Soccer the beautiful game, where are the fans?

Soccer the beautiful game, where are the fans?

In United States fans play a big role in all major sports. Club owners rely on sold out seats in most football, baseball and basketball games even as early as pre-season exhibition games. These clubs financial status are stronger because of the passion of the fans for their respective sports. Why can’t it be the same when it comes to SOCCER?

I am a soccer fanatic; I am involved in coaching and playing as well as watching the game at all levels. It is a shock for me to watch the Gold Cup, one of our major soccer tournaments in the CONCACAF region, and to look in the stands to see an half empty stadium during the games, specifically when two games are scheduled to play in one night, I expect to see a big crowd, especially when USA is playing. The Mexicans follow their team around. Where are the American soccer fans? Especially for a sport that is becoming so popular in the country, and the fastest growing in almost every State.

Without considering any stats, almost every household has a potential soccer star, thanks to the big names like “Mia Hamm” former star of the US Women national soccer team who made the term “soccer Mom” so famous, and “Landon Donavan” currently playing for the US Men national and LA Galaxy soccer team.

Where is the passion for a sport that is so popular, and now is gaining momentum in the US, we have seen how far the Men US team has come, especially in the recent tournament of the Confederation Cup where they humiliated the Spanish soccer team (by beating them 2-0), and dethroned them from being the first in the world since 2006. They came shy from beating Brazil in the final which would have been the biggest upset of the soccer giant, a game that ended 3-2 in favor of Brazil after the US lead 2-0 in the first half.

Now is the time to see progress in this area of promoting the game. If you love the game of soccer, you must go support your team. With the World Cup less than a year away, I am starting to feel the fever; I certainly would be in South Africa if I had the means. Meanwhile let us soccer fans step up and fill the local stadiums, I am not talking about only the dedicated immigrants that are already crazy about the game, but also the American fans. I believe the media will follow and join on the bandwagon.

Finally, Enjoy the Gold Cup final on Sunday wherever you are, when Mexico meets the United States again for the second consecutive time.