How does the United States soccer fan compare to the rest of the world?
355933
pitiful. in Europe, their futbol is as popular as our football, baseball, basketball and hockey combined. Fans have both killed, and been killed over the game. the entire professional entertainment world revolves around the Premier League scheduling. In the US? name 5 of the professional soccer teams in the US.....
915790
1.  Age 8, USA\n2.  From Canadians\n3.  Big in my circles, in some coastal cities the game is big.  In the USA, it's a mixed bag.  It's growing, but it isn't really big yet - compared to true soccer nations.\n4.  Grew up playing with Latinos, lots of guys to play with.\n5.  I play soccer because it thrills me like no other game I've played.  Absolutely no comparison.\n6.  I mostly play with a Brits, Latinos, Middle Easterners, and Americans who also play with these groups.  Mostly we play in new-style English soccer - fast paced, high pressurization, quick one-two touch game with dribbling mostly to retain possession in the attacking third.  Always a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.  Played against various single nationality teams - English, Mexican, Italian, Croatian, Korean, ... Biggest difference is most teams don't play super high possession style, except the Italians.  Mexicans show the most flair.  Croatian, English, American teams play the most physical game.
1163662
Soccer (football) isn't popular in the US because it's boring.  There are better athletes and more money in other sports.  We don't grow up saying, "If I could only be David Beckham and play in the World Cup."  We say, "If I could only throw the winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl."  Soccer players are glorified cross country runners with coordination.  On top of all that, we suck miserably at the sport because our best athletes go elsewhere.
1086145
Superb answer voetbal, I couldn't have said it better myself.\n\nBeing from the US, I'm constantly being berated by the "jocks" in this country for being a football fan.  Yeah thats right, a football fan.  The word "soccer" makes me cringe.
434452
I think most Americans have a very short attention span, and soccer is simply too low scoring for them.  They like the high scores of American football, or even the seemingly random Hungry Hungry Hippos action of professional basketball.\n\nMaybe if you took the goalies away Americans would watch more soccer.
440806
I think that eventually in the US, soccer will be as popular as most of the other sports in the US. First, soccer in the US is one of the most growing  sports among kids who play it, the number is rapidly increasing. Second, with the World Cup just around the corner I think that if the US has a good tournement, more people may start to tune in to soccer over the next few years. Afterall, as the rankings go now, the US is sixth in the world, so we could have a pretty good cup. Next, with soome of the great players in Europe and the whole world thinking of maybe coming to the MLS like Ronaldo, Zidane, and Beckham more people would want to watch the MLS to see some of the worlds greats. Lastly, i think that with Americas major sports T.V. networks such as ESPN starting to show more soccer on T.V., such as like Uefa Champions League, more people could but interest in soccer in the US. It would be hard to get the popularity level as high as say baseball or football in the US, but I think over the next few years, soccer in the US could become very popular.
377475
I really don't think that there is a lot of difference.  Soccer (futbol) is popular as much in Latin America in general as it is in Europe.  Latin America players play in the European leagues too.  I am from South America so I know how crazy we are about futbol.  Also have a lot of friends from Europe and I know they are too.  This is nothing like we see in the Unites States with sports as "American" Football or Basketball.  Soccer is the true global sport.
465847
i had this same discussion with a friend/co-worker from nigeria, his name was sam larbi, and he asked why it is that people in the united states were not as passionate about the mls as they were about the european leagues, i think it's as simple as the person watching....if you are a soccer player yourself you have an appreciation for "the best" you want to see the most skilled players in the world, and the fact that MANY african players are good enough to not only play in the champions league but to thrive, should make anyone native excited enough to follow it HOWEVER they can, i think it's great that someone would cry when they're favorite team loses, soccer is the WORLD's game...and to answer my friend sam's question i simply said..."americans don't care about soccer, they aren't good enough to, yet" but guys like samuel etoo make it fun to watch, i still make every attempt to just try-out for one of those teams, that alone would be an honor, i would sell my house and move their just to try-out....and because soccer to europans is like basketball to americans...it makes us fellow followers of the best game on earth want to see the best players on earth play...you see, i applaud you for goin to watch the games at a friends house, i would walk miles and miles to see barcelona play !!!
600130
well most americans have not yet been exposed to the spirit of soccer.\nLuckily though americans have started to make a move in the right direction. I hear of new MLS teams arrising each season and also more MLS stadium being revamped. \nSo hopefully in a decade or two soccer will be more of a adrenaline rush here too.
383606
soccer is a beautiful game. apparently most people dont like soccer here in the US... percentage wise the numbers might be divided but who cares, I watch soccer and i think anyone who loves it should too. it is a fascinating game.
859434
1) I migated from Uruguay\n2) In Uruguay soccer is very important. We play soccer at least 2 hours a day\n3)I live in washington dc and all the imigrants from larin america are all from El Salvador. (el salvador is horible at soccer but it is very important to them)\n4)I personaly think that Soccer in america is much slower than latin american soccer. And i think america has the most athletic people in the world but they are more interested in american football or basketball.\n6)Well i agree with this you sort of because when i was in high school everyone immediatly thought i was the best player in the school\n\ni hope i helped you out
1028134
The reason being is becuase United States hasn't been that big in soccer untill like 10 years ago. The reason why Everyone on the other side of the world is so much better, is becuase they all grew up with it, They play and practice everyday and it has been over there for many many many years so they familirize themselves better and better where as the United States is still learning many ways and skills in soccer.
995240
Wow same!  I'm American and this is the first year I've even watched a soccer match without just taking a glance and dismissing it with boredom.  I don't know what about this year caught me, but now I'm really into the WC.  However, I think once this dies down, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue sating my apetite for soccer w/ national games (mainly cause I'm a staunch supporter of European teams).  Too bad the rest of America is too intrigued by our own brutish version of football to care about soccer.  It's merely a reflection of us as a country I guess, and it fits well with our war-mongering image.
1041663
England--but all of the nations have pretty good fans--the English, though, are hard-core soccer people!
384326
The main reason why soccer has not exploded yet is that the average american's attention span is very small.  Football, baseball, etc. are broken down into different plays, quarters, innings, etc.  There are breaks for commercials entertainment and so on.  But soccer only has two halves and the teams play for 90 minutes.  The play does not stop unless there is a foul and a yellow or red card is given.  Soccer can feel boring to most americans who simply don't see the art in it.  That being said soccer can explode here if the USA teams do well.  Soccer has drastically become more popular since the USA women's soccer team did so well around 2000.  Now that Mia Hamm and others are retiring the men now have to shoulder the burden of carrying on soccer.  If the US men's team win the World Cup at any time in the next 50 years then yes soccer will become more popular.
1064111
I feel it may have to do with a cultural thing.  \n\nFootball, basketball, and baseball have tradition and roots in the American culture.  As a result, much time has been invested in promoting the sport, attracting and recruiting talent, and incorporating technology to advance the sport.\n\nI feel that soccer is relatively new to America.  The soccer fan base is probably not as solid and committed with, say, the basketball group.  But then again, all this can change as more exposure of this sport is made in the media, and popular events like FIFA and the Olympics take place.
447916
im a canadian. The People in the us take football WAY too sriously. Some of them would sell their first born just to get into a game. I went to the orange bowl once in flordia, and the first thing i noticed was that almost everyone had their team colours on and that they were getting wasted out of their mimds just for a football game. There was fights and even a stabbing. People in the US take it like it was life and death. I mean some of them are F ucking nuts. oh and as for football being all american , it was invented by canadians uh burn. oh soccer umm its not really big in north america not even here in canada, Esspecially not in the US.