acesfull86
Well-known member
Was at Red Bull Arena on Saturday to witness vintage Thierry Henry...goal and 3 assists like a ******* boss.
Disappointed by the attendance... no WC bump
Disappointed by the attendance... no WC bump
Soccer Life After the World Cup... What to do now?
- Thread starter The Tariff King
- Start date
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Some will, some will now be more curious. 5 years ago on scout soccer threads were nothing more than Shab being a braggart, SAV being a Gunner homer, and me talking about US Soccer with some sprinkling here and there. Hopefully the US wins the GOld CUp next year to get an auto bid for the next confederations cup. Most didn't care about that in 2009 and we actually had a fantastic run that should have sparked more interest. I do fully expect soccer to continue growing if not for any reason more than MLS coverage on ESPN. Even super boring **** like World Series of Poker got a huge interest boost that ESPN played a huge part in.
AerchAngel
<B>Secretary of Statistics</B>
Wife is from Duisburg and we met in Koblenz, not near Frankfurt am Main.
No offense against the MLS, but the EPL on NBC is going to be a huge barometer of soccer interest in the USA.
Considering the EPL has a good chunk of the world class players, and it has some of the biggest soccer club notable names as well, I think it's going to be a good measure of interest. MLS will continue to grow as a domestic entertainment level, but people are always going to know that the EPL/Liga etc will have better quality and that MLS will be in part the retirement league for some of the greatest players out there.
That's not to discount MLS' importance to the movement itself because it is important, but I don't see the MLS growing without the EPL growing in popularity. Most casual sports fans in the USA that never have watched soccer already know Manchester United and Liverpool...
Considering the EPL has a good chunk of the world class players, and it has some of the biggest soccer club notable names as well, I think it's going to be a good measure of interest. MLS will continue to grow as a domestic entertainment level, but people are always going to know that the EPL/Liga etc will have better quality and that MLS will be in part the retirement league for some of the greatest players out there.
That's not to discount MLS' importance to the movement itself because it is important, but I don't see the MLS growing without the EPL growing in popularity. Most casual sports fans in the USA that never have watched soccer already know Manchester United and Liverpool...
Much agreed that this time around things might be a little different.
After the WC 2010, ESPN was only airing a select 1-2 games a week of EPL with very very little promotion.
MLS has been growing steadily for almost a decade now, mainly because they're getting smaller stadiums built besides expecting them to fill up a football stadium.
Now that ESPN has invested so much money in MLS, and that NBC Sports has invested so much in EPL rights, you're going to see them milk it for everything. The problem is FOX has the World Cup rights in 2018, and their coverage of anything sports related is god awful (NFL is passable). ESPN and NBC won't promote the World Cup for FOX, they'll only do it as tie-ins for their own broadcasting rights.
I remember when ESPN first won Nascar TV rights, they had so many Nascar themed studio shows, commercials etc. DOn't think it was a good gamble for them TBH, but it still shows what they can do and how they can influence a market with their resources.
Again not to really overstate NBC's rights to Premier League, but you're guaranteed to get at LEAST 5-6 matches aired live on TV in a week with all the others being able to stream for free on their NBC Sports Extra App and the quality is just as superb. And since there's no territorial blackouts, you KNOW they're going to pretty much air all the marquee match ups, but I'm even more impressed that they give about just as much equal time to the Newcastle's, Stoke City's, West Brom's of the world who aren't as famous but they still treat them as big time. Once the EPL schedule hits full force after Christmas (or their Boxing Day), then games can air on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday throughout the week. Then you have Champions League on FOX and FA Cup as well around that time, and ESPN has been carrying Spanish Liga stuff like El Classico (Madrid v Barcelona matches).
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
Sure, but I think you need American stars to really, REALLY get casual fans interested. You need local MLS markets to thrive to get people in to the sport. I think they need that "local" connection that they get in other sports. Just my opinion.
