Lyndhurst 14
Well-known member
- Jan 16, 2008
- 5,202
The States has been a hard nut to crack in terms of getting mainstream recognition of football. The fact that there was a 3 page article in the New York Times about soccer shows that times are definitely changing – a while back that would have been almost blasphemous. In the short time I’ve been in the States things have really improved for soccer fans. Next season NBC sports will be showing all EPL games for the armchair fan, and that’s a huge deal; it was always thought that having a sport which goes a whole 45 minutes without an advertising break would never interest the main networks. American sports fans are also not huge fans of having a result which is a draw – they like a winner. I’d agree with comments about the atmosphere, or lack of, at live games. I’ve been to a lot of MLS games, they are starting to get the crowds but they just don’t have the passion – their idea of banter between fans is “You suck” “No, you suck”, definitely no witty repartee so far. The national soccer side has got a bit more prominence since Klinsman was taken on as coach, and don’t forget USA got knocked out of the last World Cup at the same stage as England. Posters have said you don’t get many away fans at games, you have to remember the distances you are talking about. For a team like LA Galaxy going to New York Red Bulls the fans would be traveling about 2,500 miles, which makes Brighton / Hartlepool seem a doddle by comparison.
