB, NBA or Nascar first, then when they go to watch soccer, its boring compared to the other Americansports. I honestly found it boring and hard to enjoy. I believe that the only way to be a soccer fan is if you watch that sport as a kid and not watch any others. Here in America, we grow up watching NFL, NBA and MLB and its just part ofour culture that we dont watch soccer.

GamingBoy2009

I'm Canadian, but that's just BS.

I watch the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL sometimes...I love watching different sports...But the MLS just sucks...If only they would air more games from the European Leagues...)

If anything, I think it has to do with the way people are brought up...My dad came here from Croatia, and they're soccer crazy over there...

It's just like saying the only you can like American football is if you only watch that as a kid and no other sport...

Well...to people who say that soccer is boring they probably just have not seen enough of it. I mean c'mon! Did any of you watch 1999 Champions League Final??? Bavaria was winning 1-0 up to the 90th minute. 1Furious1

That says it all right there. 1 score in 90 minues is the very definition of boring.

[QUOTE="1Furious1"]Well...to people who say that soccer is boring they probably just have not seen enough of it. I mean c'mon! Did any of you watch 1999 Champions League Final??? Bavaria was winning 1-0 up to the 90th minute. murlow12

That says it all right there. 1 score in 90 minues is the very definition of boring.

I completely agree with you on that. Soccer can be so boring. They just run back and forth for 90 minutes and score once in a blue moon. I guess it comes down to Americans being more comfortable with sports involving upper body skills and the rest of the world relying on their legs and kicking????

[QUOTE="murlow12"]

[QUOTE="1Furious1"]Well...to people who say that soccer is boring they probably just have not seen enough of it. I mean c'mon! Did any of you watch 1999 Champions League Final??? Bavaria was winning 1-0 up to the 90th minute. jt222_us

That says it all right there. 1 score in 90 minues is the very definition of boring.

I completely agree with you on that. Soccer can be so boring. They just run back and forth for 90 minutes and score once in a blue moon. I guess it comes down to Americans being more comfortable with sports involving upper body skills and the rest of the world relying on their legs and kicking????

American football is just starting and stopping every 10 seconds for 60 minutes...

Hockey is just skating around with sticks on the ice for 60 minutes...

Basketball is also just running up and down a court with a ball for 60 minutes...

Baseball is just standing around waiting to catch a ball for god knows how long...

Do you see what I'm trying to get at?

And I love all those sports...

And you know, scoring late in a game leads to fans letting out built up excitement, because once they score just that one goal., it basically over...Home team wins...The end.

It's a culture thing, Soccer is regarded as a kids sport and when you get to high school you play Football, Baseball, or Basketball insteadmynameisjr

Unless you are short and built like a short-distance sprinter like me. Then you continue with soccer. I love playing it and coaching soccer but I just can't watch the sport. At least on TV.

Only sports I watch on TV are football (NFL and college) and sometimes the Tour de France.

I believe we need to keep the insults off.

Basicly, the reason why the USA is so closed to a certain sports and away from others is part of their culture, believing that what they made is their best and no need to get nothing from the outside. I am not saying is wrong or right, it just is. Take an example of UFC created by Brazilians, who had a big influence and was not popular (or should I say, created an atmosphere of failure which in reality wasn't), even hated up until all foreigners were excluded, as originators of the sport, and as soon as an American took charge, the sport has been rocketed un in the sky.

Is just american culture. They want to overwhelm you with their culture, put it in your face as is theirs. Soccer in the first steps of MLSwas changed to erase draws and they created a type of Penalty kicks that had players running from the middle of half the field "to make it more expectacular" of course FIFA being the organization with more countries affiliated even more than the United Nations, overwhelmed them instead - so the result, the sport is stuck in growing popularity. US people in command do not accept impositions do not take other stuff as is, they believe they need to change it and "improve it", if they can't is not good enough for them. History will lead you to the conclusion, like I just explained, IF IT IS RIGHT OR WRONG, this is not the place for thatdiscussion, but the motive is set. Cheers to all.