To be the naysayer I don't think soccer will ever be big in America. It will always be a niche sport. MLS loses money. Their tv ratings and attendance were both down in 2013. The Best players play overseas. There is no competitive college level.
Soccer is a low scoring game and Americans aren't interested in low scoring games. They hate boring pitching duels in baseball and all soccer games are like that. 45 minutes in a half is way to long to keep people's attention that already aren't to interested in the sport. Americans like aggression, hitting, scoring, knock outs, watching big names compete , and sportscenter moments in Thier sports. Soccer really offers none of that.
People that like soccer in America will follow it but the converts to soccer that stick with it will be low. Soccers always been the most played sport in America yet it's never broken through. Never will. For soccer to get big over here it would need to be 'Americanized'
You realize that a typical Monday Night Raw has over 10x the viewers of an average soccer game on EsPn. 10x
The EPL could get bigger in America but MLS not so much.
Soccer is a low scoring game and Americans aren't interested in low scoring games. They hate boring pitching duels in baseball and all soccer games are like that. 45 minutes in a half is way to long to keep people's attention that already aren't to interested in the sport. Americans like aggression, hitting, scoring, knock outs, watching big names compete , and sportscenter moments in Thier sports. Soccer really offers none of that.
People that like soccer in America will follow it but the converts to soccer that stick with it will be low. Soccers always been the most played sport in America yet it's never broken through. Never will. For soccer to get big over here it would need to be 'Americanized'
You realize that a typical Monday Night Raw has over 10x the viewers of an average soccer game on EsPn. 10x
The EPL could get bigger in America but MLS not so much.
Not necessarily. I mean nearly every soccer fan in the usa knows Messi and Ronaldo. The newbies learned who they were after FIFA and ESPN made this the Messi Cup. In NFL people will watch Peyton or Brady play no matter what market and same for NBA with LeBron or Kobe.
Local heroes are nice but aren't necessary since Soccer is more of a team sport than any of those other US sports. It's nice to have a go to guy but I've found in soccer especially Europe it's more about the club than player. The exceptions being of course an Henry ( despite zeets insistance that Henry is not a big name), Messi, Ronaldo who can carry a team.
Since 2002 it's been growing steadily every world cup. The market is proof of that as before 2006 world cup, club soccer was almost nonexistent on basic cable and the premium tier package only had 1 channel for soccer. Fast forward 8 years later and US cable networks are paying big money for bidding on soccer.
Nbc with EPL, Espn and Fox with MLS, Fox with champions league and fa cup, espn with select la liga matches and beinTV.
It's growing steady. Yes a lot of people are US Men's soccer fans but each world cup more fans use the world cup as a segue to club elite soccer.
2002, World Cup matches in Korea are between midnight and 6 am.
2005, Fox Soccer Channel gets bigger, begins showing more original content instead of simulcast feeds from Europe.
2006, World Cup ratings in USA get huge, despite terrible performances in Germany.
2007-2012, ESPN airs more MLS games, FA Cup matches, La Liga matches, and some Champions League.
2010, Fox airs Champions League final on BIG FOX, no longer on Fox Soccer Channel.
2010, USA ratings for World Cup gets even bigger, thanks to matches vs. England, and a comeback win against Algeria. US-Ghana match is one of the highest rated soccer matches of all time.
Post 2006, ESPN increases soccer coverage to include more US Men's National matches/friendlies/tournaments.
2013, NBC wins bidding rights with a 3 year deal with the Barclay's Premier League to air matches exclusively on NBC Universal. First time ever any network has aired more than 2 matches per week of European Soccer, which includes up to 4 matches on Saturday, 2-3 on Sunday and 1 on Monday.
2014, ESPN and FOX join forces to make largest bid for soccer in an American TV Contract with MLS.
2014, FOX agreeds to extend contract with the FA Cup, agreeing to expand coverage to more of it's sister networks.
2014, World Cup produces highest TV ratings in US history, with the Ghana game averaging more in the NY Market than a Jets' home game.
