World Cup victory a win for U.S Soccer but not Soccer in the U.S

If you know me, you know that soccer is not, and never has been, my area of expertise. That being said, I am an avid watcher of all U.S soccer matches, especially during the Men and Women's world cup.


When the American women, down a player and down a goal to arguably the best team in the world Brazil, came back to force overtime and an eventual win on penalty kicks, they earned my respect and they should have earned yours too. This American womens team is focused, committed and surprisingly talented, and play in the World Cup finals on Sunday. Surely, this is a sign of a growing interest in soccer in this country, right?

Don't be so sure. Soccer, for all is popularity on the world stage, has yet to gain a strong foothold in the mind of the American sports fan. We are thoroughly infatuated with football and baseball, but seem to have only a middling interest in the international pastime. Why does soccer continue to be an afterthought in this country?

To answer that question, you must go to the playgrounds and fields of America. Our young boys grow up playing football or baseball, sports requiring expensive gear and specialized fields that their parents can provide. Our young girls? Hell, half or more of the young girls in this country don't grow up involved in sports, either by their own choice or parent intervention. Now lets travel around the world to Cameroon. Or Tunisia. Or Egypt. Or Brazil. Children in these countries, poor and rich alike, play soccer from a very young age, perfecting skills in a sport they can play anywhere, from a plain dirt field to an inner city concrete court. Our athletes go away to colleges to tune their skills for a professional career, but find themselves splitting their time equally between academics and sports. Our children play sports for the fame, for the social status, for the bragging rights among peers at school. Their athletes play for the love of the game, the purest form of passion. Our culture does not embrace a purely sports star, we encourage the formation of well rounded individuals. Good at many things, great at nothing. As long as this sports culture remains in America, that phrase will always describe our American soccer team and its status around the world.  Good at many things, great at nothing.

Best of luck to our U.S women this weekend, and I encourage you all to support them in any way you see fit.