It’s everything I have been waiting for, and it finally happened. Overnight, it seems–from city hall screenings to rowdy bars and suburban houses–citizens of the United States finally realized what they were missing. That’s right: the fresh cut grass, the energy in the pitch, the fancy footwork. Somehow, the US has finally fallen in love with soccer.
Like most of you, I figured it was a bandwagon craze brought about by the World Cup, a phenomena that would die down a week or two after we were knocked out by Belgium. But then games were selling out for people to watch pre-season friendlies (like the 109,318–yes that number is not a typo–attending the International Champions Cup match between Manchester United and Real Madrid; Arsenal was playing the New York Red Bulls in their first visit to the United States; Frank Lampard and David Villa signed for the New York City FC; and David Beckham was setting up his own soccer franchise in Miami. Almost like a dream, it feels like we are truly living in a golden age of soccer in America. But what changed? Major media outlets like The New Yorker and NY Magazine have written extensively about it.
There is suddenly a real fan base that I have never seen before and, in truth, I think a lot of thanks should be going to Tim Howard. He has gone just as viral as the sport, appearing on the cover of Adweek, featured in a number of press pieces across the U.S., and appears to have signed on for several endorsement deals.
Every few years, whether it is the summer Olympics, the winter Olympics, or the World Cup, Americans will fall deeply and madly in love with a (relatively) unknown athlete from a sport with a (relatively) small fan base. I am talking about how Kerri Strug, Michael Phelps, Shaun White, and Abby Wambach became household names. Now Tim Howard can join in those ranks.
The U.S. may have lost to Belgium, but Howard had 16 saves throughout the march, the most ever in World Cup History. The fans (and the internet) went crazy. Suddenly #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave was trending on Twitter and (for a brief moment) Wikipedia hilariously listed him as the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Extensive news coverage and virility of this year’s World Cup has demonstrate the sports’ potential to be lucrative here in the U.S., but why stop at potential? Hype surrounding this year’s World Cup has also brought controversy surrounding the bidding process to host the tournament to the forefront of conversation. You made have heard the claims of corruption, particularly in relation to Qatar’s bid to host the tournament in 2022. Following allegations that the committee was bribed, several other countries attempted to re-enter their names for consideration, the U.S. among them. The bidding process was not well covered up until this point, and many (including myself) were unaware that an entire committee, featuring big names like former counselor to the president, Doug Band, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is dedicated to one day bringing the tournament home.
The U.S.’ odds may not look all that promising for the 2022 bid, but there is no doubt that we’ve made great strides over the last few months. When scarce attendance and limited media coverage may have been a reason for passing over a U.S. bid in the past, these seem like unlikely issues now. How can we help? Simple. Continue to support people like Tim Howard or the next up-and-coming soccer superstar for either of our national teams. Keep the enthusiasm and patriotic pride that we saw this summer alive, and we’ll be one step closer to seeing a World Cup tournament game on our home turf.
Every few years, whether it is the summer Olympics, the winter Olympics, or the World Cup, Americans will fall deeply and madly in love with a (relatively) unknown athlete from a sport with a (relatively) small fan base. I am talking about how Kerri Strug, Michael Phelps, Shaun White, and Abby Wambach became household names. Now Tim Howard can join in those ranks.
The U.S. may have lost to Belgium, but Howard had 16 saves throughout the march, the most ever in World Cup History. The fans (and the internet) went crazy. Suddenly #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave was trending on Twitter and (for a brief moment) Wikipedia hilariously listed him as the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Extensive news coverage and virility of this year’s World Cup has demonstrate the sports’ potential to be lucrative here in the U.S., but why stop at potential? Hype surrounding this year’s World Cup has also brought controversy surrounding the bidding process to host the tournament to the forefront of conversation. You made have heard the claims of corruption, particularly in relation to Qatar’s bid to host the tournament in 2022. Following allegations that the committee was bribed, several other countries attempted to re-enter their names for consideration, the U.S. among them. The bidding process was not well covered up until this point, and many (including myself) were unaware that an entire committee, featuring big names like former counselor to the president, Doug Band, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is dedicated to one day bringing the tournament home.
The U.S.’ odds may not look all that promising for the 2022 bid, but there is no doubt that we’ve made great strides over the last few months. When scarce attendance and limited media coverage may have been a reason for passing over a U.S. bid in the past, these seem like unlikely issues now. How can we help? Simple. Continue to support people like Tim Howard or the next up-and-coming soccer superstar for either of our national teams. Keep the enthusiasm and patriotic pride that we saw this summer alive, and we’ll be one step closer to seeing a World Cup tournament game on our home turf.
This guest post was written and submitted by Sean J. Garrison
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