2006-Present, Major League Soccer almost doubles the size of it's league with a new expansion team named every year, and new stadiums built exclusively for soccer.
If you think the trend developing here is soccer not growing, well...
That's a terrible assumption.
Again, there's nothing high scoring about an NFL game except for the fact that 1 point actually pretty much means 7.
A 21-14 NFL game is really 3-2, in the same way a 35-7 blowout is 5-1.
And just because some soccer matches are low scoring do not make them the equivalent to a pitcher's duel at all. I've seen matches where a team has 80% possession but can't score because of defensive luck or a great keeper performance. I've also seen a match where a team has 60-40 possession and loses 1-0.
The excitement about soccer is the development of the play, not just the finish. You've been brainwashed into thinking that scoring is the end all because of US Sports Media. Durant and Carmelo are big scorers because they throw up so many shots, not because they're efficient. People criticize LeBron for not scoring when he's the closest thing to Magic Johnson we've seen. People loved Steve Nash because he played the game differently and was a great distributor, not because he was a scorer. Made all of his teammates better. The Spurs absolutely dominated the Heat in the finals, but not many people will admit it and say their brand of basketball isn't beautiful.
Most MLB games are low scoring, watching our own Braves for the most of the last two decades is proof of that.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Well he may not be American 100% but Julian Green will be a star by most considerations. 19 year olds who almost break the Bayern first team are not a long list. Thomas Muller wasn't fully on board til his 19 year old season. Julian Green, John Brooks and if we get him Zelalem will be stars. Deandre Yedlin will be an American born and raised star. Michael Bradley is a star.
I think what MLS needs is to just embrace the big market teams. **** parity. Parity plays in the NFL but instead of shooting for parity let LA, Seattle, New York, etc. go spending crazy. Keep the big markets fully invested, to keep some parity have the small clubs gain extra draftpicks.
I think in a few years you'll see the class of MLS rise. Hopefully MLS will be smart as well and lets kids go to Europe as it's reputation builds so does the asking price which means as the asking price builds they can invest that money into either bigger names or into scouting. I think that tapping the inner city youth is important. When you're looking at someone who isn't a James, Durant, etc. someone who's good but will likely get a ride to a college and maybe play overseas or semi-pro in the US. Instead try to get him young into soccer. That's where the big boys have the biggest potential impact. Imagine getting a 14 year old kid telling him if he signs with us he still goes to school, we'll pay for college if he wants or he can play professional ball for real money.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
That may be your most wrong prediction ever. Even more than Apple stocks being over 1000. Even if you ignore the growing trend in the 20 year old white male population of soccer rising. Even if you throw that out the window. The hispanic demographic is going to take over America. Not likely to exceed whites but likely to challenge it in a way no minority ever has. You think the hispanic community will leave soccer behind for Football, Basketball or Baseball? Well maybe baseball but not that likely. Sure it may not be a boom for MLS (though it likely will) but it will be a growing interest. By 2050 I'll say soccer is at worst the 3rd most popular sport in US.
Hispanics are singlehandedly carrying the Houston Dynamo's attendance sheets, last I checked which was quite some time ago lol.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Looking at the US under 21 club one small thing that makes me smile, there are 2 kids in Premier league squads ok well 1 premier league squad and one former premier league squad. Cody Cropper who may be the US goalie next World Cup plays for Southampton (well in the academy but he could be their backup and has been called up a few times already) And Will Packwood plays for Birmingham City.
Also nice is that most of the kids are on professional squads, not college teams.
Also nice is that most of the kids are on professional squads, not college teams.
goldfly
<B>if my thought dreams could be seen</B>
you're an idiot if you don't think soccer continues to grow in this country
it is a fad for some
but it has grown so much and continues to grow in this country. it's crazy how far it has come since the 94 cup
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Resurrecting this thread to find this post. Looks like I was wrong. Looks like it may be the 3rd most popular sport sooner as it's more popular to watch on TV than baseball in the U-66 age group.