# Football (Soccer) - No Longer a Minority Sport in the United States?



## Spite (Jul 7, 2009)

Was reading this article today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28024752

Some key points from it - 



> The victory over Ghana attracted the biggest US television audience for a football match - 16m people. The draw with Portugal smashed that record with an average of 24.7m viewers.
> And the match against Germany in Recife is expected to surpass even that.





> This week Google searches for US Soccer outstripped NFL searches for only the second time in history, while Clint Dempsey's goal against Portugal is the second most tweeted moment of the World Cup so far with 305,000 tweets per minute.





> "To have America watching these games is the 12th man for us," Dempsey said. "And in Brazil we feel like we have home field advantage.
> Close encounter
> Mike d'Amico and Ben Smith
> At the airport, I bumped into a US fan called Mike D'Amico, writes Ben Smith. He is possibly the most famous American in Brazil. After Clint Dempsey scored the second against Portugal the TV pictures cut to a guy wearing a Teddy Roosevelt hat and screaming to the heavens. He went viral. He was stopped three times as he boarded the plane by fans who recognised him.
> ...





> The American embassy in Rio estimates that close to 100,000 US citizens have travelled to Brazil for the tournament - three times more than any other country.





> Major League Soccer (MLS) is going from strength to strength, attracting players such as Spain striker David Villa, who retired from international football on Monday, and former France and Arsenal forward Thierry Henry.
> 
> Jurgen Klinsmann tweeted this letter asking employers to excuse fans so they can watch the Germany game
> Average stadium attendances trump those of NBA basketball and crowds at the Seattle Sounders now average close to 50,000.


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## UKMMAGURU (Nov 15, 2009)

> The American embassy in Rio estimates that close to 100,000 US citizens have travelled to Brazil for the tournament - three times more than any other country.


This is true, but bit misleading.

For example, I read the Nigeria fans in Brazil are almost exclusively American citizens.

I would imagine many Mexicans and Asian fans in Brazil are American citizens also.


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

Only good to hear. I've always wondered why football wasn't that big in the states which is arguably the most sports driven country in the world. 

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## UKMMAGURU (Nov 15, 2009)

Rauno said:


> Only good to hear. I've always wondered why football wasn't that big in the states which is arguably the most sports driven country in the world.
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App



Why isn't Soccer bigger in America?



> _Soccer will become more popular in the United States ONLY when the rules are changed; e.g. make the goal HIGHER, change the clock (count DOWN, not count UP), allow substitutions/change lines while in-play (like ice hockey) and get more AMERICAN players, or at least those who can speak passable English.
> You might also try quitting your crying about: Soccer (we will NEVER call it ‘Football’) is the most popular sport in the world, and should also be so in the USA for just that reason, and realizing that, until you have the potential to exponentially score more goals, NOTHING will ever change in the USA. Soccer, as it is, puts most of us to sleep._


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## UFC_OWNS (Jul 7, 2010)

Well to be fair rugby is closer (and tougher) to the NFL than anything else in the world and that's even less popular. America only likes things they are really good at or it has to have a lot points/score in it regularly.


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## Spite (Jul 7, 2009)

UFC_OWNS said:


> Well to be fair rugby is closer (and tougher) to the NFL than anything else in the world and that's even less popular. America only likes things they are really good at or it has to have a lot points/score in it regularly.


High scoring sports bore me to tears... there's no tension. Basketball is good example... one end of the court to the other scoring almost all the time, I get more excited one a team doesnt score, rather than when one does... that can't be right?

That said I'd watch Basketball all day over the NFL, which seems to be on for fvcking hours, with only a fraction of that time spent with the ball in play.


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

The sub thing in game doesn't matter. MLB and NBA don't allow that and they are both popular. Ice Hockey is a bad example as it has been losing popularity here anyway.


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## UFC_OWNS (Jul 7, 2010)

Ugh i despise the NBA, terrible terrible league. If the USA had a decent rugby comp the size of at least the NHL i'd watch that even if they would be garbage. The NHL is still great but it lost popularity because the soccer mums somehow have infiltrated all sports and made them softer and the NHL was hit hardest because line brawls and cheap shots and hard checks and fist fights have all been taken out because of rule changes.


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## prospect (Mar 26, 2014)

I have to say this year I took a little break from the premier League And football in general. And stated watching the NBA exclusively... first game of football I watched since felt boring as ****. 
But Yeah as Arsenal won the fa cup my love for the sport came back


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## Life B Ez (Jan 23, 2010)

Sorry guys happens every world cup. Same as the Olympics. 

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## Stun Gun (Oct 24, 2012)

Football(soccer) is growing in Canada as well, sadly we don't have a strong mens team to get behind. But our Women are one of the best (not that its much to brag about). But it is easily my favourite support. I'm glad to see MLS is picking up their game


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## GDPofDRB (Apr 18, 2013)

Soccer in the US becomes a quasi-big thing once every four years really. It's not caught on in a big way at all. It is extremely niche still.


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## Voiceless (Nov 8, 2010)

Spite said:


> High scoring sports bore me to tears... there's no tension. Basketball is good example... one end of the court to the other scoring almost all the time, I get more excited one a team doesnt score, rather than when one does... that can't be right?
> 
> That said I'd watch Basketball all day over the NFL, which seems to be on for fvcking hours, with only a fraction of that time spent with the ball in play.


You mean






and even if it's old, a thread like this cannot go without


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## M.C (Jul 5, 2008)

Love me some handegg.


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## Voiceless (Nov 8, 2010)

M.C said:


> Love me some handegg.


Of course it's great, if you leave the padding away










:thumb02:


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## Spite (Jul 7, 2009)

Voiceless said:


> You mean
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How dare you call it hand-egg. Typical non-american ignorance.

Everyone knows its called Rugby for pussies.


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## joshua7789 (Apr 25, 2009)

The same thing makes me turn off every soccer game that I attempt to watch. Flopping. It happens constantly in every ******* game. It makes the NBA look like the friggin Kumite. It is ridiculous and every team does it. It is infuriating and it shocks me that people can have any respect for these guys.


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## prospect (Mar 26, 2014)

Heres the thing when I see a 135 pound football player flop. I'm like how typical. But when I see a 280 pound NBA player flop. Well it's just ******* shamefull.


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## Stun Gun (Oct 24, 2012)

prospect said:


> Heres the thing when I see a 135 pound football player flop. I'm like how typical. But when I see a 280 pound NBA player flop. Well it's just ******* shamefull.


LOL or when Lebron does it. 

flopping is normally only bad during the world cup I find. I mean its in the league games too but its not as much.


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

This thread couldn't go without a handegg reference. 

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## UFC_OWNS (Jul 7, 2010)

Voiceless said:


> Of course it's great, if you leave the padding away
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Word.


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