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The US is a big market for European teams, lots of money over here from bandwagon fans to buy gear etc. They used to just travel to Europe then Asia was popular now its the US.
Think of it this way, most in America can name 5 or more player on the 1992 Olympic Basketball team, of which all under 26 or so do not remember, why? Because when it's Team USA people care
When 25 million people watch Soccer it's not entirely because the are soccer fans, they are US fans (me included).
A Seattle Sounders vs NY Redbull ( even say Real Madrid v. Manchester City) would struggle to get a million viewers because there is no nation to root for.
Count me among the admittedly rather small number of Americans (native-born, at that) who regularly watch soccer year-round because of interest in the sport, and moreover watch the US' games with some amount of detachment, as if it's just another game to watch. I'm not really one for patriotism, and the US' style of futbol has never appealed to me as much as the styles of the more skilled countries--when the US wins, it's typically due to superior athleticism. The Ghana game is a perfect example--Ghana was the better team by far for 80 minutes (although their control of the game is/was partially attributable to their general advantage in quickness, which I must admit would be considered a component of athleticism, heh), but the US scored off one individually brilliant play from Dempsey 30 seconds in, and then in typical US fashion, they scored the winner off a corner kick (Ghana outplayed Germany and only drew them because of a corner kick goal, so corner kick defending does appear to be a weakness of theirs). Anyway, I didn't like seeing Ghana lose in that fashion--I was content seeing a 1-1 draw there.
Now, this particular Cup for the US has been set up to be quite exciting (2010 was as well, despite the easily inferior group they were in then compared to the one they're in this year...Donovan's dramatic late goal against Algeria to put them through--doesn't get much better than that). I'll be pulling for them today--never been much of a fan of the German national team (the Bundesliga is a different story--I don't get a chance to see it often enough, but when I do, it strikes me as my favorite league in the world). If the US draw and get Belgium in the next round, I'll be cheering for Belgium, because Belgium plays something approaching the beautiful game and the US does not.
I'll be watching this game at a soccer bar in Buffalo called Mes Que (name is derived from a phrase used in Barcelona, to say that futbol is "more than" a game) which opened I believe two years ago...you tell me if a soccer bar could've survived (let alone thrived) in any Rust Belt city even a decade ago.
PS: I was six at the time of the Dream Team, but...Jordan, Clyde the Glide (had a poster of his with that moniker included), Barkley, Malone, Pippen, Stockton, David Robinson, Olajuwon (?)...should remember a few more but can't. Magic and/or Bird still around? Reggie Miller?
That was almost the last time the NBA was worth watching in my opinion...I enjoyed the Ewing/Starks/Oakley Knicks teams of the '90s, though. it's all been downhill for me since the Kobe/Shaq vs. Iverson finals. I didn't watch a single NBA game this season for the first time in my life.
The US is a big market for European teams, lots of money over here from bandwagon fans to buy gear etc. They used to just travel to Europe then Asia was popular now its the US.
bandwagon?
well i mean yeah americans "discovered" soccer a bit later, but it was never advertised here, only in the last 5-10 years could you watch the England/German/Spanish leagues with any regularity
Bandwagon, Liverpool, Utd, City fans. Don't get many West Brom or MLS supporters for that matter. IMO anyone that supports foreign football and doesn't follow local football is a bandwagon supporter.
No way. I didn't even know other Americans were watching the EPL until recently. People get interested in something because it's better marketed and accessible. The league is really good and better than MLS so of course it will attract new fans.
How come soccer seems to be the only sport in the US with such biases, preconceived notions and double standards?
How come soccer seems to be the only sport in the US with such biases, preconceived notions and double standards?
Aside from the fact that you're hanging out with the wrong people if you haven't known any EPL fans till recently...to answer your question that I quoted...because, you know, exceptionalism and you know **** the UN and all that.
Bandwagon, Liverpool, Utd, City fans. Don't get many West Brom or MLS supporters for that matter. IMO anyone that supports foreign football and doesn't follow local football is a bandwagon supporter.
I've been a City fan since whenever they first added Shaun Wright-Philips, and Petrov, and Roque Santa Cruz, and Craig Bellamy. Semi-bandwagon, I suppose. The first player I mentioned remains my favorite...QPR 2012-2013 had way too much talent to be relegated
Aside from the fact that you're hanging out with the wrong people if you haven't known any EPL fans till recently...to answer your question that I quoted...because, you know, exceptionalism and you know **** the UN and all that.
No, I am saying that Ive known of the EPL and EPL fans, but I didn't know it was a big trend. I just figured the EPL made some good deals to showcase here in the US. I thought they were trying to press their league here like we are doing with NFL in London.
No, I am saying that Ive known of the EPL and EPL fans, but I didn't know it was a big trend. I just figured the EPL made some good deals to showcase here in the US. I thought they were trying to press their league here like we are doing with NFL in London.
I didn't know that EPL was actually that popular.
If heirs or heiresses of dead Malcolm Glazer or John Henry himself brought an EPL franchise to NYC, it would be far more "successful" than an NFL franchise in London would ever be
and the expansion franchise NY FC might significantly help the MLS, if the David Villa signing is any indication...best player to ever play in the league and best in this country since Pele IMO (apologies to Henry and Stoichkov and Nesta, but he's less out of his prime than those guys were/are)
Aside from the fact that you're hanging out with the wrong people if you haven't known any EPL fans till recently...to answer your question that I quoted...because, you know, exceptionalism and you know **** the UN and all that.
Umm the "wrong" people? Just cause they are not lifelong soccer fans does not make them wrong.
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