MLS

[bouli77]

I know soccer isn't beloved in America and i get why. but word in europe (lol) is that the MLS keeps getting bigger each and every year, is it true ?? i mean do you the american minority (lmao) on this forum have noticed a growing interest in soccer on your soil ?

i follow the MLS and i've noticed that stadiums are packed and within a week a clip of a potential "goal of the year" have already reached 2 mill hits on youtube, so i'm guessing it's really getting big

the goal in question :

[Javier]

I can't really speak on the other cities, but from the soccer fans that I know in Los Angeles they really don't care about the MLS. Most of the Mexican friends I know, and myself included don't really even see MLS games, not even during the playoffs.  We do check out the Mexican League though.  I can maybe see that in cities where there aren't that many Mexicans, MLS could possibly grow.  Los Angeles is so big though, that it can support two MLS clubs and actually have a decent following...not entirely sure if it's growing though. 

[theremedy360]

Soccer has gotten pretty big around here. The Sounders get about 35,000 fans per game which is at least 10,000 more than the next city. There's a good chance that a lot of that has to do with our NBA team getting jacked and our baseball not making the world series in 30+ years of existence but you can't argue with the passion.

[K.Dub]

I still don't understand why the American people don't embrace the world's greatest sport..

[Lunatic]

It's pretty damn big here in Toronto, Canada (MLS - Toronto FC). That's because Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with MOST people in the 15-35 age group, they're parents being immigrants from Europe (especially Italy & Portugal), therefore Soccer is HUGE here; we grew up with it but we definitely cheer for our background country (Portugal, Italy, etc) instead of Canada (doesn't help that Canada sucks)

[bouli77]

I still don't understand why the American people don't embrace the world's greatest sport..

there are a few reasons to that IMO :

1. from a cultural standpoint : americans equate sport with entertainment. so for any collective sport it has to be either fun to watch or to attend. i really don't think baseball is entertaining but i don't know the rules and i've never been to a baseball game so i can't speak on it. but i'm sure  most americans love to attend baseball games more for the atmosphere and the experience than for the game itself. it's part of their culture and mythology so it's more than a sport. i'm a huge soccer guy but I can see why non-initiated people are not into it. it gets boring when you're expecting mindblowing goals and play and when you're getting a very tactical game with two teams nullifying each other and ending up with a tie. in america there's no ultra culture as there is in the rest of the world when it comes to soccer. they enjoy the international games but they're spectators rather than supporters. the thing is, soccer is only a sport, whereas (american) basketball is also a show (as are baseball and american football).

2. the format : a 90 minute game with a 15 minute half. it's not enough for companies looking for commercial placement every 15 minutes or so. and it's too long for americans who are non-initiated spectators who have a hard time coping with uneventful phases of the game.

3. american exceptionalism & isolationism : americans pride themselves on being different. soccer has been imported to America almost right after it was created in England, and it started growing. however, they didn't fully embrace the sport because they didn't want to adopt a sport where they could be likely to face and be defeated by their former motherland (UK) and they didn't want to develop a sport invented by them.

that being said, with the MLS developing, it seems like they have their own soccer traditions developing based on the popular collective sports there. teams like Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders pack their stadiums and from an outsider's perspective there seems to be much less negativity and bitter rivalry in the US than in the rest of the soccer world (maybe due to the fact that there's no ultra culture and that americans have a different way to live sports).

soccer is definitely big in canada though (for what it's worth).

[Javier]

Baseball and American History really go hand in hand.  It's definitely a cultural thing, but I don't agree that people just go to the baseball stadium for the experience.  It's one of the few sports where the stats are entertaining to research, mainly because in baseball the stats do tell you a lot about the player and the game.  It's also the only sport where each stadium has unique park dimensions that affect both the pitcher and the hitter.  It's very entertaining to see a pitcher vs hitter match up, and that's really the entire ball game. 

[MontrealCity's Most]

It's pretty damn big here in Toronto, Canada (MLS - Toronto FC). That's because Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with MOST people in the 15-35 age group, they're parents being immigrants from Europe (especially Italy & Portugal), therefore Soccer is HUGE here; we grew up with it but we definitely cheer for our background country (Portugal, Italy, etc) instead of Canada (doesn't help that Canada sucks)

Were coming for you next year..


Montreal Impact\!!

[K-MACC]

It's pretty damn big here in Toronto, Canada (MLS - Toronto FC). That's because Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with MOST people in the 15-35 age group, they're parents being immigrants from Europe (especially Italy & Portugal), therefore Soccer is HUGE here; we grew up with it but we definitely cheer for our background country (Portugal, Italy, etc) instead of Canada (doesn't help that Canada sucks)

Were coming for you next year..


Montreal Impact\!!

lets hope so toronto fc sucks but somehow they still sell tickets

[Lunatic]

^ Because Toronto is such a major city, they sell tickets to any sport we love (hockey, basketball & soccer - we don't like baseball much lol).

TFC made 2 great signings today though! Torsten Frings (79 Germany caps, playing for many prestigious teams) and Danny Koevermans

[K-MACC]

^ Because Toronto is such a major city, they sell tickets to any sport we love (hockey, basketball & soccer - we don't like baseball much lol).

TFC made 2 great signings today though! Torsten Frings (79 Germany caps, playing for many prestigious teams) and Danny Koevermans

ya i seen that last night on gol tv

[7even]

^ Because Toronto is such a major city, they sell tickets to any sport we love (hockey, basketball & soccer - we don't like baseball much lol).

TFC made 2 great signings today though! Torsten Frings (79 Germany caps, playing for many prestigious teams) and Danny Koevermans

 

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

I can't really speak on the other cities, but from the soccer fans that I know in Los Angeles they really don't care about the MLS. Most of the Mexican friends I know, and myself included don't really even see MLS games, not even during the playoffs.  We do check out the Mexican League though.  I can maybe see that in cities where there aren't that many Mexicans, MLS could possibly grow.  Los Angeles is so big though, that it can support two MLS clubs and actually have a decent following...not entirely sure if it's growing though. 

But the MLS foolishly put 2 teams in L.A.  No need!  Fuck that immature bragging rights & best of a city crap!  I always wondered why MLS doesn't have a team in San Diego?  Chivas USA coulda been put there.  Or Arizona.  I'm suprised that these cities that don't have many mexicans are drawing.  I turned to espn2 sunday & portland's place sold out & was rocking. 

And I think the reason why L.A. doesn't care about the MLS, is the same reason why the Dudgers are drawing less & why there is no NFL in L.A. is that they don't win the championship every year.  The Galaxy in the beginning turned into the Atlanta Braves, whole bunch of title playoffs only 1 championship. 

I still don't understand why the American people don't embrace the world's greatest sport..

Not everybody likes certain things being shoved/4ced down our throats!  And the way soccer fans acted during the 1994 world cup.  The tragedy of Andres Escobar & person stabbed to death at a bar by his brother in law in Brazil.  Waging nuclear war over it nearly all the time.  I don't even take NFL that seriously.  Its best that Americans don't embrace it, foreigners want americans to like it so they can take joy in beating USA.  Bad enuff Mexico acts like beating the USA is winning the world cup.  If they wanna act like they won the world cup, beat Brazil, Argentina, France, England, Germany.