Sorry America, Soccer Is Here To Stay
I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and soccer has always been one of my main passions. Having parents from Argentina, it was hard for it not to be, but I always wondered why most kids my age thought it was lame. Just 10 years ago, fellow peers of mine told me I was playing a "girl's" sport.
I always knew soccer would grow, but never did I think that my hometown MLS club Atlanta United would sell out every home game to date in it's inaugural season. The way the sport of soccer has grown here in Atlanta has been eye-opening. It's only been a few months, but this excitement doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
My Mom's first ATL UTD Game (She just joined steemit @foodgardenart btw!)
Not only that, the crowd's singing and engagement is at times jaw dropping. I've been to games all around the world, including Champions League games in Barcelona and in Brazil for the World Cup in 2014, and these Atlanta United games seem to be right on par with those experiences. It's truly something special for me to witness.
My first Barcelona game in Camp Nou in 2014
What sparked the growth?
Was it the world cup? How about increased televised coverage of the European leagues? Was it Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fighting for the La Liga title in Spain? Or maybe FIFA (the video game) and the internet played a big role...?
Whatever the cause was, those same friends that called soccer a "girl's" sport are now playing every Friday morning at my neighborhood's weekly pick-up games. Soccer has come a long way, and it's been awesome to witness the transformation of perception towards the sport here.
With my dad at Ecuador vs. Honduras at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (we went to four games total)
Will soccer eventually take over as USA's #1 sport?
This is very questionable but I don't think it's out of reach. I used to think that it would never happen, but since a new generation is rising, one that grew up playing FIFA on playstation/xbox, this very well might be a possibility. I personally remember all my friends in college preferring to play FIFA over Madden or NBA2K. Will this eventually lead to soccer becoming the number one sport in America, as it has already done around the world?
What do you think?
Where will soccer be in America in 20-30-50 years? Will those who used to tailgate at baseball games just flock over to the soccer games instead? Also, when will the USA finally be an international superpower in the world of soccer?
Comment below and I'd be happy to have a discussion on the topic. If you have any experiences at other MLS games, please share! Cheers to Soccer and cheers to ATL UTD! :D
Me sipping some wine at the game yesterday ;) We won again btw :P
Links:
Atlanta United fans continue sellout streak
MLS couldn't believe ATLUTD's first game sold out, told Arthur Blank to check the numbers
'The perfect dorm game': how the Fifa series helped sell soccer to the US